Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX

Unreleased

Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX, stylized as Kingdom Hearts HD II.5 ReMIX, is a compilation of various games from the Kingdom Hearts series that have been fully remastered in HD. It is a follow-up to Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX and includes remastered versions of Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix and Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix. It also features a collection of HD cutscenes from Kingdom Hearts Re:coded. The release of Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX marks the first time Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix and Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix have been available outside of Japan.

Content

 * Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix
 * Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix
 * Kingdom Hearts Re:coded (HD Cinematic Story Videos)

Development
Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX was first hinted at during the ending credits of Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX, as they contain footage from Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, and Kingdom Hearts Re:coded. In October of 2013, Tetsuya Nomura said that Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX will contain more graphical improvements than Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX. In December of 2013, Nomura also said that due to Kingdom Hearts Re:coded being shorter than Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, new scenes featuring events that took place in Disney worlds and during battles were added. In addition, new scenes connecting Kingdom Hearts Re:coded and Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance have been included. Nomura lastly stated that development of Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX was faster than that of its predecessor because the team that developed Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX had established a system for making games in HD. As of March, 2014, all lines in Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX had been recorded. In an interview with Famitsu Weekly in April of 2014, Shinji Hashimoto stated that the additional cutscenes had also been completed and the game was nearing its final stage of development.

On June 5, 2014, Square Enix announced the release dates for the Japanese, European, and North American versions of Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX. Along with this announcement came a new trailer for the game compilation that was featured at E3 2014. Announcement of an Ultimania dealing with the entire Kingdom Hearts series would be sold with the game, and an official soundtrack was to be released, as well. On June 6, 2014, Square Enix France released a ten-minute video featuring gameplay from both Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix and Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix from the HD compilation. In an interview during E3 2014 on June 10, 2014, Tai Yasue said that the development of the compilation was far easier than the development of Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX, that the Kingdom Hearts Re:coded cutscenes extended to three hours (two of which were completely new), and that the Mirage Arena in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix would not have multiplayer capabilities. Following this bit of news, Yasue said the Mirage Arena had been tweaked to be more enjoyable as a single-player arena. On June 12, 2014, Tai Yasue confirmed in an interview with IGN that there would be new secret cutscenes in Kingdom Hearts Re:coded that would relate to the previous games in the Kingdom Hearts series, as well as to Kingdom Hearts III. Yasue also mentioned during E3 2014 that over ninety instrumental tracks in Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX had been reorchestrated in Boston. The Video Game Orchestra and its recording division, SoundtRec Boston, confirmed this on June 13, 2014 via Facebook.

Pre-order Bonus
On July 24, Square Enix announced a pre-order bonus for Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX via the Kingdom Hearts Facebook page. By pre-ordering, one would receive a free, automatic upgrade to the Limited Edition, which would include a collectible pin featuring Sora and Mickey. The pin was revealed to be a Disney Parks Pin Trading Collectible.

Notes and references
Kingdom Hearts -HD 2.5 ReMIX-