Title Kindom Hearts 2: Final Mix + Date 07.05.2007 Genre RPG Platform PlayStation 2 Developer Square-Enix Publisher Square-Enix

Pros
- Enough new material for both games to warrant another play-though.
- Chain of Memories now seems more integrated in the series.
- New secret ending FMV at the end of KH2
- Theatre Mode for both games to watch the cut scenes.

Cons
- All of the new additions to KH2 are challenging and difficult.
- Most of the music in Re:CoM is just directly ripped from the other games.
- CoM loses some of its original charm regarding the SNES-style graphics.
- Mostly in Japanese, no option to switch on English.
- Possibly not going to be released in English-speaking regions.

Introduction
Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+ is a compilation consisting of two games: Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix and Re:Chain of Memories (this is the "plus" in the game's title).

Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix (henceforth KH2FM) is the inevitable "international" release for KH2, following the tradition of the first Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2. Such releases are popular in Japan and are sold at full retail price or even more than the original release. These international releases feature any extras that were added to the English releases, the voice-acting gets changed to English though the sub-titles remain Japanese (the Japanese prefer this), and usually there are further bonus features added to the game making it more feature-packed than any of the English releases. Despite the international tag, these new releases are sold only in Japan 99% of the time.

Kingdom Heats Re:Chain of Memories (henceforth Re:CoM) is a PlayStation 2 remake of the Gameboy Advance mid-sequel, Chain of Memories. At the time of this review, the game exists only as a pack-in bonus with Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix, which has so far only been released in Japan.

I will try to keep this review as spoiler-free as possible, therefore the plot will not be dissected or reviewed.

Updates
Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix includes several extras to the original game. Sora has a new Retro Form which is a remixed version of his KH1 outfit, with many of his KH1 abilities built-in. The members of Organization XIII who were only featured in Chain of Memories now appear as optional bosses.

Believe me when I say this: the ONLY changes from the original CoM GBA game are graphical and audio in nature, basically. The gameplay and plot remain exactly the same. You still collect cards, form decks to fight, create rooms filled with monsters or treasure and buy items from the Moogle's random card packs. Battles still take place on a separate battle screen rather than in the play area. In no way does this game play like the main Kingdom Hearts games, other than the world map controls. No new cards, no new bosses, no new playable characters, etc. This game is exactly the original GBA game with the graphics/sound format of the other two titles.

Despite that, what HAS been changed (the graphics, sound and control) is so massive that it sometimes does feel like a new game. FMVs, cut-scenes and voice acting have been added to make this title match the other two in terms of presentation.

Graphics
In terms of visuals I would have rated the original Kingdom Hearts a B and KH2 an A, since KH2 featured a higher polygon count and therefore much smoother graphics. Re:CoM is closer to KH2 in terms of graphics. Even though most of the characters come from KH1, the models are based on the KH2 engine. This is more apparent when you see the members of Organization XIII and the new bosses. Basically, whatever you thought of the graphics of KH2 applies here (to both games).

Sound
Aside from about eight new tracks, the soundtrack to KH2FM remains largely the same as the original release. I would rate the original KH2 soundtrack 10/10 so this applies here.

There are no remixes of old tunes in Re:CoM. The music to old areas from KH1 (such as Traverse Town) is taken directly from the KH1 soundtrack, unaltered. There are about 10 or so tracks that are unique to this game. Despite that, KH1 was a 10/10 soundtrack and the new tracks as well, so that logically means this soundtrack is still fantastic. This series as a whole is composer Yoko Shimomura's finest work.

Gameplay
Nothing new is added in terms of the gameplay engine for KH2FM, which is nearly perfect already to begin with. Having improved on the KH1 engine, which reinvented the Action RPG genre as a whole, KH2's gameplay is solid and balanced enough where little kids, inexperienced players, and hardcore RPG buffs alike can enjoy the experience. If you found the original too easy, there's a new Critical mode that increases the challenge.

In Re:CoM, Sora runs around 3D maps of original and Disney-themed areas. In this aspect the control and feel matches the main Kingdom Hearts games. However, that's where it ends. When you encounter an enemy in the field, you are warped to a battle screen where you fight many enemies. You must build a deck to combat these enemies. Every swing of the KeyBlade counts as one card, and a higher-numbered card has a better chance at going through the enemies' defenses. Spells, summons and items also exist as cards. You gain cards from enemy drops, Moogle shops and treasure chests. You also use map cards to build rooms in each world. You have the option of making a world completely filled with enemy-free item and shop areas, or fill the world with enemy-infested battlefields with no save points. It's up to you. FMVs and cut scenes build the plot between combat and exploration.

Sticking to the GBA roots more than any other aspect of Re:CoM, the gameplay is simpler and more suited towards kids and inexperienced gamers. Still it is a fun experience.

Challenge
One area where KH2FM and Re:CoM are polar opposites is challenge. The original KH2 game was balanced and moderate in challenge, even at the Proud-mode difficulty. The new Critical mode makes the game extremely challenging, even with regular enemies. All of the additions (the new areas and super-bosses) are very difficult on all modes of gameplay. As a whole, almost all of the additions to KH2FM are challenging.

The only real low point to Re:CoM is that it's short and easy. It simply is not a difficult game. If you are the type of gamer who is use to logging 3-5 hour sessions easy on other games like Final Fantasy XII or Dragon Quest VIII, you could easily finish this game in one or two sittings (even if you do not read or speak a word of Japanese).

Domestic Playability
This review assumes two things: you (the reader) are an English-speaking gamer and this game has not been released in an English-speaking territory. If it has by the time you read this, please ignore this part of the review. The big question is if you can play either game without knowing Japanese: Yes, you can.

Since Re:CoM is basically the same as the GBA release, you have several aides in understanding it. You can use the official strategy guide or GameFAQs to the GBA release and they would be relevant to this release. If you have played the game before and remember the script, you will breeze though this. If you haven't, there are script dumps out there that you can read alongside playing the game. How you manage to play the disc itself on a non-Japanese PS2 is outside the scope of this review.

Conclusion
Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix is for the hardcore fans only, who would be willing to play through it again to see a few extras. On the other hand, Chain of Memories receives a complete overhaul virtually creating a new gaming experience. Similar to Final Fantasy III DS, Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories is ported to a more powerful system with new graphics and sound but basically remains the same game. The new presentation makes the game feel more like the other Kingdom Hearts games, but the gameplay definitely stands out on its own.

I am not sure if the title will reach English-speaking regions, so decide for yourself if you're willing to spend the extra money to import it or wait for a possible local release.

Game Score

B+

Reviewed By: Contributed