I recommend play order because the prequels are written under the assumptions that you know all the terminology which you would only know and understand from playing the old games. Sometimes they try to brief you, but without the context and stories that revolve around those ideals to familiarize yourself with them it just feels like you’re having a bunch of information thrown at you that you’re expecting to remember for a test or something. It makes following the story feel like homework.
@@tylercafe1260 yes you got it, that's exactly what that means, you win the pedantry gold medal, now go forth and make the world a better place with your unquestionable genius
@@nixuniverse5240Because Coded reveals 358/2 and BBS plot points. It's not the most significant change but it's technically how the story was originally told. Going from KH2 they started on Coded next which was released Episodically.
Yeah, the first game's scope is fairly simple and small (not clean) so I think it just makes for a better introduction to the series than BBS. I love BBS, but a lot of it is homaging stuff already introduced in KH1 and Chain of Memories, so it's best to approach this as a flashback game so it provides more context to a lot of the prior games
I’d agree with the exception of 358/2 days. That one should be first because it puts you in more in-touch with Roxas and his story than any other way. He knows as much about everything that’s going on as we do, and the wider KH story kind of just exists to creep into his life and splash his buttocks with the cold toilet water of omen, until it switches to shoving his life into said toilet for the worst swirly of his life
@@GrindyVine More like why would anyone gate keep like this? Like saying you need to 100% all the games exactly in canon order is just stupid! Like I did it with Halo for Halo 4's uncoming resale and while that was espacly now with it all being on steam excatp Halo wars 2 and Halo 5 for some reason.... But stoping at the first act of Halo 2 to beat Halo 3 ODST and get the secret vital to plot room from thge vital to plot data logs... Was um weird fun don't get me wrong esplacy if you do it only in Halo MCC on PC... But it wasn't better then playing though Halo 2 then Halo 3 ODST then Halo 3... A;lso playing Halo reach before Halo CE and Halo wars before Halo reach was fun... But I would persoanly recommend play what every you want when the games all have standalone stories yes even Halo 4... and if you have any question Halopedia and RUclips exists with dozens oof takes on the answer that isn't overt in any of the games and needsa external media to understand like the armor up scene in Halo 2 for exemple... Or halo reach from the Halo CE opening... So yeah if you persoanly haven';t done that watxch order DON'T recommend it!
@@GreenBlueWalkthrough gate keeping is a fanboys favorite past time. why let people enjoy a series in their own way when you can tell people they can only enjoy it your way.
I always suggest release order myself. With re-writes and retcons it's best to experience as ideas and concepts form then get changed. Plus, it helps with the emotional experience more.
I always believe in playing / watching / reading stuff in the order the creators intended, which is release order. There will always be context missing otherwise.
Best order is release order, playing BBS and then KH1 is basically doing yourself a disservice because literally none of BBS was conceived of when KH was made. You'll be going from Mickey Mouse learning to be a Keyblade Wielder alongside three other goobers stopping a bald guy, to Sora being the chosen one and the "Keyblade's Chosen". I say this as somebody who's first KH game was 2, if you wanna get the most out of the story, you play release order.
It’s really only because 358 was originally included on ps3 1.5 collection. So the original 3 games we got remastered was kh1 FM, Re:CoM and 358/2 Days Cutscenes. So they most likely just keep that order when listing the games in the new collection. It is funny though because the proper Square website lists playing kh2 before 358. So it was just a silly mixup I think.
Why? I’m personally a fan of that order and no one seems to be able to substantiate why Days before KH2 is so terribly bad beyond “spoilers” and no further details provided. It just feels like a cop out answer.
It not only completely ruins the mystery of KH2, but it also hurts the narrative of Days. Days is better if you know it is a tragedy going into it, it makes you appreciate the happy moments more.
@Bruin263 As someone who started with the original Days, it isn't anymore. That's because the Days on the collection that virtually everyone plays nowadays is just a really butchered cutscene compilation. Not only is it being before 2 really bad for numerous narrative reasons, but it also isn't a good place to start off anymore.
i played 358/2 days before kh2 and do not regret it at all. it made the opening (roxas's portion) of kh2 much more emotional for me, especially the sora vs roxas battle. everything made more sense to me. i understood his hurt, and why the battle was so significant.
Having experienced 358 before 2, I absolutely don't see the point in playing 2 before 358 first. That intro hits so hard, and the rest of the organization's interactions are so understandable
The issue with this is that it hurts the narrative of Days, which is its strongest narrative. The scenes don't hit as hard in Days unless you know things are going to end in tragedy somehow.
@@cybersaur7394 emphasis on "somehow." The emotional impact from knowing the story of Days while playing KH2 can be mostly achieved by playing KH2 _again_ after playing Days. But if you play Days first, you can't ever experience the dread of realizing that something _has_ to go wrong, and you have no idea how or when. Well, you _think_ you have a bit of an idea going into it, but then you meet a character that wasn't mentioned in KH2 for some reason...
But what does that mean? Because technically that order would be: KH1 > CoM > KH2 > Coded > 358/2 > BBS. Unless you mean purely the American Releases then it would be KH1 > CoM > KH2 > 358/2 > BBS > Coded. Which release order do you mean? Coded was 100% intended to be the game we play before 358/2 and BBS but because of how Coded was handled we didn't get it internationally until it was all over. Since Coded was released Episodically on Mobile over the course of a year or two. To me "Release Order" means playing Coded after KH2.
Since we're talking about coded being the outlier here, you're basically splitting hairs at that point. Personally I'd suggest the American release order. Just because it make most sense to play (if you care) re:coded before DDD but after BBS. But arguably, the spin offs post KH2 can be played in any order with little issue.
@@NickyShadow99That's also why in the ReMix collection ReCoded was new Exclusive Cutscenes on the 1.5+2.5 collection that connects ReCoded to DDD more smoothly. Square Enix did try to help you play in any order you want but you do have to do homework.
@@tylercafe1260 I’ve always seen coded as intending to bridge the gap between bbs and ddd ever since the release of re: coded (since I really haven’t had the chance to play the original). It just felt like a natural progression into the mark of mastery exam. My personal order would be BBS-Coded-DDD just between those three.
To me, nowadays It’s funny to think about the reaction some people have after beating KH II… specially if (for some reason) it’s the first KH title they play, and considering that perfect ending (if you omit the BBS secret video). They’re probably like: “Wait, there’s 12 more of these?!”
I just find it funny that there's a whole new discourse about it even though Square Enix actually does explain a few potential play orders in their blog post and in the RUclips video that they posted along with the launch of the series on Steam. Just the fact that one tweet of someone taking one part of the blog post out of context has caused an uproar of people losing their minds and screaming that SE is somehow trolling or lying to the players, it's nuts because they're all just making these assumptions and freaking out instead of having a conversation about it or actually reading the blog post themselves. Like, you did very well in clarifying the point of Square Enix saying that there is no "correct" game to start the series, but that their separate recommended play orders are to help players gain a good understanding of the story based on which games they choose to start with, because the narrative itself is so convoluted and can be contextualized in different ways.
I think for the best overall experience into the intricacies of the story and the way it's told would be to just play them in release order. It's how Nomura and Square Enix set the story up to be told anyway, and it gives context to older questions as well as introducing new ones as you play them. For example, if you played 1 and then went straight to 2, you'd miss ALOT of context as to why Sora was sleeping, the impact of Roxas and Namine on Sora's story, the Organization just popping up as the new Villians and how nobodies are just a new threat compared to the heartless in 1. By playing 1, CoM, Days and then 2 gives a much more complete and synchronized plot and how they connect. And if you play chronologically, for example BBS before KH1, then it lessens the impact of how Ventus (especially) made a HUGE impact on the future of both Sora's story and the overarching plot/events. I am trying to be vague on purpose as to not spoil anything! So in my humble opinion, if you want more "OMG" and "OHH that makes so much more sense now" moments, then play it in release order. If you don't care to wow'd and just want a historical timeline of events, then play it chronologically. If you want to be omega confused on purpose to an already confusing story just because, then hell, jump around however you want I guess lol. For me, a rough release order made me piece it all together much better and still left me in shock of how some things connected to each other. If you're like me, then this is the order I like: Kingdom Hearts 1, Chain of Memories, 358/2 Days, Kingdom Hearts 2, Birth by Sleep, Re:coded, 2.8 Fragmentary Passage, Back Cover (X), Dream Drop Distance, Kingdom Hearts 3 + Re:Mind DLC and then Melody of Memory. I'm not sure if that's the exact release order (I don't remember precisely), but it's close to it and makes the most sense to me. It's probably more of a combination of release order and ongoing story events, but that's just what feels right to me anyway. Connects the story nicely while also leaving some mysteries and questions that get answered later. I should also add that I grew up playing the games as they came out, and now I'm replaying them again bundled on Steam now that I'm older. Both the exact release order when growing up and the way I'm playing them now that I'm older (listed above) makes perfect sense, so it ultimately just boils down to your preference. Hope this long explanation helped any newcomers to my favorite series of all time. :)
Days was in fact my first KHgame and I went into it knowing full well it was not the first game. It’s probably why I have such a stronger attachment to Roxas, Axel, and Xion, than I do any other trio.
