Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX

 PlayStation 3
User Score
8.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 532 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 448 out of 532
  2. Mixed: 48 out of 532
  3. Negative: 36 out of 532
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  1. mattlarkin
    Nov 9, 2013
    7
    The original Kingdom Hearts for PS2 was one of the sleeper hits I think I only tried on a whim the first time around. The concept, a merging of Final Fantasy and Disney, struck me as odd. As it turns out, not only was it incredibly fun, but the concept actually worked. It was a pleasure to encounter classic Disney characters and take on favorites like Cloud, or meet Aerith in a newThe original Kingdom Hearts for PS2 was one of the sleeper hits I think I only tried on a whim the first time around. The concept, a merging of Final Fantasy and Disney, struck me as odd. As it turns out, not only was it incredibly fun, but the concept actually worked. It was a pleasure to encounter classic Disney characters and take on favorites like Cloud, or meet Aerith in a new setting.

    So basically when I heard it was getting the HD treatment for PS3 I was very psyched.

    Graphics:
    KH HD is bright and beautiful, and looks great on a wide screen HD TV. The artists did a wonderful job on the upgrade. It's not going to have that realistic quality you see on a game like Final Fantasy XIII--it occasionally looks a little polygonated still--but it works really well.

    Story:
    The story is unchanged from the original. All the different Disney worlds exist in a connected universe, and these shadows called the Heartless around going around destroying those worlds. Our hero, a young boy named Sora, has to travel around with his magic keyblade and seal the worlds against the Heartless.

    It's ridiculous, but relatively fun.

    Gameplay:
    So, here's where I have mixed feelings about the game. The gameplay is basically unchanged from ten years ago, and that's both good and bad. Because things that I accepted back then now annoy me as they've been phased out of game design a bit. The platforming, in particular, was sometimes more frustrating than fun. The way enemies sometimes spawn out of nowhere, repeatedly, and more pointedly, the amount the game makes me backtrack, was sometimes irritating. It was far too easy to fall off a ledge--or worse, be forced off by one by having to fight enemies--then having to backtrack through the same area five times. What do I mean having to fight enemies? Well you can't interact with the environment unless you clear all the enemies, which, in some areas is truly annoying.

    Now, don't get me wrong, in the beginning and towards the end, I was truly enjoying reliving the experience. Taking down Cerberus in the arena (in fact all the arena fights) was still awesome, and some of the later fights were classic. There were times, however, when I felt the game showing its age. I simply don't have the patience for some things I did back then.    … Expand
  2. Nednerb
    Sep 29, 2013
    6
    I applaud the idea of re-releasing the series in a high definition format. The compilation includes the original Kingdom Hearts; dubbed Final Mix and includes various additions to the original title. New enemies, new bosses, new synthesis materials, new abilities, new cut scenes and the introduction of trophies. The battle between light and darkness is at the forefront of every worldI applaud the idea of re-releasing the series in a high definition format. The compilation includes the original Kingdom Hearts; dubbed Final Mix and includes various additions to the original title. New enemies, new bosses, new synthesis materials, new abilities, new cut scenes and the introduction of trophies. The battle between light and darkness is at the forefront of every world and the protagonist sets on a journey to reunite with his friends. Although relatively short, the game is enjoyable as the player relives the slightly altered adventures of Disney's favoured cartoon characters. This title will be individually rated as 7/10. Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories continues the Kingdom Hearts franchise in a new area where the protagonist once again relives the worlds encountered in the original title. This title is extremely repetitive with the same boss mechanics in the original game. The battle system completely revamped and focuses on a card system which at first is difficult to master. Although different this title was some what disappointing and very frustrating to earn the platinum trophy. For these reason the title has been individually rated as 4/10. The final title in the compilation is Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days which has been included as a collection of cut scenes that runs simultaneously with Chain of Memories up until the introduction of Kingdom Hearts 2. Due to this title not being an actual game it will not be individually rated. Combing both ratings this title has been rated as 6/10. The compilation is recommended for the younger audience or those whom are wishing to relive the series prior to the release of the Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD and Kingdom Hearts 3.… Expand
  3. spizer511
    Sep 11, 2013
    5
    It doesn't hold up as well as you'd like. I mean, the HD textures make it rather pretty, but the game shows its age in the poor localization and sophomoric directing of the pacing in the story. Thank god for nostalgia, because I don't know if anything else would actually compel me to finish replaying this game with its vague directions, poor collision detection and still somewhat wonkyIt doesn't hold up as well as you'd like. I mean, the HD textures make it rather pretty, but the game shows its age in the poor localization and sophomoric directing of the pacing in the story. Thank god for nostalgia, because I don't know if anything else would actually compel me to finish replaying this game with its vague directions, poor collision detection and still somewhat wonky camera.

