Players take the role of Aqua as she explores the Dark World, having been sequestered there following the machinations of main series antagonist Xehanort. In truth, it’s something of a glorified demo for Kingdom Hearts III, though it’s no less impressive from a technical standpoint, featuring incredible visuals that rival Final Fantasy XV ‘s in its best moments.

The centerpiece of Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue is Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage, a brand-new adventure running on Unreal Engine 4 that takes place chronologically after the end of Birth by Sleep. This latest package of Kingdom Hearts miscellany is by no means a good starting point for the uninitiated, and its price point is nothing short of astronomical, but it does provide an impressive glimpse at what’s to come for the series while filling in some story gaps for invested fans. Okay, so I’m totally exaggerating, but I have to applaud my boyfriend’s infinite patience for listening attentively as I played Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue and explained everything I knew about Aqua, the Keyblade War, the Foretellers, Heartless, Nobodies, and other such esoterica. If they stick with me until the end, I know they’re cool.

I, on the other hand, test their endurance by explaining the long and winding backstory of the Kingdom Hearts series. Some people gauge their compatibility with new acquaintances by examining their political values or evaluating their sense of humor.

Kingdom hearts pc release 2.8