I played BBS first because my roommate in college suggested chronological order - I was cooked. Release order is the way to go but I still enjoyed just took some mental gymnastics to remember a lot of faces I wasn’t familiar with
So I've recently been showing kh to a good friend of mine and the order we chose was to do 1, chain of memories, 2, then bounce around between the stuff in-between, 3, and melody. Personally I feel like starting from one is the best if you're more interested in the story rather then the gameplay. The original 3 games offer a complex but straight forward story that offers you a chance to see kh in all it's aspects before overwhelming you with all it's nuances and lore. If you're more into the gameplay though then I would 2 or recoded are good starting points, as those we're my first two games I played and gave me a good of kh's gameplay style
I see what you're trying to say, but to me its kinda like saying "heres a great book series but i want you to enjoy it so start on book 3" you're basically going to spoil yourself and ruin the experience.
But I assume you know what happened? I suppose KH1 doesn't have too much story more set up. My analogy is still a good one but maybe not as bad as a book series. Depends where you start. I'd never recommend it though
Ooooh I always love having this debate! Because it's actually a pretty interesting one to have. I always go in release order, and that's always what I recommend others do. All the games assume you played the previously released title, and so when they introduce a concept, they trust that you've got all the context from the previous games in order to understand it. Like the concept of a Nobody for example. In KH2, they introduce what a Nobody is and take the time to explain what they are, how they come to be, and the differences in their types. In 358/2 Days, they go over this, too, but it's definitely an abridged version where they cut out a lot of information to just leave what's most important to the story. Which makes sense when it's technically the third game to feature Nobodies, and the second game of us being semi-aware of what they are. You don't want to spend a ton of time retreading what should be old material. I could go on all day about my opinions on whether to play Days or KH2 next after CoM lol. From thematic concepts to story beats that hit way harder after playing KH2 lol. This is probably my favorite mini debate in the whole play order discussion. One thing I will say is that from my point of view, the story was just made to be told in release order. However, i've had this debate many times and it has gotten to the point where I see the merit in every other play order preference... at least, as long as the x[chi] saga doesn't go first lol. Can you IMAGINE that being someone's introduction to Kingdom Hearts? Actually, if that's you and you're still reading, sound off! lol I even think there's merit in something like the hilariously ridiculous Gamechamp3000 play order. I actually had this debate with a friend way back in high school, when the only games we had to worry about were KH1, CoM, KH2, 358/2 Days, and BBS. Adding in things like the x[chi] saga really threw a wrench in things haha
I honestly can't imagine starting Kingdom Hearts at any time after KH2. My first game was the original CoM so I luckily got in early. New players had to be confused if they started with DDD or KH2
I played them in the way they were suggested by the game cases and found it very enjoyable. I did only learn melody of memory and union cross existed after I played through the rest of the series.
This was my playorder: KH1, KH2, KH: CHAIN OF MEMORIES, KH: BIRTH BY SLEEP, KH:RECODED. I have yet to play dream drop distance, or 258 days or any of the rest, but will one day
Kingdom hearts 1 can only be truly appreciated if it’s played first. I will NEVER forget my first play through and how captivated I was with the story. I was so invested in finding riku and kairi. When Sora sacrificed himself to release Kairi’s heart it stuck with me for years. The mystery of it all was a big reason it was magical. Plus, can you imagine going back to KH1 Sora’s voice if your intro was anything other than 1.
I kinda recommend it right after III (you can do ReMind after) because you don’t actually learn about why Xehanort did what he did until the very end of the game and Dark Road is about Xehanort’s backstory and what caused him to do everything he did
in my own opinion, (ETA: IF IT IS YOUR FIRST TIME PLAYING THE KH SERIES) you have to play in release order. playing in chronological order means that you’re destroying some of the best reveals for yourself (like, playing 358/2 days before kh2, or god forbid before CoM because 358/2’s story starts before CoM begins and then CoM happens during 358/2, will absolutely destroy any mystery surrounding org xiii and the existance/circumstances of roxas). the reveals are designed for you to have played the other games. it rewards you for being patient with it. (also if i REALLY wanted to get pedantic with it, “true chronological order” would involve you stopping one game to play another, like the aforementioned starting 358/2 before CoM, then stopping to play CoM and then resuming playing 358/2. or, the most egregious example, basically playing up to the final cutscene of kh1, STOPPING IT when they close the door to darkness, and then playing 0.2, and THEN watching the rest of the cutscene. because 0.2, chronologically, happens before the final cutscene of kh1.) ETA - like someone said in the comments, this is just my recommendation for first time players. once you’ve played them all go crazy, but if you’re getting into kh as a series, release order is the best way to go.
As a fan of the Tales of series, there isn't really a single chronological way to play it, as, in almost all instances, each game is its own self-contained story. There are certain games that have sequels (Xillia, Xillia 2; Symphonia, Symphonia: Dawn of the New World; Destiny, Destiny II); there are also two games in the same universe, but were released in the opposite order (Berseria, Zestiria); and then there are two games that appear to be set in the same world (Phantasia, Symphonia). But, largely, each game is its own separate, self-contained story, similar to the Final Fantasy series.
I'd say release order for first play through is best, since concepts and characters are introduced and then expanded on or foreshadowed in sequence. Which in the HD collections is slightly complicated by the Days video being included with the first part and thus before the game it was released after… but yeah I'd still say release order. That being said, I actually am really charmed whenever I see people who started with some other game in the series, like one person who's first game was actually Days and they had no idea who Sora was and basically learned this stuff at the same time as Roxas, or someone else who started with 2 and had a similar learning curve. These unique journeys as fans makes the whole more special. We all have a different stories with this series.
Absolutely needs to just be in release order. All games build on knowledge from the previous, even for prequels. However, if you just want to try one to see if you jam with it. Pick whichever looks the most interesting to you. If it grabs you, you'll eventually want to play them all in order anyway.
Now that I've watched the video, I agree for the most part. Yes, it's fine to start with a game that isn't KH1 if you don't have the means to play the whole series at the moment or are unsure if you'll like the series and are just testing the waters. And if you DO have the means and you know you're checking out the WHOLE series, then you should go through the order you mentioned EXCEPT for two exceptions: - I'd check out Back Cover BEFORE 0.2. This is just more of a personal preference tho, and I honestly think it's fine the other way around too. - You should NOT play I.5 + II.5 strictly from top to bottom because they put 358/2 Days before KH2 and I really don't think that's a good idea for a first-time experience of the whole series
I remember I came across a thread somewhere that included Nomura-san's recommended play order for first timers, which as it should be, is the original release order. From memory, it was mentioned that the Final Mix versions are more so for the fans of the games, and are not necessarily recommended for first-time players. I've watched Blind Let's Plays of KH2 Final Mix, where the player is gets confused with some of the Final Mix-only cutscenes because they don't have the knowledge of Birth by Sleep.
KH2 Final Mix was released before BBS though, so you aren't meant to understand all the BBS references in the Final Mix cutscenes at first. They're more like teasers for BBS
@@mbrillon765 Fair enough. All the same though, the confusion is warranted enough. I was one of the lucky ones where I haven't experienced that confusion. Honestly, in my opinion, I think it's better if first-time players play the games as it was originally. No Final Mix versions and no cutscene movies of Days and Re:Coded. Re:Chain of Memories, though, I can let slide. Not everyone will have easy access to a GBA. Of course, not to mention, Re:Coded is way more accessable to play than its original counterpart. But other than those, I'd say stick to the originals for first time playing.
I started with Kingdom Hearts 1 on PS2 as well. I get that, commercially, it makes sense for Square Enix to say start anywhere. I like to stick to release order wherever possible, so I don't know anything I couldn't have known at the time.
Started kh 358/2 days as my 1st kh game. Anyway my order to play the game is 1>chain of memories(skip the game,watch the cutscenes instead)>358/2 days>2>recoded>bbs>release games in order
The only order I can understand swapping around is the play/watch order of KH2 and Days. Days if you want more context into the Org and Roxas, as well as being during/directly after CoM KH2 if you want the continuation of Sora and keeps you spoiler free on the Org
KH2 was my first game in the series too, yeah. I'm with you on maybe not always starting people with KH1 - The combat, visuals and general atmosphere have aged fantastically in my opinion, but the bad platforming, confusing level layout and largely laughable dialogue is probably going to turn some people off the series. However, if the person in question isn't all too sensitive to that stuff, then it's release order all the way, obviously
My first Kingdom Hearts game was 358/2 Days and let me tell you, I was confused as heck! I didn't know who Sora was but he sure seemed important. The first game I'd play with Sora was RE:Coded, and it wasn't even the real Sora but a digital version of him! Plus I thought that RE:Coded was a retelling of the first game. I was kinda mistaken with that one.
