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Kingdom Hearts -HD 2.5 ReMIX- contains a new secret movie!



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Gexus

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Dengeki Online have already reviewed the Japanese version of Kingdom Hearts -HD 2.5 ReMIX- and in it, it turns out that among the Kingdom Hearts Re:coded HD Cinematics lies a hidden, new secret ending unrelated to the original one on the DS version.

The scene is available to players who watch the Kingdom Hearts Re:coded HD Cinematics. While there is roughly 2 hours of previously unseen material in the Cinematics, this secret movie is promised to be full of content that is "must-see" for fans. Staff translator Goldpanner has translated the review, and thanks to her, it is available for you below!

Now posting here our review on the PS3 title to be released on 2nd October by Square Enix: KINGDOM HEARTS -HD 2.5 ReMIX-.
 

The title Kingdom Hearts -HD 2.5 ReMIX- is comprised of HD remasters of Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix for PS2, and Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix for PSP. Other goodies include a cinematic version of Kingdom Hearts Re:coded, trophy support, and the reward of a custom PS3 theme after completing the game.

We, both writers fans of the series, will now present reviews of all three titles: Kingdom Hearts II Final MixKingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix, and Kingdom Hearts Re:coded. With Kingdom Hearts III on the way, whether you are a newcomer to the series or an old fan, we definitely recommend this title!

KINGDOM HEARTS II FINAL MIX REVIEW (Staff writer: Suzutaku)

> Let's begin that summer vacation once more…

"Looks like my summer vacation is over…" Wait, I didn't actually get a summer vacation *sadness*. Hello, huge Kingdom Hearts fan and staff writer Suzutaku here. At long last, the release date of Kingdom Hearts -HD 2.5 ReMIX- is less than a month away! Kingdom Hearts II was released in 2005. The extra features-sporting Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+ was released in 2007… and now, seven years on, the HD remastered Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix makes its debut!
As I recently had the absolute privilege to be given the opportunity to play this game early, I will first give my review of one of the three titles, Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix. By the way, I recommend that those who are playing the three works in this title for the first time start with this one~!
 
This title updates the standard definition of the original to high definition. Honestly, I wasn't expecting how much just upping the image quality would change my impression during play.  The characters and backgrounds etc. during cutscenes are of course more vivid, and I was impressed by how much sharper the icons of Sora and Roxas' faces that display in the bottom right of the screen had become. Kingdom Hearts II will always make me think of Roxas' unforgettable, heartbreaking summer vacation prologue, and seeing that story anew in HD graphics had me tearing up even worse…
 
Now, there doesn't seem to be any new abilities or updated controls on top of the HD remastering. I think fans who have played the original version in the past will enjoy the same feeling of the controls. Also, a point that I highly recommend is the remixed BGM! Fans of the series, please look forward to getting to hear an even more magnificent form of Yoko Shimomura's music ♪
 
> The Lingering Will might be even tougher than the PS2 version!?
 
If I were to think of the big characteristics of the Kingdom Hearts series, I would say adventuring through Disney worlds and battles where simple controls unleash flashy action. Both those factors are in top form in Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix; over ten Disney Worlds appear during the story, and during battles drive forms and reaction commands and the like are used for exhilarating, dynamic action. These look even more attractive in HD, with the details of character's expression changes and battle effects shining through even better.

And, as I am sure you haven't forgotten, Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix introduced many new strong enemies to battle! During my playthrough for the purpose of this review I didn't have time to fight every enemy, but I did try challenging the Lingering Will.

The result was… I got thrashed miserably *sweats*. I'd fought him over and over back in the PS2 version, so I thought I had the moves down, but I must be out of practice. The HD remastering allows you to see the enemy moves with even more clarity, so maybe I was a wigged out by the somewhat renewed intensity of my foe. In the end, after nearly 20 tries I still hadn't beaten the Lingering Will, but then I remembered that there were all the Organisation XIII data battles too, and couldn't stop trembling with excitement, haha.