    Again, its really quite gorgeous to look at and the fights can be quite fun. But the story, the sluggish start and the collisions make for a rather frustrating game sometimes.    … Expand
  4. Ragnamaxima
    Oct 15, 2017
    7
    This collection is a mix-bag. On one hand you have Kingdom Hearts beautifully remastered in HD with a whole lot of extra features not present in the original US release. On the other hands this collection only runs at 30 fps, loading times are noticeably longer than in the original and although chain of memories is not a bad title by any means, it´s fair to say that most of your time willThis collection is a mix-bag. On one hand you have Kingdom Hearts beautifully remastered in HD with a whole lot of extra features not present in the original US release. On the other hands this collection only runs at 30 fps, loading times are noticeably longer than in the original and although chain of memories is not a bad title by any means, it´s fair to say that most of your time will be dedicated to KH1. Still, the positives do out weight te negatives and if you want to get into the series and don´t have a PS4 this is a fine way of getting started.… Expand
  5. zidfrit
    Feb 5, 2019
    7
    La historia es regular, mientras el traslado a ps3 en el apartado gráfico lo ha renovado, pero pudieron haber corregido errores que traía desde la PS2 como es la mala cámara que tiene y mejoras un poco el gameplay para poder usar mas fácil la magias o los artículos, de todas formas es un buen juego con una buena dificultad.
  6. nicholas_linden
    Mar 26, 2016
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The following score above represents the value of the overall package, not the individual games themselves.

    The ReMix is a little misleading since it is not your typical Hd collection or release. It provides some new content to the original Kingdom Hearts and a few new features. The I.5 is reflective of the package since there are really two games and the third involves only the cut scenes. With that said though it is a great return for veterans and an excellent start to the franchise for new fans.

    Kingdom Hearts Final Mix: 9/10
    The original Kingdom is by far the most balanced in the series. Its story is easy to grasp as Sora tries to find his friends across several Disney themed worlds. The combat involves the use of the key blade with a few spells that could be used to aid your fight against the heartless. It can be difficult at times but it has a balanced system (for the most part). It will require a lot of time and some bits of grinding to reach a high enough level in order to fight a certain boss. With that said, the bosses are the most memorable in the series which require different strategies to defeat them. Some will really test your patience such as the fight against Giant Ursula and the fight against Riku. The final mix also have optional bosses such as phantom and an optional fight agianst future antagonist Xemnas. One downside of the combat is that it only runs at 30 fps. A game in which you are surrounded by enemies could benefit from a higher framerate. With that said though, this game is still a great to be introduced to not only the Kingdom Hearts series but also the JRPG genre as a whole. If one can only play a singe game in the series I would recommend playing this one.

    Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories: 6/10
    The sequel though will have more of niche fan base.The story itself is actually pretty compelling with Sora's first encounter with the devious Organization XIII. Along his journey he starts to loose his memories due to the magic of the which Namine who is speculated to be his love interest Kairi's nobody. He eventually starts to use his skills to gain his memories after the climatic battle with Marluxia. The other story involves Riku fighting the organization and fighting Ansem's influence. His story is intriguing as he accepts the darkness within him and decides to use it to help his friends. Where the game stumbles is the card placed game play. People wither love or despise this kind of combat system, I personal fall into the later category. The card based system involves drawing the right card to land an attack or to merely use an item. I greatly dislike this system because it seems that your success depends soely on sure luck as opposed to skill. It can get very frustrating when fighting a n enemy or a boss when I draw a card but the enemy just draws a card with a higher number at the last minute. Some will argue that gives more immersion with the card combat combined with real time but in my personal experience it causes frustration. I personally prefer if a game does one or the other.

    Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days Movie 6.9/10
    As mentioned before, the game play for this title has been removed in favor of giving a movie told through the remastered cut scenes and text boxes with still images in between these cut-scenes. The story resolves around Roxas who is Sora's nobody who was created after Sora got lost in the darkness during the events of the original Kingdom Hears for a brief time. He is in conflict with the other members of the organization as he tries to find his own heart and develops a deep friendship with two other nobodies named Xion and Axel. The story ultimately ends in tragedy as Xion disappears from memory and he looses his own after his fight with Riku. The story does keep you invested but it does move in a slow pace. I personally would not advise watching the entire film in one sitting though because the story moves in a slow pace in the same locations.

