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ONTD Original™ – A Detailed Guide to Getting Into the Kingdom Hearts Series Part 3

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We're almost out of the woods, ONTD. After covering the first games starting with Kingdom Hearts, and the three that were made after Kingdom Hearts II, we have just a little bit more to go. See, after the set up for Kingdom Hearts III was firmly established with 358/2 Days, Birth by Sleep and Coded, there was one last game that tied those three together, essentially did a lot of legwork for the final entry in the trilogy, and brought Sora back into focus.

Dream Drop Distance was released for the 3DS in 2012. That wouldn't have been enough for a PS4 remaster priced $60 of course (it's not as pricey now don't worry), so Square Enix also decided to include a cinematic remaster called Back Cover, which summarizes the events of the mobile game Kingdom Hearts X in under an hour. In addition, the KH3 development team also decided to chop off what was going to be the prologue of their game, Aqua's time in the realm of darkness, and have it be essentially its own glorified demo titled A Fragmentary Passage. And a good demo it is.


All the games are now in one place:Kingdom Hearts 1.5 + 2.5 and Kingdom Hearts 2.8 for the PS4.
This is it... this is the entire series and everything you need.
But even then, there tend to be lingering questions:
"Where do I start? What order should I play them in? Which games are important, and which ones can I skip?"

I have given you almost all these answers, but these most recent entries tend to be the most confusing because people... don't really know what they are? For example: does that mobile game matter? Is Dream Drop Distance fun?... Yes. And so I am here to help.

So, shall we finish?
Trailers for 1.5 + 2.5 and 2.8:










My Take:

– Don't spoil things for yourself.
– Consume the games in the order they were published. I've provided such a list below.
– Play all five full games.(If you don't like the combat in Chain of Memories, you still need to know the story, and I have provided recap videos).
– Watch the two cinematic remasters (Days and Back Cover– I have provided recap videos for these also... you can 100% skip Coded).
– Always do Proud mode difficulty.By doing so, you will get access to the secret endings in each game (If you're not up for that though, the secret endings are listed below).
– Collect and read the Reports of each game. The first game makes it easier, but whenever you can.
– Check out the recaps, secret scenes and endings I've provided below.
– Never trust series creator Tetsuya Nomura. He is a lying liar.
– Have fun!

If you'd like a recap of the entire series, this is the best one:




7. Dream Drop Distance
Original Release: 2012, 3DS – Full Game / Cinematic Remaster
Collection:2.8 Final Chapter Prologue

Do you need to know the story? YesShould you play it? Yes
The Game:
Darkness becomes light, light falls to darkness.
Set after the events of Kingdom Hearts II, Master Yensid decides to put Sora and Riku through the Mark of Mastery Exam to see if they're ready to be full fledged Keyblade Masters for the oncoming war. The two set out to awaken the sleeping worlds from their slumber, but a more sinister plan is waiting to lull them into their clutches.

My Take:

Acting as an interlude between KH2 and KH3 in a similar way Chain of Memories died, KH3D is a really important entry in the series, tying together the three games made since KH2 while setting up a conclusion for the numbered trilogy.

Honestly, this is the most fun I've had with the series in years. It is such an enjoyable game, filled with beautiful worlds, thrilling combat mechanics and great music. 90% of the main story happens in the last world which means most of the time you're going to be jumping around having a ball. Play this game, y'all.

Things you should know:
– Play it on Proud Mode. Unlocking the secret ending will be easier.
– Answer the three questions at the very end of the game correctly.(Easy to look up online)
– Hit the golden letters during the credits. Part of getting the secret ending.
– This game sets up the concept of sleeping worlds. Sleeping worlds are worlds that have been lost to the darkness and not awakened or saved by a Keyblade wielder. They exist on a time loop, repeating the events or "dreams" of what its inhabitants did before being destroyed. This is super important to Unchained/Back Cover and Kingdom Hearts III, as we will likely be visiting another sleeping world.
– Check out the videos below.
– Have fun!
Worlds:

Videos:

Promotional trailer:

Opening:

Appearances from Roxas, Xion, and Namine:



Recap:

Ending:

Secret Ending:

8. Unchained / Back Cover
Original Release: 2013 (Online Browser) – Full Game / Cinematic Remaster + Free Mobile Game
Collection: 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue

Do you need to know the story? Yes
Should you watch it? YesDo you have to play the game? No
The Game/Cinematic Remaster:

To discover the end, a journey must start at the beginning.
Retelling the events that led to the fabled Keyblde War far before the series begins, Unchained (or Union Cross) revolves around you the player becoming a Keyblade Wielder, joining one of the Unions led by five Keyblade Masters called the Foretellers.