There are various other mini-games included in this title such as the gummi ship and Mushroom XIII, which even on this speedrun were outstanding. Back in the day I played the PS2 version through and through to exhaustion, and there's no doubt I will devote myself to this HD version just as much… no, even more! 

KINGDOM HEARTS Birth by Sleep FINAL MIX REVIEW (Staff writer: ZSato)

> You had better understand this title if you want to get the most out of Kingdom Hearts III 

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix, one of the titles included in Kingdom Hearts -HD 2.5 ReMIX-, is a HD remastered, renewed version of a title released in January 2011 boasting even more beautiful graphics and easier controls. I, ZSato, will be reviewing this work.

The original title, Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep (BbS), had big expectations on its shoulders as a depiction of the unfolding battle of the warriors of the key that that surprised fans in the secret movie at the end of Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix. And, of course, with the plot set in the earliest period of any in the series so far, and the three episodes expanding for three protagonists, it attracted a lot of attention even before release.

On top of that, as a title chock-full of keywords crucial to illuminating the mysteries of the series, I believe that you had better understand this title if you want to get the most out of the the latest title we are waiting to see completed, Kingdom Hearts III

First, the graphics have received a major upgrade thanks to the HD remastering. Everything on screen looks crisp and clear, and I made my way through the adventure feeling like I was turning pages in a vibrant, colourful picture book. It seems that all kinds of shading and gradation has been readjusted. Metal, rocks, cloth, veils - from hard things to soft things, I got the impression that everything was represented in minute detail.
 
I can confirm reliably that Terra's eyelashes are indeed as long as I had heard. (Check it out when he tilts his head up in Enchanted Dominion!). Also, the effects produced by magic and special attacks and to make particular scenes so beautiful are even more gorgeous. I really felt the improved quality of both action and cutscenes.

> Being able to use the right stick in the HD version is more comfortable than the PSP version controls

Moving on, I was interested in some aspects of the controls. The camera is no longer rotated using L and R but with the multidirectional right stick, and locking on and off and shotlock only requires the L1 button. While the basic controls are standard for Kingdom Hearts, there are some parts that have been made even easier to play, and I was able to control it comfortably.

I was a little sad that we are no longer able to do link-up play in the Mirage Arena, but a 'Bonus Challenge' feature has been added to Arena Mode which allows you to enjoy it just fine by yourself. In Bonus Challenge there are several bonus requirements, such as Time Attack and Cure Challenge (in which there's a limit on how many times you may restore your HP), and clearing these earns you medals which you can exchange at the Medal Shop for rare items. It's pretty tough, so I recommend taking the challenge after having first played through the game.

As the base game was Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix, content-wise there are many elements that weren't in KH BbS such as the 'battle with the Mysterious Man' and the 'secret episode' upping the volume. You can choose from four difficulty levels - Beginner Mode, Standard Mode, Proud Mode and Critical Mode. The difficulty level you play affects the conditions necessary to unlock the secret movie, where the harder the level the easier it is to see the secret movie.

You may be wanting to play even one difficulty level higher just to see the secret movie, but even on Standard Mode you'll see Game Over if you're not prepared! So, I think it's better to choose the level that best matches your own skill. I centred this review on the main points of difference, but I did like the overall feel too. This is a must for series newcomers, and highly recommended for the old hands who want to review the plot ready for Kingdom Hearts III!

KINGDOM HEARTS Re:coded REVIEW (Staff Writer: Suzutaku)

>  A huge, 3 hour long fully voiced HD cinematic work 

Hello hello, it's me again, Suzutaku! Following on from my Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix review, I will now present to you my review on Kingdom Hearts Re:coded… and before I do, let's quickly go over the original title. 

Kingdom Hearts Re:coded was based on a mobile phone game released in 2009 called Kingdom Hearts CodedKingdom Hearts Re:coded was later born as a remake for the Nintendo DS in 2010. What is included in Kingdom Hearts -HD 2.5 ReMIX- is a cinematic work of that Kingdom Hearts Re:coded.

