Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX

Unreleased

Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX, stylized as Kingdom Hearts HD II.5 ReMIX, is an HD remaster compilation of the Kingdom Hearts series and follow-up to Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX. It includes full HD remasters of Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix and Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix, and a collection of remastered cutscenes from Kingdom Hearts Re:coded. It marks the first time Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix and Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix will be made 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
The game was first hinted at during the ending the credit roll of Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX, which contains cutscene footage from Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, and Kingdom Hearts Re:coded. In October 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 2013, Nomura said that due to Kingdom Hearts Re:coded being shorter than Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, new scenes featuring events to Disney worlds and battles were added. In addition, new scenes connecting Kingdom Hearts Re:coded and Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance have been added. He also commented that development of Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX was faster than of its predecessor compilation because the team that developed the first remaster had established a system for making games in HD. Recording for lines was finalized in March 2014. In an interview with Famitsu Weekly April 2014, Shinji Hashimoto stated that the additional cutscenes have also now been completed and the game is nearing its final stage of development. On June 5, 2014, Square Enix announced the release dates for the Japanese, European, and North American releases of Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX. Along with the announcement came a new trailer for E3, albeit 4 days before E3, announcement of an Ultimania dealing with the entire series that would be sold with the game, and an official soundtrack to be sold with the game. 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 on June 10, 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 be multiplayer through the Playstation Network, though he said the Arena had been tweaked to be more enjoyable as a single-player arena. On June 12, 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, and Kingdom Hearts III. Tai Yasue also mentioned during E3 that over ninety tracks had been reorchestrated in Boston, a fact that the Video Game Orchestra and its recording division, SoundtRec Boston, confirmed on June 13 via a Facebook post.

Notes and references
Kingdom Hearts -HD 2.5 ReMIX-