WORDS Emmie Taylor

For long-time fans of the Kingdom Hearts series waiting on the third core instalment, an HD remaster of the original game and its first two spin-offs is perhaps not what they were looking for. After all, Kingdom Hearts III has been a long time coming, fraught with numerous and, arguably unnecessary, side games (Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded as an excellent example). So it would be understandable if fans would rather wait on the series’ third, main instalment, rather than experience a rehash of the series’ beginning. However, from the first frame of its opening cutscene, it is clear that Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix is one heck of a remaster. Even those gamers with a dislike of Disney and Square Enix’s cartoony, JRPG lovechild should readily admit that, visually, this game is stunning. Eleven years after its original release, the textures are crisp, the colours clearer than ever, and over the course of 1.5 Remix’s three(ish)-game package, it’s unavoidably apparent that nostalgia can certainly be gorgeous.

Yet aside from updated graphics, what does this package include to entice gamers into buying? With the answer to that 1.5 Remix gets even sweeter. The meat of the bundle is made up of Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix, the first game in the series, following protagonists Sora, Donald and Goofy as they battle Heartless and restore light to the different Disney worlds. However, with the inclusion of Final Mix, gamers will also receive a slew of added bonuses that were originally seen solely in the Japanese release. These include cutscenes, content and bosses, adding a deeper understanding to the complicated storyline the series is known for. It is content that Western fans have waited eleven years for and, thankfully, the wait was worth it. Slight tweaks have also been made to the mechanics to sync it up with those of its sequel, Kingdom Hearts II, but these are largely unnoticeable. One odd thing to note: the camera controls remain as finicky as ever — in battle, lock-on is always your friend! — and it’s curious that the developers didn’t choose to fix that as long as they were already adjusting some of the mechanics.

Following Final Mix is Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories, the Gameboy Advance-to-Playstation 2 sequel spanning the time period between KHI and KHII. It, too, features the visual updates, though it retains its “fun and strategic” (read: insufferable) card-based battle system. While it was an unrealistic hope that they would overhaul the battle system that set this spin-off aside from its compatriots, the card system does, admittedly, have its own unique charm, and adds a nice change of pace to the typical button-mashing that Kingdom Hearts is often critiqued for. Also included in the console-shift to the Playstation 3 are new trophies to be unlocked throughout both Final Mix and Re:Chain of Memories.

Unfortunately, the bundle ends on a disappointing note with the inclusion of the second chronological spin-off, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. Following the announcement of 1.5 Remix, it had seemed that 358/2 Days would be a full, playable game with remastered cinematics, much like Re:Chain of Memories. The back of the box clearly states that players should expect “three incredible stories,” so it would be understandable to assume that the disc includes three full, playable games. This is, sadly, not the case. What buyers will receive instead is an approximately 3-hour movie, made up from the Days cutscenes, but with no actual gameplay. While Days is not considered the pinnacle of the Kingdom Hearts series, it’s disappointing to see the potential for a great addition left seemingly as an afterthought.

Long-time fans of the series will love this bundle, even with the Days let-down, and the younger generation that considers the Playstation 2 “old school” will perhaps discover a rich, new series to explore. However, for those gamers who already disliked the series, it’s unlikely that 1.5 Remix will change their minds. The stories and characters are still as kid-friendly as ever, yet with enough charm and depth to appeal to gamers of any age, assuming they’re willing to accept Sora’s constantly, upbeat disposition and the plethora of equally cheery Disney characters. For gamers already invested in the series, hopefully 1.5 Remix will fill the void until the eventual release of Kingdom Hearts III, whenever that may be.