I've played some of the series before, but I stopped at Birth By Sleep because at the time it was only available for some console I didn't have (the PSP or something?), and I didn't want to play any others if I'd missed that one. Though the others were also on consoles I didn't have anyway!
The Epic Games store has three PC games that I think combine all the released ones for other consoles, and I've been meaning to play through them all... but that's a huuuuge time commitment, which is the only reason I haven't started yet! I want to eventually though, since I have some very fond memories of the series.
0
TheFifteenthMember9~3Y
To explain the PC packages (necessary because of how convoluted the names are!):
Kingdom Hearts 1.5+2.5 contains:
-Kingdom Hearts I (the original PS2 game)
-Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories (a PS2 remaster of a GBA game)
-Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (a movie version of a DS game)
-Kingdom Hearts II (PS2)
-Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep (PSP)
-Kingdom Hearts Re:coded (a movie version of a DS game)
This package contains the bulk of the series. Note that Days and Re:coded are “movie” versions which condense the respective games into about 2-3 hours each worth of cutscenes.
The next package, Kingdom Hearts 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue (yes the name is really that silly), is more obscure and is really all direct setup for Kingdom Hearts 3.
-Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance (a revamped version of a game that was originally released on 3DS)
-Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep 0.2 A Fragmentary Passage (A brand new title that lasts around 2-4 hours. Originally, this sequence was meant to be the opening to KH3 but it ended up being put into this compilation instead to show off the KH3 engine before its release)
-Kingdom Hearts X Back Cover (a 90 min movie using KH3 graphics that summarises the events of a game originally on mobile devices)
These two packages (5 games, 1 game demo, 3 movies) contain everything preceding KH3. It is a time investment for sure but also a lot of fun! Maybe dipping in and out of the series over time is the best way to consume it?
The remaining packages on Epic Games Store are Kingdom Hearts III (bundled with its DLC, ReMind) and Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory. The latter title (hmm, familiar name!) is a rhythm game that can be completely skipped; none of it is canon to the series except for one cutscene at the end set after KH3 which you can just watch on YouTube.
Apologies for the information overload! The series setup is rather confusing so hopefully this explainer is helpful. If you do decide to play, I hope you get some enjoyment out of it!
1
Tobias 1102~3Y
I'm the sort of person who - if I invest in any series at all - has to go through everything in order and not miss anything, so I was definitely intending to thoroughly check the order of things before diving in. Useful you provided it here though, so thanks!
The only ones I've not played are BBS and DDD (I have a 3DS, but I'd missed DDD so I missed that too), and the only one I wasn't familiar with at all was BBS 0.2, which I assumed was just yet another revised version. I've played all the others! Didn't finish X (chi, right?) though because it wasn't really something you just sit down and play through to the end.
Also I saw Melody of Memory and felt ambivalently annoyed and pleased by the title. Don't know if I'll play it though!
Hmm... One of the struggles I've been having regarding deciding what to play next is concern about whether or not I'll even like what I choose. But I know I like Kingdom Hearts, so maybe starting with that might be a good idea? Maybe I'll even finish the series before Christmas if I start now!!!
0
TheFifteenthMember9~3Y
Ah, so it looks like you already have most of the series under your belt! Unlike Days and Recoded which are fairly self contained, BBS and DDD are very chunky games in terms of story and drive the main narrative going forward. For me, BBS had the most compelling story in the series and I was fond of a core mechanic in DDD where you “create” and raise creatures that act as your party members.
One thing I forgot to mention is that the versions of Kingdom Hearts I and II included here are “Final Mix” versions, which feature some additional abilities, cutscenes and post-game content. I assume you’ve played the vanilla versions on PS2, so this content gives you some extra value if you decide to replay it all from the beginning. These are just bonuses though so it’s not a big deal if you don’t!
I’m surprised that you’ve played X chi since that’s one of the more obscure titles! I’m in the same boat as you in that I gave up on playing it myself after it became stale and pay-to-win. I ended up watching the cutscenes on YouTube to catch up, which to me was a much more enjoyable. Luckily, Back Cover contains everything you need for KH3.
With regards to what game you should play next, it might be worth having a comfort game that you play purely for your own enjoyment and not for ulterior “research” purposes. Perhaps alternate between a comfort game to destress and other indie games that may be a more “productive” use of your time?
The Epic Games store has three PC games that I think combine all the released ones for other consoles, and I've been meaning to play through them all... but that's a huuuuge time commitment, which is the only reason I haven't started yet! I want to eventually though, since I have some very fond memories of the series.
Kingdom Hearts 1.5+2.5 contains:
-Kingdom Hearts I (the original PS2 game)
-Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories (a PS2 remaster of a GBA game)
-Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (a movie version of a DS game)
-Kingdom Hearts II (PS2)
-Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep (PSP)
-Kingdom Hearts Re:coded (a movie version of a DS game)
This package contains the bulk of the series. Note that Days and Re:coded are “movie” versions which condense the respective games into about 2-3 hours each worth of cutscenes.
The next package, Kingdom Hearts 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue (yes the name is really that silly), is more obscure and is really all direct setup for Kingdom Hearts 3.
-Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance (a revamped version of a game that was originally released on 3DS)
-Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep 0.2 A Fragmentary Passage (A brand new title that lasts around 2-4 hours. Originally, this sequence was meant to be the opening to KH3 but it ended up being put into this compilation instead to show off the KH3 engine before its release)
-Kingdom Hearts X Back Cover (a 90 min movie using KH3 graphics that summarises the events of a game originally on mobile devices)
These two packages (5 games, 1 game demo, 3 movies) contain everything preceding KH3. It is a time investment for sure but also a lot of fun! Maybe dipping in and out of the series over time is the best way to consume it?
The remaining packages on Epic Games Store are Kingdom Hearts III (bundled with its DLC, ReMind) and Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory. The latter title (hmm, familiar name!) is a rhythm game that can be completely skipped; none of it is canon to the series except for one cutscene at the end set after KH3 which you can just watch on YouTube.
Apologies for the information overload! The series setup is rather confusing so hopefully this explainer is helpful. If you do decide to play, I hope you get some enjoyment out of it!
The only ones I've not played are BBS and DDD (I have a 3DS, but I'd missed DDD so I missed that too), and the only one I wasn't familiar with at all was BBS 0.2, which I assumed was just yet another revised version. I've played all the others! Didn't finish X (chi, right?) though because it wasn't really something you just sit down and play through to the end.
Also I saw Melody of Memory and felt ambivalently annoyed and pleased by the title. Don't know if I'll play it though!
Hmm... One of the struggles I've been having regarding deciding what to play next is concern about whether or not I'll even like what I choose. But I know I like Kingdom Hearts, so maybe starting with that might be a good idea? Maybe I'll even finish the series before Christmas if I start now!!!
One thing I forgot to mention is that the versions of Kingdom Hearts I and II included here are “Final Mix” versions, which feature some additional abilities, cutscenes and post-game content. I assume you’ve played the vanilla versions on PS2, so this content gives you some extra value if you decide to replay it all from the beginning. These are just bonuses though so it’s not a big deal if you don’t!
I’m surprised that you’ve played X chi since that’s one of the more obscure titles! I’m in the same boat as you in that I gave up on playing it myself after it became stale and pay-to-win. I ended up watching the cutscenes on YouTube to catch up, which to me was a much more enjoyable. Luckily, Back Cover contains everything you need for KH3.
With regards to what game you should play next, it might be worth having a comfort game that you play purely for your own enjoyment and not for ulterior “research” purposes. Perhaps alternate between a comfort game to destress and other indie games that may be a more “productive” use of your time?