REVIEW

Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue Review

by Rob Pritchard, February 10th, 2017

After it was first launched in 2002, the Kingdom Hearts franchise has seen ten unique instalments across multiple consoles, such as the PlayStation 2, the Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable. Six of these earlier games were included in two high definition remaster collections for the PlayStation 3, both of which will be released for the PlayStation 4 at the end of next month. To prepare fans for the long awaited Kingdom Hearts III, the remaining games in the series, aside from the mobile exclusive Kingdom Hearts X, have been included in a third high definition remaster collection for the PlayStation 4 named Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue.

In a similar manner to Kingdom Hearts 1.5 and 2.5, Kingdom Hearts 2.8 HD Final Chapter Prologue includes two playable games, and a high definition movie that is based on the story of one of the portable instalments. Upon completing each of these elements, you will unlock a theme for your PlayStation 4, which are certainly worth the investment if you are a fan of the sketch like artwork on the title screen of most Kingdom Hearts titles to date.

The first game to be included in the collection is a high definition remaster of Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, which was initially released for the Nintendo 3DS back in 2012. After being summoned by Master Yen Sid, Sora and Riku are tasked to revive the worlds which remain trapped in darkness following the closure of Kingdom Hearts in the first game. The graphics are now at 1080p and the combat runs at a fairly solid sixty frames per second outside of cutscenes, which is a genuine first for the Kingdom Hearts series. Some of the background textures do suffer as a result of the change in resolution, but the characters, enemies and special effects all look dazzling using the PlayStation 4’s horsepower.

Unlike the previous remasters excluding Birth by Sleep, the soundtrack of Dream Drop Distance remains exactly the same as its original release, except it is encoded at a higher quality to suit the high definition environment. The original English voice track also remains intact, and there appears to be no major omissions or changes to the script. It would have been nice to have the option to switch to the Japanese voice work, but this more of a minor annoyance rather than a game breaking exclusion.

The second playable game is an exclusive three hour epilogue to Birth by Sleep, which follows the journey of the Keyblade master Aqua as she ventures through the World of Darkness to find her way back to the Realm of Light. When it was announced that this game would be built using Unreal Engine 4, I had my concerns over the quality, because the previous games have been built using Square Enix’s internal engine. My doubts were laid to rest the second I played through the first of the game’s four mini worlds, which is a corrupted version of the Castle of Dreams world that Aqua visited during her journey in Birth by Sleep. The graphical style that has been used is the same as the one that has been shown in the teaser footage of Kingdom Hearts III, and it definitely fits with the theme of the franchise. The vibrant character models, along with the highly detailed backgrounds, stunning visual efforts and relatively consistent frame rate kept me entranced for the entire experience.

Every entry in the Kingdom Hearts series brings a set of new gameplay elements to the table, and 0.2 is no exception to this rule. Although it does not affect Aqua’s abilities in any way, it is now possible to collect additional clothing and accessories to change Aqua’s appearance. From ears that resemble those of Minnie Mouse, to the cat features that are popular in many areas of Japanese culture, there will be something for everyone once you have unlocked them by completing several optional objectives throughout the game.

The Reaction Command mechanic, which allowed for context sensitive special attacks and actions, has also returned under a new name. The Situation Commands have a much broader scale, allowing for screen filling visual effects, and intensely powerful attacks that have never been seen in any Kingdom Hearts game to date. My particular favourites were Blizzaja and Thundaja, as they cause considerable damage to any foe. Another highlight is when you see a legendary Disney character riding a wave of cascading enemies, and then obliterating them with the help of Aqua’s Keyblade once you get into range.

One of the best moments in 0.2 A Fragmentary Passage is the opening credits sequence, which was paired with a brand-new remix of Simple and Clean, the infamous title track of the first Kingdom Hearts sung by Utada Hikaru. There have been many occasions where remixes fall flat, but in this case, the team at Square Enix have definitely pulled out a winning card. The series long-time composer Yoko Shimura has returned for this new instalment, and it is clear she has not lost her touch, with the scene where Aqua reunites with several former being one of the standouts of the musical score. Unlike Dream Drop Distance HD, 0.2 A Fragmentary Passage allows you to change between English and Japanese voice work, so you can appreciate listening to Aqua’s strong willed voice in whichever language you choose.

The movie that is included for this remaster collection, Kingdom Hearts Back Cover, is not a straight retelling of a previous release this time around, although it does share its lore with Kingdom Hearts χ which was released on iOS and Android last year. It is set over a hundred years before the events of Birth by Sleep, and tells the story of five young disciples of a mysterious Keyblade master, who are given specific roles in ensuring that the destinies written in the Book of Prophecies come to pass. Things go predictably wrong as it is revealed that a traitor is amongst the group, and that one of the copies of the Book of Prophecies contains a page that holds a sinister clue to the future of the world.

Like 0.2 A Fragmentary Passage, Kingdom Hearts Back Cover is rendered using the Kingdom Hearts III aesthetic, and remains just as visually stunning as it’s playable cousin. What makes this film unique is that it can be watched without any prior knowledge of the Kingdom Hearts franchise, yet it offers answers to some of the burning questions that fans have been asking since the day Sora first received the Keyblade, such as the identity of the children who rebuilt the world when it first fell to darkness. The voice work is definitely some of the best in the franchise to date, with veterans such as Matthew Mercer, Travis Willingham and Lara Jill Miller providing first class dialogue for their respective characters.

Overall, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue is the perfect starting place for the franchise on PlayStation 4. The high quality remaster of Dream Drop Distance, as well as the jaw dropping masterpiece that is A Fragmentary Passage are the perfect examples of the series at its best, with the excellent Back Cover tying up the package with a Moogle shaped bow. If you are looking for a way to get into the Kingdom Hearts series once again, or are starting your journey for the very first time, then Kingdom Hearts HD 2. Final Chapter Prologue is certainly a good place to start whilst you wait for the legendary third entry, which will hopefully arrive before the tail end of the current decade.