As we wait for Kingdom Hearts 3 to release in April 2017 (if it doesn’t get pushed back), we’re being given another HD collection called Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue.
This time, the three games on the lineup are Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance HD, Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth By Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage, and Kingdom Hearts x Back Cover.
Dream Drop Distance debuted on the Nintendo 3DS in July of 2012. The game featured both Sora and Riku as playable characters, as each tried to become a Keyblade Master. The game would force you to switch between them, ensuring you experienced both stories simultaneously. The version featured in this collection is essentially a HD remake of the portable game.
Birth By Sleep expanded on the backstory of the Kingdom Hearts universe, explaining who Xehanort was, what the Keyblade War was, and other secrets. If you’re into the lore of the franchise, this is the one you’ll need to play. Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth By Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage is a side story featuring Aqua, and takes place immediately after Dream Drop Distance. It will explain her role in the upcoming Kingdom Hearts III. This looks like it’s going to be using the Kingdom Hearts III engine, and the game will be roughly the length of one world from the main games.
Kingdom Hearts x Back Cover will explain who the Foretellers are while revealing new parts of the series’ lore. It will be a hour of cutscenes, rendered using technology from the upcoming Kingdom Hearts III.
Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue will release December 2016.
