Kingdom Hearts is back and more beautiful than ever, and for the first time we are able to get our hands on the Final Mix that before now never was officially released outside of Japan. Does Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX fare well against time? Read Review and find out!!!
Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX
Developer: Square Enix
Genre: Action / RPG
Platform: PS3
Players: 1
ESRB: E10+
Back of the box
“Three Incredible Stories
One Unforgettable Adventure
Kingdom Hearts Final Mix
Released for the first time in North America
Kingdom Hearts RE: Chain of Memories
Card Based Battle Gameplay
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
HD Re-mastered Cinematic
Limited Edition Artbook
·
24 pages of artwork bringing together the magic
of Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX
·
Foreword and never-before-seen sketch by created
Tetsuya Nomura
·
Early concept sketches that bring artwork to
real life “
Product Description (Via – Amazon)
“A new collection of the first three Kingdom Hearts
titles in gorgeous high-definition: KINGDOM HEARTS 1 FINAL MIX, KINGDOM HEARTS Re:
Chain of Memories, and KINGDOM HEARTS 358/2 Days (HD re-mastered cinematics).
KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5 ReMIX marks the first time KINGDOM HEARTS will be
available on the PlayStation 3! Team up with Disney and FINAL FANTASY heroes to
explore new and familiar worlds featuring over 100 Disney characters. Disney:
Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Aladdin, Pinocchio, FINAL FANTASY: Cloud
Strife, (FFVII), Sephiroth (FFVII), Squall Leonhart (FFVIII), Tidus (FFX),
Moogles. For the first time ever, KINGDOM HEARTS 1 FINAL MIX will finally be
available for North America. KINGDOM HEARTS 1 FINAL MIX is a compilation of the
original KINGDOM HEARTS, additional boss battles, and improved game controls!”
The Good:
-
3 well, 2 games in one
-
The US finally gets an official version of
Kingdom Hearts Final MIX
-
Kingdom Hearts looks really good in HD
-
Fixes most of the camera issues that plagued the
original
-
358/2 Days is represented to Glorious HD Cinematics
-
You get a cool art book if you pre-ordered it
-
Dynamic Theme is pretty cool that you get for
pre-ordering the game.
-
The nostalgic feeling you get from replaying the
original game
The Bad:
-
Camera issues still linger
-
No theatre mode for all cut-scenes only for
358/2 Days
-
Though 358/2 Days isn’t the best Kingdom Hearts,
still would have liked seeing the actual game in there.
-
Square Enix should have worked in the main
battles instead of just skipping to after them.
-
The limited art book is actually the case for
the game
The Ugly:
-
The moment you realize that most of 358/2 days
takes place on top of the clock tower eating Ice cream.
-
Seeing Sora talk with a female voice.
-
Fighting Sephiroth; seriously don’t even bother
fighting him till you are at level 70+ (talk about HAX)
 |
| Roxas as he appears in the cinematics in 358/2 Days |
Graphics:
The overall graphics in Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX look
really nice, but where the game seems to shine the best is in the 358/2 Days.
Believe it or not the characters models had to be completely reworked Kingdom
Hearts Final Mix due that Square has apparently lost the original data.
 |
| Sora as he appears in Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories |
Sound / Audio:
Music is what you’d expect from Square Enix and more
specifically Yoko Shimumora, it is awesome. The themes are nostalgic and
catchy. Voice acting is also top notch which is also what we have come to
expect from Square Enix. Though I have to say, they should have did voice overs
for the newly added scenes in Kingdom Hearts Final Mix.
 |
| This is an added scene of Cloud meeting Sephiroth |
Gameplay:
Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX plays like you would expect
the game to play. They have improved final mix by adding camera controls to the
right analog sticks as well as, making summons more accessible similar to how
you access them in Kingdom Hearts II.
 |
| This is the limited edition case/artbook |
Replay:
Being that there is now trophy support for all three
games, well 2 that you actually have to do something in boosts the replay
value. But honestly if you are playing this game you most likely have played it multiple times in
the past and you won’t be that compelled to play through it multiple times to
collect all of the trophies unless you are a die-hard Kingdom Hearts fan.
My Thoughts:
Kingdom Hearts is one of my favorite game series and it
was nice to play through the original again. While playing final mix you really
realize how Square Enix kind of fell off in developing for the series. For
example in Kingdom Hearts Final Mix the game not only focused on Action, and
storytelling but it is also has a lot of platforming involved. Character
development is also a lot better in Both Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts Re:
Chain of Memories.
Recommendation:
I recommend this game to anyone who is a Kingdom Hearts
Fan or rather a fan of RPGs in general. Disney fans will also love this game.
Graphics: 4.5
Sound | Audio: 4.5
Gameplay: 4.5
Replay: 3.5
Average (Game Rankings): 4.2
Overall:
21.2/25
85
 |
| Letter from series director Tetsuya Nomura |
Bonus!!!
Letter from Tetsuya Nomura that can be found in the Limited Art Book
"Over 10 years have passed since we released the first Kingdom Hearts Game. My only regret was never Releasing Kingdom Hearts Final Mix overseas, so I am very pleased to now give fans everywhere a chance to play it, this time in the best format - full High-Definition.
Revisiting the first game, I don't think it feels like a 10 year-old game despite some unrefined elements. Everything was a new experience for me back then. It was extremely challenging to create a completely new game system and series. However, I think Kingdom Hearts Final Mix still feels like a new game because the passion of our creative efforts are still felt in the game itself to this day.
The Kingdom Hearts series would not have lasted this long without the incredible support from you, the fans. In response to your passion towards the Kingdom Hearts series, I will continue to create something you can all enjoy playing for the next several decades.
Tetsuya Nomura"
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