#kh guide

There’s two ways you can go about playing the series. Chronologically or by order of release. Most people have played it by order of release and I definitely recommend it, which may seem odd, but trust me on this one. 

The order of release (and their respective systems) is as follows:

Kingdom Hearts (PS2)

Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories (PS2)

Kingdom Hearts 2 (PS2)

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (DS)

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep (PSP)

Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded (DS)

Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance (3DS)

And chronologically, it’s:

Birth by Sleep

Kingdom Hearts

Re:Chain of Memories

358/2 Days

Kingdom Hearts 2

Re:Coded 

Dream Drop Distance 

There are also Final Mix editions of KH1, KH2, and BBS which have some extra content, and those are just making their way to the US. 

If you’ve got a PS3, you can save yourself a ton of money by simply purchasing Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix, which is an HD re-release bundle featuring Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, Re:Chain of Memories, and all of the cutscenes from 358/2 Days remastered in HD. A second compilation called Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix is scheduled for release on the PS3 on December 2 2014, and it will feature Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix, Birth By Sleep Final Mix, and the cutscenes from Re:Coded, plus some brand new scenes to this version!

The Final Mix versions of the games are just versions with some additional bonus content. The HD releases are actually the first we're seeing of these versions on western shores!

Kingdom Hearts 3 is presently in development, which will take place after KH3D and conclude the present arc, known as the Xehanort Saga.

First off, some general notes about game difficulty:

Most games have an unlockable secret ending that was made to tease an upcoming game and, in the case of KH1 and KH2, be really pretty to look at. The only games that have no such ending are Re:CoM and Days.

If a game has a Beginner mode (which is every game except KH1), playing on this mode will prevent you from unlocking the secret ending. However, all of the endings can be found online, so if you simply want to get through the game quickly and don't care about unlocking things yourself, then this mode is your best friend.

Playing on Standard or Normal mode allows you to unlock the secret ending, but certain requirements must be met. These requirements change from game to game and may seem easy at a glance, but trust me, they are not. You will spend hours upon hours trying to fulfill them. This mode will provide you with a challenge, but not impale you with a keyblade on the first or second boss, unlike the next mode.

Playing on Proud or Expert Mode will grant you the secret ending simply for completing the game, or in some more specific cases, completing every world, as this is not always a requirement for reaching the end of the game. This mode is not to be taken lightly AT ALL as it's hella hard and I've personally never managed it.

A Personal Tip: 

Kill everything. Every chance you get to kill something, take it. Don't run past enemies if you can afford to stop and fight them. You'll thank yourself for this when you find that you are exactly at or above the level you should be for worlds and bosses as they come. This is how you win.

A Note About Nomura's Storytelling:

I know I told you that playing chronologically would help things make more sense, but it won't fix every "wha??" moment. You're still going to have those. Director Nomura said in an interview that he tells the story that way on purpose, because he wants the player to be able to think about and discuss with their friends what they think things might mean before the answer is revealed. He considers it a way to continue enjoying a game after you've finished it. So if you don't quite understand something, it's okay! We should talk about it because I might have an answer for you, and if not, we can share our thoughts which is fun.

Okay, I think I've covered everything i wanted to cover in this post. I'll leave you with some information about Birth by Sleep that I think you'll find helpful. I'll probably end up writing one of these for every game eventually, if I feel the need.

Birth By Sleep

This game is set up very differently from all the others. It has the same world-to-world format as KH1 and KH2, but you'll be playing through all these worlds three times, each time as a different character.

BBS presents you with Terra, Aqua, and Ventus, whose storylines run parallel to one another. After an introduction and tutorial, you will be asked to select a character's storyline to play through. I recommend playing Terra's story first, then Ven's, then Aqua's. This order provides a sense of linearity, and you'll see why once you're playing for yourself. 

Once you complete all three storylines, you'll have unlocked the Final Episode. Be sure to save all three of your storylines to different save slots, because if you overwrite them, the Final Episode won't unlock.

I also wanted to mention Experience Walker, which is the single most useful ability in the game. It grants you experience points for just walking around, and can be obtained when you reach the world called Radiant Garden. I'll give you more details on it later, because if I start talking about Abounding Crystals and Command Melding now, you won't have any idea what I'm talking about.

Oh, and about the secret ending for this game. It's an odd one, because it's sort of in two parts? Like, half of it takes place immediately following the events of the game, but the other half takes place some 10+ years later and doesn't really make sense/carry the same impact without the context of everything that happens all the way through KH2. As such, I really recommend either only watching the first bit after you finish this game, or going back and watching the whole thing again after you've finished KH2. It's up to you.

One last thing! If you wanna psyche yourself up for what happens to be my personal favorite game in the entire series, here is the KH2 Secret Ending, which was essentially the trailer for Birth By Sleep. It'll give you an idea of what everyone else knew about this game going into it. Plus it's hella cool and really pretty, so it's there if you want a little peek.