Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories

Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories is a reworked version of the originally handheld title Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories from the Game Boy Advance, rebuilt in fully three-dimensional graphics for the PlayStation 2 by studio Jupiter. In the West, the title was released in 2008 as part of a compilation that let fans catch up on the story bridge between the first Kingdom Hearts and its sequel without having to pick up a handheld with the original.

The story follows Sora and his companions Donald and Goofy in the mysterious Castle Oblivion, where they gradually lose their memories and face members of a mysterious organization in black coats whose true intentions are revealed only slowly. Both combat and progression through the game are built on an unusual card system — before setting out, the player assembles a deck of cards representing attacks, spells, and items, and their power, combinations, and the order in which they're played in battle determine success against cleverly assembled opponents as well as the layout of the rooms visited. This principle forces the player to plan their deck loadout in advance and adapt it to the style in which they want to make their way through a given floor of the castle.

Although formally a remake, thanks to its 3D presentation, reworked combat, and modernized controls, Re: Chain of Memories offers a full-fledged experience comparable to the other entries in the series, and for players who want to understand the whole Kingdom Hearts story and the connections between the individual games, it's an almost indispensable entry.

Why play it: For the unique card-based combat system and the crucial story link between the first and second Kingdom Hearts games.