This game kinda means the world to me.

3 by extension does too but there's something in that cold mysterious almost endless seeming hell walk that Aqua is on that really sits in my spirit, especially more around the holidays where I feel like my depression and anxiety can end up spiking quite a bit.

Cause I would frankly say that this whole short journey is about depression. This is a story about feeling like a complete and total failure. It's about feeling like you have no one, constantly grasping for some kind of grand connection but not being able to tangibly hold onto anything really around you, constantly doubting the reality you once could trust. Your foundation is shaky, you're rocky, you're falling apart at the seams but you still keep walking because what else are you supposed to do?

Your world has been stripped from you, everyone you once knew is gone or lost, all you can do is keep moving and keep pushing on, hoping to find some way out of the hole in your soul.

Creeping doubt, self destruction, pain, it's all constantly there. The way Aqua's self doubt and own self destruction is physically manifested especially clicks with me. Constant situation after situation, exhausted but unable to truly rest, looking for any rescue, any break.

It's rough out there.

I feel like this often gets kinda sidelined as a mere stopgap on the way to Kingdom Hearts 3, which is a real shame because I feel like this is the best the series has done at integrating the Disney worlds with the wider series themes of growing up and the horror of the childhood's end since the original game.

The spaces here are wonderful, easily some of the most evocative in the entire series, and Aqua's depressive trudge through the shattered ephemera of broken Disney Worlds is a phenomenal reflection of what it is often like to revisit one's childhood as an adult. This is the kind of stuff I love Kingdom Hearts the most for, the way it explores the liminal space between childhood and adulthood with sophistication belied by the series' reputation. I could take or leave the wider series plot and continuity, and accordingly, it's when the game goes about tying up a bunch of loose ends that no one really needed tying up that it ceases to enthrall me in quite the same way.

It's still fun, don't get me wrong: extremely fun, actually. Mickey's shirtless explanation is surely one of the funniest things in the entire franchise and I'm enough of a fan of KH3's sandbox that even the restrictive, underdeveloped version here is a riot. But it's a reminder that the things that I value most in this series are patently not the same things it - or, indeed the wider series fandom - is interested in. And while I've made my peace with that from the day the beautiful Roxas prologue of KH2 first ended, the moments when the series brushes up against those feelings just make me want them all the more.

KINGDOM HEARTS SEXISM WATCH: well this is a game about the second most prominent woman in the series having an absolutely miserable fucking time for a decade, but on the other hand it does portray her with agency and nuance...when she isn't playing second fiddle to a cartoon mouse that is the icon of the late capitalist nightmare world we all live in. the fact that they did not carry over the fashion into KH3 is demonstrative of Square Enix's enormous cowardice. let sora be a catboy!!!!!

A short adventure featuring Aqua in the Realm of Darkness. It explains and retcons certain parts of the original Kingdom Hearts’ story, but it did not feel like much was changed. 0.2’s story is just there and really the only thing worth noting about the story is with Mickey, Riku, and Kairi. Sora showing up after the end credits was nice, but nothing spectacular.

The gameplay is a mix of KH2 and Birth by Sleep’s combat. No more Command Decks, but the Command Styles and Shotlocks return, and they are toned down compared to Birth by Sleep. I enjoyed the combat, but it is too floaty for my taste. Ground and aerial combat felt too floaty and it is noticeable when doing the final boss. I have not played Kingdom Hearts 3 yet as of this review, so I am hoping the combat is improved in that game when I get to it.

Visually, it looks great. Kingdom Hearts 0.2 is showing the power of Unreal Engine 4 and we are past the original PS2 looking aesthetics. The PS2 aesthetics still look good and have a charm, but 0.2 and Kingdom Hearts 3 are signs of evolution for the franchise’s looks.

Beating the game took me less than 3 hours, so this is a game you can beat in one sitting. I can see why this is viewed as a Kingdom Hearts 3 tech demo because I guess Square Enix needed something to fill that third slot in those HD collections. It is harmless and acts as a way to get people excited for Kingdom Hearts 3 and it worked for me. It is short and combat is too floaty, but it is an appetizer for fans waiting to play Kingdom Hearts 3.

