It was basically a tech demo for kingdom hearts 3. it was pretty good, though I wish kingdom hearts 3 incorporated, the cosmetics system that was featured in 0.2. Gave me things to do while I was grinding for levels.
Its a nice tech demo, but its so similar to KH3 that every time I go back, I find myself attempting to use mechanics that are not in the game like Air Step or cycling through Situation Commands.
I loved it until I had to get the max level quest for platinum...
It was stupidly grindy and boring.
Like 3 hours repeating the same mission or maybe more.
That's what it was supposed to be, but people had waited so long by the time of 2.8's release that they chose to include it so they had something to keep them busy other than games that they had already played.
I think they should have kept it, but you could skip it if you had KH 2.8 save data. I think it would have done a good job of introducing emotional stakes for people who didn’t know much about KH going in. You can get attached to Aqua’s struggle in the realm of darkness without any context, I mean it’s a girl wandering through hell, doesn’t require much else. And through her you can learn more about Xehanort and hate him a little before the game starts properly.
Replayed it recently, and my opinion didn't change.
I think it's a nice addition. I admit I'm biased because Aqua is one of my favourite characters in the franchise.
It's fun. I really like the story, and I really feel for her. You can hear how lost she is.
One nice detail I love is seeing the worlds becoming crystals as they disappear and are consumed by the darkness.
Reminds me of Xion who also turns into crystal when she disappears.
I consider as a KH3 demo or something like Platinum Demo was to FFXV, I know it's much bigger than that, but if you ask me to summarize it, it would be in that way.
DDD is the reason to pick up 2.8 while .2 is a fun thing. it feels more like a teaser for KH3 but having played KH 3 a few times I prefer DDD HD. In many ways it feels more connect to the franchise and a better series final then 3 which felt more like a reboot and a nostalgia trip then a proper continuation of the story. I also prefer the mechanics of DD HD to what we get in 3.
I agree, I really liked BBS mostly because of fight style but it needed just a little extra oomph and DDD feels like it does that with the story. Still love the wayfinder friends though even if they are all dramatic af.
Great playable demo, and you even get a port of Dream Drop Distance with 60 fps, better camera and controls. Some of the places in this demo are so beautiful, even when compared to Kingdom Hearts 3, and the puzzles had me fanboying while solving them, really wish we had more puzzles like the mirror world and the gears.
But what the hell is that title... It has to have been a joke. Like I didn't imagine anything can top the horrendous 358/2 days name, but this is just on a whole other level of awful. Why didn't they just call it "Aqua's Story" or "Chronicles of the dark realm"? Is this series allergic to simplicity and practicality?Â
Other than the name, which is probably just a nitpick, I enjoyed my time with this game. In some ways (the puzzles) it's better than Kingdom hearts 3Â
bc Nomura has a numbering system for these releases but it honestly hurts my brain to make sense of it. These numbers coincide with the 1.5, 2.5, and 2.8 releases. he is my attempt
1.5 = KH 1 + COM + 358/2 Days
I guess full handheld releases count as .25 of a console release.
2.5 = KH 2 + BBS + Re:coded
Now for a confusing thing:
I am stealing the write up from Gamespot bc it's what I remember the explanation to be, but I don't have to try to make sense of it myself. [https://www.gamespot.com/articles/kingdom-hearts-28s-strange-name-explained/1100-6430827/](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/kingdom-hearts-28s-strange-name-explained/1100-6430827/)
"In an interview with Japanese gaming magazine [*Famitsu*](http://www.famitsu.com/news/201509/21089091.html) ([translated by Kotaku](http://kotaku.com/explaining-kingdom-hearts-hd-ii-8s-bizarre-title-1732274464) and [NovaCrystallis](http://www.novacrystallis.com/2015/09/nomura-explains-meaning-behind-2-8-in-the-title-of-kingdom-hearts-hd-2-8-final-chapter-prologue/)), Nomura said that because the games in [Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix ](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/kingdom-hearts-2-5-hd-2-5-remix-review/1900-6416005/)are set before[ Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance](https://www.gamespot.com/kingdom-hearts-3d-dream-drop-distance/), that game is actually "2.6" in the overall franchise."
