All Worlds in Kingdom Hearts 2.5 Final Mix, Ranked

In light of Kingdom Hearts 2.5 Final Mix finally becoming available on PC, we decided to dip our toes back into its wealth of worlds, if only to decipher the answer to that ever-alluring question: which worlds are the best of the bunch? Care to join us as we scrutinize their respective themes and plot lines? Then let’s dive right in.

13. Atlantica

It didn’t have to return, but it did. Thank the heavens, though, that it didn’t wind up being an exact replica of its predecessor—a world that fell short on not only mechanical fluidity, but narrative complexity—but rather, a musical number that contained a slew of iconic (and not-so memorable) songs. Granted, it wasn’t a great world, much less one that needed to be integrated into the plot at all — but it still served its purpose of being a safe haven for those who yearned for a break from hacking down Heartless. However, due to it featuring little to no actual gameplay or player input whatsoever, it’d be hard to paint it as anything more than mere filler.

12. 100 Acre Wood

As 100 Acre Wood is, as much as it pains me to admit it, an optional world, and as a result of that, an area that doesn’t often feel necessary to the plot line, I can’t quite bring myself to say that it’s worth dipping your toes into. Sure, it had its moments—mini-games, for the most part—but it was, more or less, a casual retelling of the same tale that snuck its way into the opening chapter of the series. Was it bad? No. With that said, I’d be lying if I said that ol’ Pooh and Piglet were the staple characters of Kingdom Hearts 2.5, in general.

11. Agrabah

I’ll be honest with you here: the similarities between the original chapter that takes place in Agrabah and the sequel are so on point, that it’s almost impossible to differentiate between the two. On one hand, the Genie provided another great performance—a gig that was all the more memorable thanks to its witty humor and animations—but on the other, the world itself just didn’t do a lot more than what the original had already accomplished the first time around. It wasn’t a terrible world by any stretch, but at no point would I say that it was the best of the bunch, either.

10. Land of Dragons

Mulan being inducted into the roster was a fantastic choice for the series, as it not only introduced a world that was rich in culture, but also one that was capable of spinning a pretty compelling yarn for a story, too. Granted, its solider-like missions were a little wishy-washy and drab, but for an opening chapter, it clearly served its purpose as a stepping stone towards a series of greater adventures. Aside from that, though, there wasn’t a huge deal to write home about.

9. Port Royal

Pirates of the Caribbean entering the Kingdom Hearts keychain should’ve been the sequel’s USP — and it was, right up until the point where it decided to discard any sense of originality and instead settle for some mediocre word-for-word storytelling and atrocious thematic design choices. Port Royal, while a solid spot for harvesting XP, just wasn’t all the great, and it didn’t help, either, that the jokes just didn’t land, or even the fact that Jack Sparrow himself had little to zero favorable qualities whatsoever. To say that it was a missed opportunity would only be an understatement, truly; it could’ve been more, but it instead made the whole segment into a textbook charade of an otherwise brilliant movie.

8. Pride Lands

The inclusion of The Lion King could’ve been something special, but the fact that it was primarily marred by some god-awful controls and a story that, while mostly true to the original motion picture, left a lot of the experience to feel a little lackluster and uninspired. Don’t get me wrong, the Pride Lands were great in short bursts, but a lot of the standout features—a wide-open plain to scoot around in and a stellar display of character performance, for example—quickly became a little dull and repetitive. Even still, when compared to the likes of Port Royal, it’s hard to complain all that much, to be fair.

7. Space Paranoids

I’m willing to give Space Paranoids the benefit of the doubt and say that, despite it being something of a virtual subsidiary of Hollow Bastion, and thus, not a “complete” world, the region itself was arguably one of the most original in the timeline, period. In addition to it having a good selection of bosses, it also rolled out the red carpet for an oddly entertaining Light Cycle mini-game, too, which, in ways, was enough of an incentive to keep it feeling fresh and somewhat sprightly.

6. Twilight Town

Twilight Town was the one world that we almost wish we could’ve stuck around in, and yet, the story had other plans for us, which ultimately meant that, even with all of the content that it could’ve ejected from its system, a lot of it was left for the imagination. Suffice it to say, though, that the warmly hillside community of Twilight was beautiful in its own special sort of way. It’s just a shame, really, that it didn’t play an even greater role in the grand scheme of things.

5. Timeless River / Disney Castle

The Disney Castle didn’t implement all that much by way of adding any new story elements to the overarching narrative, as it more or less poured the vast majority of its heart and soul into Timeless River—a digital vessel comprised of mere nostalgia fodder for die-hard Mickey Mouse fans. Sure enough, neither of the two were particularly exciting, but the sudden shift to monochrome and mini-games definitely made for a more interesting experience.

4. Olympus Coliseum

Olympus Coliseum essentially caught the short end of the stick in Kingdom Hearts—a case that was strongly criticized due to the fact that, bar a few tournaments, there wasn’t a great deal to experience. Thankfully, a lot of those shortcomings were rectified in the sequel, and to a rather exceptional degree, too. As it turned out, Olympus Coliseum had one of the best side stories in the entire game, and not to mention a quality selection of Underworld Cups, to boot. Was it the best world in Kingdom Hearts 2.5 Final Mix? No — but it wasn’t too far off.

3. Beast’s Castle

After suffering from a significant lack of screen time in the original chapter, Beast was finally given a key role in an episodic tale that, while a little grind-heavy by nature, had all of the trappings of a genuinely interesting and enjoyable arc in the narrative. Aside from if featuring a quality selection of thematic rooms and characters, it also came gut-loaded with a web of engaging bosses and emotional scenes, thus making it a perfect ribbon for a universally beloved portrait.

2. Hollow Bastion / Radiant Garden

Hollow Bastion (or Radiant Garden, if you will) stands tall as one of the most popular worlds in Kingdom Hearts, and for good reason. Aside from it being the ideal spot for boosting your level and acquiring loot, it also provides several of the greatest moments in the second chapter, period. Of course, there’s the beloved Battle of the 1000 Heartless—a turning point that saw the development of numerous keystone characters—and a slew of interesting features, such as the Space Paranoids mini world, and the ongoing feud between some of Final Fantasy’s biggest characters. Point is, it was a phenomenal hub world — and definitely one that stood its ground, despite being a clone of its predecessor.

1. Halloween Town

Halloween Town was arguably one of the best worlds to make its way into the original chapter of the series—a claim that I’m willing to stand by till the end, weirdly enough. Aside from it featuring one of the largest worlds in the series, it also made the effort to expand its reach by onboarding Christmas Town, too—yet another great playground in which players could embark on some special side quests and even rekindle a few flames with some former villains. In addition to all of that, Halloween Town also opened up the doors to some picture-perfect set pieces and voice performances, effectively bringing the beating heart of Tim Burton’s cult classic to a new level.

So, what’s your take? Do you agree with our list of best worlds in Kingdom Hearts 2.5 Final Mix? Let us know your thoughts over on our social channel here.