Kingdom Hearts is one of the longest-running franchises in games, spanning not just mainline entries but plenty of spinoffs, too (and yes, we know the spinoffs are pretty necessary to understand the series’ story). It combined two things that, on paper, should have never worked – Final Fantasy and similar RPG elements with Disney characters and worlds – but somehow, it clicked, and fans fell in love with this creative mix.
With 20 years of history behind it, beloved characters (both original and Disney’s), and more reminders of the importance of friendship and heart than in any other series, it’s hard to ignore the impact Kingdom Hearts has made in the gaming community. With that much history, though, comes plenty of highs and lows, and there are clear standouts as a result. The Game Informer staff took on a task more daunting than understanding the story of Kingdom Hearts: ranking its games.
Here’s our ranking of the mainline Kingdom Hearts games from worst to best. By that, we mean you won’t find the mobile games or Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep: A Fragmentary Passage here. The mobile entries, while chock full of critical story beats, feel too different from the “main” games to fairly compare. A Fragmentary Passage is more of a short episode; comparing it to a full game didn’t make sense. We’d love to see where you’d rank them in your list, though, so let us know in the comments below!
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Kingdom Hearts Re:coded
Kingdom Hearts Re:coded is the Nintendo DS remake of Kingdom Hearts Coded, the mobile game first released in 2008. Released nearly three years after the original in the U.S., Re:coded was a significantly better version of the game it’s based on. However, it remained the same not-so-great game Coded was. The first entry to follow the exciting Kingdom Hearts II, Coded was in almost every way a major letdown. Its levels are repetitive and boring, its gameplay is spread across multiple genres, none of which it does particularly well, and its story is nigh impossible to understand or follow while playing.
Today, it’s hard to recommend Re:coded to anyone, and it’s one of the biggest offenders of making this series more convoluted than it needs to be, although diehards seeking to experience every ounce of the Kingdom Hearts story should check it out. | Our Review
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Kingdom Hearts Chain Of Memories
From this point forward on this list, it’s fair to say the games are good. Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories was first released on the Game Boy Advance in 2004 before it was essentially remade and released on the PlayStation 2 in 2008. Today, it’s playable on modern consoles thanks to ports, but its best version might still be the original, due in part to the visual design and how well it works on Game Boy Advance. That’s mostly beside the point, though, because when discussing Chain of Memories, there’s one thing that stands out more than anything else: the card-based combat system. Ditching the real-time action RPG combat the series is best known for, Chain of Memories tasks players with paging through different cards that determine the move you’ll be using.
It’s a unique spin for sure, but it’s not one you hear many Kingdom Hearts fans asking to return, and that’s okay. Because Chain of Memories serves as a critical bridge to Kingdom Hearts 2 due to its introduction of Naminé, Axel’s big reveal, and the idea that memories can be manipulated in this world, though, it’s still a must-play in the series. | Our Review
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Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days is arguably one of the most beloved games in the series, even if its combat and overall gameplay leave a lot to be desired. That’s because it gives us even more time with fan-favorite characters like Roxas, Axel, and newcomer Xion. 358/2 Days features one of the most touching Kingdom Hearts stories thanks to these characters and their relationships, and it immortalized the sea salt ice cream first introduced in Kingdom Hearts II as an iconic element of the franchise. Just thinking of that teal-blue ice cream makes our mouths water.
Still, in order to get this touching tale, you have to play through a game that gets repetitive fast. The shorter mission structure and focus on replaying levels made a bit of sense for brief, on-the-go gaming sessions but it made the campaign a slog to get through. But the touching story and surprising revelations of 358/2 Days make it a tale we hold a special place for in our hearts regardless. | Our Review