My waiting for Kingdom Hearts 3 continues with yet another Kingdom Hearts re-release collection. By now, this being the third one, I should be annoyed and frustrated that the continuation of my favourite game series shows no sign of even a release date. Yet there is one part of this collection that captured how I felt about the series when I first played it 15 years ago. That part is the Birth By Sleep 0.2 Fragmentary Passage part of this very good collection. The short three-hour game lets you play as Aqua who is stuck in the dark world and trying to find a way out. The game runs on the same engine as the next main instalment Kingdom Hearts 3 and operates as a preview of what it will be like killing heartless and adventuring through the worlds in that game. It runs, feels and plays amazingly! The game has a freeing feeling to it where everything is smooth and the action isn’t over the top but it is fluid and tactical at the same time. The visuals are as beautiful as ever and the characters in their high definition form look fantastic. The story isn’t too much but it sets you up for Kingdom Hearts 3 as you get to play pretty much right up to the start of it unless they have another game coming out which I will both lose my mind in excitement and anger if they do. I wish the game was longer but there is a lot of replay value with objectives and clothing customizations which I hope they add in for Kingdom Hearts 3 to increase the overall game time.
As for the other two parts of Kingdom Hearts 2.8, the HD PS4 remake of the 3DS game Dream Drop Distance and the one hour long film based on the mobile game, those are good at best. I have the 3DS game but could never finish it because not playing on Playstation felt weird, don’t buy Kingdom Hearts 3 on Xbox One trust me it just wont feel true to what it is. The remake is really good and plays well on the PS4. The visuals are a little like the first Kingdom Hearts game and that is alright for what it is because its a little bit more of the Kingdom Hearts you love. The film is almost pointless to watch unless you’ve played the mobile game. The animation and voice acting is really good but really once you’ve got everything on the PS4, and played the mobile game, I feel like the film will fit into place quite well.
Expectations Level: High, Kingdom Hearts needed to make this game worth the wait for Kingdom Hearts 3
Expectations Achieved: Only makes me want Kingdom Hearts 3 more and in a good way.
Score: 4/5 – The Birth By Sleep 0.2 part of this collection is a must play if you’re a Kingdom Hearts fan and it will be a must play if you’re getting into the series before 3. The remake is good at best but isnt necessary and the film you don’t really need but one day when it is all out on the PS4 the collection of everything will be one hell of a fun marathon.