I Played Kingdom Hearts for the First Time on Switch 2 — and I'm Both Overwhelmed and Hooked

Conquering a Major Gaming Blind Spot

Like many long-time gamers, my personal backlog is riddled with glaring blind spots—beloved, sprawling franchises that I have always intended to explore but somehow managed to bypass entirely. Sitting comfortably at the absolute peak of my "list of gaming shame" has always been Kingdom Hearts. For over two decades, I have watched this unique action-RPG crossover between Disney and Final Fantasy evolve from its 2002 PlayStation 2 debut into a massive, complex cultural phenomenon. Yet, as the years rolled on, I frequently felt like the Disney-shaped ship had permanently sailed.

That hesitation dissolved when Square Enix announced the comprehensive Kingdom Hearts Collection. Seemingly built from the ground up for hesitant newcomers, the compilation landed in my hands on the Nintendo Switch 2 ahead of its wide release. I can now proudly say I have officially entered the realm of Sora, Donald, and Goofy. Granted, I am only a few hours deep into the very first game, but it marks an exciting start to a monumental journey.

Overcoming a Clunky and Questionable Opening

It is no secret that the opening hours of the original Kingdom Hearts can be a bit of a tough pill to swallow. Even with the enhanced Final Mix version running on the Nintendo Switch 2—which cleans up the resolution and locks in a steady framerate—the game undoubtedly shows its PS2-era roots. For someone who cut their teeth during the PlayStation 1 generation and still frequently revisits vintage titles, dated visuals are never a dealbreaker. Unfortunately, the game's initial stumbling block runs deeper than mere graphics: it stems from profoundly dated level design.

Players are introduced to a young, ambitious Sora dreaming of escaping his idyllic tropical island. What follows is not an epic, sweeping fantasy adventure right out of the gate, but rather a tedious sequence of fetch quests. Collecting a stockpile of coconuts, finding old rope, and hunting down a seagull's egg wasn't quite what I envisioned when diving into a legendary action-RPG in 2026.

Finding the Magic in Traverse Town

Mercifully, the tedium breaks just as the darkness consumes the tropical paradise. Armed with the iconic Keyblade, Sora is whisked away to Traverse Town, a vibrant hub that serves as the true heartbeat of the experience. It is here that the narrative finally kicks into high gear. Interacting with iconic Disney staples alongside familiar faces from Final Fantasy VII instantly washed away the memory of the mundane island chores. The narrative hooks finally latched on, proving why this franchise commands such fierce loyalty.

While the mechanical combat and navigation still feel noticeably clunky by modern standards, the sheer charm of the characters and the intriguing premise easily override any mechanical friction. Fans of the series frequently remind me that the gameplay experiences a massive evolutionary leap forward in subsequent entries—most notably in 2005’s widely praised Kingdom Hearts 2. Knowing that mechanical refinements await on the horizon makes sticking with the foundational entry an exciting endeavor.

The Ultimate Package for Newcomers on Nintendo Switch 2

For anyone looking to jump into the franchise today, the sheer volume of content included in the collection is staggering. The package encompasses 10 distinct titles: 7 fully playable games featuring varying degrees of remastering, and 3 entries completely overhauled into cinematic HD movies. Given that a typical Kingdom Hearts playthrough can easily span 30 hours per title, getting this much content for $74 is an incredible value.

Furthermore, the hardware ecosystem of the Nintendo Switch 2 proves to be the ideal home for such a massive undertaking. Being able to chip away at these lengthy campaigns in handheld mode offers a distinct, flexible advantage over playing exclusively on a home console or PC. While demanding modern titles like Kingdom Hearts 3 push the hardware, earlier entries run flawlessly, allowing players to chip away at the overarching epic anywhere they go.

With Kingdom Hearts 4 targeting a late 2027 release window, timing couldn't be better. It will likely take me the better part of a year to absorb everything this sprawling collection has to offer, making it the ultimate onboarding ramp for anyone who, like me, is ready to finally see what all the fuss is about.