The plot is set after Kingdom Hearts II, and the scenario involves a little content from Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, so order-wise I think it's best to play (watch) it after going through those.

Now then, since they went to the trouble of making this cinematic work I watched the whole volume back to back, and whoa~ there was a lot in there, haha. On top of the hour or so of scenes from the original version two hours of new scenes have been added, which means it is a close to three hour long HD cinematic - there's no way it wasn't going to be impressive!

You can think of the way the video playback works as the same as Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days from Kingdom Hearts -HD 1.5 ReMIX-. You can have it play from beginning to end, and you can also watch any scene you like from the chapter screen (you can also jump to the previous and next scenes during playback). Scenes you have viewed once are colour coded on the chapter screen, so it's very easy to tell which cutscenes you have yet to watch.

By the way, there are 'summary scenes' consisting of stills+text that play between cinematics that let you make sure of the plot developments, but this text is read out for you by King Mickey! The work done to make it fully voiced by Kingdom Hearts characters to the very end is impressive.

> A wonderful reward for those who watch all the cutscenes…?

I completed the DS version of Kingdom Hearts Re:coded, so I was aware of how the story went, but watching the whole work as a cinematic like this let me relish it afresh. Being able to enjoy the sequences of Sora visiting Disney worlds, encountering disasters in those lands, fighting enemies and destroying bugs as a voiced cinematic was very engrossing. Scenes that were dialogue-box only in the original version have been voiced, which I think lets you empathise with the characters even more.

If I were to hold up a highlight from among the cinematics, I would have to say the battle scenes. Not every single combat section from the original version has been turned into a cinematic, but you can feel the effort they put into creating battle scenes for all the important points. The battles in Olympus Coliseum and Hollow Bastion in particular were so speedy and stylish that I didn't want to blink! Also, personally, the scene in Wonderland had me grinning (listen carefully to Sora's lines). 

In the DS version of Kingdom Hearts Re:coded there was a secret movie that was a pull towards KH 3D [Dream Drop Distance], which is of course included in this title too. Furthermore, and this is between you and us, but if you look at all the cutscenes you'll see there's a second secret movie... It's a completely new cutscene of content that's a must-see for fans, so please check it out with your own two eyes!

Furthermore, the Japanese website for Kingdom Hearts -HD 2.5 ReMIX- has been updated with a page where reviews for the game will be hosted. So far it just has Dengeki, but expect more to appear in the lead up to the Japanese release of Kingdom Hearts -HD 2.5 ReMIX-!

Be sure to follow Kingdom Hearts Insider on FacebookTwitter, and Tumblr while we keep you updated on all things related to Kingdom Hearts -HD 2.5 ReMIX- & Kingdom Hearts 3!

 

Sephiroth0812

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Re: Kingdom Hearts -HD 2.5 ReMIX- contains a new secret movie

Pfft, heh, so much for Yasue's (or was it Hashimoto?) claims that 2.5 "doesn't hold anything towards KH III", lol.

I knew that they said that the Re: Coded scenes would have new material included to shine more light on the background and story of the series as well as serve as a bridge to DDD, but something definitely giving insight on KH III is rather unexpected.
 

Bobjam

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Re: Kingdom Hearts -HD 2.5 ReMIX- contains a new secret movie

But the problem is, the report doesn't actually specifically say that it is a KHIII related cutscene. Sure, they may be implying it but it could just be a hype tease for a DDD related thing or a cut scene from a past game that was important.
 

Sephiroth0812

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Re: Kingdom Hearts -HD 2.5 ReMIX- contains a new secret movie

But the problem is, the report doesn't actually specifically say that it is a KHIII related cutscene. Sure, they may be implying it but it could just be a hype tease for a DDD related thing or a cut scene from a past game that was important.

Ah, ok, well, it was already known in some circles that the Re: Coded cutscenes will have new material not present in the original Coded nor in Re: Coded, so people getting gung-ho over it being KH III-related is just overhyped wishful thinking again rather than actual verified Info I take it.
 

