Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue
A compilation bridging story gaps before Kingdom Hearts III.
Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue is a compilation of games from the Kingdom Hearts series, developed and published by Square Enix. Announced in September 2015, it was released in January 2017 on PlayStation 4, with later ports for Xbox One, Windows, and Nintendo Switch. The collection includes a high-definition remaster of Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance and two new pieces of content that fill story gaps leading into Kingdom Hearts III.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Square Enix Business Division 3
- Publisher
- Square Enix
- Director
- Tetsuya Nomura; Tai Yasue
- Producer
- Rie Nishi
- Designer
- Tomokazu Shibata
- Tai Yasue
- Michio Matsuura
- Programmer
- Tamotsu Goto
- Masashi Nakamichi
- Kengo Naka
- Artist
- Tetsuya Nomura
- Writer
- Masaru Oka
Facts from the source article.
Games
Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance is a high-definition remaster of the 2012 game, which follows Sora and Riku as they undergo the Mark of Mastery exam by entering dreams to free trapped worlds and prepare for Xehanort's return. Director Tetsuya Nomura described the remaster as essentially a full remake due to the original's use of the Nintendo 3DS's two screens. Developers reworked minigames from the 3DS version into a card-based system and made enemies less offensive than originally, addressing player complaints. The touchscreen controls were switched to a traditional game-controller scheme. No extras or new content were added for this release, though additions included PlayStation 4 trophies, 60 frames per second gameplay, and the minor enemy Catanuki, requested by the Osaka development team. Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage is a new game from Aqua's perspective, beginning after Dream Drop Distance when King Mickey reveals secrets about her time in the Realm of Darkness. The story picks up after the secret ending of Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep Final Mix and details Aqua's journey through the Realm of Darkness over ten years, briefly intersecting with the original Kingdom Hearts. Environments consist of fragments of worlds from Birth by Sleep. Nomura separated this story from Kingdom Hearts III to avoid slowing it with backstories. The game takes several hours to play, roughly one world in a regular Kingdom Hearts title, and ties into Kingdom Hearts III.
Development
In January 2011, a secret ending in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix, titled Birth by Sleep: Volume 2, hinted at a story bridging Birth by Sleep and the original Kingdom Hearts. In October 2014, Nomura stated that the ending showed Aqua's story in the Realm of Darkness, involving many experiences, but that it was a fragmentary passage not yet told. Credits of Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix included clips of Dream Drop Distance and a secret ending, hinting at a new compilation. In September 2015, Square Enix announced Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue for 2016 on PlayStation 4. Nomura said the collection was developed alongside Kingdom Hearts III so players could experience new gameplay elements sooner. He explained the title: Dream Drop Distance is considered 2.6 in the series, the Kingdom Hearts χ games are 0, Birth by Sleep is 0.1, and A Fragmentary Passage is 0.2, totaling 2.8.
Release
Initially scheduled for December 2016, the compilation was released in Japan on January 12, 2017, and worldwide on January 24, 2017. Preorders included an official Disney Collector's Pin. Square Enix later bundled it with Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix as Kingdom Hearts: The Story So Far, released in North America on October 30, 2018, for PlayStation 4. Xbox One and Xbox Game Pass versions released on February 18, 2020.
Reception
Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue received generally favorable reviews on Metacritic and sold 137,797 copies in its first week in Japan. Reviewers universally praised the graphical re-creation of Dream Drop Distance from the Nintendo 3DS to PlayStation 4, with USgamer calling the conversion lovely and Game Informer impressed by visual improvements. GameSpot criticized the lack of other changes, such as empty worlds. USgamer praised A Fragmentary Passage as a tech demo for Kingdom Hearts III. Critics had mixed feelings on the collection's value: IGN's Jonathan Dornbush called it a great glimpse of what's to come but an unsatisfying appetizer, while GamesRadar's Anthony John Agnello said it is essential for the faithful and flummoxing for newcomers. Destructoid's Chris Carter called it a solid game with an audience, though lacking replay value. Push Square praised the resolution of cliffhangers from previous games, and RPGamer deemed the collection essential for understanding the plot between Kingdom Hearts II and III. The Independent praised A Fragmentary Passage's gameplay as gorgeous and its Hall of Magic Mirrors as devilishly fun. GameSpot praised the new stories, and Game Informer called the titles good preparation for what's ahead.
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