Chronological doesn't make sense to me, part of what makes the story so good to me is how you keep finding out new things about the history and timeline. Can't have your mind blown if you start in the past.
For me, I play Kingdom Hearts 1, Chain of Memories, 358/2 Days, Kingdom Hearts 2, Coded, Birth By Sleep, Dream Drop Distance, Kingdom Hearts 3, and then Melody of Memory. The 0.8 & Back Cover stuff, those happened before 3.
Here's my order: BBS --> KH1 --> KH2 --> CoM --> Days --> DDD --> KH3 BBS is first because it has some of many retcons going forward, so it's best to get what is established as closest to the current canon as early as possible. KH1 follows the timeline while KH2 plays along with the characters' confusion as to what is going on. Then CoM and Days answer those questions for the viewer while DDD to KH3 provide the final payoff. While not a game I would probably end with the Union Movie to provide some context for KH3's finale and prepare for KH4.
@longlovelive77 0.2, if included, after DDD, since it's end directly begins with KH3, though I don't think it needs to be. MOM is to-be-determined as to how necessary it is when KH4 comes out, since Riku could just summarize it when he appears. And I consider ReMind as a package deal with KH3, and is part of why I think MOM will be unnecessary.
This makes no sense to me. I can kinda understand your explanation for starting with BBS, but BBS assumes that you've played up to Kh2 and Days. All the scenes with Sora, Riku and Kairi seems nonsensical and out of place if you don't know them, and they don't really bother to explain what is a keyblade. The whole story works much better if you know what came previously, even if it's full of retcons. For CoM though... I understand that a lot of people growing up didn't get to play it before Kh2, but if you had to recommend a play order to someone, CoM should be played before. You're not supposed to be confused about Namine and Organisation XIII by Kh2, that's not how the writers made it.
@gabouchar9977 The scenes do seem out of place, but they also do establish the existence and potential of these characters. Before BBS, we did not ask "Why can Sora and Riku wield the keyblade?" we simply thought it was because the keyblade chose them. BBS undermines that, directly damaging the mystique of the keyblade, but by setting it up in advance the impact is heavily cushioned. While they don't explain much of what the keyblade is, it does establish what the X-blade is, which inadvertently also indicates that even Sora's keyblade is not special despite what KH1 would have you think. Again, damage control. Like I said, that's the point. It should not be played before if you want to experience the same questions that Sora does, similarly to how you could argue to case for Days and questions about Roxas. CoM is ultimately almost completely irrelevant to KH2 past Riku and Namine working with DiZ, since everyone else but Axel either suffers amnesia or is destroyed. It is unnecessary to frontload because KH2 doesn't rely on you knowing CoM the same way a game like KH3 does for BBS and Days, and doesn't pose any retcons that need to be preemptively introduced for damage control.
That's disingenuous. Nomura has went on multiple occasions to say he writes them in bulks. He wrote all of KH, CoM, and KH2. He had other plans but waited until KH2 reviews were done before continuing the games story. Nomura writes a lot for this series long before the other games are released. That's why we know of the Scrapped Kairi Game that was supposed to be the Sequel bto BBS.
@tylercafe1260 he said in a interview he make the story on the go, that wouldn't be the case if final mixes with conveniently added cutscenes didn't exist
I've always told newcomers there's 2 ways they can start the series depending on how they want to experience it. 1. Play the games in order of release if they want the same experience as those who started with KH1 in the beginning. 2. Watch X Back Cover then play the games in order of story if they want a narrative that's easier to piece together. (Only watch Union X and Dark Road if they want to know every little thing about the story but they are safe to skip them.)
Generally release order - the only difference that I suggest is playing KH1 -> KH2 -> CoM (then continue release order) Sora is genuinely confused throughout all of KH2, as he has no memory of CoM. If you play KH2 before CoM, you really put yourself into Sora’s shoes at the time. Sora puts some pieces together throughout KH2, so following this by putting all of the pieces together by playing CoM makes for the most interesting order for a first time player.
If it helps, if your actually interested, as a tales fan there's not really a release order. It works kinda like final fantasy where every new one is it's own story. The biggest difference between the two are that the "Tales of" series leans more into anime than FF. And if you are wanting to start in the series I'd either start with Symphonia which is the first 3D game and my favorite, or the newest one tales of arise.
Id say number two, heres why: You start with Roxas, who has zero experience and has no idea whats going on just like the player, then when you get to Sora, you explore some really good disney worlds, there is flash blacks for important parts but also there is subtle dialoge for little things such as why Sora knows Beast...... and game play is amazing. it adds intrigue for number 1 and BBS
I'm generally of the opinion that release order is the best way, but I think it doesn't really matter which order you play days, birth by sleep, and recoded in. They should all definitely be played between 2 and DDD, but they're mostly interchangeable with each other. They each look at different facets of the timeline, and while they're important to the overall plot, they're not very important to each other. Anything that may have been a small callback to one of the other games could have just as easily been a teaser of what's to come. Also the best order to play BBS is Ventus, Terra, Aqua, FIGHT ME 😊
One single thing I'd like to note: The logic used for placing the two remakes seems to be inconsistent. Re:CoM is placed before KH2 because OG CoM released before KH2, whereas Re:CoM was released after. However, Re:coded is placed after BBS, it's release date, when OG coded technically released before Days. Therefore, to keep it consistent, you either need to play Re:CoM after KH2, or play Re:coded before Days. Then again, they might just be going off of the release of coded's last episode, which did come after BBS. I do not intend to start a war, I just wanted to throw this in because it was driving me crazy.
I 100% agree! I started playing Kingdom Hearts when I was 13 years old and I've played it in chronological order and It was alright. But to get really the hype going, that is the release order. I see those thing always with a 'impact meter'. So the more deeper story there is and more games is in the franchise, the more impact it will get.....Wait....13 years old......It's all connected!!
To me, always always consume a franchise series by release order. Games, series, or movies. The first entry is almost always the simplest and easiest to follow. It establishes the basic world building, the lore, and the main characters. Prequels/spin offs expand on that basic lore, assuming you already understand the basic stuff first, because then those prequels/spin offs don't re-explain the basic stuff. You'll be too confused.
i recently bought it AGAIN. now i have kh games for 3ds/ds ps2 ps3 ps4 ps5 Epic games and now steam. i got the original kh 1 and 2 a few remakes on almost every platform and the original kh days game
3:22 - As a fan who DID start with GBA chain of memories... I actually got really invested! Since Sora was seeing all those worlds as totally new, so was I at the same time! And the bit about 'that castle? With all those contraptions?' and 'wait, that happened... in a castle?' totally made me feel SEEN, since I knew Sora visited Disney worlds, and was trying to rack my brain to remember which Disney movies had castles with contraptions - I straight-up didn't KNOW about Hollow Bastion, so that level AND the empty Castle Oblivion level were BOTH new and strange to me. The only downside to doing it that way, imo, is that since Riku gets a whole side-story in COM, once I went to KH1, him not being playable or even really THERE much at all was a disappointment :P Understandably, 3D was my second favorite game XD
Not exactly, they messed up with one thing. They placed 358/2 days before Kh2. It makes no sense to play those two games in this order. 358/2 days assumes you played Kh2 before, while Kh2 is the intented introduction of Roxas.
The Tales series doesn't really have a 'play order'. Each game is mostly stand-alone, and though most of them have their own strengths and weaknesses, each one is generally a good time that I can recommend. My personal 'First game' picks would be the Abyss and Xillia
the only part of the play order I've disagreed with is the character order for BBS. I think the better experience is playing as Ventus first, then Terra, then Aqua. The game sets up the question of what Terra is doing after being sent off to defeat the Unversed and protect the light, only to hear about the misdeeds and the trouble he leaves in his wake as Ventus tries to find him. By playing Terra first, you lose that speculation aspect and are given the answers immediately. You also get the explanation for what the X-Blade is in Ventus's route, something that causes a lot of confusion at the end of Terra's route if you play him first. If you already know the story, Terra is definitely the better first pick since his gameplay is easily the most clunky of the three. But for the best first-time story experience, playing Ventus first is the way to go.
I normally play them in order of release for a first playthrough. Then will play them in chronological order my second playthrough. Though sadly didn't get to play the hand held KH games until they were released in the bundles with all games.
