At X019, Square Enix was on hand to announce that numerous Final Fantasy titles would be coming to Xbox Game Pass. This includes Final Fantasy 7, Final Fantasy 8 Remastered, Final Fantasy 9, Final Fantasy 10 and 10-2, Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Age, Final Fantasy 13/13-2/Lightning Returns and Final Fantasy 15. But wait, there’s more.

For the first time ever, Kingdom Hearts will be coming to Xbox One, with Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix and Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue coming to the platform. Even more amazing is that there will be a demo for Kingdom Hearts 3 available today.

The above Final Fantasy games will arrive on Game Pass, along with the Kingdom Hearts titles on Xbox One, some time in 2020. Kingdom Hearts 3 is currently available for Xbox One and PS4 and will receive some new DLC in December with ReMind. This adds new story content, new bosses and additional scenarios to play as other characters. Stay tuned for more details and updates from X019 in the meantime.

Some new information was revealed today regarding Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 REMIX. So what have we got? A trailer for starters, which is always nice! With Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 REMIX set to launch in the PAL regions on the 5th of December this year, this trailer should address some of the confusion surrounding the game.

There’s are new cutscenes, new episodes, new challenges and over 40 new items to collect. So there you go, Kingdom Hearts has grown to be a fan favourite in the gaming world and Square Enix show no signs of letting it fade away any time soon. So for all of you Disney crossover fans, of which there are a lot, this is certainly something to look forward this holiday season.

The FINAL MIX versions of Kingdom Hearts II and Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep are included in Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 REMIX to form a compilation package which includes:

• Kingdom Hearts II FINAL MIX
• Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep FINAL MIX
• Kingdom Hearts Re:coded (which is effectively just a remaster of the cinematics.)

Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMix, the extremely weirdly named modernizing of the Kingdom Hearts series on the PlayStation 3, is releasing later this year. Specifically, it’s due to launch December 2 in North America. If, in your anticipation to play some games you have already played over the last ten years on various systems, you pre-ordered the title, today Square Enix announced that you get upgraded to the Limited Edition. For free. That’s awfully nice of them.

The Limited Edition includes the exclusive Disney collectible pin featuring Sora and Mickey Mouse, in addition to the Final Mix versions of Kingdom Hearts II, Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep, and Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded that the standard package includes.

With the release of Kingdom Hearts HS 2.5 ReMix, all of the Kingdom Hearts series is available to experience on the PS3 in some form or the other, right ahead of the release of Kingdom Hearts III on the PS4 and Xbox One. All except for Dream Drop Distance. Now if only Square Enix could do something about that…

Square Enix director Tetsuya Nomura offered some interesting new details regarding Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix, the HD remake for Kingdom Hearts 2 and Birth By Sleep which will also include reworked cutscenes from Re:Coded.

Essentially, Nomura told Famitsu that since the HD system had been established with the HD 1.5 Remix, development would progress smoother this time. The Osaka studio working on HD 2.5 Remix is the same one that worked on the predecessor and they’re also working on Kingdom Hearts 3 side by side. Nomura also revealed that they’re currently not at a stage to announce a release date but can see when the proper season will be.

Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix will also feature new battle scenes and scenarios, and that there will be a final verse in the so-called prophesy to connect the game to Kingdom Hearts III. Nomura also revealed that the excitement for Kingdom Hearts III when a trailer was showcased in October was great but “from a development perspective it’s still not enough.”

Kingdom Hearts III will feature some interesting mechanics on its own, with the “Attraction Flow” skill to make for unique techniques in boss fights and the Free Flow of Dream Drop Distance to be confined to a single access. Also, one of the new transformations for the Keyblade, which can turn into dual pistols among other things, apparently made Nomura burst out laughing. But except gimmicks, folks.

Nomura also sneaks in a word about Final Fantasy XV, stating that the studio is busy with development and hopes we’ll be able to wait until further info is revealed.

Kingdom Hearts III and Final Fantasy XV are both due for the Xbox One and PS4, with Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix releasing exclusively for PS3.

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Furthermore they will also be making use of full trophy support. This collection has been put together specifically and exclusively for PlayStation 3 and is currently set to be published by Square Enix, the company behind the successful Deus Ex and Final Fantasy franchises.  The collection is currently slated for a global release, but at an unspecific date sometime in 2014.

• 1. Development
• 2. Story
• 3. Gameplay
• 4. Characters

Development

The development of Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix was hinted at in the credits of the first collection of Kingdom Hearts games. During the final credit sequence in Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix (which brought together Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 days in a HD collection in 2013 for PlayStation 3), clips of the games featured in Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix were shown, thus hinting at the existence of a second remastered collection.

