How to Play the Kingdom Hearts Games in Order
Hello guys today I have yet another Kingdom Hearts related blog for you guys. This time I will tell you guys the correct way to play the Kingdom Hearts series, as that is a question that many people have when they are trying to get into the franchise. Lets begin!
The first thing that you all should do is to purchase a PS4 if you do not have one already. The Kingdom Hearts games are not available on PC, or XBOX. Then buy Kingdom Hearts 1.5+2.5 ReMix, and Kingdom Hearts HD Final Chapter Prologue. Many people are confused by the titles of these games but let me clarify quickly. Kingdom Hearts 1.5+2.5 is just a combination of 1.5 and 2.5 which were separated on the PS3. 1.5 and 2.5 are the names of collections and each one has 2 games and 1 movie ( the movies cutscenes from games that were on the US they were not remade in game format). 1.5 has Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories, and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. 2.5 has Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep Final Mix, and Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded. The final mix just means its the version with additional content that only released in Japan when those games were new, but now they're obviously available worldwide. 2.8 includes Kingdom Hearts HD Dream Drop Distance, Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth By Sleep, and Kingdom Hearts X Back Cover. And this is optional but buy a 3DS if you want to experience 358/2 Days and Re:Coded to their fullest since on the PS4 they are only movies, but this is only if you want to actually play them, the movies have all the story though so do not worry. And finally if you have a smartphone download Kingdom Hearts Union X Cross which is free Now on to the actual order.
Kingdom Hearts Final Mix
The first game that you should definitely play is the one that started it all, Kingdom Hearts Final Mix. It is not the first game in the chronological timeline but it should be the one you first play. This game is the one that introduces us to our protagonists, the enemies, the worlds, the keyblade, and the lore of the series. In this game you play as Sora and you have your companions Donald and Goofy. Sora is the chosen one and he has to open the door to the light, and he's been giving the Keyblade, Sora is looking for his friends Riku and Kairi after they got seperated. Donald, and Goofy are looking for King Mickey who told them to stick with the one who has the Key. Our protagonists go world by world sealing Keyholes and fighting the darkness. This game is the intro to the series and its common knowledge it's the first you have to play.
3. Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories
The next game that you have to play is Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories which used to be a Gameboy Advance game until it got remade for PS2, that is why it has the Re at the beginning. This game literally picks up where the last one ended. In this game Sora, Donald, and Goofy are looking for Riku and King Mickey after the events of the last game. And this leads them to castle oblivion, and our protagonists have to go all the way to the top floor fighting along the way. This game has the same feel as KH1 but it is based around a card system. You only fight with cards, but it is in real time. It is not a turn based game. And after you are done with the game you unlock Riku’s story which is called Reverse/Rebirth. Riku starts in the lowest level of castle oblivion and has to make his way up to the entrance fighting his inner darkness along the way.
4. Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
This one is a controversial one because people in the community often say that you should play Kingdom Hearts II before this one but in my opinion it's the opposite. The reason I say this is because in II you play as Roxas in the beginning but you have no idea who he is. 358/2 Days comes before II in the timeline, and it is Roxas’s story, so you get to know who Roxas is and the events leading to II. And 358/2 days was the first Kingdom Hearts game I played and it made me into the fanboy that I am so that says a lot. Also its included in the 1.5 Bundle so that tells you its made to be played after Re:Chain of Memories.
5. Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix
Then play Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, and in my opinion it is the best game in the series. This game is really really good. In the beginning you play as Roxas who is Sora’s nobody. And since you played 358/2 Days first you already know Roxas’s story. 358/2 Days ending was the beginning of KH2, so by playing KH2 after 358 you would be picking up immediately where you left off. You play as Roxas for a few hours and then you play as Sora the rest of the game. Since this is the final mix version of 2 there is a lot of post game content to prepare for. There are 13+ secret bosses in this game that require you to max out all of Sora’s stats. Now onto the next game.
6. Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep Final Mix
Next in our order is the prequel to the series. This game takes place 10 years before the original Kingdom Hearts. And it tells us the stories of 3 Keyblade wielders that came before, Ventus, Aqua, and Terra and their fates. This game has a lot of answers to events and lore from KH1, CoM, 358/2 Days, and KH2. This game answers why Sora, Riku, and Kairi can wield keyblades, the origin of Castle Oblivion, why Roxas doesn't look exactly like Sora, the human pasts of the nobodies in organization XIII and many more. It also shows us who the true antagonist of the series is. The secret movie in Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix showed us Birth By Sleep and it's the reason you should play it after II.
7. Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded
After Birth By Sleep you should play Re:Coded. This game used to be a mobile game but then it was remade for the nintendo ds. This game is just a cutscene movie in the 2.5 ReMix, but if you own a 3DS or DS then pick it up. I would experience both the game and the movie as the movie has additional essential story cutscenes. This game takes place after KH2 and it must be played after the other games I listed because the main story message of this game requires you to know the other games.
8. Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance
This game was called the bridge to Kingdom Hearts III by the series creator Tetsuya Nomura. This game has the most lore out of any Kingdom Hearts game, and I will warn you that the story will get very very complex. Also time travel is introduced but it works here because there are rules to it. To fully understand this game you must know the lore of all of the previous games because if not then you will be COMPLETELY LOST.
9. Kingdom Hearts X (chi)/ unchained X/ Union X cross/ Back cover
This game is another prequel that sets up the universe of KH. It takes place a hundred years before Birth By Sleep. It's the story about the Keyblade War, the foretellers, the book of prophecies, the master of masters, and much more. Now the reason it has a lot of names is because it has been renamed. This game is a browser/mobile game. It was first called Kingdom Hearts X (chi) and it was a browser/mobile game only released in Japan. Then a few years later it was released worldwide with the name Kingdom hearts Unchained X. Then a year after it came out worldwide the name was changed to Kingdom Hearts Union X Cross because it was a new season. Kingdom Hearts X Back Cover is the cutscene movie part of the Kingdom Hearts 2.8 HD Final Chapter Prologue Collection and it tells the story of the mobile game but in the perspective of the foretellers. This game is very important as it sets up the universe but it must be played after Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance.
10. Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth By Sleep A Fragmentary Passage
This is the last game that you should play and it is part of the 2.8 collection. This game is also the prologue of Kingdom Hearts III and it shows us the graphics, engine ,physics, and gameplay style that Kingdom Hearts III will have so it is very exciting. This game takes place during 4 parts of the timeline. First it takes place after Birth By Sleep, thats why its 0.2, right after Aqua gets lost in the realm of Darkness. Then it shows Aqua wandering aimlessly for 10 years , and then its second place in the timeline is during Kingdom Hearts 1. Aqua’s story ends at the same time Kingdom Hearts Final Mix ends. Then it shows us Aqua and Ansem the wise in the realm of darkness after the events of Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix. And finally the fourth place in the timeline is right after Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance. It is the beginning of Kingdom Hearts III.
I hope you guys enjoyed my guide of “ How to play the Kingdom Hearts games in order.”
The first thing that you all should do is to purchase a PS4 if you do not have one already. The Kingdom Hearts games are not available on PC, or XBOX. Then buy Kingdom Hearts 1.5+2.5 ReMix, and Kingdom Hearts HD Final Chapter Prologue. Many people are confused by the titles of these games but let me clarify quickly. Kingdom Hearts 1.5+2.5 is just a combination of 1.5 and 2.5 which were separated on the PS3. 1.5 and 2.5 are the names of collections and each one has 2 games and 1 movie ( the movies cutscenes from games that were on the US they were not remade in game format). 1.5 has Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories, and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. 2.5 has Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep Final Mix, and Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded. The final mix just means its the version with additional content that only released in Japan when those games were new, but now they're obviously available worldwide. 2.8 includes Kingdom Hearts HD Dream Drop Distance, Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth By Sleep, and Kingdom Hearts X Back Cover. And this is optional but buy a 3DS if you want to experience 358/2 Days and Re:Coded to their fullest since on the PS4 they are only movies, but this is only if you want to actually play them, the movies have all the story though so do not worry. And finally if you have a smartphone download Kingdom Hearts Union X Cross which is free Now on to the actual order.
Kingdom Hearts Final Mix
The first game that you should definitely play is the one that started it all, Kingdom Hearts Final Mix. It is not the first game in the chronological timeline but it should be the one you first play. This game is the one that introduces us to our protagonists, the enemies, the worlds, the keyblade, and the lore of the series. In this game you play as Sora and you have your companions Donald and Goofy. Sora is the chosen one and he has to open the door to the light, and he's been giving the Keyblade, Sora is looking for his friends Riku and Kairi after they got seperated. Donald, and Goofy are looking for King Mickey who told them to stick with the one who has the Key. Our protagonists go world by world sealing Keyholes and fighting the darkness. This game is the intro to the series and its common knowledge it's the first you have to play.
3. Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories
The next game that you have to play is Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories which used to be a Gameboy Advance game until it got remade for PS2, that is why it has the Re at the beginning. This game literally picks up where the last one ended. In this game Sora, Donald, and Goofy are looking for Riku and King Mickey after the events of the last game. And this leads them to castle oblivion, and our protagonists have to go all the way to the top floor fighting along the way. This game has the same feel as KH1 but it is based around a card system. You only fight with cards, but it is in real time. It is not a turn based game. And after you are done with the game you unlock Riku’s story which is called Reverse/Rebirth. Riku starts in the lowest level of castle oblivion and has to make his way up to the entrance fighting his inner darkness along the way.
4. Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
This one is a controversial one because people in the community often say that you should play Kingdom Hearts II before this one but in my opinion it's the opposite. The reason I say this is because in II you play as Roxas in the beginning but you have no idea who he is. 358/2 Days comes before II in the timeline, and it is Roxas’s story, so you get to know who Roxas is and the events leading to II. And 358/2 days was the first Kingdom Hearts game I played and it made me into the fanboy that I am so that says a lot. Also its included in the 1.5 Bundle so that tells you its made to be played after Re:Chain of Memories.
5. Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix
Then play Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, and in my opinion it is the best game in the series. This game is really really good. In the beginning you play as Roxas who is Sora’s nobody. And since you played 358/2 Days first you already know Roxas’s story. 358/2 Days ending was the beginning of KH2, so by playing KH2 after 358 you would be picking up immediately where you left off. You play as Roxas for a few hours and then you play as Sora the rest of the game. Since this is the final mix version of 2 there is a lot of post game content to prepare for. There are 13+ secret bosses in this game that require you to max out all of Sora’s stats. Now onto the next game.
6. Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep Final Mix
Next in our order is the prequel to the series. This game takes place 10 years before the original Kingdom Hearts. And it tells us the stories of 3 Keyblade wielders that came before, Ventus, Aqua, and Terra and their fates. This game has a lot of answers to events and lore from KH1, CoM, 358/2 Days, and KH2. This game answers why Sora, Riku, and Kairi can wield keyblades, the origin of Castle Oblivion, why Roxas doesn't look exactly like Sora, the human pasts of the nobodies in organization XIII and many more. It also shows us who the true antagonist of the series is. The secret movie in Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix showed us Birth By Sleep and it's the reason you should play it after II.
7. Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded
After Birth By Sleep you should play Re:Coded. This game used to be a mobile game but then it was remade for the nintendo ds. This game is just a cutscene movie in the 2.5 ReMix, but if you own a 3DS or DS then pick it up. I would experience both the game and the movie as the movie has additional essential story cutscenes. This game takes place after KH2 and it must be played after the other games I listed because the main story message of this game requires you to know the other games.
8. Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance
This game was called the bridge to Kingdom Hearts III by the series creator Tetsuya Nomura. This game has the most lore out of any Kingdom Hearts game, and I will warn you that the story will get very very complex. Also time travel is introduced but it works here because there are rules to it. To fully understand this game you must know the lore of all of the previous games because if not then you will be COMPLETELY LOST.
9. Kingdom Hearts X (chi)/ unchained X/ Union X cross/ Back cover
This game is another prequel that sets up the universe of KH. It takes place a hundred years before Birth By Sleep. It's the story about the Keyblade War, the foretellers, the book of prophecies, the master of masters, and much more. Now the reason it has a lot of names is because it has been renamed. This game is a browser/mobile game. It was first called Kingdom Hearts X (chi) and it was a browser/mobile game only released in Japan. Then a few years later it was released worldwide with the name Kingdom hearts Unchained X. Then a year after it came out worldwide the name was changed to Kingdom Hearts Union X Cross because it was a new season. Kingdom Hearts X Back Cover is the cutscene movie part of the Kingdom Hearts 2.8 HD Final Chapter Prologue Collection and it tells the story of the mobile game but in the perspective of the foretellers. This game is very important as it sets up the universe but it must be played after Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance.
10. Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth By Sleep A Fragmentary Passage
This is the last game that you should play and it is part of the 2.8 collection. This game is also the prologue of Kingdom Hearts III and it shows us the graphics, engine ,physics, and gameplay style that Kingdom Hearts III will have so it is very exciting. This game takes place during 4 parts of the timeline. First it takes place after Birth By Sleep, thats why its 0.2, right after Aqua gets lost in the realm of Darkness. Then it shows Aqua wandering aimlessly for 10 years , and then its second place in the timeline is during Kingdom Hearts 1. Aqua’s story ends at the same time Kingdom Hearts Final Mix ends. Then it shows us Aqua and Ansem the wise in the realm of darkness after the events of Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix. And finally the fourth place in the timeline is right after Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance. It is the beginning of Kingdom Hearts III.
I hope you guys enjoyed my guide of “ How to play the Kingdom Hearts games in order.”
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