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When it comes to waiting, few gamers know more about the virtues of patience than fans of the Kingdom Hearts series.
series. Although news about the development of Kingdom Hearts 3 has finally started to trickle out, there has been no word on a release date, and players looking to pick up their Keyblade for another adventure have been left to wonder just when that opportunity might arise.
However, a recent Square Enix leaksuggested the existence of a project called Kingdom Hearts 2.9 , causing some to speculate that the studio was hard at work on producing another compilation of Kingdom Hearts games. Square Enix has a history of releasing curated collections of older franchise entries, having released bothand Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD Remix in the past.
As it turns out, there is anotherHD remastered compilation on the way. We were just a tenth of a decimal place ahead of ourselves.
Square Enix and Disney Interactive announced today that development has started on Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue , a compilation that will bring Kingdom Hearts [Dream Drop Distance] to the PlayStation 4 in remastered high-definition. Dream Drop Distance was originally released in 2012 for the 3DS, and featured a matured, faster-paced version of the series’ combat system. The PS4 adaptation will likely include even more fluid combat and significantly prettier graphics, if for no other reason than the significant hardware upgrade that Sony’s console represents over a handheld system.
The newly remastered title isn’t simply a reissue of Dream Drop Distance , though. Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 will also feature two entirely new additions to the franchise. Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage- will be a completely new playable episode that takes place after the original Birth by Sleep , and will tie into Kingdom Hearts 3 . Given that there has been a lack of information regarding Kingdom Hearts 3 since its initial E3 announcement, A Fragmentary Passage could shed some more light on what worlds Kingdom Hearts 3 will feature.
Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 won’t just focus on the future, either. The game will also include Kingdom Hearts x [chi] Back Cover , a new HD movie that will tell the story of the Foretellers, who feature heavily in Square Enix’s upcoming mobile title Kingdom Hearts Unchained x[chi] . An emphasis on the narrative’s past should help those new to the series prepare themselves for when Kingdom Hearts 3 gears up for release in the future.
Although it’s not a new game, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 will lead directly into Kingdom Hearts 3 , so the compilation makes a lot of sense. It’s also possible that Square Enix has even more surprises in store for Kingdom Hearts fans, as they have plans for “secret” reveals at the upcoming Tokyo Game Show 2015. Square Enix has already announced that will feature a Big Hero 6 world, after all, so it seems like just about anything is possible in regards to where Kingdom Hearts will head next.
Are you excited to play some more Kingdom Hearts on the PS4? What kind of additions would you have liked to see in the re-release?