Following a recent leak that hinted that a new Kingdom Hearts title was in development, Square Enix officially revealed Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue for the PlayStation 4. Tentatively scheduled for a 2016, the news was revealed at Sony’s Tokyo Game Show press conference earlier today.
With Kingdom Hearts 3 still a ways away, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 serves as another stopgap for fans of the franchise to tide themselves over with. Similar to the compilations released on the PlayStation 3, this release features an upgraded version of a previous entry in the series. The set will feature a remastered Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance, which was originally released on the Nintendo 3DS back in 2012. Since the PS4 is just slightly more powerful than the 3DS, the title should enjoy a significant visual improvement.
Final Chapter Prologue includes more than just Dream Drop Distance, however. Set to lead into the events of Kingdom Hearts 3, Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth By Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage is a brand new addition to the franchise. The playable episode is set after the events of Birth By Sleep, and will hopefully provide some additional information on just what we should be expecting for the next entry in the franchise.
Finally, the compilation will also include Kingdom Hearts x Back Cover. Although it’s a new HD movie, rather than a game, the film will help tell the story of the Foretellers, who play a major role in the upcoming mobile title, Kingdom Hearts Unchained X. As always with the franchise, if you want to be fully up to date with all of the happenings of Sora and company, you’ll need to study every piece of available content, so this film is essential viewing.
While it would have been nice to get some additional info on the next entry in the franchise, the news of Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 was a welcome surprise. I’m nowhere near as invested in the franchise as some of the fans out there are, but I consider most of the titles included in the series to be solid, including the original Dream Drop Distance. The HD remastering of that game is a bit of a stretch, but I’m willing to see how Square Enix handles it.
Tell us, will you be seeking out Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue when it launches in 2016? Or are you just holding out until the release of Kingdom Hearts 3? Sound off below!
