How to play Kingdom Hearts in order is a question you may have asked yourself lately, right now Kingdom Hearts 4 is officially on the way. In truth, there’s never been a better time to catch up on the rest of the Final Fantasy-Meet-Disney series. But it’s not quite as simple as starting at number one and working your way up to number 3, as there are already a whopping 13 games in Kingdom Hearts in total, with Square Enix showing no sign of slowing down anytime soon.
There is always debate about whether you really need to play all 13 games in the series before playing any of the new Kingdom Hearts games. But my opinion is: If you want to get the most out of your gameplay, I highly suggest that you at least learn the story of all 13 games. If you end up skipping one or two, you’ll probably enjoy the rest of the series, but you may confuse yourself more than necessary. Along the way.
To make it easier for new fans to catch up, Square Enix has re-released all the games as 1.5, 2.5, and 2.8 sets, with each set containing three different ones – and very important – games. Everything you need to properly understand the story so far is in these collections, as well as Kingdom Hearts 3, Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory, and the free mobile game Kingdom Hearts X / Dark Road.
So whether you’re a newbie to Kingdom Hearts or a veteran looking for a refresher, here’s a brief overview of each of the games in the series, the order in which you should play them, and why they’re all integral to understanding the plot from Kingdom Hearts 4.
Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix
Game: Kingdom Hearts
year: 2002
Available in: Group 1.5
Our journey begins with Sora, Donald, and Goofy who, after a serendipitous encounter in Traverse Town, decide to work together to find Sora’s friends Kairi and King Mickey (yes, the mouse) by exploring different Disney-inspired worlds. The best reason to start with your first Kingdom Hearts game is because it establishes the core knowledge of the series; Who is Sora, what is the keyboard, why is the darkness so bad, etc.
Game: Kingdom Hearts: Re: Chain of Memories
year: 2004
Available in: Group 1.5
Originally released on GameBoy Advance, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories has gone from a 2D pixel game to a more 3D avatar (in the form of Re: Chain of Memories) but both versions have the same story and gameplay. The story of Kingdom Hearts: Re: Chain of Memories follows right from the end of the first Kingdom Hearts game and will prepare you well for Kingdom Hearts 2.
Game: Kingdom Hearts 2
year: 2005
Available in: 2.5 . collection
A year after the events of Chain of Memories, in Kingdom Hearts 2, we learn about the new playable character Roxas, who has a strange connection to Sora. You can only play as Roxas for the first few hours of the game, but he’s actually a very important character in the grand scheme of things. Additionally, Kingdom Hearts 2 is also a big fan favorite, so that alone makes it worth playing.
Game: Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 days
year: 2009
Available in: Group 1.5
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days captures Roxas’ backstory and fills in what happened between Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts 2. Version 1.5 of 358/2 Days is actually a nearly three-hour movie that recalls the events in the original Nintendo DS game. Don’t let that stop you, because 358/2 Days not only answers many burning questions but also contains more important characters and some of the best storylines in the entire series.
Game: Kingdom Hearts: Recoded
year: 2010
Available in: 2.5 . collection
Just like 358/2 Days, Re: Coded can only be experienced in movie form – that is, unless you can get hold of a Nintendo DS copy. The plot of this game doesn’t really bring much to the table, as Sora reconsiders transcribing data from his memories to decipher a small clue found in Gemini’s journal (stay with me on this). It’s probably the weakest game out of the 13 games listed, but if you make it that far, you can give it a try as well.
Game: Kingdom Hearts: Birth before bed
year: 2010
Available in: 2.5 . collection
Things bounce back in Birth by Sleep as we’re introduced to three completely new and playable characters – Aqua, Ventus and Terra – who all play a bigger role in the series down the line. Set 10 years before Kingdom Hearts 1, it would make sense to play Birth by Sleep early on but more importantly lay the foundation of the series before you play its prequel.
Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue . Collection
Game: Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance HD
year: 2012
Available in: Group 2.8
Dream Drop Distance technically takes place after the events of Re: Coded, and features players as Sora and Riku as they explore dream worlds in order to pass their Mark of Mastery exam. Originally released on the Nintendo 3DS, this version has remained true to the original (with some technical upgrades added), and gives us more of a story that helps inform Kingdom Hearts 3.
Game: Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep – Fragmented Path
year: 2017
Available in: Group 2.8
As a mini-sequel to The Other Birth of Sleep, A Fragmentary Passage reveals what happened to Aqua, Terra, and Ventus between the events of Birth by Sleep and Kingdom Hearts 3. Unlike the last time you played the three keyblade holders, this time you’ll only play as Aqua as they explore a [Birth by Sleep spoiler location] The fragmented versions revisit some of the worlds you visited in the original game.
Game: Kingdom Hearts X Back Cover
year: 2017
Available in: Group 2.8
Closely related to the mobile game Kingdom Hearts X, Back Cover is another cinematic set during the events of X, but told through the perspectives of the Foretellers (which are presented in the mobile game) rather than the player. This is where things might get a little more confusing with the introduction of new characters and timelines, but it’s important not to skip this one as it looks like it will play a vital role in Kingdom Hearts 4 when it’s finally released.
Other Kingdom Hearts games (still important)
games): Kingdom Hearts Unchained / Union X; Kingdom Hearts Dark Road
years): 2013; 2020
Originally starting life as Kingdom Hearts X – before being renamed with each chapter – the Kingdom Hearts mobile game really has a lot to do with the story. In fact, one of the main characters we see in the Kingdom Hearts 4 trailer, Strelitziaoriginally introduced in Kingdom Hearts Union X. Prior to the events of the first Kingdom Hearts game and Bedtime Birth, Kingdom Hearts X provides much more context for Kingdom Hearts 3 and looks set to play a big role in Kingdom Hearts 4.
Game: Kingdom Hearts 3
year: 2019
All the games summed up so far were primarily developed for Kingdom Hearts 3. Significant in many ways – and not just because 3 comes before 4 – this game marked the end of a ‘Dark Seeker Saga’ story that was slowly unraveling in all nine games that preceded it. Kingdom Hearts 3 has tied many loose ends and introduced some new ones that will definitely carry over to Kingdom Hearts 4.
Game: Kingdom Hearts 3 Re: Mind DLC
year: 2020
Right after the end of Kingdom Hearts 3, DLC Re: Mind continues Sora’s story after the end of KH3. Normally, you might be right in thinking that you can skip the optional downloadable content, but this is a Kingdom Hearts game and so there are a lot of very important story elements here, which we think will be vital to understanding Kingdom Hearts 4.
Game: Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory
year: 2020
Straight from Kingdom Hearts Re: Mind, Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is a rhythmic action game. Now, we know what you’re thinking: “The rhythm game cannot carry important information I need to know regarding Kingdom Hearts 4.” But it is. Yes, the majority of the game consists of fun rhythmic puzzles, but there are some important scenes spread throughout the game that will once again embody the entire Kingdom Hearts story.
And so in conclusion…
Listen, there’s no way to know what series creator Tetsuya Nomura has in store for us in Kingdom Hearts 4 but by catching up on all the games mentioned above, you have a very good chance of understanding when they are finally released.
Having said that, there is also a chance that you will come out the other side as confused as it was when you went. But, let’s be totally honest, it’s part of the fun of being a Kingdom Hearts fan!
There is no such thing as Kingdom Hearts, but Best JRPG Games It takes us to similar fantasy worlds.
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