To say the Kingdom Hearts franchise is difficult for new players would be a similar understatement to saying: ‘Aren’t people a bit miffed about the EU referendum vote?’

We’ve had: Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts Chains of Memories, Kingdom Hearts II, Kingdom Hearts Encoded, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, prequel Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep, and more. The plot has become nightmarish to follow for anyone but hardcore fans and the series’ original hook (a game that appeals to as many people as possible thanks to the inclusion of Disney characters) has been lost.

The latest release from Square Enix is the bafflingly named Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue. The disc features a high definition remaster of Nintendo 3DS game Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, a new installment (deep breath now) Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth By Sleep - A Fragmentary Passage, and a cinematic titled Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover, which details events not shown in the original χ game.

So, what story elements do you need to know from the original games? The first Kingdom Hearts followed the series’ main characters - Sora, Riku and Kairi - along with their friends Donald Duck, Goofy and Mickey Mouse, as they battled the forces of darkness, led by Dark Master Xehanort. The other characters that are important to be familiar with are Aqua, Venn and Terra, who were introduced in said prequel.

Now, you would be completely forgiven for calling timeout after seeing all those names. However, there are a couple of really good reasons to stick with this latest release.

The most important is the inclusion of Kingdom Hearts 0.2 - this being the first in the series to be made from scratch for a next generation system. The game is a sequel to the prequel Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep, and features Keyblade master Aqua. From the Dark Castle of Cinderella to a devilishly fun hall of magic mirrors level, the game’s design is gorgeous. Navigating your way around is easy and fun, although certain platforming can be fairly tricky to coordinate due to the return of the sorely missed “double flight” (double jump) technique.

It’s at this point that the next generation graphics truly hit you. As you spin and skate along vines through Sleeping Beauty’s forest of Thorns, or leap from rooftop to rooftop, you can’t help but feel this is the benchmark Kingdom Hearts always wanted to reach - it’s just been waiting for the tech to get there.

I won’t give too much away plot wise, but for fans of the series and new players alike, it’s a fun little trip that ties into Kingdom Hearts III in a very exciting way. It’s pure, untapped atmosphere drills down into a part of you brain that makes you remember why you fell in love with the series.

Gadget and tech news: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gun-toting humanoid robot sent into space Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy. Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter Gadget and tech news: In pictures Google turns 21 Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at California’s Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100 Google Gadget and tech news: In pictures Hexa drone lifts off Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019 Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures Project Scarlett to succeed Xbox One Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures First new iPod in four years Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB Apple Gadget and tech news: In pictures Folding phone may flop Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash PA Gadget and tech news: In pictures Charging mat non-starter Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures "Super league" India shoots down satellite India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology EPA Gadget and tech news: In pictures 5G incoming 5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Uber halts driverless testing after death Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty

The combat is utterly superb - free flowing and enjoyable. After a few short minutes you’re pulling off a range of physical blade attacks and magic attacks like a pro. The controls are intuitive and the special power ups give you just the right amount of spectacle. After a few hours it could become slightly samey, but this is a JRPG, it comes with the territory. You also get rewards for pulling off certain moves or a certain number of kills - these rewards come in the form of clothing allowing you to customise Aqua as you play.

The real low point is the loading times that really take you out of the action. It’s a small sacrifice for the stunning graphics and action, sure, but there’s only so long you can spend starring at a spinning heart before you consider putting the controller down. Plus, it's only a few hours long, not the sprawling epic III will hopefully be.

When it comes to the HD remaster of Dream Drop there’s not much to say that hasn’t already been said. It was one of the weaker editions in the franchise and - despite the excellent job the studio has done prettying it up - there’s nothing to fix the slightly disjointed pacing and exceedingly difficult to penetrate plot. There are also certain gameplay aspects that were designed for the 3DS’ touchscreen that simply don't translate to a PS4 controller. Playing with your spirits (little monsters that aid you in battle) in order to train them up feels like a chore rather than a quick task, and catapulting barrels around the place just feels clumsy.