Bobjam

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Re: Kingdom Hearts -HD 2.5 ReMIX- contains a new secret movie

Ah, ok, well, it was already known in some circles that the Re: Coded cutscenes will have new material not present in the original Coded nor in Re: Coded, so people getting gung-ho over it being KH III-related is just overhyped wishful thinking again rather than actual verified Info I take it.

The funny thing is is that deep down I am one of those wishful, hopeful thinkers but I just don't want to believe SE really are going to give us something awesome for us to look forward to KHIII with. That is, if KHIII even is the next KH game coming out after 2.5 which remarkably we still don't really know!
 

Chaser

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Re: Kingdom Hearts -HD 2.5 ReMIX- contains a new secret movie

The line about Kingdom Hearts III was Gexus' hopeful wish, not an actual confirmed thing. I edited this out when I did an overhaul of the article (He was on his way to school when doing this and I was out so it was a bit rushed).

We'll have further translations from Goldpanner shortly!
 

saintfighteraqua

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Since we're supposed to get one KH game a year then I wouldn't be surprised if this video is leading to DDD: FM for PS3. Didn't they say they wanted all the games in one place for people to get caught up with the story?
Maybe we'll get something nice like a new world thrown in.
And you know if they do DDD:FM we're going to get a teaser at the end.
 

Xagzan

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I would actually love a DDD FM.

Would give us more optional bosses, for one. I mean, just Julius? Really?

And maybe some better explanatory cutscenes about parts of Xehanort's plan that were left unhelpfully confusing.
 

Oracle Spockanort

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Thread moved!

Anyways! HYPE HYPE HYPE.

Guys, I love Re:coded so having even more content added excited me to no end. (Please be a scene related to Xehanort doing something very strange ;A; )
 

Zephyr

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Ahh the possibilities. I wonder what the new cutscene could be. I tried to list everything that I could think of.

  • Cutscene detailing events between KINGDOM HEARTS Re:coded and KINGDOM HEARTS 3D [Dream Drop Distance]
  • Cutscene with King Mickey spreading the secret message to Sora
  • Cutscene of current events of Aqua in the Realm of Darkness
  • Cutscene showing DiZ and Naminé implanting data inside Sora
  • Cutscene that reveals events in KINGDOM HEARTS chi
  • Cutscene with Young Eraqus and Young Xehanort
  • Cutscene created specifically for KINGDOM HEARTS Re:coded for further and clearer explanations
  • Cutscene showing who could be the XIIIth Darkness for Xehanort
  • A teaser for KINGDOM HEARTS 3D [Dream Drop Distance] FINAL MIX for the New Nintendo 3DS or PS3/PS4
  • Cutscene extension of KINGDOM HEARTS 3D's secret ending with Kairi
  • A teaser for KINGDOM HEARTS Birth by Sleep -Volume II-
  • A teaser for KINGDOM HEARTS III
  • Cutscene of Data Sora and Data Riku gaining hearts
 

Oracle Spockanort

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Cutscene detailing events between KINGDOM HEARTS Re:coded and KINGDOM HEARTS 3D [Dream Drop Distance]

This is possible, though I don't imagine it'd be interesting if it was from the POV of the heroes. It'd most certainly have to be on the villain's side because that is the only side where we don't now much of what was going on during the gap between KH2 and H3D.

Cutscene with King Mickey spreading the secret message to Sora

I don't know about that. We had Sora reading the letter (a letter that said nothing p much) and Yen Sid explaining the urgency of things in KH3D, so there isn't much that could happen on that end.

Cutscene of current events of Aqua in the Realm of Darkness

PLEASE. I NEED MORE AQUA IN MY LIFE.

Cutscene showing DiZ and Naminé implanting data inside Sora

We already saw this in the very quick BBSv2 montage, but it'd be nice to see it expanded on.

