Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8: Final Chapter Prologue

Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8: Final Chapter Prologue for PS4 is the third compilation of refreshed games from Kingdom Hearts, a popular series of jRPGs created by Square Enix, of which the first entry was published in 2001. The previous two compilations, known as Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix and Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix, had been released for PlayStation 3 in 2013 and 2014. The Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8: Final Chapter Prologue contains a completely remastered edition of Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance, released exclusively for Nintendo 3DS in 2012, which is a link between the second and the third installment of the main series. Aside from that, the fans of the series were given a completely new story episode called Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep-A Fragmentary Passage, which runs on the Kingdom Hearts III technology, and a cut-scene selection from a mobile installment – Kingdom Hearts X, also known as Kingdom Hearts X Back Cover.

Plot

The action of Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance HD takes place immediately after the conclusion of Kingdom Hearts II. Sora and Riku begin their training under the watchful eye of Yena Sida. He attempts to prepare them for the imminent danger approaching in form of Xehanort. To put his students to the test, Yena Sida sends them to defeat the monsters known as Dream Eaters, which have taken over the worlds liberated from the yoke of Heartless and Organization XIII.

The plot of Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8: Final Chapter Prologue takes place after the ending scenes of Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep. The players follow Aqua – a popular hero in her journey through the world of darkness.

The story of Kingdom Hearts X Back Cover takes place long before the events of other installments of Kingdom Hearts, and throws a new light onto the whole series, and shows the beginning of the great conflict between Keyblade users.

Mechanics

Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance HD for PS4 uses an expanded gameplay model, introduced in Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep. We are still left with an RPG seen from a third person perspective. During their travels, the players acquire abilities that allow them to get to know the surrounding world better, and discover various secrets. The combat system was upgraded with the “Drop Gauge” that allows the combatants to use special attacks and enable interesting special effects. During the gameplay, the player can be joined by up to three companions, who are caught Dream Eaters. The party members can be trained, and endowed with new abilities through the usage of appropriate items.

Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep-A Fragmentary Passage offers a gameplay model similar to the one found in Kingdom Hearts III. The players control only one character, and as an effect of the short playing time, they have limited possibilities of character development, the same situation applying to his abilities or equipment.

Technical Aspects

All components of Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8: Final Chapter Prologue had been prepared with PlayStation 4 possibilities in mind, offering a native 1080p resolution. Both Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep-A Fragmentary Passage and Kingdom Hearts X Back Cover were build based on Unreal Engine 4, which was used to power Kingdom Hearts III.

Last updated on 21 May 2024