Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue (2017)

I have to say I was impressed by the smoothness of Dream Drop Distance's mechanics, which sound so clumsy on paper. It felt nice to let the game's timers run down and transition between the two campaigns, certainly superior to the one-after-the-other structure of the previous games and bolsters. And while I'm usually annoyed by creature-farming, the spirits in the game were mostly interesting and helpful, and a bare minimum of effort will greatly smooth out the game play. If you are a completionist, there is a lot to chew on in there. The levels included are some of the most unique in the franchise. I was really reluctant to have to play it before jumping into KHIII but I'm glad I did.

A fragmentary passage is a great showcase for the games' leap to the Unreal Engine, and also a sort of recap of various environments from Birth by Sleep that are absent from the main series timeline.

The value here obviously isn't as good at the 1.5 + 2.5 combo. The included bonus cinematic from the mobile game just isn't as interesting as the prior compilations.

Played physical copy on PlayStation 4 / 5.

I started playing this game thinking it was going to be a disappointment. Boy, was I wrong. I loved the game! The battle system is amazing, the worlds are pretty, it's challenging as hell, characters are cool and bosses are fun. Had real good time with it.

2 things really bothered me, though: The Spirit System and the awkward writing. Other than that, it's focking nice!

I grabbed this compilation while it was heavily discounted at a certain retailer. And I’m glad I did. As someone who has persisted this far into the KH franchise, I needed to play it; but 2.8 shouldn’t be priced as a full game.

I’ve already reviewed Dream Drop Distance seperately and given voice to my view that, while DDD is perfectly inoffensive, it is a step down from Birth By Sleep.

The 0.2 game is fantastic, however. Easily my favourite thing in the franchise so far. After pushing through all these PS2 and handheld remasters it is unbelievablely refreshing to play an entry that looks and plays like a current gen release. Gorgeous graphics and much smoother gameplay are hugely appreciated. And it makes me seriously excited for KHIII. Seeing as BBS was the most enjoyable (and comprehensable) story for me so far, I also really enjoyed getting to see a little more from those characters.

As for the Back Cover movie, it’s fine. It’s actually more sensical than I’d expected (given the lore of the franchise); but the storytelling is pretty basic, as always, and the voice acting is a mixed bag ranging from weirdly charming to just flat.

A decent little compilation and a fun lead up to the real treat: KHIII...finally I can get my hands on a current gen mainline game for this franchise!