    In conclusion although I believe that only one of the games in this collection is exceptional, this remix is still a good way to be introduced to the series and will bring new elements in for veterans who are not from Japan.    … Expand
  7. FromKanga
    May 6, 2017
    7
    Kingdom Hearts is a RPG made by Square Enix.
    I like the kingdom hearts series, they are flawed but fun games, it's kind of weird that a 7/10 is an average rating according to metacritic because to me, a 7/10 is a really good score, it just means that the game has its flaws.
    The story is unnecessarily complicated to be honest, don't get me wrong the concept is fantastic and must be like    Kingdom Hearts is a RPG made by Square Enix.
    I like the kingdom hearts series, they are flawed but fun games, it's kind of weird that a 7/10 is an average rating according to metacritic because to me, a 7/10 is a really good score, it just means that the game has its flaws.

    The story is unnecessarily complicated to be honest, don't get me wrong the concept is fantastic and must be like a dream come true to kids but the actual story of these games is honestly hard to follow. The first game is not too complicated and the themes about friendship are really touching, but the chains of memories is when the story takes a very complicated turn and the little 358/2 days doesn't help me to much...
    But both games have interesting stories regardless of how complicated they are, they have good characters (especially chain of memories) and they kept me interested.

    The gameplay of the first kingdom hearts is fun, teaming up with different Disney characters makes this game a blast to play through, you fight with a "keyblade" which is a very powerful weapon, at first I was afraid that the gameplay would become repetitive but you do have variety by using magic.
    The bosses are so much fun, you basically fight your favorite disney villains and they are quite challenging and they have different ways of attacking which can make them unpredictable.
    So I really enjoyed the gameplay of the first game, it doesn't have a lot of depth but it's perfectly fine for what it is and it's really fun.

    The chain of memories game however doesn't have a really good gameplay, from what I heard, it was originally a gameboy game and it really shows because the gameplay is completely different from the first game. basically you attack according to the cards you have, it can get really confusing and honestly, it's slower and just not as fun, it makes the bosses annoying which makes me sad because I really like their personalities and I wanted a good battle against them.
    It's sad because at first I was surprised and interested at this new style of gameplay but it just didn't do a good job of keeping it fresh...

    And the third game wasn't a game but a compilation of the cutscenes of the game, which makes me wonder why didn't they make a complete game for 358/2 days? Were they out of time? I don't know so I can only judge it as a story and not a game, and the story was really good, likable characters and an emotional pay off near the end, although I didn't understand the last 5 minutes, like at all, but the story was good, I just wish I could play the game anf not just watch the cutscenes.
    I have to point out that the soundtracks of these games are superb, they fit well with the combat and cutscenes and they did a really good job at keeping it consistent throughout.

    If I had to give an individual score to the two games, it would be:
    Kingdom Hearts : 8/10
    Kingdom Hearts chain of memories: 6-7/10

    So I recommend this game, it's on next gen consoles now and I think it's worth it.    … Expand
  8. GrumpyReviewer
    Feb 23, 2014
    7
    It is the classic we all learned to love, back with gorgeous HD graphics. The characters are just like we remember them and the story is as charming as ever. It is a shame the mechanics have not aged well... the camera is an ATROCITY and platforming is a nightmare to current standards. It is a long game, with a lot to do and explore. And if you have the patience to forgive the agedIt is the classic we all learned to love, back with gorgeous HD graphics. The characters are just like we remember them and the story is as charming as ever. It is a shame the mechanics have not aged well... the camera is an ATROCITY and platforming is a nightmare to current standards. It is a long game, with a lot to do and explore. And if you have the patience to forgive the aged mechanics you will discover (or re-discover) a great game that stole our hearts forever, back in the PS2 era. A must have for any collection, but they should have revamped the mechanics as well. Really, really outdated.… Expand
  9. mrnice
    Dec 13, 2015
    6
    The HD repackaging is perfect, but only 1 of the 3 games delivers a PS3-level experience. And the main mechanic across the entire 50-60 hours, is to fight against hordes of enemies. Not the most constructive game for kids, or adults. There's just not much thinking involved.

    Chain Of Memories is evidently a Gameboy Advance game at core, asking you to play 20 hours extra through the same    The HD repackaging is perfect, but only 1 of the 3 games delivers a PS3-level experience. And the main mechanic across the entire 50-60 hours, is to fight against hordes of enemies. Not the most constructive game for kids, or adults. There's just not much thinking involved.