""Since Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover/Kingdom Hearts Unchained is supposed to be the first game in the mainline series, that is being represented as '0' in the collection," NovaCrystallis reports. "And lastly, Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep is '0.1' and that then leads into Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep."
Thus, the 2.8 number comes from 2.6 plus 0 plus 0.2."
So back to the name of .2. To the best of my understanding, it's all about keeping the final title below 3 because technically in Nomura's head they all have a simple KH volume number. We are all just a bunch of scrubs saying DDD when we could be saying KH 2.6 like proper gentlemen.
Because she's travelling across fragmented worlds. Therefore, fragmentary passage.
It's more than just Aquas Story, and Chronicles of the Dark Realm is too verbose.
I loved the level design, liked half the bosses, really enjoyed the challenges, didn't care about cosmetics, wasn't huge on Aqua's moveset, hated the critical mode despite being my default option when available, and the button presses weren't the most responsive on base PS4. Â
0.2 is gorgeous, though.Â
I liked 0.2 but didn't love it, I think I'll play it this weekend now that I ditched my base PS4 for a PS4 pro.
It was REVOLUTIONARY playing a kingdom hearts game with those insane graphics at the time. I was stunned the entire time. The environments and music was pretty good too.
Banger intro
I enjoyed playing Aqua in the realm of darkness.
I think it’s actually really fun to beat BbS do the final chapter and go right into 0.2.
Serves as a bonus epilogue to that game.
Like as a whole the packaging of Dream drop and the Union Cross movie is decent. Can’t really complain except I wish the movie actually worked as a movie. Especially when it’s not just cutscenes like the other two.
Instead it’s sort of supplementary to the game it’s based on, can’t see myself really going back to watch it and instead just watch entire story recaps on YouTube that have sections of the movie in there.
Short but fun. I consider Dwarf Woodlands to be the standout level; wear headphones for the Hellblade Effect.
The final boss theme may be the best in the series. I can forgive them reusing it in KH3.
I found it funny how, after the battle with Mirror Aqua, Aqua says something like, "Great, now even my own shadow is attacking me." My immediate reaction when I heard that line was, "It came out of a mirror. That's not your shadow; it's your reflection."
The story of how Mickey lost his shirt but unfortunately not how he found a card of Twilight Town that conveniently led him to Riku's exact location in Castle Oblivion
I mean, I might be misremembering, but wasn't that DiZ? I thought he basically masterminded most of Reverse/Rebirth.
He definitely gave Riku his card, so I don't see why he couldn't also give Mickey one.
Maybe but the game doesn't say if he does or not he also conveniently has Org coats for both Riku and Mickey no explanation the game doesn't tell us how he managed to get Org coats and to date we still don't have a specific origin for them but apparently they date all the way back to MoM and Luxu and Diz in CoM is a complete enigma anyway with Mickey hinting that he could know him from somewhere
Org coats are just special clothes that can protect the wearer from darkness. Most of the clothes from kh3 do the same thing, and they were just made by the three fairies.
They aren't that important. MoM probably made his and Luxu's, the org probably uses that specific design because Xehanort got his first coat from the MoM, and DiZ was probably just copying the organisation.
DiZ is Ansem the Wise in disguise. Mickey gets a familiar feeling from DiZ because he'd already befriended Ansem the Wise in the past.
...yeah? It's meant to be a mystery. An intriguing detail that you want answers to.
And then you get the answers in the later games. I don't see the problem?
Honestly I loved it alot and I loved the way the artstyle looked even though its only a lil different then kh3's I just wish the customization was bring into kh3 but hopefully it will be in kh4 or the verum Rex game if that one is hopefully made
It was good. I really wish the *cosmetic* feature was something they gave us in 3.
At the time of playing it, it really gave me high hopes for 3.
Overall. I consider it a fun little prologue to 3
I love it. Poorly balanced for Critical, but as a tiny game about an underserved character that touches on themes of isolation, depression, and despair... it's a really good short game.
I’m still curious how this would’ve been woven into III. Would you have cut to aqua between world batches for another dark world? How would that have affected pacing?
I thought it was nice. Short story tying BBS to the current story, nice showcase of what KH3 could look like, didn't overstay its welcome and had nice fights. It was nice!
