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Epic Games be damned. For most PC gamers, Valve’s Steam is where it’s at. Sure, monopoly isn’t good for anything but Steam is far and above the best when it comes to a digital gaming distribution platform (with GOG a close second). That’s why it was baffling when some of Square Enix’s Kingdom Hearts games came to the PC…but on Epic Games’ store. That was then…now though, Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece is finally where it belongs.
Wait…what’s Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece?
Simply put, that’s what Square Enix is calling the complete collection of the 2 compilations and Kingdom Hearts III (with DLC).
So now that the games are on Steam…have they been worth the wait?
What is Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece?
Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece is what Square Enix calls the bundle of the mainline Kingdom Hearts collection of games; KINGDOM HEARTS -HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX-, KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue and KINGDOM HEARTS III + Re Mind (DLC). It’s not the complete Kingdom Hearts series but it covers pretty much all of Sora’s adventures.
Developed and published by Square Enix, the Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece is available on every platform (it’s called the Kingdom Hearts All-in-One Package on the PS4 though without the Re Mind DLC and Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece for Cloud on the Nintendo Switch).
Our copy was graciously given to us by the awesome folks over at Square Enix! Thanks so much!
OK, first thing to make clear. This review isn’t a review of the Kingdom Hearts games, it’s a review of the collection and how it plays on the PC. To review each and every game in the series would take ages, and that’s something I don’t have the time to do.
Now that we’re on the same wavelength, I think Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece is a great PC port of the console remasters. There’s sadly not a lot of visual options to tweak but on the flipside, that means even gamers with middling hardware should have no problem running the games in the collection.
Kingdom Hearts III might give you a bit of an issue if you hardware isn’t from this decade, but other than that, overall, things are pretty relaxed on the hardware requirements.
Obviously, seeing as how these games were from consoles (or portable machines), you’re going to want a controller for the best experience. Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II still have crappy camera though, despite everything else that’s been improved for the remasters.
Sigh, the more things change, right?
It’s also a bit unfortunate that apart from compiling the games into a package, there’s not a ton of extras for the fans. While you’re getting the definite version of the games for sure, Square Enix sure could’ve made the package even more enticing by opening up its vaults and adding in extras.
Perhaps the Kingdom Hearts manga? Or a look at series merchandize? Or even some artwork that’s never seen the light of day?
In fact, the lack of gameplay extras even extend to cheats or modern enhancement. Unlike Square Enix’s Final Fantasy remasters, the Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece games have zero gameplay enhancements that help you level, or give you money or even speed up the game.
Disappointing to be sure, especially considering the cheats actually make the FF remasters more playable for me!
I’m also a bit disappointed on how crash prone the games are.
Kingdom Hearts crashed quite a few times (definitely more than 5) when I was testing it out. There’s no autosave feature and TWICE I had to redo quite a bit of content because I lost progress due to a random crash.
It’s not a remote issue too, because the Steam Discussion boards for the games have other gamers with similar horror stories.
Other than the lack of extras, the Kingdom Hearts games are pure gems.
The original was a bit of a stumble (though Square Enix pulling in Hollywood talent for the voices helped it to shine despite that) and it’s only from Kingdom Hearts II that the series started to hit its stride…and gain its notorious complexity.
I wish that was a joke.
If you’re new to the series, all I can say is make sure you take notes and that the wiki is close at hand. Kingdom Hearts starts off tame enough but soon all the extra history gets thrown in and that’s when things get really, really messy.
By the time the third game comes around, I guarantee you that you’ll be able to write multiple theses regarding the Heartless, Organization XIII and the Keyblade war. An in-game wiki or some sort of glossary feature would’ve been much welcome, but alas, you’re on your own.
That’s a tad unfortunate, because Kingdom Hearts would shine as a multiplayer game. That and to enjoy the incredible (this is Nobuo Uematsu/ Akira Yamaoka/ Michiru Yamana quality music we’re talking about) music in the game.
It’s no joke.
Even as I’m writing this, Lazy Afternoons is playing in the background. It’s one of the best pieces of music that’s come out of Square Enix. It’s not on par with the holiest of holies (aka the Xenogears and Final Fantasy X soundtracks) but it’s certainly on even footing for second spot (alongside the Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy XIV soundtracks).
If I have to build a top 20 list of incredible game music, a couple spots would definitely belong to songs from the series. That‘s how good the score is. I’ve been gaming since the late 1980s and have played thousands of titles so let me say, when I mean the music is good…it’s sublime.
Compared to the music, the voices are a bit of a letdown.
Even with veteran voice actors and Hollywood A-listers, they aren’t as good as you’d think they’d be. It’s a sign of the times unfortunately, because the PS2 era wasn’t really known for great voice acting. Even the seminal Final Fantasy X had incredibly bad (though it has since grown on me) voices in its original English release.
The Bottom Line.
Crashing issues aside, if you have any love for Disney, Final Fantasy or action RPGs, there’s little reason not to get the Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece.
Not only is it fantastic value, but Square Enix has delivered the definitive editions of the games in one easy to manage pack. Sure, it’s kind of a barebones collection, but even then, it’s still a great deal. The Kingdom Hearts games have aged relatively well due to their simplistic graphics and while the gameplay can be a bit stilted at times (especially in the first game), it’s nothing that can’t be overlooked.
Hopefully Square Enix irons out all the crashing kinks, because as it stands, that’s the only major issue that’s keeping the games from being nigh perfect.
TLDR:
Crashing issues aside, this is the best way to get the incredible Kingdom Hearts games and experience Sora’s tale in its entirety (well, up to now). You get all the mainline Kingdom Hearts games, plus the ones that are connected in some way to Sora’s tale.
The Good:
- A ton of content for the price.
- Great gameplay still.
- Music is still excellent.
- Graphics have aged well.
The Bad:
- No extras.
- No gameplay enhancements or cheats.
- Convoluted plot.
- Lots of crashes.
Salehuddin Husin, EIC
Sal's been in the industry since the early 2000s. He's written for a ton of gaming and tech publications including Playworks, Hardwarezone, HWM and GameAxis. Recently, Sal served as a juror for the Indie Game Awards at Taipei Game Show 2020. A geek and hardcore gamer, Sal will play everything, on any platform.
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