0.2 was essentially a tech demo for what would be Kingdom Hearts III at the time it released and provided a bit more insight on Aqua after Birth By Sleep providing some fun but simple gameplay with a short play time.

The gameplay for what would be this tech demo and Kingdom Hearts III is still fun as its core and the game looks stunning here and runs well here (running via PC). A funny thing here is you can customize Aqua's appearance here which seems like something out of left field but a welcome addition since you can give her cat ears.

Sorta wished there was more unique bosses here since you really only fight like 3 bosses here and a pile of heartless like multiple times that got old quick. Items are hard to come by and it's a very stripped down KH game in general but that's par for the course here.

A very short demo/story at 2 and half hours that comes with the 2.8 collection or Story So Far so as it goes, it's a cool little adventure that takes advantage of new technology and brings a tiny bit more depth into Aqua as a character that doesn't overstays its welcome for what it brings.

Birth by Sleep: A fragmentary passage is clearly the test run for Kingdom Hearts 3. It feels like the team is getting acclimated to Unreal here, and the result is a pretty shallow experience with a bit too much jank.

The game looks good and I like seeing the updated version of Aqua, though I think the more realistic style here (as compared to Birth By Sleep) doesn't work as well. The environments are all pretty dark, abstract, and samey, which removes some of the appeal KH usually has.

Afp plays well, but is definitely leaning into the fairly simple combat that persists in Kingdom Hearts 3. The gameplay is just here to pull you through this interstitial story entry.

The narrative makes sense... sort of... mainly because it is contained. It is very abstract and doesn't have much larger impact though.

Fast playthrough that is inoffensive. If you are into the Kingdom Hearts series there isn't a reason not to play this, but otherwise, Birth By Sleep and Dream Drop Distance are both better entries.

How a tech demo managed to be better and more coherent than the full product I'll never know.

Oh wait, yeah I do know because it was essentially a character study on the best girl and best KH character Aqua.

Being able to play as her again was really nice and seeing her journey through the realm of darkness made me feel more emotions than the entirety of KH III. Also you can play dress up with her so bonus points there.

remarkably enough this is a prologue for kingdom hearts III or better this was SUPPOSED to be the prologue of kingdom hearts III and its basically mirroring the narrative driven kingdom hearts II prologue with roxas and i cant believe how cacophonous and diametrically opposite this is to that one

this clocks at around 3 hrs and its basically kind of the same length of the kh2 prologue so the foundations were there for a great great prologue how many times did i say prologue anyway so i dont really understand the direction of removing it from kh3 but maybe its better like this idk it wouldve slowed down the whole experience since for what i know kh3 starts in medias res so at this point i may be the weird one

anyhow i was saying this is a completely different experience from the kh2 prologue (i will be making a lot of parallels thats it) and thats because thematically 0.2 explores aquas slow and steady descent into the 5 stages of grief for losing her best friends and being trapped in the realm of darkness for almost a decade and i dont think it takes a psychology degree to understand that shes so mentally exhausted by this torment to the point that shes losing touch from reality shes been exploring random places in her memory that are completely destroyed and in ruin confronts a shadow illusion of herself and sees glimpses of her friends wherever she goes and whats really sad is that she knows theyre only delusions but she still goes after them its just a depressing and tiring environment and really explores how aqua has been doing all this years (badly)

now i will just say that aqua is one of my favourite characters in the series and also the fact that im depressed made me completely relate

at first glance the dark and eerie atmosphere and sense of regret longing and hopelessness really draw a stark contrast against the kh2 prologues bright and joyous narrative and sense of friendship happiness and nostalgia its just a great great parallel and it augments the whole experience for me at least

storywise this takes place during the events of kh1 something that i didnt realise until the very ending and probably thats what youre supposed to do but anyway this is basically where the whole worlds gist goes awry and this change is also felt into the unsteadiness of the realm of darkness that keeps shifting and twisting on itself

aqua goes through the 3 princesses of hearts worlds she has seen during her time in birth by sleep in a more decayed and rotten state until king mickey helps her out but still cant manage to save her and shes doomed to pass some more years into this dreadful reality

this is just sad like really sad the fact that she was so close to the light and fell back into darkness anyway its just ughhhhh crushing