This was in fact, a ruse on the part of Shinji Hashimoto (a Square Enix video game producer that has worked on both Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts), this was revealed in an interview with IGN in which he stated that the development of a second high definition Kingdom Hearts collection would be entirely dependent on whether or not with the reaction to the first collection was warranted. Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix was well received across the board, with its lowest score being a 7/10 from GameSpot; it’s also currently sitting at 78/100 on Metacritic.

This success ultimately led to the creation of Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix.  When initially quizzed on why Kingdom Hearts was such an important franchise and one that warranted a second HD remix, Shinji Hashimoto said “While fans of Disney are usually quite young and Final Fantasy players are much older, they come together to create a Kingdom Hearts audience that’s very unique. The feelings people have towards the series are so deep these days because they spent many of their teenage years, which is a very sensitive period of your personal life, with Kingdom Hearts.”

Story

Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix follows on from the events that take place in Kingdom Hearts and Chain of Memories, this time however the player will progress through game worlds that draw inspiration from both the Disney animated films as well as Disney’s Live Action IP’s. Set one year after the events of Kingdom Hearts and Chain of Memories, Sora, Goofy and Donald have been in a sort of stasis. This suspended animation is to help them regain the memories that they have lost.

Upon awakening they eventually come into contact with King Mickey, who once again sends them off on a quest of great importance.  This quest is to find Riku and ultimately foil the plans of Organization XIII, the group that has control of the Nobodies. The Nobodies are the empty husk of a person who once had a strong heart but has been changed into one of The Heartless.

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix is a prequel game to the first instalment in the Kingdom Hearts series. The player will take control of the three main characters, Terra, Aqua and Ventus, this trio are serving under their master as Apprentice level wielders of the Keyblades.

Upon completing their tests and trying to attain master rank, their master goes missing and they are told that the Princess of Heart is in danger from the Unversed. These evil beings are entities that aren’t “well versed” in the ways of their own existence and feed on the negative emotions of those around them.

Kingdom Hearts Re:coded will be returning in High Definition, but in the form of a collection of completely remastered cinematic cut scenes.

Gameplay

Being heavily influenced by the series that spawned it (Final Fantasy) the game plays very similarly to that series. There is however, more of a hack and slash approach to Kingdom Hearts. However unlike Final Fantasy, combat in Kingdom Hearts takes place in real time, with various on screen menus that can help the player select powers and abilities. Battle parties (player teams) consist of teams of three: Sora Goofy and Donald Duck or Terra, Aqua and Ventus.

The player takes control of the game specific hero in a 3rd person camera perspective; all other team members are computer controlled.  Although, like in Final Fantasy, the player can influence their combat style and behaviour through a series of menus. Gameplay remains largely unchanged across most of the series and although small refinements have been made, the gameplay mechanics remain, for the most part unchanged.

Characters

• Sora: a young 14 year old boy, Sora has been chosen to be the wielder of the Keyblade. A large key shaped weapon used to combat the darkness. Sora makes repeat appearances through the series and is often the key character in the development of the game.
• Donald Duck: A Disney character with an iconic history plays the roles of the courts wizard in Kingdom Hearts.
• Goofy Goof: Another Disney character of legendary status, Goofy fulfils the role of Captain of The Royal Guard.
• King Mickey: Perhaps the most well-known cartoon character of all time, Mickey Mouse leads with the role of King Mickey Mouse.
• Ansem: An evil being searching for power and sources of knowledge, he uses the heartless to help accomplish his goals.
• Terra: Terra was first introduced in Birth by Sleep; he is one of the games three main protagonists. Terra is a young apprentice Keyblade warrior serving under his trainer, Master Eraqus. After Master Xehanorts disappearance he is tasked with finding the missing trainer and better himself by taming a growing darkness within.
• Aqua: Aqua was first introduced in Birth by Sleep alongside Terra and Ventus. Although she trains with and is currently adventuring alongside Terra, she was tasked with watching over his development, thus ensuring he doesn’t succumb to the evil within himself.
• Ventus: Ventus (nicknamed Ven) was first introduced in Birth by Sleep alongside Terra and Aqua and he is the youngest of the trio that trains under Master Eraqus. After Master Xeohanort vanishes Ven departs alongside his friends on a journey where he will discover much about himself, as well as his relation to another one of the apprentices.

Note: This wiki will be updated once we have more information about the game.