Back Cover tells the story leading up to the Keyblade War from the Forteller's perspective, along with their own teacher the Master of Masters, and his secret sixth apprentice.
My Take:

We're almost out of the woods, and we're about to hit a few branches.

This one is harder to explain because the story of the game Unchained/Union Cross is still going, but I will say this: Back Cover is just an hour long and covers what you need to know.

There is one element Back Cover does not mention, however: Ventus and Marluxia somehow exist at the time of this game. Ventus's backstory was not mentioned in Birth by Sleep, and Marluxia's motivations as the villain of Chain of Memories were not fully explained. This game will answer both those questions which will be relevant to both characters returning in Kingdom Hearts III.

But now that you are aware of that, you should be fine. if you'd like to keep up with the game's story updates, someone has compiled a summary here.

Things you should know:
– Watch Back Cover.It's only an hour long.
– You don't need to play it. It's just supposed to be a fun mobile game. The story doesn't even really start until like 300 quests in.

– The Book of Prophecies.The book contains all the events of the future, and has the ability to create "projections" of people and places that don't exist yet. That's how you, the player, are able to travel to different worlds that happen far in the future. All the fortellers and the Master of Masters possess a copy.

– Ventus (and Marluxia, maybe) exist at the time of this entry.Ventus was chosen as one of the five successors of the Foretellers to lead Keyblade wielders after the events of the war. Marluxia assassinated one of the five successors to take her place, likely to get access to one of the books. For what sinister purpose, or how that would connect back to his motivations in Chain of Memories to control the Keyblade via Sora and overthrow the Organization, has yet to be revealed.

– It's very likely that the events of this game take place in a sleeping world, or the "Unchained" realm.Meaning the events surrounding and leading up to the war are on repeat in the lost world of Daybreak Town, or a "time loop", similar to the sleeping worlds in Dream Drop Distance. Whether Marluxia is truly from that time period or he's just interfering with the events of the Keyblade War in a sleeping world has yet to be seen.

This would explain how Ventus and Marluxia can exist at the time of the game. During the Keyblade war, they would have hidden in the sleeping realm with others, allowing them to avoid the destruction. It could also explain the time displacement, and how Ventus ended up being trained under Master Xehanort a very long time after in Birth by Sleep, and why he even chose him as a pupil (Ventus's memories were wiped after Vanitas was created).


Also, Pete and Malificent showed up in this. At the end of Coded, Malificent resolved to find a copy of the book, and so this would've taken place after that. The game taking place in a sleeping world is the only explanation. It's very possible we will see or even visit this world as Sora in Kingdom Hearts III.

– The Master of Masters, teacher of the five foretellers, gave his sixth apprentice Luxu a secret assignment.Check out "The Box" cutscene below, which is the most important part of Back Cover. Nomura said the MOM won't show up in KH3, as the material in Unchained/Union Cross is mostly being saved for the games that come after, but don't trust him because he is a lying liar.
– Have fun!
Worlds:


Videos:

Full scenes:

"The Box" cutscene:

Ventus and Marluxia exist in this:

9. A Fragmentary Passage
Original Release: 2017 (PS4) – Full Game / Cinematic RemasterNew Game Experience
Collection: 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue (PS4)

Do you need to know the story? YesShould you play it? Yes
The Game:
The battle for the realm of light...is not won.
Trapped in the Realm of Darkness with no way out, Keyblade Master Aqua struggles with her grief over being separated from her friends and the world outside.

My Take:

What was originally going to be the prologue that opened Kingdom Hearts III was packaged as a new game experience and essentially a demo, ala Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes. But it's a good demo.

It will take you about two to three hours to complete and offers a look at the evolved combat mechanics and story set up for KH3.

Things you should know:
– This is the final step! Congrats, you've made it.
– If you collect all the Zodiac signs you can fight a secret boss in the mirror stage.
– Have fun!
Worlds:

Videos:

Gameplay clip:

Opening:

Ending:

Second Ending (leading into KH3):


ONTD, are you ready to take these final steps? Also, what are some your favorite pieces of music from the series?

Newcomers and other confused people, if you'd like to ask any questions, here's your chance!


PART ONE
PART TWO

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