KINGDOM HEARTS Collection [I~III] Review: Perfect For Newcomers
The Kingdom Hearts games have been packaged and re-released so many times already that it’s hard to keep track of what is what. What makes it more confusing is all the naming conventions of the games themselves, such as Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX versus Kingdom Hearts 1 Final Mix. Fret not; I will break all of this down for you as someone whose childhood was filled with all things Kingdom Hearts. This is also probably the best time to get into the series if you’re interested, since Kingdom Hearts IV is coming next year!
The Kingdom Hearts Collection [I~III] is a compilation of all the mainline Kingdom Hearts games. Instead of one massive download, it’s actually 3 separate ones that are collections themselves. Think of it like a compilation of a bunch of mini bundles. The 3 separate bundles are: Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, and Kingdom Hearts III with the Re Mind DLC attached. These 3 bundles were sold individually on previous-generation PS4, but this new collection adds native PS5 support.
Depending on what console you get the collection on, you also get a unique keyblade skin for Kingdom Hearts III. The PS5 version gets the Midnight Blue Keyblade. Note that there’s no other new content per se, including gameplay content, secret endings, or additional story chapters.
7 Games, 3 Movies
Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX contains Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, Re: Chain of Memories, Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, and Birth by Sleep Final Mix. It also includes a collection of HD cutscenes from the Nintendo DS-exclusive 358/2 Days and Re:coded. The Final Mix version is essentially the definitive, expanded edition of the base game, which was only available in Japan back in the day. They all feature extra boss fights and new cutscenes.
Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue contains Dream Drop Distance HD and 0.2 Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage. It also features χ Back Cover, a movie that explores the events of the Keyblade War from the Foretellers’ perspective. Lastly, Kingdom Hearts III + Re Mind includes a native PS5 version of the third mainline entry, with its expansion already included.
Unfortunately, the new collection doesn’t include Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory, Kingdom Hearts χ (mobile game), or a playable version of 358/2 Days or Re:coded. It’s a big disappointment that they didn’t port 358/2 Days as a playable version, since it was one of my favorite games on the Nintendo DS as a kid. I’m also not sure why they didn’t include Melody of Memory in this big bundle either.
Discount For Existing Owners, No Cross-Save
The PS5 native version of HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMix comes in at 68.39 GB on the PS5 compared to 42.13 GB on the PS4. Likewise, the PS5 version of 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue takes up 31.12 GB on the PS5 versus 27.59 GB on the PS4. Lastly, the native PS5 port of Kingdom Hearts 3 + Re Mind takes up 55.65 GB on the PS5, compared with 34.9 GB on the PS4.
The biggest omission is the lack of any cross-save support, considering all 3 titles are available as a PS4 version, with no way to transfer your save files over to the new ones. This means there’s very little incentive for any pre-existing owner to purchase this new bundle unless they are dying to play the PS5 native version for whatever reason. At least Square Enix is offering a 50% discount to owners of the previous versions. But one could argue it should be a free next-gen upgrade too.
Minimal Enhancements on PS5
Now let’s talk about price. The [I~III] collection is priced at $74.99 USD, which is reasonable for the amount of content it contains, but let’s also look at the individual bundles and their price history. The historical low for 1.5 + 2.5 ReMix is $19.99, 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue is $14.99, Kingdom Hearts III is $14.99, and the Re Mind DLC is $11.99. Add it all up, and you’d pay $61.96 for everything in the new collection. But if you’re comparing the retail launch prices of all the content, you’d be paying $199.96. Use that when deciding whether this new bundle is worth it.
Load times aren’t particularly impressive, depending on which game you are playing, as Kingdom Hearts III takes over 20 seconds to load from the main menu. The same two graphical modes remain from the previous PS4 version: Default and Stable, and there’s no new DualSense support of any kind. That said, older titles in the bundle like Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix load almost instantly, taking around 2 seconds, whereas Birth by Sleep Final Mix takes roughly 11 seconds. Every game in this collection already ran great on the PS4, and I’m not seeing any meaningful enhancements with the PS5 native version other than maybe some visual upscaling. I think the biggest selling point for this collection is on the Nintendo Switch 2 natively.
Conclusion
Kingdom Hearts Collection [I~III] is a convenient, comprehensive bundle that’s perfect for newcomers to the Kingdom Hearts franchise, as it includes all the mainline titles and most of the spin-offs. While it’s not essential for previous owners because it lacks cross-save functionality and a free upgrade path, it’s still nice to have a PS5-native, all-in-one collection for everything Kingdom Hearts.
Final Verdict: 4/5
Available on: PC, Nintendo Switch 2, PS5 (reviewed), Xbox Series S|X; Publisher: Square Enix; Developer: Square Enix; Players: 1; Released: October 8th, 2026; ESRB: E; MSRP: $74.99
Full disclosure: This review is based on a copy of Kingdom Hearts Collection [I~III] provided by the publisher.
