I can’t think of an HD remastered game compilation that’s taken longer to come out since its initial announcement than Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX. The PlayStation 3-exclusive collection of three titles in Square’s popular Disney-themed franchise was originally announced last October, and things have been very quiet in terms of further details since then (aside from a new trailer in December). Now, nearly six months later, we have some new media as well as a tidbit of information regarding a possible release date.
As previously reported, the compilation will, much like last year’s 1.5 ReMIX, consist of three earlier games in the series, two which are fully playable (Kingdom Hearts II and Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep), and the third being restricted to a collection of remastered cutscenes (Kingdom Hearts Re:coded). Both of the playable games will be the enhanced Final Mix versions that were previously exclusive to Japan, containing new cutscenes, items, enemies, and other surprises.
The released screenshots show that, as with the first compilation, the art style of the Kingdom Hearts games translates to high-definition very well. We get a look at such areas as Christmas Town from The Nightmare Before Christmas, Atlantica from The Little Mermaid, the space prison from Lilo & Stitch, and even the iconic neon-heavy computer world from the original Tron.
Perhaps more intriguing, if not exactly surprising, is confirmation from Square Enix themselves that 2.5 ReMIX will get a North American release sometime this year. Considering that the game isn’t being developed from scratch like the also-upcoming Kingdom Hearts III, as well as how long ago its original confirmation was, it seems reasonable to expect a release before 2014 ends. Hopefully, it will be more in the late summer or early fall timeframe than towards the end of the year.
We will keep you updated on more news regarding the Kingdom Hearts franchise as it becomes available. For now, check out the new screenshots below and let us know if you’re interested in this upcoming collection.
