Summary
For over 20 years, Disney andFinal Fantasyfans alike have fought through hordes of heartless creatures and hollow nobodies in the celebratedKingdom Heartsseries. Initially released exclusively on the PlayStation 2,Kingdom Heartshas slowly gone beyond its Sony cradle and expanded to other consoles and platforms. Now that journey is seemingly complete ahead ofKingdom Hearts 4with the debut of the entire mainlineKingdom Heartsseries on Steam starting on June 13.
Kingdom Hearts’ Platform History
Kingdom Hearts(KH) has long remained limited to primarily PlayStation consoles until the 2010s with the release ofKingdom Hearts 3on the Xbox One. PC players weren’t able to play through the series for most of the franchise’s lifespan. Besides the 2015 Japan-exclusive browser gameKingdom Hearts χ, no otherKHtitle was released on PC until 2021. That year, the mainlineKHseries was released on PC for the first time through the Epic Games Store, includingKingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix,Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue,Kingdom Hearts 3 + Re Mind, andKingdom Hearts Melody of Memory. One year later, in 2022,Kingdom Hearts 4was announced.
This was the only way to play theKHseries on PC until now.Kingdom Heartsproducer Ichiro Hazamawrote in a special message to fans that he hopes the series’ accessibility on Steam will bring new fans to the franchise. In addition to this newfound accessibility, Steam players can unlock an exclusive starry keyblade called Dead of Night, reminiscent of Yen Sid’s sorcerer hat, inKingdom Hearts 3. While this is the first timeKHis playable on Steam, it’s not the first time the series appeared on other major platforms.
WhileKingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix,Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, andKingdom Hearts 3 + Re Mindwill release on Steam in June,Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memorywill remain exclusive in the Epic Games Store on PC for the time being.
Kingdom Hearts’ Console and Mobile Beginnings
Kingdom Heartsbegan as a relatively simple crossoverbetween Disney animated characters andFinal Fantasyheroes all the way back in 2002 for the PlayStation 2. This novel concept of merging the iconic Disney characters with the storytelling depths ofFinal Fantasyproved to be one of the PS2’s most successful titles. Square Enix was quick to begin development on a sequel for the PS2, but before players could continue their journey with Sora, Donald, and Goofy on that console, they would have to replay their journey in mobile form.
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memorieswas released exclusively on Nintendo’s Game Boy Advance in 2004. While this game may have appeared to be a simplified, card-focused retelling of the first game, it laid the groundwork for many plotlines that would be exploredin 2005’sKingdom Hearts 2such as the introduction of Organization 13. The game was criticized for its restrictive card-focused gameplay but was received favorably enough to get a PS2 remake in 2007 in the form ofKingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories. This version went on to be further remastered in futureKHcollections, but the originalChain of Memoriesset a precedent for the series to appear beyond the PS2.
Kingdom Hearts' Many Mobile Spinoffs
Gamers had to wait forKingdom Hearts 3for 14 years, but in the meantime, Square Enix released numerousKHspinoffs and prequels on several platforms. First wasKingdom Hearts Coded, an episodic reimagining ofKingdom Hearts 1via the story thread of being a digitized version of Jiminy Cricket journal following the events ofKingdom Hearts 2.Codedwas initially released on Japanese mobile phones before it wasremade intoKingdom Hearts Re:codedon the Nintendo DS in 2010.
BeforeRe:codedwas released, anotherKHentry was made with the DS in mind: 2009’sKingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. Set in betweenKH 1and 2,358/2was a co-op multiplayer game that told Roxas’ past leading up toKingdom Hearts 2.Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleepwould release a few years laterin 2012 for the PlayStation Portable. A prequel toKingdom Hearts 1,Birth by Sleeptells the origins of the villainous Xehanort and how he manipulated three new protagonists, Terra, Ventus, and Aqua.
Kingdom Hearts on the 3DS and Nintendo Switch
Re:codedwas not the lastKHgame on Nintendo consoles, however. A sequel toRe:codedcalledKingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distancewas released in 2012 for the Nintendo 3DS.Dream Drop Distancewould later be remastered in HD and be included inKingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue. FollowingKingdom Hearts 3’s release, aKairi centric rhythm-based game calledKingdom Hearts: Melody of Memorywas released on the Nintendo Switch in 2020. This is the onlyKHgame playable via physical media on the Switch, with otherKHcollections only playable from the cloud.
Catching Up for Kingdom Hearts 4
Square Enix is in the process of developingKingdom Hearts 4. No official release date has been revealed nor have any Disney properties been listed as potential worlds to visit. With theinclusion of theKingdom Heartscollections on Steam, fans old and new will have more than enough opportunities to play throughKingdom Hearts’ wonderful and twisty tale ahead ofKingdom Hearts 4’s release.Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix,Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue,Kingdom Hearts 3 + Re Mindcan all currently be added to Steam players’ wishlists.
Kingdom Hearts 4
Kingdom Hearts 4 is an action RPG developed by Square Enix and represents the fifteenth installment in the franchise. Players once again are put in the shoes of Sora who is suddenly trapped in a more realistic world called Quadratum, with companions like Donald and Goofy attempting to rescue him. Kingdom Hearts 4 is a direct sequel to Kingdom Hearts 3 and Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory.