Release order, but then in the future it's really fun to go through chronologically if you're already an established fan. I've played all the games multiple times but did chronological this year with steam and had fun!
to hear theres a whole audience that started on 2 kind of staggers me, because i feel bad that crowd started at peak experience and likely didnt get the same high playing the rest of the games. It would be a similar situation if you played the DMC franchise out of order, you could just start with one of the best game but then the hill only goes down, by going in order you get a skyrocket jump in quality going from dmc2 to dmc3, id say something similar going to kh1 to kh2. i feel like going out of order is a self-diservice
I don't really think it's all that complicated. If you want the plot to make sense, play the games in release order. Each game was created with the expectation that you played the previous games that came out. Playing things out of order can even spoil things that were intentionally withheld in another game. The best example of this is how playing Days first will spoil the mystery behind Roxas and the Organization in KH2. They intentionally held off on face reveals of the various Organization members and you get all of them up front in the opening cutscene of Days. Then there's the fact that Days was literally created to answer the questions we had after playing KH2 about what went down during Roxas' time in the Organization.
I feel like there is a massive debate on if you play in the order square advertises within the collections to play 2 before days/days movie since the impact of days hit harder for people that played in release order
I 100% agree with you... Play the games in release order but watch union x and dark road afterwards. Back cover gives all you basic info to know for KH3... Like the foretellers, MoM, Luxu, the black box, the Keyblade war, Ephemer etc...
Xehanort Saga Order chronological play order (if you want to know the story or Eraques, Xehanort and Sora from start to finish) KH Dark Road KH Birth by Sleep Final Mix KH Final Mix KH Re: COM KH 358/2 Days KH 2 Final Mix KH Re: Coded KH: Dream Drop Distance KH 0.2 Birth By Sleep KH 3
This is an interesting situation. I started with KH1 and have generally played the series in order, though I never finished CoM or 358/2 Days or whatever it's called. Though I'm also a big Tales of Series fan so I feel obligated to say that there is in fact not really an order to play in, besides the games that are actually sequels.
Just saying, BBS fans have permanently skewed the perception of the game. Not only are all the characters always misrepresented but you should be playing Ventus first not Terra.
Really you should be bouncing between all three characters as some of them go to particular places before the others and while others are still there. But that's a royal pain in the butt
As someone who grew up with KH since the OG PS2 days, I usually think the order they were made is best. Why? Some story aspects get spoiled if you play in the order shown in the menus. The KH2 intro with Roxas's conversation with Namine about his very being - that hits like a truck, but this would be dampened by playing in that order. Just an example
I'm of the camp that release order is preferred with a small exception for CoM being played after kh2. I just think you get a more consistent gaming experience from upgrading from kh1's simple combat to the fast and tight combat of kh2 while not losing out too much on the story(You pretty much line up with what Sora knows). CoM starts unraveling the deeper mysteries and sets your expectations going forward that the gameplay will keep changing up between number titles. And if you werent impressed by the story, kh2 is a good stopping point as it has a nice ending and resolves the plot of kh1 completely.
(Spoilers) I’m just going to say it! Xion’s story becomes so much less impactful if you know she never shows up i KH2 and Roxas and axel goodbye means almost nothing since most of KH2 they’re perceived as enemies
Gotta say I’ve been replaying 1.5 again for the first time in years and im astounded by how well it’s kept up. Still looks great and the gameplay (except the platforming) is still crisp and fun
At the end of the day i still say you start with bbs _then_ go to kingdom hearts 1, get to see the route of flip flopping between both styles of gameplay and save mom and recom/com for last, using ddd as a storyboard reference
I'm so glad they put 358 BEFORE KH2, as it should be. I would've hated to be like the rest who hated Roxas' intro because KH2 came out before 358. KH2's initial playthrough was so cool going after 358
Now, optimally, I always feel release order for any series ever. Rarely is there material released after that works as a better starting spot. Yakuza 0 comes to mind, but most of the time, the first release is the best place to start. However, I actually oddly got into KH through KH2. We had a PS2 at my after-school/summer camp, and one of the councilers brought in their copy of KH2 to show/play with us. A group of us and the councilor used to get together every Friday (when we were allowed to use the PS2) and played through the game. It took us until the summer to beat it on normal, and we did proud mode in the summer. It helped that I was like 10 years old, but I wound up playing the rest of my series on my own, and I liked the series just the same, lol 😅
Hot take: Kingdom Hearts 1 would benefit a lot from a (faithful) remake. I love the game as it is and have learned to deal with the jank over the dozen or so times I've played it since I was a kid, but it is quite difficult for newcomers to start with. Recommending a later game in the series also works sometimes, but it's also hard for newcomers to ignore the series' reputation for needing to play the games in order to understand the story. Give the game a visual uplift to KH3 standards, fine tune the controls and (especially) the camera, and maybe make Deep Jungle a bit more clear on where to go next at certain points, and I think the game won't ever feel dated again
If you wanted to play the games in chronological order it's actually in one of the art books and I played them in that order and understood the story more
This is probably the _most_ preference-based out of all the possible play orders, but I personally think 358 should be played/watched AFTER kh2 (contrary to what 1.5+2.5 suggests). First of all, that's the order they were released in, which is presumably the initially intended experience. Second, like with playing the whole series in chronological order, you lose out on experiencing some of the more dramatic questions by finding out the answers first. No "where is Sora and why is it so mundane here" in kh2, and no "why wasn't she in kh2" in 358. I think playing 358 before kh2 makes the first experience of both stories feel closer to a second viewing than they would otherwise. Sure, playing 358 first makes parts of kh2 more impactful, but you can get the same impact from REplaying kh2 after 358 (and similar impact by replaying kh2 without ever experiencing 358). You'd also lose out on the sense of dramatic irony in 358, from knowing that _something_ has to go wrong, but you don't know how. Of course, different orders could benefit different people. Like if someone could be prone to losing interest in kh2 because of the "tutorial," they may be better off starting with 358 so it can be seen as a continuation of Roxas' story. It's not like either option is subpar or makes less sense, whichever of the two is played first will boost the story experience of the second. I just think playing kh2 before 358 offers _more_ to the first-time experience, while also being the intended order.
I don't think going in chronological order for the dark seeker saga is the best way to introduce someone new to the series, because it sets up the wrong expectations. BBS and DDD are the only games that utilize the command menu system, and BBS is the only game with 3 playable characters- not to mention you only ever get to play as them all in this 1 title (+0.2 for Aqua ofc). I think it would be best for new players to be introduced to Sora, and the more or less standard gameplay KH has to offer. For that, KH1 or 2 are the best options.
I've always just said you should play in release order, that way you can get the most out of the series. I wouldn't even recommend a newer game like KH3 that has better gameplay, simply because you wouldn't get to appreciate how the series evolves over time in the same way you would if you started at the beginning. One thing I would always recommend though: play Days after 2. 2 is A LOT more fun if you know NOTHING about Roxas, Axel and the rest of Org 13.
Play it backwards to find the hidden message thats hidden in sora’s shoes
Or what Sora’s mom was making for dinner!
These new games gotta come out quick, we as a community have only like. 3 jokes maximum and they've all been the same jokes since 2008
if you play it backwards, Sora still gets nerfed to lvl 1 everygame haha
"I need more mansex than you know"
I recommend play order because the prequels are written under the assumptions that you know all the terminology which you would only know and understand from playing the old games. Sometimes they try to brief you, but without the context and stories that revolve around those ideals to familiarize yourself with them it just feels like you’re having a bunch of information thrown at you that you’re expecting to remember for a test or something. It makes following the story feel like homework.
So that means playing Coded after KH2 right? Because that's true release order and not international release order.....
@@tylercafe1260 yes you got it, that's exactly what that means, you win the pedantry gold medal, now go forth and make the world a better place with your unquestionable genius
@@tylercafe1260 Sure?
@@nixuniverse5240Because Coded reveals 358/2 and BBS plot points. It's not the most significant change but it's technically how the story was originally told. Going from KH2 they started on Coded next which was released Episodically.
Yeah, the first game's scope is fairly simple and small (not clean) so I think it just makes for a better introduction to the series than BBS.
I love BBS, but a lot of it is homaging stuff already introduced in KH1 and Chain of Memories, so it's best to approach this as a flashback game so it provides more context to a lot of the prior games
I think release order makes sense for first timers to get the story and avoid spoilers. But afterward play it how you like
I’d agree with the exception of 358/2 days. That one should be first because it puts you in more in-touch with Roxas and his story than any other way.
He knows as much about everything that’s going on as we do, and the wider KH story kind of just exists to creep into his life and splash his buttocks with the cold toilet water of omen, until it switches to shoving his life into said toilet for the worst swirly of his life
To get the story? You do realise that absolutely no one gets the story, right?
@@jorssu13 low tier bait
Me clicking on the video: THERE'S A DEBATE?!
it's more like a 'what the hell are square enix saying?'