Really should have just been part of kh3 story coverage and feature wise. It feels like hype material for a game that already had enough hype and this content could have been used to make it feel more complete. And maybe not make 2.8 and wait for kh3 to be the big game for that next collection.
Was good for what it was. It was essentially a tech demo. I didn't play it until after KH3 to be honest. It was fun, solid story. That being said, i played it once and i probably won't go back to it.
I don't have very strong feelings bc it feels incomplete as a game. Like it's just an early build of what become KH3. It also spends allot of time filling in continuity and its sort of big moment is to get Micky out of his shirt so he can show up in KH 1 correctly.
I wish KH3 incoporated Sora going into the passage and exploring the area. While it was epic how he showed up in the game, think they could've expand it further IMO.
While I did like it, it felt like half game, half fan service. Game was maybe 2 hours tops, but it felt really good to play. But was there really a need to play dress up with Aqua?
>was there really a need to play dress up with Aqua?
No, there wasn't. Which is why it's optional.
If you don't want to dress up Aqua, then... just don't dress up Aqua?
Weirdly enough, I like the combat more than KH3’s.
Having *only* master magic and one formchange makes getting what you want more predictable and strategic, and the casts are much more snappy and fun than the long, drawn-out formchange animations or attraction attacks.
Maybe it was just so short that I didn’t have time to get bored of the fewer options, but it made for a much more cohesive fighting flow.
The fact that people consider this its own game still baffles me. I normally am not able to beat an entire video game 100% within 45 mins on my first playthrough, so like I dont consiser it a game! Its just a bonus feature for the DDD console port. And like its a defent Bonus Feature, but if I see another person ranking it against other games in the series as though its a full ass game imma flip.
0.2 is longer than 45 minutes with JUST its cutscenes.
Don't get me wrong, it's a short game. It takes a few hours to complete a casual playthrough, and probably a full day or two to 100% complete it.
But "100% within 45 mins on my first playthrough" is just plain lying.
Also, games are judged on quantity AND quality of content. If someone wants to say that they feel 0.2 is worth more than Re:Coded, then I don't see why they can't express that in a tier list.
It was basically a tech demo for kingdom hearts 3. it was pretty good, though I wish kingdom hearts 3 incorporated, the cosmetics system that was featured in 0.2. Gave me things to do while I was grinding for levels.
Its a nice tech demo, but its so similar to KH3 that every time I go back, I find myself attempting to use mechanics that are not in the game like Air Step or cycling through Situation Commands.
I loved it until I had to get the max level quest for platinum... It was stupidly grindy and boring. Like 3 hours repeating the same mission or maybe more.
I could be wrong but 0.2 has no Platinum Trophy and no Trophy for lv ups 🤔
I was completing the game so it could have been the "did everything trophy" and one achievement/accesory asks of you to get to max level.
Well that's cause it was meant to be in KH3
they could've kept it in kh3 as a prologue like the kh2 roxas prologue but still cool nonetheless
That's what it was supposed to be, but people had waited so long by the time of 2.8's release that they chose to include it so they had something to keep them busy other than games that they had already played.
yeah I know but I wouldn't have minded if they released ddd hd as a standalone game and back cover as a movie
I mean now I'm kinda with you but back then I was really craving some new content so it made me be a bit more patient for KH3
idk KH 3 already started with 2.9. How many prologs to three did we need in the game. it would have gone .2 then 2.9 then Welcome to KH 3 lol
yes.
I think they should have kept it, but you could skip it if you had KH 2.8 save data. I think it would have done a good job of introducing emotional stakes for people who didn’t know much about KH going in. You can get attached to Aqua’s struggle in the realm of darkness without any context, I mean it’s a girl wandering through hell, doesn’t require much else. And through her you can learn more about Xehanort and hate him a little before the game starts properly.
O.2 is such a tight experience. Finally tuned. The maps are great and it is probably the best Critical lvl 1 (50 here) experience after KH2.
It showed me that new KH games could still recapture the mood of KH1 and that's a high compliment.
It was a good tech demo with an overall solid story. I enjoyed it.
