Current thoughts having beaten KH 1. I liked it. Despite not growing up with the series it was a very fun adventure interacting with the different Disney and FF properties. With that said, this game is full of JANK from the weird boss mechanics to annoying ass mobs. The endgame was riddled with these issues and did suck out the energy I had for it. 3.5 stars for KH1. Looking forward to playing 2!
I'll review the individual games separately, but as a collection, this is a surprisingly good effort. The games are remastered to a good quality, as is the music, and Square Enix even went to the trouble of recording new dialogue for games that didn't have it back at release. I'm also impressed by the effort put into converting some of these games into HD, especially Chain of Memories and Birth By Sleep, which were on the GBA and PSP respectively. I was definitely less impressed, however, with how they turned two other games, 358/2 Days and Coded, into movies. Still, the overall package is faithful, and if any series got this treatment I'd be pretty happy.
The comedy side aged like pre-fermented cottage cheese, but six classic games for $50 is a deal regardless of discounts.
This series will always hold a special place in my heart—no pun intended. I remember watching my sister play the original Kingdom Hearts on PlayStation 2 while I ate Muddy Buddies. This collection upscaled many textures while keeping everything original.
This series will always hold a special place in my heart—no pun intended. I remember watching my sister play the original Kingdom Hearts on PlayStation 2 while I ate Muddy Buddies. This collection upscaled many textures while keeping everything original.
Well... that's almost perfect.
The problems are basically:
1 - Cutscenes that are not in 60 fps;
2 - The faces of the characters continue to change from an amazing 3d animation to a strange PNG animation;
3 - It doesn't have the DS games.
Besides those things, it's the best way to experience any Kingdom Hearts game.
I love it!
The problems are basically:
1 - Cutscenes that are not in 60 fps;
2 - The faces of the characters continue to change from an amazing 3d animation to a strange PNG animation;
3 - It doesn't have the DS games.
Besides those things, it's the best way to experience any Kingdom Hearts game.
I love it!
I've played all these games' original english releases. But I feel this collection is the best way to experience these games, even with some very minor graphical downsides. Games look great in HD! I'll go through each game in release/ideal play order and give my thoughts.
KH1 has great combat that's aged gracefully, even if it feels a little stiff compared to modern expectations. It has a really solid fairy tale like story that most anyone will like, even if you're ambivalent towards Disney properties. If you hate Disney with a burning passion, you probably won't find any enjoyment here.
Re: Chain of Memories is very unique. I hear the GBA original is better, but the cutscenes in ReCom really elevate the experience, and might make it ideal for a first time playthrough.
Kingdom Hearts 2 is a perfect sequel in terms of combat. Story is really fun. Even if you feel that it jumps the shark somewhat, it's still so silly that it should win you over if you have joy in your heart. It still maintains a fairy tale feeling for sure. The Final Mix content really elevates this game too.
358/2 Days is best experienced as the actual game on the DS. The cutscene collection is fine though, and you should watch it if you've played the original already. It's my favorite game in the series story-wise. It's experimental and has this tone that only Kingdom Hearts can capture. It also has my favorite interpersonal relationships in the series.
Birth By Sleep is cool. Sort of "Star Wars Prequel Trilogy"'s the kingdom hearts lore, but in a good way. I LOVE THE LORE. English dub is lacking due to 2/3 of the leads, and it isn't charming like the Final Fantasy character's bad dubs in KH1 and 2.
Re:Coded on DS is so peak. It's something all KH players should experience. Ok, if you really don't want to play an amazingly designed and fun game on DS, you can watch the cutscenes in this collection.
KH1 has great combat that's aged gracefully, even if it feels a little stiff compared to modern expectations. It has a really solid fairy tale like story that most anyone will like, even if you're ambivalent towards Disney properties. If you hate Disney with a burning passion, you probably won't find any enjoyment here.
Re: Chain of Memories is very unique. I hear the GBA original is better, but the cutscenes in ReCom really elevate the experience, and might make it ideal for a first time playthrough.
Kingdom Hearts 2 is a perfect sequel in terms of combat. Story is really fun. Even if you feel that it jumps the shark somewhat, it's still so silly that it should win you over if you have joy in your heart. It still maintains a fairy tale feeling for sure. The Final Mix content really elevates this game too.
358/2 Days is best experienced as the actual game on the DS. The cutscene collection is fine though, and you should watch it if you've played the original already. It's my favorite game in the series story-wise. It's experimental and has this tone that only Kingdom Hearts can capture. It also has my favorite interpersonal relationships in the series.
Birth By Sleep is cool. Sort of "Star Wars Prequel Trilogy"'s the kingdom hearts lore, but in a good way. I LOVE THE LORE. English dub is lacking due to 2/3 of the leads, and it isn't charming like the Final Fantasy character's bad dubs in KH1 and 2.
Re:Coded on DS is so peak. It's something all KH players should experience. Ok, if you really don't want to play an amazingly designed and fun game on DS, you can watch the cutscenes in this collection.
My friends are my power!
KH, my beloved. My first taste of KH was back when I was little, watching my older siblings play. BBS was the first one I actually played, on the PSP back in the day. We moved and I forgot about it for many years, until KH3 came out and sibling offered to let me play. Had no idea what was going on, but I remembered Sora, Riku, and the BBS trio, which made me want to play the entire series to find out what happened. Since then, I've replayed the series multiple times. Had so much fun playing. Would definitely play again. I'm working on 100% on every game. I currently have 1 more trophy to get (hard mode) on KH1 before I move on to the next game.
KH, my beloved. My first taste of KH was back when I was little, watching my older siblings play. BBS was the first one I actually played, on the PSP back in the day. We moved and I forgot about it for many years, until KH3 came out and sibling offered to let me play. Had no idea what was going on, but I remembered Sora, Riku, and the BBS trio, which made me want to play the entire series to find out what happened. Since then, I've replayed the series multiple times. Had so much fun playing. Would definitely play again. I'm working on 100% on every game. I currently have 1 more trophy to get (hard mode) on KH1 before I move on to the next game.