The collection comes to PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series X|S, the one that most intrigues me is the Nintendo Switch 2 version, since they’re native ports rather than Cloud versions. This is an exciting prospect, because the Cloud versions were, to put it mildly, not the best way to experience these titles. So let's open the box and find out whether this package is worth its price of admission.
Kingdom Hearts - HD 1.5+2.5 ReMix
The first package in the collection, Kingdom Hearts - HD 1.5+2.5 ReMix comprises six titles, of which four are playable (Kingdom Hearts I Final Mix, Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories, Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, and Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix) and two are cutscene compilations (Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days and Kingdom Hearts Re: coded).
A pleasant surprise is that the 1.5+2.5 HD ReMix also has a Nintendo Switch version, and if you owned the cloud versions previously, you can port over your save data from them, and you’ll also receive a 50% off discount. However, if you get it on Nintendo Switch, there is no upgrade path for the Nintendo Switch 2 version, as Square Enix does not have an upgrade path, and the collection bundle on Nintendo eShop is Switch 2 only. This is something that was already seen on their previous Switch 2 releases, and it’s rather disappointing.
Furthermore, it’s worth noting that this is a 54.2 GB game. If you have a Switch Lite or the original Switch, due to their base storage being limited to 32 GB, it’s practically impossible to install this game unless you have a microSD card, which would require an additional investment. The PC versions required approximately 60 GB, so I am willing to say that for having so many games inside this one package, this isn’t too bad.
Graphically, this is impressive on the Nintendo Switch 2, but after comparing it side by side with the PS5 version of the collection, you can really see the difference between the two. The PS5 looks a lot more sharper, but it seems to have some sort of weird artifact scaling going on, possibly due to the lack of anti-aliasing. This issue also wasn't present on the PS4 version, as far as we could tell.
As far as I can tell, the game runs at a locked 60 FPS framerate, which I personally prefer compared to an uncapped framerate. However, these issues are minor, and overall I have no complaints about the collection here. On an offhand note, I think Birth by Sleep feels right at home on handheld, given the slightly enlarged font used for its subtitles and UI, which makes sense given its PSP origins.
Kingdom Hearts 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue
Next up is Kingdom Hearts 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue. This collection includes only 3 titles: Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance HD, Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep -A fragmentary passage-, and a movie titled Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover. As such, this title is much lighter than the others, at around 27.1 GB.
Sadly, there’s not much to say about this version of the game, and I somewhat echo our staff member Orpheus Joshua's point that this is perhaps the least bang for your buck in the package. The collection itself is $75, but you can buy each game separately for $40. I wouldn’t say Dream Drop Distance alone is worth $40, but if you go for the collection, the math comes around to roughly $25 per title, which is much more reasonable.
That said, this doesn’t necessarily mean you should skip this one, because Dream Drop Distance is still a really good game. I enjoy going through its story in a higher definition, since the Nintendo 3DS had a very low resolution, and this is also the first (and sadly the last time we see the cast from The World Ends With You). Furthermore, I still highly recommend giving χ Back Cover a watch, especially since it will be an important starting point, given the implications that story will have as we head towards Kingdom Hearts IV’s release.
As a side note, when I was playing through all of the games in this collection, I was initially thinking I would have a hard time adapting to the Nintendo control scheme, since on there, A confirms and B rejects. This matches the Japanese PS4 control scheme, where Circle was confirm and Cross went back, but on the West, and on the XBOX format, the A Button and the Cross button are on the B Button. But even though there's that distinction, the controls felt natural, as if they were always on Switch, and that’s not something that happens often with games for me. It is a bit amusing that chests and other prompts in the game show a green triangle overlay, though.
Kingdom Hearts III + Re:Mind
And last but not least, we have Kingdom Hearts III + Re Mind, the final game in the collection. It requires about 48 GB to install. So if you’ve been keeping up with the numbers, that means the total to install all three games is roughly 128 GB, which, for reference, is a little above the storage space for the recently released Final Fantasy XIV Online Switch 2 port. Luckily, the Switch 2 does come with 256 GB, so there is some leeway.
I must say, this might be the first time I'm replaying Kingdom Hearts III with the Premium Menu, which was only added later when Re:Mind came out. If you’re unaware of this menu, the initial cutscene adds a new question, asking if you’d like a balanced adventure, an easier adventure, or a tougher adventure. This in turn enables something called EZ Codes or Critical Codes. As their names imply, they can make the game a lot harder or a lot easier.
Honestly, the way they implemented these EZ Codes is by far one of the best I’ve ever seen. While I do have some complaints about how they depict the option to enable the EZ Codes in that one Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance scene with Sora wearing a fake nose and mustache, there is one key factor I loved.
I am not a hardcore player by any means, so you’ll hardly see me selecting Critical Mode. However, with the EZ Codes, Sora can instantly get killed, yes, but that goes both ways, since one of the EZ Codes allows you to one shot most enemies. It creates a sort of Heaven or Hell type of playthrough that feels really fun to go through.
Over the last few years, I’ve always been a fan of games that have multiple languages to allow them to learn a new language with their favorites. It’s just disappointing that this dual-language option is really only available on Kingdom Hearts III, and not the previous ones of the collection. You even needed to download the voices separately for the menu option to even appear.
Now here’s where things start to get a bit messy. Up until now, all the Kingdom Hearts games in this collection ran superbly well. But that isn’t quite the case for Kingdom Hearts III. The framerate appears to be running uncapped. So there are moments where the game is running very smoothly at 60 FPS, only for the framerate to suddenly tank down to 40 FPS, especially in action-heavy areas like the enemies in the Toy Box world.
In the last few years, Square Enix offered a Graphics and Performance mode toggle on its Switch 2 ports, but that is not the case for Kingdom Hearts III. So while the game looks visually stunning, and this inconsistency can be somewhat addressed with the Switch 2’s variable refresh rate (VRR), it can only do so much.
Conclusion
I feel the only thing that makes me pause when recommending this title is the rather steep price, but really, when you stop and consider just this collection is not one, not two, not three, but seven entirely playable games (eleven if you want to include the cutscene compilations that are present!)... it suddenly makes the price feel worth it, at least in my view.
For most people, and especially new fans, this collection is a one-stop shop for everything you need to get into Kingdom Hearts, and it’s also available across many platforms, including the Switch 2, which to me, has been an indispensable companion for my gaming needs on the go. That isn't to say this Collection isn't without its faults. The lack of Melody of Memory, for one, is a bit of a shame, especially since it’s already on so many platforms, it wouldn’t have hurt to just include it.
While I've experienced minor performance issues with some of the games, such as Kingdom Hearts III and Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep -A fragmentary passage-, I’m sure a performance patch can fix most of the small issues that I and other members of staff experienced throughout the days we’ve been playing the collection.
If you have a Switch 2 and have always wanted to play these amazing titles, this Collection is, quite frankly, the best place to start, period. Taking the experience on the go is magical, and it was still a marvel to lie down in bed and experience each of these stories natively, without needing a persistent Internet connection.
9/10
Special thanks to Square Enix for making this article possible with a Nintendo Switch 2 code for the Kingdom Hearts Collection [I~III]!
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