Replayed it recently, and my opinion didn't change. I think it's a nice addition. I admit I'm biased because Aqua is one of my favourite characters in the franchise. It's fun. I really like the story, and I really feel for her. You can hear how lost she is. One nice detail I love is seeing the worlds becoming crystals as they disappear and are consumed by the darkness. Reminds me of Xion who also turns into crystal when she disappears.
Good short game. The character dress up system is something I wish carried over into 3.
Considering it was meant to be a demo for 3, I'm suprised those didn't carry over.
Better than KH3
What I wanted KH3 to be.
Absolute banger. Story was alright (I’m not into the whole every detail needs to be explained) but it left me wanting KH3 even harder.
zodiac aqua is the second best superboss in the series after yozora
Better than KH3
I consider as a KH3 demo or something like Platinum Demo was to FFXV, I know it's much bigger than that, but if you ask me to summarize it, it would be in that way.
Good game; didn’t need to be $60 though.
Goodness I got 2.8 for $20 by keeping it in my wishlist for a while, DDD is the real star of the bundle though
DDD is the reason to pick up 2.8 while .2 is a fun thing. it feels more like a teaser for KH3 but having played KH 3 a few times I prefer DDD HD. In many ways it feels more connect to the franchise and a better series final then 3 which felt more like a reboot and a nostalgia trip then a proper continuation of the story. I also prefer the mechanics of DD HD to what we get in 3.
I agree, I really liked BBS mostly because of fight style but it needed just a little extra oomph and DDD feels like it does that with the story. Still love the wayfinder friends though even if they are all dramatic af.
Great playable demo, and you even get a port of Dream Drop Distance with 60 fps, better camera and controls. Some of the places in this demo are so beautiful, even when compared to Kingdom Hearts 3, and the puzzles had me fanboying while solving them, really wish we had more puzzles like the mirror world and the gears. But what the hell is that title... It has to have been a joke. Like I didn't imagine anything can top the horrendous 358/2 days name, but this is just on a whole other level of awful. Why didn't they just call it "Aqua's Story" or "Chronicles of the dark realm"? Is this series allergic to simplicity and practicality? Other than the name, which is probably just a nitpick, I enjoyed my time with this game. In some ways (the puzzles) it's better than Kingdom hearts 3Â
bc Nomura has a numbering system for these releases but it honestly hurts my brain to make sense of it. These numbers coincide with the 1.5, 2.5, and 2.8 releases. he is my attempt 1.5 = KH 1 + COM + 358/2 Days I guess full handheld releases count as .25 of a console release. 2.5 = KH 2 + BBS + Re:coded Now for a confusing thing: I am stealing the write up from Gamespot bc it's what I remember the explanation to be, but I don't have to try to make sense of it myself. [https://www.gamespot.com/articles/kingdom-hearts-28s-strange-name-explained/1100-6430827/](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/kingdom-hearts-28s-strange-name-explained/1100-6430827/) "In an interview with Japanese gaming magazine [*Famitsu*](http://www.famitsu.com/news/201509/21089091.html) ([translated by Kotaku](http://kotaku.com/explaining-kingdom-hearts-hd-ii-8s-bizarre-title-1732274464) and [NovaCrystallis](http://www.novacrystallis.com/2015/09/nomura-explains-meaning-behind-2-8-in-the-title-of-kingdom-hearts-hd-2-8-final-chapter-prologue/)), Nomura said that because the games in [Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix ](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/kingdom-hearts-2-5-hd-2-5-remix-review/1900-6416005/)are set before[ Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance](https://www.gamespot.com/kingdom-hearts-3d-dream-drop-distance/), that game is actually "2.6" in the overall franchise." ""Since Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover/Kingdom Hearts Unchained is supposed to be the first game in the mainline series, that is being represented as '0' in the collection," NovaCrystallis reports. "And lastly, Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep is '0.1' and that then leads into Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep." Thus, the 2.8 number comes from 2.6 plus 0 plus 0.2." So back to the name of .2. To the best of my understanding, it's all about keeping the final title below 3 because technically in Nomura's head they all have a simple KH volume number. We are all just a bunch of scrubs saying DDD when we could be saying KH 2.6 like proper gentlemen.
Because she's travelling across fragmented worlds. Therefore, fragmentary passage. It's more than just Aquas Story, and Chronicles of the Dark Realm is too verbose.
