Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue

A bundle consisting of a terrible, nightmarishly dumb movie, a remake of a rather mediocre 3DS game, and a prologue to Kingdom Hearts III is not the best investment you can imagine. It does show though that Kingdom Hearts and Unreal Engine 4 is a match made in heaven. [04/2017, p.72]

At this point you’re probably wondering: if 2.8’s best bit is that brief, is 2.8 even worth it? Honestly, you’ll have to follow your heart on that one. [April 2016, p77]

A collection of highs and lows, Dream Drop Distance is fluid but flawed. It's Aqua's heart-stirring tale that will make seasoned keyblad wielders rejoice. [March 2017, p.93]

It should be an easier purchase to make if you haven’t played DDD before, but other than that, it’s hard to recommend this collection if you’re only getting it for 0.2, however awesome it may be. I do also understand just how starved Kingdom Hearts fans are however, so do know what you’re getting yourself into, but take solace in the fact that even though 0.2 is short, it’s a thrilling ride.

Despite my love for the series, Kingdom Hearts 2.8 is not without its faults, the most glaring being the high barrier of entry. As I said earlier, I cannot in good conscience recommend this game to folks unfamiliar with the series. However, if you don't care about story or you're a Kingdom Hearts vet, then have at it. Or as so many of the Kingdom Hearts armchair psychologists will tell you, "May your heart be your guiding key". What does that even mean?

The players who never finished or even tried Dream Drop Distance on Nintendo 3DS will find this Kingdom Hearts 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue very enjoyable. The others could be disappointed and will struggle to justify the pricetag.

Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue is a strong but unnecessarily pricey collection for die-hard fans, especially for those who don't intend to play Dream Drop Distance. For those who do, it most certainly is a wonderful game that has undergone an admirable transition between platforms. With a fair film and enticing episode in tow, there's only so much more our hearts can bear in anticipating Kingdom Hearts III.

Birth By Sleep: A Fragmentary Passage might be short, but it's a beautiful, entertaining episode that fills in some gaps in the lore. Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance retains a lot of the fun that made it so popular on the 3DS, even if its Drop system grows tedious. And for all of its comparative drudgery, Kingdom Hearts x Back Cover is at least visually appealing. It might be an overall confusing entry for newcomers to the series, but on the whole, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8: Final Chapter Prologue indicates that we have much to look forward to in the long-overdue Kingdom Hearts III.

Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue may be saddled with a ridiculous title, but the package offers plenty to enjoy. It may not be the most welcoming of games, thanks to Kingdom Hearts being amongst the worst offenders for convoluted narratives, but the HD remaster of Dream Drop Distance combined with a glimpse of what is to come for the franchise makes this more or less essential for fans.

For fans this is something of a no-brainer, especially after a price drop. Others may want to consider carefully, though that taste of KH3 is still rather difficult to resist. Kingdom Hearts 2.8 is ultimately a collection of a good but not great game, an exciting demo and a hardcore-fans-only movie - and hearing that you probably already know exactly where you stand.

Quotation forthcoming.

I’d heartily recommend this for KH fans, although I caution that perhaps they should wait for the price to drop. Newcomers to the franchise entirely should avoid this title until the first two anthologies are under the belt. This is definitely not an installment that is easy to jump into.

The best parts of this new Kingdom Hearts collection — the remaster of Dream Drop Distance and Aqua's miniature adventure — offer plenty of fun and a tantalizing taste of what Kingdom Hearts III will be like. The series' narrative absurdity is ever-present, but so is the addictive fun of its hack-and-slash gameplay.

Dream Drop Distance is a fine HD remaster, and the game is solid, if not the best of the series. 0.2 Birth By Sleep, on the other hand, should not be missed, and has got me incredibly excited for where the series is going to go next.

Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue is an adequate collection of what's left over from the series, with what also acts as an exquisite demo for the upcoming Kindom Hearts 3. This isn't to say that hard work hasn't gone into the remaster, but for a premium price point the game just isn't worth what it's asking, and the core component shows its age and origins a little more than could be hoped for.

The game is okay, it’s not for me specifically as I’ve never been a huge fan of Kingdom Hearts but I can see why it is as popular as it has become, thus as a result fans will enjoy it. So in the end, Kingdom Hearts fans will feel their money was well spent.

Rather than a game, it is a spilled drawer with Kingdom Hearts label. One Nintendo remake, one movie and one good, but short game. We were expecting more. [Issue#272]

Kingdom Hearts 2.8 HD is a good compilation for long-time fans of the saga. Dream Drop Distance looks good on PS4 and, boy, Birth by Sleep 0.2 sure looks gorgeous. However, this prologue lasts only less than three hours, DDD is not the most thrilling game of the saga and X Back Cover is a very poor attempt at making a movie with an hour long badly paced cinematic. Clearly not a compulsory purchase but still entertaining enough for fans.

A meaty and highly distinctive package which should delight cartoon-obsessed youngsters and those who live to play Japanese RPGs. But, despite the Disney involvement, it doesn’t feel likely to challenge the mainstream. In certain respects – albeit in the grand tradition of Japanese RPGs – it’s so complex as to be baffling.