that being said theres not much here in terms of story since most of the games appeal is in its atmosphere and square enix beating their big unreal engine dick on your head making you taste whats gonna come in kh3 this analogy just got worse as it went on

graphics are jaw dropping and really enhance the environments aqua goes through theyre just incredible wow umh i dont have any more words you just have to experience it its not something i can tell you on paper or on pixels its just pushing every single polygon out of these worlds its just incredible stuff

theres a sort of prototype of a battle system for the upcoming kh3 and ? i actually enjoyed it a lot like the keyblades evolutions and the mega spells are super fun to add to the traditional kh style battle system and most important of all its fun af + you cant use equipments or sort items out but you can give her some cat ears ? and other stuff that you can unlock by doing things ™ in this game and theres that

she looks cute with those ears tho

so the verdict is: retrospectively made roxas so much more mentally stable than her and trust me hes been through some STUFF

cute game if i were straight i think id replay it with only one hand but i AM currently questioning my sexuality so maybe a one hand replay is what i need to sort things out between me and my dick i mean head sorry

also the opening of this game might be my fav intro in the entire series its just this umpteenth remix of simple and clean hits home for me and the whole animation and storyline gives me the chills good lord

and hearing aquas thoughts made me realise how my thought process is similar to hers and im slowly falling into darkness but wbk

i was in the column room for 30 minutes because i couldnt find the way to advance thats why it took me 3 hrs and not 2 i think

i really needed aqua to go nyan tho

particle effects kinda yknow made me eyegasm

also they give you a reason for why mickey was naked in kingdom hearts 1 and thats retrospectively so fun to me

“i am master aqua” ooooooo i prefer mistress oop

this is persona 4 face yourself style by the way

and why does she look so weird in the title screen im so confused

prologue counter: 7

SO EXCITED FOR KINGDOM HEARTS THREEEEEEEE LETS GO FELLAS DID SOMEBODY MENTION THE DOOR TO DARKNESS

Honestly Fragmentary Passage has been the first Kingdom Hearts title in a long time for me to show legitimate promise. Though it may be a glorified tech demo for what KH3 was to become, it's a sign that the KH team seems to understand that a no frills combat system coupled with a more focused view of the lore is what makes this franchise interesting.

There isn't much to love about Fragmentary Passage, but there isn't a lot to dislike either in its ~two hour runtime. It's pretty, scored well, plays well, and honestly thats all I wanted out of it before I start the third mainline game.

It had been a while since I played a Kingdom Hearts game. I actually didn't know much about this game/demo, only that it was staring Aqua (my favorite) and it was using the same engine that Kingdom Hearts 3 was gonna be using, so I wasn't entirely sure what I was getting into.

So if this demo/game tells me anything, then Kingdom Hearts 3 (when I play it) is gonna be amazing! I really loved how playing this felt like Birth By Sleep but much fuller due to it being on a console vs the PSP. The gameplay was really smooth, I loved the different enemy types, I'm glad they kept Aqua's techniques, and the game is beautiful and sounds great. I really wish there was more to say, but apparently this was just a slight taste on what's to come for Kingdom Hearts 3 and I'm looking forward to finally playing it.

Essentially a glorified demo, 0.2 does a good job at showcasing what kingdom hearts 3 will bring to the table, both gameplay and graphically wise, but there’s not much more outside of that. It’s just a fun enjoyable short game to get you excited for kh3.
Firstly on the positive side, i missed this gameplay so much! Gone are the days of command decks, leaving place for the return of kingdom hearts 2’s combat, refined in its own way with mechanics from the previous games. Shotlocks and command styles are back, now adapted to work smoothly with this combat. Since the game takes place right after bbs, Aqua has her full arsenal of movement and combat options right from the get-go and they all feel great to use, while not making the game a complete cakewalk. Air combat still feels floaty from time to time, but this is overall a huge improvement over the last 2 games.
The story is also pretty decent for a 3-hour game. It’s paced well, the writing is okay (overuse of “darkness” aside) and the voice acting is pretty hit and miss.
The presentation is another massive jump over the other games. The character models, environments and cutscenes are all extremely beautiful and gorgeous and it’s the closest the franchise (for now) has gotten to realizing the potential of the ps2 FMVs, now in-game.
The worlds are decent. There are only 4 this time around, but they are linear enough to where exploration isn’t discouraged. The bosses in them range from meh to great. Demon tide bosses are short and mildly frustrating, the darkside bosses have enough spectacle to keep you entertained, demon wave boss is pretty good for the most part and the dark aqua fights are excellent. Music is amazing as usual, nothing much to say here.
There are a few negatives here and there. The game is short, at only 3 hours. It has some objectives that unlock clothing options for Aqua, encouraging replayability, but even then you’re looking at 8-10 hours in total (Worth it for Aqua in cat ears). The combat can feel extremely broken at times with magic, even with the game trying its damn hardest to balance the challenge. There are some rough texture work here and there, and the performance ain’t exactly the best in certain places. Also screen adjustment has yet to be patched, so to anyone with an old TV, get ready to jump through some hoops to make the game fit the screen.
Overall, i enjoyed my time with this game. Considering it’s included with the 2.8 collection alongside Dream Drop Distance and a movie instead of it being its own priced thing, i would say it’s worth giving it a shot as a appetizer for what’s to come.