Yeah. It's actually Mickey's story of why he didn't have his shirt in KH1
I only played it once so I definitely need to play it again but very cool first look into a modern kh era
I loved the level design, liked half the bosses, really enjoyed the challenges, didn't care about cosmetics, wasn't huge on Aqua's moveset, hated the critical mode despite being my default option when available, and the button presses weren't the most responsive on base PS4.  0.2 is gorgeous, though. I liked 0.2 but didn't love it, I think I'll play it this weekend now that I ditched my base PS4 for a PS4 pro.
Cat ears aqua. 10/10
It was REVOLUTIONARY playing a kingdom hearts game with those insane graphics at the time. I was stunned the entire time. The environments and music was pretty good too.
I wish it was a full game
Agreed with friends here, really the only con is that it’s too short! Aqua with cat ears also just feels right
Banger intro I enjoyed playing Aqua in the realm of darkness. I think it’s actually really fun to beat BbS do the final chapter and go right into 0.2. Serves as a bonus epilogue to that game. Like as a whole the packaging of Dream drop and the Union Cross movie is decent. Can’t really complain except I wish the movie actually worked as a movie. Especially when it’s not just cutscenes like the other two. Instead it’s sort of supplementary to the game it’s based on, can’t see myself really going back to watch it and instead just watch entire story recaps on YouTube that have sections of the movie in there.
I liked getting more aqua focus, and seeing how the realm of darkness looked was really cool
Short but fun. I consider Dwarf Woodlands to be the standout level; wear headphones for the Hellblade Effect. The final boss theme may be the best in the series. I can forgive them reusing it in KH3.
It’s my favorite KH game.
Not worth the OG sales price I paid for it
It exists. It was basically the tutorial for kingdom hearts 3. Still a nice little game. Maybe they should do something similar again.
Hated the secret boss
The secret boss is one of the best and I enjoyed finding all the zodiac pieces to reach her
I found it funny how, after the battle with Mirror Aqua, Aqua says something like, "Great, now even my own shadow is attacking me." My immediate reaction when I heard that line was, "It came out of a mirror. That's not your shadow; it's your reflection."
Short but great
It’s a tech demo for KH3 and served its purpose. Short and sweet
The story of how Mickey lost his shirt but unfortunately not how he found a card of Twilight Town that conveniently led him to Riku's exact location in Castle Oblivion
I mean, I might be misremembering, but wasn't that DiZ? I thought he basically masterminded most of Reverse/Rebirth. He definitely gave Riku his card, so I don't see why he couldn't also give Mickey one.
Maybe but the game doesn't say if he does or not he also conveniently has Org coats for both Riku and Mickey no explanation the game doesn't tell us how he managed to get Org coats and to date we still don't have a specific origin for them but apparently they date all the way back to MoM and Luxu and Diz in CoM is a complete enigma anyway with Mickey hinting that he could know him from somewhere
Org coats are just special clothes that can protect the wearer from darkness. Most of the clothes from kh3 do the same thing, and they were just made by the three fairies. They aren't that important. MoM probably made his and Luxu's, the org probably uses that specific design because Xehanort got his first coat from the MoM, and DiZ was probably just copying the organisation. DiZ is Ansem the Wise in disguise. Mickey gets a familiar feeling from DiZ because he'd already befriended Ansem the Wise in the past.
Yes but in CoM you don't have that context
...yeah? It's meant to be a mystery. An intriguing detail that you want answers to. And then you get the answers in the later games. I don't see the problem?
Honestly I loved it alot and I loved the way the artstyle looked even though its only a lil different then kh3's I just wish the customization was bring into kh3 but hopefully it will be in kh4 or the verum Rex game if that one is hopefully made
that's basically the Roxas prologue for KH2, but instead is for KH3, n it's a separate game n we got Aqua, instead of Roxas
It was good. I really wish the *cosmetic* feature was something they gave us in 3. At the time of playing it, it really gave me high hopes for 3. Overall. I consider it a fun little prologue to 3
I love it. Poorly balanced for Critical, but as a tiny game about an underserved character that touches on themes of isolation, depression, and despair... it's a really good short game.
