The Kingdom Hearts series covers even more ground in HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue and 3. See if this slice of the pie is worth it in our Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece Part 2 Review!
Amidst the winding, confusing plotline of Kingdom Hearts told in each and any juncture Square Enix could, there exists some outlier games in the series that needed to be included in the Kingdom Hearts Integrum: Masterpiece collection to truly cap it off. Luckily, going from console to PC has already proven to be a completed challenge in our Kingdom Hearts: Integrum Masterpiece Part 1 review, as we saw titles ported from the Nintendo DS and PSP to the PC without much ado.
Wait… where have I seen this before?
As Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece is split into three purchases, the second of the compilation, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue contains Dream Drop Distance HD, χ Back Cover, and 0.2 Birth by Sleep. Despite that being a mouthful, these iterations are seen by fans as transitional titles, serving to provide more context into the grand scheme of the mainline titles. So, is this portion of the entire collection worth picking up, considering the first two games were already packed into HD 1.5+2.5 Remix? Find out in our Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece Review Part 2!
Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece Review Part 2 – Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance HD
Perhaps the most polarizing title in the Kingdom Hearts series, Dream Drop Distance covers the Mark of Mastery exam to prove that Sora (along with Riku) can take on Xehanort in the “final battle” scenario that’s forthcoming. This side story introduces a lot of new mechanics, the biggest of which being “Flowmotion”, a hard-to-master movement style that lets you fly about the environment instead of walking from point A to B.
Kingdom Hearts games tend to pit you against intimidating bosses early on, tutorializing you without holding your hand.
Aside from Kingdom Hearts 2, I feel that Dream Drop Distance has the best intro in the series so far. Throwing you right into the action against Ursula, I was instantly hyped to deal with the rest of the Mark of Mastery exam from that point on. Tack on a The World Ends With You cameo ahead of learning how to fly and grind around the environment, and Sora’s journey is as enticing as ever.
Minigames are the real showstealer in Dream Drop Distance.
The real highlight in Dream Drop Distance, though, are its minigames. While I struggled to get the hang of Flowmotion, these welcome distractions got me through the more tedious sections of this title. A 20+ hour experience, this is the headliner for the HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue three-pack of Kingdom Hearts experiences, and a seamless transition to PC from the Nintendo 3DS, even if it isn’t the most revered title on offer.
Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece Review Part 2 – Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover
Oh great, another movie? That was my initial thought on Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover, but hold that thought. How else could Square Enix bring a browser game turned mobile game to the PC? This is the best way to absorb this prequel story without engaging in unintuitive or archaic gameplay that just wouldn’t shake out in this platform.
The animal outfits where in style at the time…
I’ll admit, it’s weird hearing current terminology and vernacular in a story that took place hundreds of years ago, but the context that this prequel provides towards the greater series and its compact hour-long runtime is a nice fit. It’s not a must-play or essential viewing, but it’s a beneficial watch and anyone that’s invested in the entire story will want to engage with this part of the collection.
Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece Review Part 2 – Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage
The snazziest graphics that Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece has to offer take place in 0.2 Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage. Since everything up to this point has been a port from a gaming console ranging from two to three generations behind, this PS4 port to PC is a real looker in comparison. As the part of this compilation that truly means to segue as a taste of the then-upcoming Kingdom Hearts III, this excursion with Aqua is the true interval point.
It’s been 84 years and still no Kingdom Heart.
Even though Aqua is a blast to fight with, a lot of Kingdom Hearts fans look down upon 0.2 Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage due to it being in the realm of 3-5 hours long. Quality over quantity, I say, as having a story largely relevant to a mainline game was exactly what the series needed ahead of III. Not to mention it’ll be nice for longtime fans to take advantage of the PS4’s strong graphics in the realm of a modern PC with all the bells and whistles.
Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece Review Part 2 – Kingdom Hearts III + Re Mind
The real showstopper in Integrum Masterpiece is getting to play Kingdom Hearts III with all PS4 glory which also includes the Re Mind DLC. A long-awaited third entry that not only rewards players of all the titles but welcomes newcomers/mainliners easily, this is where the graphics cards start to sweat and the visuals really begin to dazzle.
No expense is spared in the graphics menu for Kingdom Hearts III – it’s a huge leap in quality from the previous titles.
That’s why it breaks my heart to say that Kingdom Hearts III is the least-optimized game in the entire Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece collection. While it makes sense that the most demanding title might have a few hitches, it’s to the point where if you have a framerate set above 60, the game runs at a single-digit framerate from the get-go. Several months after the release, and this has gone unpatched with the only workaround being to settle with a framerate of 60, which begs the question as to why higher ones are even an option.
Within Kingdom Hearts III lies the least story confusion and the best visceral action – this game is still a blast.
Despite that performance blunder, this is my favorite entry in the series, not only for its modernity, but because it’s a better ratio of Kingdom Hearts story and intense character action. Tack on the Re Mind DLC to give a solid amount of closure for once in the long-arching story, and grabbing this game easily edges out the importance of the previous II.8 collection.
Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece Review Part 2 – Conclusion
Anyone playing through the entire Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece collection and not experiencing burnout at this juncture will be happy to enjoy what HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue and 3 has to offer. While the content is sparse in comparison to its predecessor, the gameplay experience in the playable titles as well as the movie interspersed is a solid piece of the puzzle however, those looking to see Disney characters and experience Sora’s adventure solely could pass on this full-priced entry.
Not another castle…
So, why should you play Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece Part 2?
- Kingdom Hearts III is a real gem.
- Lots of neat gameplay ideas in Dream Drop Distance.
- The best way to experience Birth by Sleep.
But why shouldn’t you play Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece Part 2?
- Skimpy on the playtime compared to Part 1.
- Some real hangups in Dream Drop Distance later in the game.
- Kingdom Hearts III alone is far more valuable than the entirety of II.8.
A review code was kindly provided by Square Enix for the purpose of our Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece Review Part 2. You can check out our Part 1 review here and if you haven’t already, be sure to join the Qualbert Discord to find out about the latest game and review updates!
