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.

The ending credits features scenes from Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance and the E3 2013 announcement trailer for Kingdom Hearts III.

Changes
Changes to all three games include support for various video outputs (480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p) and audio output supported in Dolby Digital 5.1 sound and DTS Digital Surround 5.1. There is now PlayStation 3 trophy support and an unlockable PlayStation 3 theme for each title. In addition, English dialogue to all cutscenes in Theater Mode are available in the Japanese release. Textures were updated, and the music was remastered.

Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix
Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix was remastered in high definition. Very little was changed in regards to gameplay. All cutscenes from the Japanese title were voiced in English.

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix
Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix was remastered in high definition. Controls were adjusted to work on the PlayStation 3, including the camera controls being moved to the right analog stick instead of the and. Greater detail was added to background and scenery, and environmental sounds were added to the game. During the final scene of Terra's story, an additional animation is added in which the Lingering Will's armor sprouts a cape, to resemble his later appearance in Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix. Multi-player capabilities were removed from the Mirage Arena, and instead, it was adapted to be harder and with additional challenges.

Kingdom Hearts Re:coded
Kingdom Hearts Re:coded was featured as over three hours of fully voiced, high definition cutscenes. In addition, it includes character reports. Unlike Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days in Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX, Kingdom Hearts Re:coded features cutscenes from the Disney worlds, as well as battle scenes, and narration by Mickey. Cutscenes were added to better understand the Kingdom Hearts series, including one to connect to Kingdom Hearts χ. An additional secret ending, titled A Will That Is Passed On, was added to connect to the events of Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance.

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.

Special Editions
Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX will have special editions releases that will differ from the retail edition of the game.

Japanese releases of Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX will have two different collector edition of the game only available through the Square Enix eshop. The first is a "KINGDOM HEARTS Starter Pack HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX", that will contain both Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX and Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX. The second is the "KINGDOM HEARTS Collectors Pack HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX" that will contain both Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX and Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX, a Blu-ray Music Disc containing tracks from the series, and an artwork booklet. Both will have the option to included a Play Arts Kai of Sora in his Limit Form. Purchasing the game from Amazon.co.jp comes with a downloadable PlayStation 3 theme.

On July 24, Square Enix announced a pre-order bonus for the US releases of 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 Disney Parks Pin Trading Collectible pin featuring Sora and Mickey.

Notes and references
Kingdom Hearts -HD 2.5 ReMIX-