    Chain Of Memories is evidently a Gameboy Advance game at core, asking you to play 20 hours extra through the same KH1 sceneries with a limited cast and downscaled locations. You'll know what to expect 1 hour in and then just level-grind and try your luck on the random collectibles. It just goes on and on, as if there are no other games to play. The third 'game' is completely irrelevant, as it's just 3 hours of cutscenes.

    Ultimately, I can't imagine the perfect audience for these games. They seem too convoluted, aged and unintuitive for kids, and too silly and straightforward for adults.

    While Kingdom Hearts 1 deserves recognition as a fun and impressive mix of button-mashing action, Disney setting, and a classic epic Squaresoft JRPG, it's already dragged out at 30-40 hours. To really upgrade the game, they should have cut it to 15 intense hours. Not doubled the package with unnecessary extras.

    6.4/10    … Expand
  10. jasondouglas777
    Sep 25, 2014
    5
    a good game. a good game. a good game. a good game. a good game. a good game. a good game. a good game. a good game. a good game. a good game. a good game. a good game. a good game.
  11. Greenicey
    Dec 7, 2013
    7
    As much as I would LOVE to give this game a perfect 10, I can't, because I must be honest. The updates for the most are to the games benefit, the colors are brighter, improved interface, and a mostly fixed camera (make sure you turn off chase cam). However, due to the updated visuals, the static faces on the characters that appear when the camera isn't close up, stick out like sore thumbs.As much as I would LOVE to give this game a perfect 10, I can't, because I must be honest. The updates for the most are to the games benefit, the colors are brighter, improved interface, and a mostly fixed camera (make sure you turn off chase cam). However, due to the updated visuals, the static faces on the characters that appear when the camera isn't close up, stick out like sore thumbs. Most of the rest of the issues come from Re;Com and 358/2 Days. Re:Com has always been the black sheep of the franchise, and it is all the more clear here. The gameplay in it could have been slightly re-worked like the KH1, but they chose not too. 358/2 days however is the biggest offender. Making it a 3-hour movie is kind of a silly idea to begin with, but the fact that it is just SO BORING makes it extremely difficult to watch. All in all, I really appreciate the updates to KH1, but perhaps the other two games should have been left out.… Expand
  12. Broseph14
    May 23, 2015
    7
    If I could find 10 collectors editions 3 months after its released that's pretty bad. However this collection was still pretty good.

    Kingdom Hearts 1: still fun enough and is a much better adventure since the addition of new bosses, cut scenes, abilities, and weapons but what makes it better than the original is not the new content its the ability to skip cut scenes and the    If I could find 10 collectors editions 3 months after its released that's pretty bad. However this collection was still pretty good.

    Kingdom Hearts 1: still fun enough and is a much better adventure since the addition of new bosses, cut scenes, abilities, and weapons but what makes it better than the original is not the new content its the ability to skip cut scenes and the improvement of special abilities like ars arcrum. How ever there is nothing that special about this one and even though this is the brunt of my score.

    Kingdom hearts Re Chain of memories: still a piece of crap

    Kingdom hearts 358/2 days "The movie" big disappointment that this wasn't playable and the reason I didn't pre order the game. The cut scenes were a complete in justice to the story and pathetic.

    even though this game was a let down I can't help but give it a 7    … Expand
  13. KitkatChunky
    Aug 15, 2015
    7
    I love this game. The story behind it is one that you cannot help but get lost in as you travel through the various worlds. The criticisms I have are that personally I think the boss fights are too long and sometimes the actions are slightly delayed but nonetheless I haven't stopped playing it yet
  14. ElectroNick
    Apr 8, 2016
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The following score above represents the value of the overall package, not the individual games themselves.

    The ReMix is a little misleading since it is not your typical Hd collection or release. It provides some new content to the original Kingdom Hearts and a few new features. The I.5 is reflective of the package since there are really two games and the third involves only the cut scenes. With that said though it is a great return for veterans and an excellent start to the franchise for new fans.

    Kingdom Hearts Final Mix: 9/10
    The original Kingdom is by far the most balanced in the series. Its story is easy to grasp as Sora tries to find his friends across several Disney themed worlds. The combat involves the use of the key blade with a few spells that could be used to aid your fight against the heartless. It can be difficult at times but it has a balanced system (for the most part). It will require a lot of time and some bits of grinding to reach a high enough level in order to fight a certain boss. With that said, the bosses are the most memorable in the series which require different strategies to defeat them. Some will really test your patience such as the fight against Giant Ursula and the fight against Riku. The final mix also have optional bosses such as phantom and an optional fight agianst future antagonist Xemnas. One downside of the combat is that it only runs at 30 fps. A game in which you are surrounded by enemies could benefit from a higher framerate. With that said though, this game is still a great to be introduced to not only the Kingdom Hearts series but also the JRPG genre as a whole. If one can only play a singe game in the series I would recommend playing this one.

    Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories: 6/10
    The sequel though will have more of niche fan base.The story itself is actually pretty compelling with Sora's first encounter with the devious Organization XIII. Along his journey he starts to loose his memories due to the magic of the which Namine who is speculated to be his love interest Kairi's nobody. He eventually starts to use his skills to gain his memories after the climatic battle with Marluxia. The other story involves Riku fighting the organization and fighting Ansem's influence. His story is intriguing as he accepts the darkness within him and decides to use it to help his friends. Where the game stumbles is the card placed game play. People wither love or despise this kind of combat system, I personal fall into the later category. The card based system involves drawing the right card to land an attack or to merely use an item. I greatly dislike this system because it seems that your success depends soely on sure luck as opposed to skill. It can get very frustrating when fighting a n enemy or a boss when I draw a card but the enemy just draws a card with a higher number at the last minute. Some will argue that gives more immersion with the card combat combined with real time but in my personal experience it causes frustration. I personally prefer if a game does one or the other.

    Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days Movie 6.9/10
    As mentioned before, the game play for this title has been removed in favor of giving a movie told through the remastered cut scenes and text boxes with still images in between these cut-scenes. The story resolves around Roxas who is Sora's nobody who was created after Sora got lost in the darkness during the events of the original Kingdom Hears for a brief time. He is in conflict with the other members of the organization as he tries to find his own heart and develops a deep friendship with two other nobodies named Xion and Axel. The story ultimately ends in tragedy as Xion disappears from memory and he looses his own after his fight with Riku. The story does keep you invested but it does move in a slow pace. I personally would not advise watching the entire film in one sitting though because the story moves in a slow pace in the same locations.

    In conclusion although I believe that only one of the games in this collection is exceptional, this remix is still a good way to be introduced to the series and will bring new elements in for veterans who are not from Japan.    … Expand
  15. LouistheHelms
    Apr 21, 2021
    7
    Just as a preface, I played the version on the 1.5 + 2.5 PS4 version, so keep that in mind I suppose.

    I played Kingdom Hearts to its completion, and I have to say that I was stunned. Hearing about how busted and insane these games were, I was pleasantly surprised by a touching, yet slightly dumb and confusing at times, story, and combat that, while being slightly button-mashy and esoteric    Just as a preface, I played the version on the 1.5 + 2.5 PS4 version, so keep that in mind I suppose.

    I played Kingdom Hearts to its completion, and I have to say that I was stunned. Hearing about how busted and insane these games were, I was pleasantly surprised by a touching, yet slightly dumb and confusing at times, story, and combat that, while being slightly button-mashy and esoteric at times, was overall very enjoyable.

    So why is this a 7? Chain of Memories.

    I couldn't get through a whole hour of it before I had to turn it off. Boring and stale in every sense of the word with stale charm reused from the first game, not to mention a jarring voice actor change for Sora (it being the VA from 2 and beyond). The story is useless and it is a better experience just to watch all the cutscenes online. Plus I've heard that it's better in its original form on the GBA, which is saying something.

    As for 358/2 Days, it's a shame this wasn't remade as well, after playing through most of it on its original hardware, as it had a lot of potential, I think. That being said, knowing at least what the gameplay was like before watching, for what it is, the "version" presented is very nice to look at visually, and can be fine if you already have an idea of what's going on (as opposed to screens of text just telling you what you WOULD HAVE done, had you played the game).

    Chain of Memories drags the package down, but the greatness of the Original is enough to keep it above average. Worth it, especially if it's on sale.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

50
#50 Best PS3 Game of 2013
31
#31 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2013
57
#57 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 49 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 38 out of 49
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 49
  3. Negative: 1 out of 49
  1. Level7.nu
    Dec 12, 2013
    60
    Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD Remix will probably not convince non-fans of the series. It’s the same type of cozy Disney/Square-Enix mix as always but also with the same type of bad controls and unbalanced difficulty level as the original.
    Read full review
  2. Gamereactor Sweden
    Nov 19, 2013
    70
    The Kingdom Hearts series has aged and this just doesn't feel as much fun as it used to do. But if you're a fan, this is still worth checking out.
    Read full review
  3. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Nov 6, 2013
    80
    An HD remake of the highest order. [Dec 2013, p.84]
See all critic reviews »