@@GrindyVine I mean I know that now that I've watched it, that was just my reaction to the title
@@GrindyVine More like why would anyone gate keep like this? Like saying you need to 100% all the games exactly in canon order is just stupid! Like I did it with Halo for Halo 4's uncoming resale and while that was espacly now with it all being on steam excatp Halo wars 2 and Halo 5 for some reason.... But stoping at the first act of Halo 2 to beat Halo 3 ODST and get the secret vital to plot room from thge vital to plot data logs... Was um weird fun don't get me wrong esplacy if you do it only in Halo MCC on PC... But it wasn't better then playing though Halo 2 then Halo 3 ODST then Halo 3... A;lso playing Halo reach before Halo CE and Halo wars before Halo reach was fun... But I would persoanly recommend play what every you want when the games all have standalone stories yes even Halo 4... and if you have any question Halopedia and RUclips exists with dozens oof takes on the answer that isn't overt in any of the games and needsa external media to understand like the armor up scene in Halo 2 for exemple... Or halo reach from the Halo CE opening... So yeah if you persoanly haven';t done that watxch order DON'T recommend it!
@@GreenBlueWalkthrough I ain't reading allat but I'm gonna say, I agree with you
@@GreenBlueWalkthrough gate keeping is a fanboys favorite past time.
why let people enjoy a series in their own way when you can tell people they can only enjoy it your way.
I always suggest release order myself. With re-writes and retcons it's best to experience as ideas and concepts form then get changed.
Plus, it helps with the emotional experience more.
I always believe in playing / watching / reading stuff in the order the creators intended, which is release order. There will always be context missing otherwise.
Play in release order
Best order is release order, playing BBS and then KH1 is basically doing yourself a disservice because literally none of BBS was conceived of when KH was made. You'll be going from Mickey Mouse learning to be a Keyblade Wielder alongside three other goobers stopping a bald guy, to Sora being the chosen one and the "Keyblade's Chosen". I say this as somebody who's first KH game was 2, if you wanna get the most out of the story, you play release order.
I’m still peeved about 358/2 Days being ordered in between Chain of Memories and KH2FM on the 1.5 + 2.5 main menu, and not after KH2FM release wise.
It’s really only because 358 was originally included on ps3 1.5 collection. So the original 3 games we got remastered was kh1 FM, Re:CoM and 358/2 Days Cutscenes.
So they most likely just keep that order when listing the games in the new collection. It is funny though because the proper Square website lists playing kh2 before 358. So it was just a silly mixup I think.
@@Gamelover254 I would argue that days is one of the most friendly games to start with
Why? I’m personally a fan of that order and no one seems to be able to substantiate why Days before KH2 is so terribly bad beyond “spoilers” and no further details provided. It just feels like a cop out answer.
It not only completely ruins the mystery of KH2, but it also hurts the narrative of Days. Days is better if you know it is a tragedy going into it, it makes you appreciate the happy moments more.
@Bruin263 As someone who started with the original Days, it isn't anymore. That's because the Days on the collection that virtually everyone plays nowadays is just a really butchered cutscene compilation. Not only is it being before 2 really bad for numerous narrative reasons, but it also isn't a good place to start off anymore.
i played 358/2 days before kh2 and do not regret it at all. it made the opening (roxas's portion) of kh2 much more emotional for me, especially the sora vs roxas battle. everything made more sense to me. i understood his hurt, and why the battle was so significant.
Having experienced 358 before 2, I absolutely don't see the point in playing 2 before 358 first. That intro hits so hard, and the rest of the organization's interactions are so understandable
The issue with this is that it hurts the narrative of Days, which is its strongest narrative. The scenes don't hit as hard in Days unless you know things are going to end in tragedy somehow.
@@cybersaur7394 emphasis on "somehow." The emotional impact from knowing the story of Days while playing KH2 can be mostly achieved by playing KH2 _again_ after playing Days. But if you play Days first, you can't ever experience the dread of realizing that something _has_ to go wrong, and you have no idea how or when. Well, you _think_ you have a bit of an idea going into it, but then you meet a character that wasn't mentioned in KH2 for some reason...
I like playing 2 before 358 because like the player, Roxas is also just as confused and we have to go through the opening uncovering any clues.
Commenting before watching. I’m more on the non-chronological and release order side of things.
Based take
But what does that mean? Because technically that order would be: KH1 > CoM > KH2 > Coded > 358/2 > BBS. Unless you mean purely the American Releases then it would be KH1 > CoM > KH2 > 358/2 > BBS > Coded.
Which release order do you mean? Coded was 100% intended to be the game we play before 358/2 and BBS but because of how Coded was handled we didn't get it internationally until it was all over. Since Coded was released Episodically on Mobile over the course of a year or two. To me "Release Order" means playing Coded after KH2.
Since we're talking about coded being the outlier here, you're basically splitting hairs at that point.
Personally I'd suggest the American release order. Just because it make most sense to play (if you care) re:coded before DDD but after BBS.
But arguably, the spin offs post KH2 can be played in any order with little issue.
@@NickyShadow99That's also why in the ReMix collection ReCoded was new Exclusive Cutscenes on the 1.5+2.5 collection that connects ReCoded to DDD more smoothly. Square Enix did try to help you play in any order you want but you do have to do homework.
@@tylercafe1260 I’ve always seen coded as intending to bridge the gap between bbs and ddd ever since the release of re: coded (since I really haven’t had the chance to play the original). It just felt like a natural progression into the mark of mastery exam. My personal order would be BBS-Coded-DDD just between those three.
I definitely think release order is the way to go. Like you said, playing chronologically doesn't have quite the same oomf as playing normally does.
It's release order like that's just the Nomura intent like any deviation is obviously wrong
To me, nowadays It’s funny to think about the reaction some people have after beating KH II… specially if (for some reason) it’s the first KH title they play, and considering that perfect ending (if you omit the BBS secret video).
They’re probably like: “Wait, there’s 12 more of these?!”
I just find it funny that there's a whole new discourse about it even though Square Enix actually does explain a few potential play orders in their blog post and in the RUclips video that they posted along with the launch of the series on Steam. Just the fact that one tweet of someone taking one part of the blog post out of context has caused an uproar of people losing their minds and screaming that SE is somehow trolling or lying to the players, it's nuts because they're all just making these assumptions and freaking out instead of having a conversation about it or actually reading the blog post themselves. Like, you did very well in clarifying the point of Square Enix saying that there is no "correct" game to start the series, but that their separate recommended play orders are to help players gain a good understanding of the story based on which games they choose to start with, because the narrative itself is so convoluted and can be contextualized in different ways.
I think for the best overall experience into the intricacies of the story and the way it's told would be to just play them in release order. It's how Nomura and Square Enix set the story up to be told anyway, and it gives context to older questions as well as introducing new ones as you play them. For example, if you played 1 and then went straight to 2, you'd miss ALOT of context as to why Sora was sleeping, the impact of Roxas and Namine on Sora's story, the Organization just popping up as the new Villians and how nobodies are just a new threat compared to the heartless in 1. By playing 1, CoM, Days and then 2 gives a much more complete and synchronized plot and how they connect. And if you play chronologically, for example BBS before KH1, then it lessens the impact of how Ventus (especially) made a HUGE impact on the future of both Sora's story and the overarching plot/events. I am trying to be vague on purpose as to not spoil anything!
So in my humble opinion, if you want more "OMG" and "OHH that makes so much more sense now" moments, then play it in release order. If you don't care to wow'd and just want a historical timeline of events, then play it chronologically. If you want to be omega confused on purpose to an already confusing story just because, then hell, jump around however you want I guess lol. For me, a rough release order made me piece it all together much better and still left me in shock of how some things connected to each other.
If you're like me, then this is the order I like: Kingdom Hearts 1, Chain of Memories, 358/2 Days, Kingdom Hearts 2, Birth by Sleep, Re:coded, 2.8 Fragmentary Passage, Back Cover (X), Dream Drop Distance, Kingdom Hearts 3 + Re:Mind DLC and then Melody of Memory. I'm not sure if that's the exact release order (I don't remember precisely), but it's close to it and makes the most sense to me. It's probably more of a combination of release order and ongoing story events, but that's just what feels right to me anyway. Connects the story nicely while also leaving some mysteries and questions that get answered later. I should also add that I grew up playing the games as they came out, and now I'm replaying them again bundled on Steam now that I'm older. Both the exact release order when growing up and the way I'm playing them now that I'm older (listed above) makes perfect sense, so it ultimately just boils down to your preference. Hope this long explanation helped any newcomers to my favorite series of all time. :)
Days was in fact my first KHgame and I went into it knowing full well it was not the first game. It’s probably why I have such a stronger attachment to Roxas, Axel, and Xion, than I do any other trio.
