From what started as an elevator pitch, Kingdom Hearts was set to be Disney’s rival to Mario by bringing popular characters to gaming. With Jiminy Cricket and luck on their shoulder, the world welcomed the beloved protagonist Sora with open arms, setting forth a series built on Square Enix’s intriguing gameplay and Disney’s admiration for nostalgia and imagination. The Kingdom Hearts franchise has expanded over the last two decades with several spin-offs and two more mainline installments, all of which have captured the hearts of many RPG fans. With Square Enix and Disney set to recapture the acclaimed action-adventure series with Kingdom Hearts 4, it’s about time to revisit some of the best games within the franchise as we wait.
Videos by ComicBook.com
RELATED: Kingdom Hearts 4 Devs Seemingly Tease New Info Coming Very Soon
This list covers the best Kingdom Hearts games, ranked from worst to best. While games like Kingdom Hearts 1.5, 2.5, and 2.8 are the best opportunities to play the older titles, they aren’t a part of this list, as the focus is on individual installments. Get your Keyblades and Magic Spells ready, it’s time to shine a light on the best of the Kingdom Hearts franchise.
10) Kingdom Hearts: Unchained/Union X
The Kingdom Hearts series hasn’t had a successful launch on mobile, which is all the more true, given the Kingdom Hearts: Missing-Link cancellation. While it’s understandable to bring the franchise to all audiences, Kingdom Hearts: Union X didn’t hit the mark it was supposed to reach. As a gacha mobile game, Union X was a prequel to Kingdom Hearts, so much of the lore was centered around the Keyblade Masters and the Organization. While the consensus was revealed early on that a good story might be a reasonable option to spend a few dollars, the repetitive and lackluster gameplay experience wasn’t. After over 780 quests, the game is now delisted as of 2024, so while there’s no way of playing the role-playing game, it’s probably for the best.
9) Kingdom Hearts: Re: Coded
A remake of Kingdom Hearts Coded, this Nintendo DS installment focuses more on puzzle solving rather than the action-packed thrill from the previous titles. Set after Kingdom Hearts 2, the game sees a digitized Sora debugging Jiminy Cricket’s journal entries by destroying blocks and fighting Heartless. While the praise for Re: Coded is ingrained within its unique gameplay, the source material is weak, as it reuses many of the previous worlds from Kingdom Hearts, but in a less attractive way. With the Kingdom Hearts series being a strong leader in storytelling, this entry didn’t shine a light on the best of the franchise.
8) Kingdom Hearts: Re: Chain of Memories
Chain of Memories was originally released in 2004, with Re: Chain of Memories releasing in 2008, bringing the graphics of Kingdom Hearts and more battles to the game. While that sounds great, Square Enix took a risk by shifting the traditional combat system to card-based, which was executed semi-successfully. A different path within the series, Re: Chain of Memories, continued to bring a unique experience and pull the strings tying Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts 2 together with the introduction of Namine and several members of Organization XIII. However, the unclear direction of the characters, other than the Organization, left the finished project rather dull on top of the already confusing and difficult gameplay mechanics.
7) Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory
The latest installment in the Kingdom Hearts franchise, Melody of Memory, unlocks a section of nostalgia that only longtime players would enjoy…which is why it’s a bit of a tricky title to catch on to. Spanning the entirety of the series up to Kingdom Hearts III Re: Mind DLC, this rhythm action game goes through a majority of the Kingdom Hearts music tracks, including Hikaru Utada’s Hikaru / Simple and Clean and Passion / Sanctuary, as well as the incredible sentimental score of Yoko Shimomura. The music is a main highlight of the series, which this game displays quite well, but the rhythmic gameplay is repetitive, and the story doesn’t add much to Melody of Memory.
6) Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days
While the previous entries had a change in gameplay mechanics, 358/2 Days changed the perspective by following Roxas throughout his daily life in Organization XIII. This game happens simultaneously during Chain of Memories, which also helps to tie Roxas’ appearance in Kingdom Hearts 2. While keeping to the action-RPG gameplay, 358/2 Days also incorporates elements of the hack and slash genre, which felt placed well, but didn’t enhance the mission-based gameplay experience. As with many of the earlier installments in the series, this game boasts a strong and emotional narrative, which was unique given that these characters are set to be bosses in Kingdom Hearts 2. Ultimately, the story, albeit sometimes confusing to follow, is where its heart is, while the gameplay doesn’t fully give enough variety to stand out.
5) Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance
Square Enix was interested in bringing the Kingdom Hearts series to the 3DS, which is how Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance turned a dream into reality. Highlighting the system’s technical advancements, this installment was a hit due to its graphics and gameplay experience. With the introduction of Flowmotion, which was also used in Kingdom Hearts 3, the gameplay was elevated to another level, highlighting the beloved action-packed experience. On the other hand, Dream Drop Distance missed the mark on its confusing story following Sora and Riku’s Mark of Mastery Exam. The series can be hard to follow, but this installment still confused many, leading to a difficult game to dig into. The addition of Dream Eaters also felt out of place, only bringing more fuzziness to the title.
4) Kingdom Hearts 3
As the swan song for the “Dark Seeker Saga,” Kingdom Hearts 3 captures the grandiose scale that is to be expected from this series. Over a decade after the release of Kingdom Hearts 2, the third installment brings the franchise to a new generation with incredible visuals and new Disney and Pixar worlds to explore. Following our main cast of characters, Kingdom Hearts 3 doesn’t skimp on bringing the nostalgia whenever it has the chance. While the game delivered on the combat system, which brought the Flowmotion mechanic back, the boss battles didn’t pack the punch that Kingdom Hearts 2 had. If there’s one thing that this installment lacked, it was a level of depth within the narrative. It’s no easy feat ending a story arc that millions have loved, but Kingdom Hearts 3 was well worth the wait, regardless of its flaws.
3) Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep
A prequel to Kingdom Hearts, Birth by Sleep steps up onto the podium of the mainline series in terms of scale and gameplay. Following Ventus, Terra, and Aqua locating Master Xehanort to save the worlds from the Unversed, the game tackles a dynamic effortlessly executed by crafting three different playstyles for each character. For a PlayStation Portable game, Birth by Sleep upheld the graphical integrity seen in the previous installments, while continuing to capture the heart and soul of the series, with a story that was engaging and entertaining to experience. It’s also intriguing to see the new series voice actors like Willa Holland, Leonard Nimoy, and Mark Hamill leaving their marks on the beloved franchise. The nightmares come from its refreshing yet repetitive gameplay, which was only dulled by its jarring camera issues.
2) Kingdom Hearts
The series wouldn’t be possible without the sheer strength of Kingdom Hearts. Tying together the world of Disney, Final Fantasy, and building a whole new one could’ve been seen as a cash-grab for both companies, but it wasn’t even close to that. With its incredible narrative, soundtrack, and combat, Kingdom Hearts was balanced throughout, which has been a major flaw in some of the other entries in the series. Having a kid who is sent to various Disney worlds with Donald and Goofy as your companions sounds insane, but underneath that layer of absurdity lies a story that is unique and heartfelt, which was only emphasized by the voice performances of Haley Joel Osment as Sora and Billy Zane as Ansem. The only criticisms come from the Gummi Ship gameplay, which is more frustrating than fun.
1) Kingdom Hearts 2
Sequels being better than their predecessors are rare, but that’s not the case for the Kingdom Hearts series. The addition of Roxas, voiced by the incredible Jesse McCartney, and Organization XIII were great additions to the mix, bringing a level of complexity that didn’t complicate things like the recent installments have. A level up from Kingdom Hearts, KH2 brings the best out of the action-RPG genre by crafting a gameplay experience that is challenging yet satisfying to play. A major benefit of this series is its combat system, which is more fluid than the previous installment. While the game does have some flaws with its level design and overuse of cutscenes, the narrative still delivers on the emotions and character development. There have been many Kingdom Hearts games over the past decade, but nothing captures the essence of the series like Kingdom Hearts 2.
As we wait for Kingdom Hearts 4, there’s no better time to tackle the series than right now, as many of the titles are available on the current generation of consoles. Which Kingdom Hearts game is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!
