Choose Kingdom Hearts if you want a continuing story, recurring characters, Disney and Pixar worlds, and real-time action combat. Choose Final Fantasy if you would rather start with one largely self-contained RPG and pick a setting or combat style that suits you. You do not need to finish Final Fantasy before playing Kingdom Hearts: the latter is its own Disney–Square Enix crossover saga, not a sequel to the former.
How the two series are structured
Kingdom Hearts is one connected saga
Kingdom Hearts is a collaboration between Disney and Square Enix. Its games follow Sora and recurring allies across Disney worlds, while an original story connects those adventures. Square Enix describes HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX as an “essential collection of the first six stories” and presents it as the place to begin the first adventure. That is the publisher’s description of its collection, not an independent assessment of the games.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
![KINGDOM HEARTS Collection [I–III] Amazon Exclusive Edition - PlayStation 5](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51RqOuv+TBL._SL160_.jpg)
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KINGDOM HEARTS Collection [I–III] Amazon Exclusive Edition - PlayStation 5 | $74.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Kingdom Hearts All in One Package (PlayStation 4) | $53.49 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Kingdom Hearts: The Story So Far (PS4) | $23.49 | Buy on Amazon |
A practical route through the current collection is to start with HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX, continue to HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, then play Kingdom Hearts III + Re Mind. The bundles do not consist entirely of full playable games: HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX includes playable titles as well as HD cutscene compilations for 358/2 Days and Re:coded; HD 2.8 includes Dream Drop Distance HD, the χ Back Cover movie, and 0.2 Birth by Sleep. Kingdom Hearts III + Re Mind includes the game and its DLC. Square Enix’s collection announcement also describes the bundle contents.
Final Fantasy offers many separate starting points
Most numbered Final Fantasy games have their own casts and settings, so a newcomer can usually pick one without playing earlier numbered entries. PlayStation’s series guide counts 16 numbered mainline games and describes the franchise as well over 100 games when remakes, spin-offs, and sub-sequels are included. Those are the guide’s figures, with the larger total explicitly approximate.
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#1 Best Overall
- KINGDOM HEARTS Collection [I–III] Amazon Exclusive Edition includes a double-sided poster.
- A value packed bundle featuring three collections: KINGDOM HEARTS -HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX-, KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, and KINGDOM HEARTS III + Re Mind (DLC).
- This product is also included in other bundle sets. Please ensure you do not purchase the same content more than once.
- Platform-exclusive Keyblade "Midnight Blue" included with purchase!
- To play the physical version of KINGDOM HEARTS Collection [I–III], an internet connection and additional data download are required.
There are exceptions to the standalone pattern. Final Fantasy X-2 follows Final Fantasy X, and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth follows Final Fantasy VII Remake; play the earlier game in each pair first. Remakes, sequels, spin-offs, and the online role-playing game Final Fantasy XIV are not interchangeable with a numbered single-player entry.
Which one fits your preferences?
| If you want… | Start with… | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A continuing plot and recurring cast | Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX | It begins the connected Sora-led saga; continuing through the collection path lets the story build across its entries. |
| One game before deciding whether to explore more | A standalone numbered Final Fantasy | Most numbered games tell largely self-contained stories, so you can choose by setting or play style rather than franchise order. |
| Real-time action combat | Kingdom Hearts, or Final Fantasy VII Remake | Final Fantasy VII Remake combines command-based and action-oriented combat, according to PlayStation’s guide. It is a possible bridge for action-RPG fans, but it does not play identically to Kingdom Hearts. |
| An online, social RPG | Final Fantasy XIV | It is the MMORPG option among the guide’s examples, rather than the same kind of single-player starting point as the other games here. |
| Disney and Pixar worlds | Kingdom Hearts | Those worlds are part of its crossover identity; Final Fantasy is not a Disney crossover. |
Good first games to consider
For Kingdom Hearts: begin at the beginning
If the appeal is following one developing story, start with Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX and proceed through the collections toward Kingdom Hearts III + Re Mind. The path is a useful way to follow the saga, not a claim that every item in each bundle is a full game or has the same format. Skipping story-bearing entries can make later plot developments harder to follow.
Rank #2
- The compilation includes the following games: KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX KINGDOM HEARTS FINAL MIX KINGDOM HEARTS Re:Chain of Memories KINGDOM HEARTS 358/2 Days (HD Remastered cinematics) KINGDOM HEARTS II FINAL MIX KINGDOM HEARTS Birth by Sleep Final MIX KINGDOM HEARTS Re:coded (HD Remastered cinematics)
- KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.8 FINAL CHAPTER PROLOGUE KINGDOM HEARTS Dream Drop Distance HD KINGDOM HEARTS 0.2 Birth by Sleep –A fragmentary passage– KINGDOM HEARTS χ Back Cover (movie)
- KINGDOM HEARTS III
For Final Fantasy: choose the game whose style sounds right
PlayStation’s guide offers several distinct examples: Final Fantasy VII Remake for its hybrid battle system, Final Fantasy XVI for action-oriented combat, Final Fantasy XV for an open-world adventure, and Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD as a remastered pair. Those are guide recommendations, not a universal ranking. If choosing the pair, play X before X-2. The same guide identifies Final Fantasy XIV as the series’ MMORPG option, which is a different commitment and format from a single-player RPG.
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The central difference is not that one series is simply “more RPG” than the other. Kingdom Hearts asks you to track a connected crossover narrative across multiple games and interludes. Final Fantasy lets you sample separate worlds and casts, though direct sequels require attention to order. Combat also varies across Final Fantasy: PlayStation characterizes most numbered titles as traditional JRPGs, while newer single-player entries feature more real-time movement, and Final Fantasy XIV is an MMORPG. Do not assume that every entry uses the same turn-based system.
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- Includes Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5+2.5 Remix & Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue
- Catch up on the story leading up to Kingdom Hearts III
- Relive the magical adventures of Sora, Donald Duck, Goofy and friends
For physical editions of the Kingdom Hearts collection, Square Enix’s announcement names Nintendo Switch 2 and PlayStation 5 editions and notes that an internet connection is required to download additional data. Check the exact edition, platform, territory, and retailer listing before buying, since that requirement is specific to the described physical collection.
Quick Recap
The short decision
- Start Kingdom Hearts if you want Disney and Pixar crossover worlds, action combat, and a story that continues across games.
- Start Final Fantasy if you want to pick a single setting and play style, with the option to stop after one largely standalone story.
- There is no prerequisite to play Final Fantasy before Kingdom Hearts; choose based on the kind of game and commitment you want.
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