I played BBS first because my roommate in college suggested chronological order - I was cooked. Release order is the way to go but I still enjoyed just took some mental gymnastics to remember a lot of faces I wasn’t familiar with
So I've recently been showing kh to a good friend of mine and the order we chose was to do 1, chain of memories, 2, then bounce around between the stuff in-between, 3, and melody. Personally I feel like starting from one is the best if you're more interested in the story rather then the gameplay. The original 3 games offer a complex but straight forward story that offers you a chance to see kh in all it's aspects before overwhelming you with all it's nuances and lore. If you're more into the gameplay though then I would 2 or recoded are good starting points, as those we're my first two games I played and gave me a good of kh's gameplay style
I see what you're trying to say, but to me its kinda like saying "heres a great book series but i want you to enjoy it so start on book 3" you're basically going to spoil yourself and ruin the experience.
To each their own, I've never beaten Kingdom Hearts 1 but I'm still a fan of the series
But I assume you know what happened? I suppose KH1 doesn't have too much story more set up. My analogy is still a good one but maybe not as bad as a book series. Depends where you start. I'd never recommend it though
For the Debate that actually matters. - “Cure belongs on X”
Ooooh I always love having this debate! Because it's actually a pretty interesting one to have.
I always go in release order, and that's always what I recommend others do. All the games assume you played the previously released title, and so when they introduce a concept, they trust that you've got all the context from the previous games in order to understand it. Like the concept of a Nobody for example. In KH2, they introduce what a Nobody is and take the time to explain what they are, how they come to be, and the differences in their types. In 358/2 Days, they go over this, too, but it's definitely an abridged version where they cut out a lot of information to just leave what's most important to the story. Which makes sense when it's technically the third game to feature Nobodies, and the second game of us being semi-aware of what they are. You don't want to spend a ton of time retreading what should be old material. I could go on all day about my opinions on whether to play Days or KH2 next after CoM lol. From thematic concepts to story beats that hit way harder after playing KH2 lol. This is probably my favorite mini debate in the whole play order discussion.
One thing I will say is that from my point of view, the story was just made to be told in release order. However, i've had this debate many times and it has gotten to the point where I see the merit in every other play order preference... at least, as long as the x[chi] saga doesn't go first lol. Can you IMAGINE that being someone's introduction to Kingdom Hearts? Actually, if that's you and you're still reading, sound off! lol
I even think there's merit in something like the hilariously ridiculous Gamechamp3000 play order. I actually had this debate with a friend way back in high school, when the only games we had to worry about were KH1, CoM, KH2, 358/2 Days, and BBS. Adding in things like the x[chi] saga really threw a wrench in things haha
I've played both release order, as it came out, and timeline order. Both are great and honestly it's about the same to me enjoyment wise.
i feel like the union cross games should've been a movie
Release order makes the most sense to keep the mystery alive.
I honestly can't imagine starting Kingdom Hearts at any time after KH2. My first game was the original CoM so I luckily got in early. New players had to be confused if they started with DDD or KH2
I played them in the way they were suggested by the game cases and found it very enjoyable. I did only learn melody of memory and union cross existed after I played through the rest of the series.
This was my playorder: KH1, KH2, KH: CHAIN OF MEMORIES, KH: BIRTH BY SLEEP, KH:RECODED. I have yet to play dream drop distance, or 258 days or any of the rest, but will one day
Days is the best narratively, but definitely suffers gameplay wise due to it being restricted to the DS.
358/2 Days
I love how the first example of the order had Days before Kh2 but then the one after put it (rightfully) after Kh2
Kingdom hearts 1 can only be truly appreciated if it’s played first. I will NEVER forget my first play through and how captivated I was with the story. I was so invested in finding riku and kairi. When Sora sacrificed himself to release Kairi’s heart it stuck with me for years. The mystery of it all was a big reason it was magical. Plus, can you imagine going back to KH1 Sora’s voice if your intro was anything other than 1.
I mean this in the most loving way. C'mon man! Don't bitch out! Give us your definitive order! Let's do this!
My brother got me hooked on kh1 when I watched him play it. It's how I became a die hard fan
Dark Road is an essential part of the Dark Seeker Saga and should be played before Kingdom Hearts 3 is my only controversial opinion.
I kinda recommend it right after III (you can do ReMind after) because you don’t actually learn about why Xehanort did what he did until the very end of the game and Dark Road is about Xehanort’s backstory and what caused him to do everything he did
in my own opinion, (ETA: IF IT IS YOUR FIRST TIME PLAYING THE KH SERIES) you have to play in release order. playing in chronological order means that you’re destroying some of the best reveals for yourself (like, playing 358/2 days before kh2, or god forbid before CoM because 358/2’s story starts before CoM begins and then CoM happens during 358/2, will absolutely destroy any mystery surrounding org xiii and the existance/circumstances of roxas). the reveals are designed for you to have played the other games. it rewards you for being patient with it.
(also if i REALLY wanted to get pedantic with it, “true chronological order” would involve you stopping one game to play another, like the aforementioned starting 358/2 before CoM, then stopping to play CoM and then resuming playing 358/2. or, the most egregious example, basically playing up to the final cutscene of kh1, STOPPING IT when they close the door to darkness, and then playing 0.2, and THEN watching the rest of the cutscene. because 0.2, chronologically, happens before the final cutscene of kh1.)
ETA - like someone said in the comments, this is just my recommendation for first time players. once you’ve played them all go crazy, but if you’re getting into kh as a series, release order is the best way to go.
As a fan of the Tales of series, there isn't really a single chronological way to play it, as, in almost all instances, each game is its own self-contained story. There are certain games that have sequels (Xillia, Xillia 2; Symphonia, Symphonia: Dawn of the New World; Destiny, Destiny II); there are also two games in the same universe, but were released in the opposite order (Berseria, Zestiria); and then there are two games that appear to be set in the same world (Phantasia, Symphonia). But, largely, each game is its own separate, self-contained story, similar to the Final Fantasy series.
I always suggest playing by release date. But I am willing to see what makes some people say otherwise
(My first Kingdom Hearts was Re:Coded btw)
I'd say release order for first play through is best, since concepts and characters are introduced and then expanded on or foreshadowed in sequence. Which in the HD collections is slightly complicated by the Days video being included with the first part and thus before the game it was released after… but yeah I'd still say release order.
That being said, I actually am really charmed whenever I see people who started with some other game in the series, like one person who's first game was actually Days and they had no idea who Sora was and basically learned this stuff at the same time as Roxas, or someone else who started with 2 and had a similar learning curve. These unique journeys as fans makes the whole more special. We all have a different stories with this series.
Absolutely needs to just be in release order. All games build on knowledge from the previous, even for prequels. However, if you just want to try one to see if you jam with it. Pick whichever looks the most interesting to you. If it grabs you, you'll eventually want to play them all in order anyway.
Now that I've watched the video, I agree for the most part. Yes, it's fine to start with a game that isn't KH1 if you don't have the means to play the whole series at the moment or are unsure if you'll like the series and are just testing the waters. And if you DO have the means and you know you're checking out the WHOLE series, then you should go through the order you mentioned EXCEPT for two exceptions:
- I'd check out Back Cover BEFORE 0.2. This is just more of a personal preference tho, and I honestly think it's fine the other way around too.
- You should NOT play I.5 + II.5 strictly from top to bottom because they put 358/2 Days before KH2 and I really don't think that's a good idea for a first-time experience of the whole series
Christ. KH fans must be so bored to be talking about this.
You have NO idea
I remember I came across a thread somewhere that included Nomura-san's recommended play order for first timers, which as it should be, is the original release order. From memory, it was mentioned that the Final Mix versions are more so for the fans of the games, and are not necessarily recommended for first-time players. I've watched Blind Let's Plays of KH2 Final Mix, where the player is gets confused with some of the Final Mix-only cutscenes because they don't have the knowledge of Birth by Sleep.
KH2 Final Mix was released before BBS though, so you aren't meant to understand all the BBS references in the Final Mix cutscenes at first. They're more like teasers for BBS
@@mbrillon765 Fair enough. All the same though, the confusion is warranted enough. I was one of the lucky ones where I haven't experienced that confusion. Honestly, in my opinion, I think it's better if first-time players play the games as it was originally. No Final Mix versions and no cutscene movies of Days and Re:Coded. Re:Chain of Memories, though, I can let slide. Not everyone will have easy access to a GBA. Of course, not to mention, Re:Coded is way more accessable to play than its original counterpart. But other than those, I'd say stick to the originals for first time playing.
I have a even better thought. What is the absolute worst order to play the games in?
Union X
Melody of Memory
Coded
KH2
DDD
CoM
BBS
Days
KH3
KH1
0.2
I started with Kingdom Hearts 1 on PS2 as well. I get that, commercially, it makes sense for Square Enix to say start anywhere. I like to stick to release order wherever possible, so I don't know anything I couldn't have known at the time.
There are people putting cure on triangle?!?!?!
Started kh 358/2 days as my 1st kh game. Anyway my order to play the game is 1>chain of memories(skip the game,watch the cutscenes instead)>358/2 days>2>recoded>bbs>release games in order
The only order I can understand swapping around is the play/watch order of KH2 and Days.