Cutscene that reveals events in KINGDOM HEARTS chi

As much as I'd want this, I don't think this is the proper stage to build upon chi. Instead, I could imagine seeing Xehanort making reference to the foretellers in some monologue. (If not obvious at this point, I just...REALLY want to see Xehanort haha)

Cutscene with Young Eraqus and Young Xehanort

I'd love this, but since they are starting KH3 out, I don't know

Cutscene created specifically for KINGDOM HEARTS Re:coded for further and clearer explanations

Well, since Re:coded Cutscene Theater in general is meant to do this, I don't think it will be that specifically. Inherently, the secret ending is to introduce a new plot tie, and the secret movies are the lead-ins to KH3D so it would be specifically tied to KH3D (or 3)

Cutscene showing who could be the XIIIth Darkness for Xehanort

Now THAT would be much too soon to show. Xehanort was determined to get Riku as the final member, then Sora once they realized Riku would be useless to them, so there would be nothing to reveal at this point between Re:coded and KH3D.

And if this was to tease KH3, I do not think they'd wish to reveal such a shocking thing, even tease it, when it could spoil the surprise.

A teaser for KINGDOM HEARTS 3D [Dream Drop Distance] FINAL MIX for the New Nintendo 3DS or PS3/PS4

It'd be PS3/PS4 since the goal is to get all of the games on one system.

Cutscene extension of KINGDOM HEARTS 3D's secret ending with Kairi

Possible.

A teaser for KINGDOM HEARTS Birth by Sleep -Volume II-

Only if it has become a standalone title in the same vein of Infamous: First Light in order to precede KH3.

A teaser for KINGDOM HEARTS III

HYPEHYPEHYPE

Cutscene of Data Sora and Data Riku gaining hearts

There would be no cutscene for it. It was just something that naturally occurred throughout Re:coded. A heart cannot be born in an instant, but rather through time and nurturing.
 

FudgemintGuardian

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I remember something way back saying that there'll be something new, so this doesn't surprise me. It's still awesome news, though!

Having it be what Aqua's doing in the Realm of Darkness sounds the most plausible to me. (It just feels right.) But I'm hoping it's a DDD Final Mix teaser, because I feel if it's anything else, it would almost feel like DDD is being ignored.

In a way, I'd like be trolled with a dance video.
 
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Elysium

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Personally, I think it's most definitely for KH3. If it's for a PS3/4 version of 3D, I'll be equally satisfied though since I loved that game and of course it would be nice to play it on a larger screen. I just thought they had no recent plans to re-make/transfer 3D because that might take away money from the 3DS version, not to mention having to take away resources from KH3.

This is why I don't understand why people quote comments that producers have said about this or that and think it proves X thing won't happen, since they flat-out lie so often.
 

Lonbilly

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DDD FM please oh yes. Or DDD FM with a short BbSv2 included as well. I mean, I'd also like a KH3 teaser, but truthfully I'd be more excited for a PS3 DDD.

I also remember someone suggesting the possibility of having a scene between Re:coded and DDD where we see Sora and Riku getting ready to leave and hijinks ensue. I wouldn't mind a short little comedic scene where we see SRK bond since it's been like four games since we saw a really nice, longer than a few seconds SRK scene.

In a way I'd like be trolled with a dance video.

I'd be compltetely okay with this. K̶i̶n̶g̶d̶o̶m̶ ̶H̶e̶a̶r̶t̶s̶ ̶3̶ ̶D̶a̶n̶c̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶A̶l̶l̶ ̶N̶i̶g̶h̶t̶ ̶c̶o̶n̶f̶i̶r̶m̶e̶d̶.̶
 

LightUpTheSky452

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Maybe it's Sora finding out that Kairi's going to be trained to use the Keyblade (if it's a continuation of the DDD secret ending, anyway, not that anyone's saying that it is)?

Or maybe finding out where Lea went and/or why Sora's so late getting back at the end of 3D?

Whatever this is, though, I know I'm beyond hyped for II.5. And here I thought I couldn't get any more excited for KH stuff;)

I think I'm going to die of feels, actually. I can't handle all this news at once. My body is NOT ready, I'm finding, oddly enough...

And yet... TGS and II.5 can't come fast enough, is all I can say:D (And god am I contradictory. XD)
 
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