Thank Aqua for being so fine every time I see her because she really needs a hug.

Legit one of my favorite things to see in a character is reaching their absolute breaking point, and while I don't think 0.2 does that, it at least gives us a glimpse of what Aqua is feeling. Adding on to the story of Birth By Sleep, and giving the friendship more depth would have absolutely been great to see in a bigger game, but due to the length of such a fragmentary passage means that we just aren't given enough. It certainly is a bastard statement to say that we should have gotten more time and dedication to this, but honestly I think it would have really helped with the story.

Not like 0.2 doesn't explore elements, but when you say a character is alone and isolated, time starts to become a big factor in feelings for them. 0.2 just goes by so fast, and has all these fun little things it can do with it's world that other kingdom heart games simply can't. Being able to add another 2 worlds would have been great to show how much Aqua is struggling, but with how powerful Aqua is topped with how fast you can beat this game topped with the introduction of Mickey at the end shows such lost potential in what could have been a more powerful game.

In reality, 0.2 is only hurt by it's length as all the other elements are completely working for it. The graphics look great, the aesthetic for the worlds are creative, Aqua as a character is simply more interesting as she descends to darkness, and the combat is fun. Honestly this game just feels super frustrating for it's existence as it could have been more, but also it's annoying with how tongue and cheek it is with Kingdom Hearts 3's delayed and this acting as a sort of teaser and slap to the face for fans that were eagerly waiting for it. I am happy this game exists, but I am sad it had to be like this.

los graphicos que buenos
QUE BUENOS

Game took me 2 hours 30 minutes to beat on Proud and that was with me doing some side objectives for the wardrobe which is about the same time it took me to complete the prologue of 2

Story is short and neat but its status as a short romp between games means that it can't really do much storywise.

Gameplay is really fun though, you can move while casting magic and block in the air now which is so cool. Its nice of the game to give you endgame magic and stats to see what KH3 combat could be like. There are only 2 bosses in the game and they're pretty good at punishing players for mashing X but besides that they're not terribly hard. Didn't die once in this game :)

The biggest highlight for me though is the exploration which has some actual depth to it now with hidden things in the environment and reasons to come back and explore more which is a good indicator for the series going forward. God knows I did not enjoy the level design of KH2 or BBS at all

Music exists

Conclusion
Fun little game to play while KH3 is installing on your system of choice

I stopped giving a shit about the story a long while ago, so I'm just impressed at how many times Nomura and his team managed to shove the words "darkness", "heart" and "light" in a script for a game that's barely 3 hours long. Aqua is still a boring ass personality vacuum, so most of the story is boring as shit since Sora, Donald and Goofy aren't around to save it with their charm. But the stupid ways in which this ties with KH1's ending are fun.

The 3 or so hours of gameplay I got out of this are better than however long BBS and 3D were, however, though the lock-on and camera were kinda finnicky and the bosses have the most garbage boring designs in the entire series. One is just a reuse from past games. The last one is really fun to fight but it's basically fighting a big swarm of mosquitoes. Still, pretty great for a tech demo, ngl, fun game.

Though I can't even imagine how this thing had trouble running on consoles (I played on PC, locked 60fps) because it looks basic on a technical level.