Days if you want more context into the Org and Roxas, as well as being during/directly after CoM
KH2 if you want the continuation of Sora and keeps you spoiler free on the Org
KH2 was my first game in the series too, yeah. I'm with you on maybe not always starting people with KH1 - The combat, visuals and general atmosphere have aged fantastically in my opinion, but the bad platforming, confusing level layout and largely laughable dialogue is probably going to turn some people off the series. However, if the person in question isn't all too sensitive to that stuff, then it's release order all the way, obviously
My first Kingdom Hearts game was 358/2 Days and let me tell you, I was confused as heck! I didn't know who Sora was but he sure seemed important. The first game I'd play with Sora was RE:Coded, and it wasn't even the real Sora but a digital version of him! Plus I thought that RE:Coded was a retelling of the first game. I was kinda mistaken with that one.
Chronological doesn't make sense to me, part of what makes the story so good to me is how you keep finding out new things about the history and timeline. Can't have your mind blown if you start in the past.
Awesome video dude. And on my birthday no less.
For me, I play Kingdom Hearts 1, Chain of Memories, 358/2 Days, Kingdom Hearts 2, Coded, Birth By Sleep, Dream Drop Distance, Kingdom Hearts 3, and then Melody of Memory. The 0.8 & Back Cover stuff, those happened before 3.
Here's my order: BBS --> KH1 --> KH2 --> CoM --> Days --> DDD --> KH3
BBS is first because it has some of many retcons going forward, so it's best to get what is established as closest to the current canon as early as possible. KH1 follows the timeline while KH2 plays along with the characters' confusion as to what is going on. Then CoM and Days answer those questions for the viewer while DDD to KH3 provide the final payoff. While not a game I would probably end with the Union Movie to provide some context for KH3's finale and prepare for KH4.
And 0.2 after BBS, right?
And MOM after 3 and Re:Mind, right?
@longlovelive77 0.2, if included, after DDD, since it's end directly begins with KH3, though I don't think it needs to be. MOM is to-be-determined as to how necessary it is when KH4 comes out, since Riku could just summarize it when he appears. And I consider ReMind as a package deal with KH3, and is part of why I think MOM will be unnecessary.
This makes no sense to me.
I can kinda understand your explanation for starting with BBS, but BBS assumes that you've played up to Kh2 and Days. All the scenes with Sora, Riku and Kairi seems nonsensical and out of place if you don't know them, and they don't really bother to explain what is a keyblade. The whole story works much better if you know what came previously, even if it's full of retcons.
For CoM though... I understand that a lot of people growing up didn't get to play it before Kh2, but if you had to recommend a play order to someone, CoM should be played before. You're not supposed to be confused about Namine and Organisation XIII by Kh2, that's not how the writers made it.
@gabouchar9977 The scenes do seem out of place, but they also do establish the existence and potential of these characters. Before BBS, we did not ask "Why can Sora and Riku wield the keyblade?" we simply thought it was because the keyblade chose them. BBS undermines that, directly damaging the mystique of the keyblade, but by setting it up in advance the impact is heavily cushioned. While they don't explain much of what the keyblade is, it does establish what the X-blade is, which inadvertently also indicates that even Sora's keyblade is not special despite what KH1 would have you think. Again, damage control.
Like I said, that's the point. It should not be played before if you want to experience the same questions that Sora does, similarly to how you could argue to case for Days and questions about Roxas. CoM is ultimately almost completely irrelevant to KH2 past Riku and Namine working with DiZ, since everyone else but Axel either suffers amnesia or is destroyed. It is unnecessary to frontload because KH2 doesn't rely on you knowing CoM the same way a game like KH3 does for BBS and Days, and doesn't pose any retcons that need to be preemptively introduced for damage control.
358/2 was actually my 1st kingdom hearts game so I hated Sora until played the other games lol
How can there be this debate in a series where the author come up with the story from game to game?
That's disingenuous. Nomura has went on multiple occasions to say he writes them in bulks. He wrote all of KH, CoM, and KH2. He had other plans but waited until KH2 reviews were done before continuing the games story. Nomura writes a lot for this series long before the other games are released. That's why we know of the Scrapped Kairi Game that was supposed to be the Sequel bto BBS.
@tylercafe1260 he said in a interview he make the story on the go, that wouldn't be the case if final mixes with conveniently added cutscenes didn't exist
@@simonefiumicini Unless if those extra cutscenes were cut due to time constraints at first or something
First time: Release order
Second time: Chronological order
Boom.
I've always told newcomers there's 2 ways they can start the series depending on how they want to experience it.
1.
Play the games in order of release if they want the same experience as those who started with KH1 in the beginning.
2.
Watch X Back Cover then play the games in order of story if they want a narrative that's easier to piece together. (Only watch Union X and Dark Road if they want to know every little thing about the story but they are safe to skip them.)
Generally release order - the only difference that I suggest is playing KH1 -> KH2 -> CoM (then continue release order)
Sora is genuinely confused throughout all of KH2, as he has no memory of CoM. If you play KH2 before CoM, you really put yourself into Sora’s shoes at the time. Sora puts some pieces together throughout KH2, so following this by putting all of the pieces together by playing CoM makes for the most interesting order for a first time player.
You look waaay more cleaner with the cut
If it helps, if your actually interested, as a tales fan there's not really a release order. It works kinda like final fantasy where every new one is it's own story. The biggest difference between the two are that the "Tales of" series leans more into anime than FF. And if you are wanting to start in the series I'd either start with Symphonia which is the first 3D game and my favorite, or the newest one tales of arise.
Id say number two, heres why:
You start with Roxas, who has zero experience and has no idea whats going on just like the player, then when you get to Sora, you explore some really good disney worlds, there is flash blacks for important parts but also there is subtle dialoge for little things such as why Sora knows Beast...... and game play is amazing.
it adds intrigue for number 1 and BBS
I'm generally of the opinion that release order is the best way, but I think it doesn't really matter which order you play days, birth by sleep, and recoded in. They should all definitely be played between 2 and DDD, but they're mostly interchangeable with each other. They each look at different facets of the timeline, and while they're important to the overall plot, they're not very important to each other. Anything that may have been a small callback to one of the other games could have just as easily been a teaser of what's to come.
Also the best order to play BBS is Ventus, Terra, Aqua, FIGHT ME 😊
One single thing I'd like to note:
The logic used for placing the two remakes seems to be inconsistent. Re:CoM is placed before KH2 because OG CoM released before KH2, whereas Re:CoM was released after. However, Re:coded is placed after BBS, it's release date, when OG coded technically released before Days. Therefore, to keep it consistent, you either need to play Re:CoM after KH2, or play Re:coded before Days.
Then again, they might just be going off of the release of coded's last episode, which did come after BBS.
I do not intend to start a war, I just wanted to throw this in because it was driving me crazy.
I 100% agree! I started playing Kingdom Hearts when I was 13 years old and I've played it in chronological order and It was alright. But to get really the hype going, that is the release order. I see those thing always with a 'impact meter'. So the more deeper story there is and more games is in the franchise, the more impact it will get.....Wait....13 years old......It's all connected!!
To me, always always consume a franchise series by release order. Games, series, or movies. The first entry is almost always the simplest and easiest to follow. It establishes the basic world building, the lore, and the main characters. Prequels/spin offs expand on that basic lore, assuming you already understand the basic stuff first, because then those prequels/spin offs don't re-explain the basic stuff. You'll be too confused.
i recently bought it AGAIN.
now i have kh games for
3ds/ds
ps2
ps3
ps4
ps5
Epic games
and now steam.
i got the original kh 1 and 2 a few remakes on almost every platform and the original kh days game
3:22 - As a fan who DID start with GBA chain of memories... I actually got really invested! Since Sora was seeing all those worlds as totally new, so was I at the same time! And the bit about 'that castle? With all those contraptions?' and 'wait, that happened... in a castle?' totally made me feel SEEN, since I knew Sora visited Disney worlds, and was trying to rack my brain to remember which Disney movies had castles with contraptions - I straight-up didn't KNOW about Hollow Bastion, so that level AND the empty Castle Oblivion level were BOTH new and strange to me.
The only downside to doing it that way, imo, is that since Riku gets a whole side-story in COM, once I went to KH1, him not being playable or even really THERE much at all was a disappointment :P Understandably, 3D was my second favorite game XD
If you never played the franchise before or need a refresher, play in release order. Veterans have the flexibility of playing in timeline order. IMO
Would you ever consider doing a full timeline video explaining all of KH?
Literally just play the collection in order. Pretty simple.
Not exactly, they messed up with one thing. They placed 358/2 days before Kh2. It makes no sense to play those two games in this order. 358/2 days assumes you played Kh2 before, while Kh2 is the intented introduction of Roxas.
@@gabouchar9977 You right.
