Summer Of Kingdom Hearts – Part 1 – Kingdom Hearts Final Remix Review (Steam)

Hello everyone! I’m Todd Black, and welcome to a special thing we’re doing here on The Outerhaven called “The Summer of Kingdom Hearts” review series. If you recall, in June, the entire mainline Kingdom Hearts series (Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX) was released on Steam for the first time, and I knew I had to have it. Once I took ownership of the “Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece” collection, I’ve been playing it when I can ever since. However, since there are so many games in the collection, we decided I should do the reviews separately, with Kingdom Hearts Final Remix Review kicking things off!

Game Name: Kingdom Hearts Final Remix (Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX)
Platform(s): PC (reviewed)
Developer(s): Square Enix
Publisher(s): Square Enix
Release Date: June 13, 2024
Price: $49.99

Yes, I put the “spoiler” tag on this; not everyone has played this series before! Before I start my Kingdom Hearts Final Remix Review, I do want to note that I did play this title long ago, and I remember a lot of it. The original Kingdom Hearts game was one of my first PS2 titles! I loved playing the game (when I wasn’t stuck on a certain Riku fight…) and I couldn’t wait to get to the next games in the series. So playing it now, many years later, I was curious how things would hold up on Steam. Sure enough, they held up… mostly.

Right off the bat, I want to note how great it was to hear “Simple and Clean” again. This song totally vibes with the game, and the two versions highlight the different ways it can be sung and grooved to.

The next thing to note is that even after all these years, the main story of Kingdom Hearts holds up! I loved the dual stories of Sora and Riku and how they went on very different paths to save their friends. I loved how they used the Disney villains and worlds to tie into the overarching story, while also taking their own “creative liberties” with how certain events and fights went, and you can feel the creativity pouring out of almost every element.

It was a thrill trying to remember where I was going next, whose boss fight was upcoming, and getting all the keyblades and magic I could to take on the tougher battles or win the various cups at the Coliseum. When you add that to the voice acting that was mostly on point, you get an experience that’s wonderful. It’s not hard to see why it resonated with so many people back in the PS2 days, starting up a franchise that continues to this day.

As for the combat, it, too, mostly holds up. I played it on a keyboard versus a controller (yes, I’m a heathen, I know…), and outside of a few problems, I was able to make it through the game without much muss or fuss. Plus, since this was the “Final Remix,” there were some quality-of-life improvements that helped make things better.

The thing I noticed about this playthrough versus the one from my PS2 days was truly taking stock of what Sora, Donald, and Goofy could do ability-wise and trying to use the best combinations possible to make it through the harder fights. If you do the wrong build, it will hurt you, especially when you’re going in alone. I also want to specifically praise the Heartless enemies, as they went deep into making them feel special in each world. Even when there are “copycats,” they stand out in their own ways.

Oh, and the music? Man, it’s so good. The themes get caught in your head, even when they’re just simple instrumental versions of things like “This Is Halloween.” The original themes work too, and whether it’s overworld themes or battle tracks, it’s easy to get lost in them.

Sadly, while it is the “Summer of Kingdom Hearts,” that doesn’t mean my Kingdom Hearts Final Remix Review is without a section pointing out the game’s flaws. Sadly, the game has aged poorly in some metrics. The obvious one is the graphics. While it may be an upgraded version of the PS2 version in some ways, in certain spots, it doesn’t look like it’s been upgraded at all. Certain cutscenes go from perfect lip movement with the dialogue to the “flappy lips” scenes, and they honestly look bad. Plus, certain textures and pictures don’t look as crisp as they should for a “final remix.”

In combat, especially on a keyboard, it can be very easy to push the wrong button, and there’s no way to adjust the difficulty once you start playing. So you better “git gud,” or you’re going to be dying a lot… and I died a lot, especially in the early levels! Seriously, there’s a learning curve from the moment you hit places like Wonderland, and that Trickmaster boss is evil! Then, when you do some of the Coliseum battles, the difficulty can go all over the place, with the Hades Cup having numerous epic clashes in the early rounds… and then the easiest “final boss” ever that literally took me just a couple of minutes to beat.

Arguably the worst part of combat was the camera, which constantly screwed me over, and I’m praying it gets better… even though I have a feeling it didn’t. Also, while I did love going to all the Disney worlds, there were some I feel could’ve been expanded more to really take hold, and some levels didn’t explain well where to go, leading to some very frustrating moments on my end.

Even still, as I end my Kingdom Hearts Final Remix Review, I do want to note that this is still a fun game to play, and you’ll love diving into the various Disney and Square Enix-fused worlds to see what happens next, how far you can push Sora and his friends, and see if you can unlock some of the cool things the game holds. It’s never been perfect, not even on PS2, but if you’re just playing it for the first time on Steam, or you want to try it again after a long time, this version will do right by you.

Next up on the “Summer of Kingdom Hearts?” RE: Chain of Memories!

Review Disclosure Statement: Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX was provided to us by Square Enix for review purposes. For more information on how we review video games and other media/technology, please review our Review Guideline/Scoring Policy.

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