Official play order guide for Kingdom Hearts released

[Midnight Sky ✨🌙✨]

https://youtu.be/X6jjwMxsyxY
TL;DR play it in whatever order you want but they suggest both release and chronological order as options for those that really want an answer.

The bulk of the video goes over playing them in release order but mentioning chronological order as well kinda hammers in the idea of "do whatever you want." So yeah, Square wants to make both sides of the play order debate feel valid.

[Silyon]

To me, playing release order is the only way to do it. KH1 was never expected to do particularly well and was created with the intent of being a mostly self-contained one-off. When it actually ended up doing very well Nomura had to start going back through and retro-fitting further plothooks to play with in later games. Prime example being the existence of BBS in general; KH1 talks about the Keyblade being this largely unique artifact that only the chosen one can wield, and that idea kinda falls flat when you know about all the other wielders with lots of other keyblades from the first chronological game in the series.

Playing chronologically introduces a lot of moments of fridge-logic like that, which only ever get handwaved. Playing release lets you view the setting and cosmology as it develops.

[Haseo]

Originally posted by Silyon:

To me, playing release order is the only way to do it. KH1 was never expected to do particularly well and was created with the intent of being a mostly self-contained one-off. When it actually ended up doing very well Nomura had to start going back through and retro-fitting further plothooks to play with in later games. Prime example being the existence of BBS in general; KH1 talks about the Keyblade being this largely unique artifact that only the chosen one can wield, and that idea kinda falls flat when you know about all the other wielders with lots of other keyblades from the first chronological game in the series.

Playing chronologically introduces a lot of moments of fridge-logic like that, which only ever get handwaved. Playing release lets you view the setting and cosmology as it develops.

Agreed. Also playing it chronologically may be a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ of gameplay variations, which can be very weird at times imo

[mdesaleah]

Originally posted by Haseo:

Originally posted by Silyon:

To me, playing release order is the only way to do it. KH1 was never expected to do particularly well and was created with the intent of being a mostly self-contained one-off. When it actually ended up doing very well Nomura had to start going back through and retro-fitting further plothooks to play with in later games. Prime example being the existence of BBS in general; KH1 talks about the Keyblade being this largely unique artifact that only the chosen one can wield, and that idea kinda falls flat when you know about all the other wielders with lots of other keyblades from the first chronological game in the series.

Playing chronologically introduces a lot of moments of fridge-logic like that, which only ever get handwaved. Playing release lets you view the setting and cosmology as it develops.

Agreed. Also playing it chronologically may be a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ of gameplay variations, which can be very weird at times imo

You can even say Chronological is impossible.

Cause you'd start with Chi, then Unchained X, then Missing Link (which isnt even out yet)

Even if it was, starting with those sounds like a hilarious troll suggestion someone would say just to mess with someone.