The Tales series doesn't really have a 'play order'. Each game is mostly stand-alone, and though most of them have their own strengths and weaknesses, each one is generally a good time that I can recommend.
My personal 'First game' picks would be the Abyss and Xillia
the only part of the play order I've disagreed with is the character order for BBS. I think the better experience is playing as Ventus first, then Terra, then Aqua.
The game sets up the question of what Terra is doing after being sent off to defeat the Unversed and protect the light, only to hear about the misdeeds and the trouble he leaves in his wake as Ventus tries to find him. By playing Terra first, you lose that speculation aspect and are given the answers immediately. You also get the explanation for what the X-Blade is in Ventus's route, something that causes a lot of confusion at the end of Terra's route if you play him first.
If you already know the story, Terra is definitely the better first pick since his gameplay is easily the most clunky of the three. But for the best first-time story experience, playing Ventus first is the way to go.
I normally play them in order of release for a first playthrough. Then will play them in chronological order my second playthrough. Though sadly didn't get to play the hand held KH games until they were released in the bundles with all games.
Release order, but then in the future it's really fun to go through chronologically if you're already an established fan. I've played all the games multiple times but did chronological this year with steam and had fun!
to hear theres a whole audience that started on 2 kind of staggers me, because i feel bad that crowd started at peak experience and likely didnt get the same high playing the rest of the games.
It would be a similar situation if you played the DMC franchise out of order, you could just start with one of the best game but then the hill only goes down, by going in order you get a skyrocket jump in quality going from dmc2 to dmc3, id say something similar going to kh1 to kh2. i feel like going out of order is a self-diservice
I don't really think it's all that complicated. If you want the plot to make sense, play the games in release order. Each game was created with the expectation that you played the previous games that came out. Playing things out of order can even spoil things that were intentionally withheld in another game. The best example of this is how playing Days first will spoil the mystery behind Roxas and the Organization in KH2. They intentionally held off on face reveals of the various Organization members and you get all of them up front in the opening cutscene of Days. Then there's the fact that Days was literally created to answer the questions we had after playing KH2 about what went down during Roxas' time in the Organization.
I feel like there is a massive debate on if you play in the order square advertises within the collections to play 2 before days/days movie since the impact of days hit harder for people that played in release order
I 100% agree with you... Play the games in release order but watch union x and dark road afterwards. Back cover gives all you basic info to know for KH3... Like the foretellers, MoM, Luxu, the black box, the Keyblade war, Ephemer etc...
Xehanort Saga Order chronological play order (if you want to know the story or Eraques, Xehanort and Sora from start to finish)
KH Dark Road
KH Birth by Sleep Final Mix
KH Final Mix
KH Re: COM
KH 358/2 Days
KH 2 Final Mix
KH Re: Coded
KH: Dream Drop Distance
KH 0.2 Birth By Sleep
KH 3
I picked the shield too at the beginning also in kingdom hearts one where Sora was dreaming that entire fight and weapon to pick.
This is an interesting situation. I started with KH1 and have generally played the series in order, though I never finished CoM or 358/2 Days or whatever it's called. Though I'm also a big Tales of Series fan so I feel obligated to say that there is in fact not really an order to play in, besides the games that are actually sequels.
Just saying, BBS fans have permanently skewed the perception of the game. Not only are all the characters always misrepresented but you should be playing Ventus first not Terra.
Really you should be bouncing between all three characters as some of them go to particular places before the others and while others are still there. But that's a royal pain in the butt
As someone who grew up with KH since the OG PS2 days, I usually think the order they were made is best. Why? Some story aspects get spoiled if you play in the order shown in the menus. The KH2 intro with Roxas's conversation with Namine about his very being - that hits like a truck, but this would be dampened by playing in that order.
Just an example
...
Kh1
Com
Kh2
Roxas backstory sequence (357?)
Bbs
Recoded
Ddd
Every kh x (including dr)
Kh3 then remind n then mom
I'm of the camp that release order is preferred with a small exception for CoM being played after kh2. I just think you get a more consistent gaming experience from upgrading from kh1's simple combat to the fast and tight combat of kh2 while not losing out too much on the story(You pretty much line up with what Sora knows). CoM starts unraveling the deeper mysteries and sets your expectations going forward that the gameplay will keep changing up between number titles. And if you werent impressed by the story, kh2 is a good stopping point as it has a nice ending and resolves the plot of kh1 completely.
(Spoilers) I’m just going to say it!
Xion’s story becomes so much less impactful if you know she never shows up i KH2 and Roxas and axel goodbye means almost nothing since most of KH2 they’re perceived as enemies
ProdigyXCD did upload a video on the same topic last night. I don't want people thinking you copied him or get in trouble with RUclips for it.
my first KH was chain of memories for GBA. Yeah, I was quite confused.
Gotta say I’ve been replaying 1.5 again for the first time in years and im astounded by how well it’s kept up. Still looks great and the gameplay (except the platforming) is still crisp and fun
I actually enjoy story timeline order myself. Which would start with back cover/union X and ending with melody of memory.
At the end of the day i still say you start with bbs _then_ go to kingdom hearts 1, get to see the route of flip flopping between both styles of gameplay and save mom and recom/com for last, using ddd as a storyboard reference
I'm so glad they put 358 BEFORE KH2, as it should be. I would've hated to be like the rest who hated Roxas' intro because KH2 came out before 358. KH2's initial playthrough was so cool going after 358
Now, optimally, I always feel release order for any series ever. Rarely is there material released after that works as a better starting spot. Yakuza 0 comes to mind, but most of the time, the first release is the best place to start.
However, I actually oddly got into KH through KH2. We had a PS2 at my after-school/summer camp, and one of the councilers brought in their copy of KH2 to show/play with us. A group of us and the councilor used to get together every Friday (when we were allowed to use the PS2) and played through the game. It took us until the summer to beat it on normal, and we did proud mode in the summer.
It helped that I was like 10 years old, but I wound up playing the rest of my series on my own, and I liked the series just the same, lol 😅
Hot take: Kingdom Hearts 1 would benefit a lot from a (faithful) remake. I love the game as it is and have learned to deal with the jank over the dozen or so times I've played it since I was a kid, but it is quite difficult for newcomers to start with. Recommending a later game in the series also works sometimes, but it's also hard for newcomers to ignore the series' reputation for needing to play the games in order to understand the story. Give the game a visual uplift to KH3 standards, fine tune the controls and (especially) the camera, and maybe make Deep Jungle a bit more clear on where to go next at certain points, and I think the game won't ever feel dated again
If you wanted to play the games in chronological order it's actually in one of the art books and I played them in that order and understood the story more
Play in order of release, just because something is a prequel doesn't mean "start with this".
This is probably the _most_ preference-based out of all the possible play orders, but I personally think 358 should be played/watched AFTER kh2 (contrary to what 1.5+2.5 suggests). First of all, that's the order they were released in, which is presumably the initially intended experience. Second, like with playing the whole series in chronological order, you lose out on experiencing some of the more dramatic questions by finding out the answers first. No "where is Sora and why is it so mundane here" in kh2, and no "why wasn't she in kh2" in 358. I think playing 358 before kh2 makes the first experience of both stories feel closer to a second viewing than they would otherwise. Sure, playing 358 first makes parts of kh2 more impactful, but you can get the same impact from REplaying kh2 after 358 (and similar impact by replaying kh2 without ever experiencing 358). You'd also lose out on the sense of dramatic irony in 358, from knowing that _something_ has to go wrong, but you don't know how.
Of course, different orders could benefit different people. Like if someone could be prone to losing interest in kh2 because of the "tutorial," they may be better off starting with 358 so it can be seen as a continuation of Roxas' story. It's not like either option is subpar or makes less sense, whichever of the two is played first will boost the story experience of the second. I just think playing kh2 before 358 offers _more_ to the first-time experience, while also being the intended order.
I always put cure spells on O. Never even thought once, to put it anywhere else lol
I started Kingdom Hearts with 358/2 Days on the d.s. It was an “interesting experience” rooting for the Organization to get their “hearts.”
I don't think going in chronological order for the dark seeker saga is the best way to introduce someone new to the series, because it sets up the wrong expectations. BBS and DDD are the only games that utilize the command menu system, and BBS is the only game with 3 playable characters- not to mention you only ever get to play as them all in this 1 title (+0.2 for Aqua ofc). I think it would be best for new players to be introduced to Sora, and the more or less standard gameplay KH has to offer. For that, KH1 or 2 are the best options.
I've always just said you should play in release order, that way you can get the most out of the series. I wouldn't even recommend a newer game like KH3 that has better gameplay, simply because you wouldn't get to appreciate how the series evolves over time in the same way you would if you started at the beginning.
One thing I would always recommend though: play Days after 2. 2 is A LOT more fun if you know NOTHING about Roxas, Axel and the rest of Org 13.