Square Enix wowed fans recently with a first look at the upcoming Kingdom Hearts IV, and with all of the excitement, there’s no better time for those on the fence to jump into the series at last. One of the best action-RPG series on the market, Kingdom Hearts lets you take your love for Disney, sprinkle on some Final Fantasy, and have a total blast along the way.
With this in mind, here’s how newcomers can go about playing the series in order and in the most straightforward, convenient manner possible.
How to Play All the Kingdom Hearts Games So Far
Since Kingdom Hearts games are so strangely named, let’s start by explaining the collections. Kingdom Hearts I.5 Remix and Kingdom Hearts 2.5 Remix can be purchased together or separately on most platforms. The first collection contains Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories, and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, with the latter game only available as cut scenes to pass along the story.
Kingdom Hearts II.5 Remix contains Kingdom Hearts II, Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep, and Kingdom Hearts Re:coded, again, with the third game being available as only cut scenes. Fans who want to play those cut scene-only games will have to head to eBay or their local game store and hope for the best, as they’re only available on the Nintendo DS.
Next comes Kingdom Hearts II.8: Final Chapter Prologue. This collection contains Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance HD, Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage, and Kingdom Hearts: Back Cover. Again, Back Cover is a cinematic only experience that explains the events of the mobile game Kingdom Hearts X.
Then comes Kingdom Hearts III and Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory. These can be purchased separately from the others, or you can just skip all the nonsense if you’re sure you want to get into this series and buy the Kingdom Hearts: All in One Collection. This collection includes everything but Melody of Memory which can then be bought independently.
So, as you see, there are lots of options for how you can purchase and play these games, almost all of which are available across every major platform. Now, if you’re ready to mash it up and you’ve got a few hundred hours to kill, get prepared to have one action-RPG fuelled season. With these games completed, you’ll be totally ready to roll when Kingdom Hearts IV comes along.