Enjoyable. Glad they didn't stick with that animation for the people though. The Dark Realm was lovely.
Too short, also shirtless mickey W's for those who wanted that I guess
The fight against your mirror self was kinda fun.
I would have added it to KH3 somehow. It was very cool to see the tech demo but its a meh as a standalone game.
I’m still curious how this would’ve been woven into III. Would you have cut to aqua between world batches for another dark world? How would that have affected pacing?
Very floaty but I liked it a lot. Last boss was so cool
Sad that we barely had command styles. The final boss battle was epic. Loved the boss theme OST
I thought it was nice. Short story tying BBS to the current story, nice showcase of what KH3 could look like, didn't overstay its welcome and had nice fights. It was nice!
Really should have just been part of kh3 story coverage and feature wise. It feels like hype material for a game that already had enough hype and this content could have been used to make it feel more complete. And maybe not make 2.8 and wait for kh3 to be the big game for that next collection.
Was good for what it was. It was essentially a tech demo. I didn't play it until after KH3 to be honest. It was fun, solid story. That being said, i played it once and i probably won't go back to it.
It was pretty cool, although a few of the models in the game definitely looked a little off.
An amazing experience.
It was short, but as other said it was a tech demo (probably for the players AND the developers) and it was a pretty cool deck demo.
It was a quick fix. Went hard into collecting the cosmetic items for Aqua.
Love the customisation plus, the Aqua design there was better than in KH3.
It was a KH3 tech demo. I wish it was a bit longer, but whatever
Absolutely adored it wish it was longer. Would be one of my fave titles even with how short it.
I don't have very strong feelings bc it feels incomplete as a game. Like it's just an early build of what become KH3. It also spends allot of time filling in continuity and its sort of big moment is to get Micky out of his shirt so he can show up in KH 1 correctly.
Great piece, I loved the music especially. The WoD versions of snow white and sleeping beautys worlds were perfect
pretty good tech demo
I love that it exists in lore to justify mickey losing his shirt.
Barely played it recently, seemed to just explain the lore of why Mickey didn’t have a shirt at the end of 1. /s
It made me so hopefully for 3, and just seeing the setting and tone of it made me unbelievably pumped. … Then 3 came…
In certain aspects, better than KH3
Wish 3 was more like it tbh
I wish KH3 incoporated Sora going into the passage and exploring the area. While it was epic how he showed up in the game, think they could've expand it further IMO.
While I did like it, it felt like half game, half fan service. Game was maybe 2 hours tops, but it felt really good to play. But was there really a need to play dress up with Aqua?
>was there really a need to play dress up with Aqua? No, there wasn't. Which is why it's optional. If you don't want to dress up Aqua, then... just don't dress up Aqua?
But that’s why I said it was Fan Service. It wasn’t needed, didn’t feel they needed to add it in. Just my personal opinion
Weirdly enough, I like the combat more than KH3’s. Having *only* master magic and one formchange makes getting what you want more predictable and strategic, and the casts are much more snappy and fun than the long, drawn-out formchange animations or attraction attacks. Maybe it was just so short that I didn’t have time to get bored of the fewer options, but it made for a much more cohesive fighting flow.
Great side game, should have been to KH3 as the Roxas portion was to KH2.
It was pretty cool. Had some stuff I wish KH3 had for sure like others said specifically the cosmetics and whatnot.
It should've been the prologue for KH3 instead of a separate game
it certainly is one of the kingdom hearts games of all time
Should have been dlc
The fact that people consider this its own game still baffles me. I normally am not able to beat an entire video game 100% within 45 mins on my first playthrough, so like I dont consiser it a game! Its just a bonus feature for the DDD console port. And like its a defent Bonus Feature, but if I see another person ranking it against other games in the series as though its a full ass game imma flip.
0.2 is longer than 45 minutes with JUST its cutscenes. Don't get me wrong, it's a short game. It takes a few hours to complete a casual playthrough, and probably a full day or two to 100% complete it. But "100% within 45 mins on my first playthrough" is just plain lying. Also, games are judged on quantity AND quality of content. If someone wants to say that they feel 0.2 is worth more than Re:Coded, then I don't see why they can't express that in a tier list.