After completing the game once, players can experience New Game+ in a new mode, Final Fantasy. In New Game+, all previously unlocked abilities and acquired gear is carried over. So, while you can choose to play through the base game again, additional changes enhance the experience tenfold.

In Final Fantasy mode, the game’s difficulty, monster placement, and the types of enemies that appear alter. For those familiar with the Kingdom Hearts Final Mix releases, particularly for the first two mainline games, the two lattermost points are highly similar.

The team chose this approach since the first playthrough mainly allows players to become accustomed to the combat system and enjoy the story. The playthroughs afterward serve to emphasize the challenge level since the narrative remains the same. You’ll have to intricately study enemy behaviors and telegraphs to succeed.

Moreover, during Final Fantasy Mode New Game+, interacting with the Arete Stone in hideaways enables access to Ultimaniac Mode challenges, which are more difficult variations of Arcade Mode, letting you replay previous sections of the game.

Another feature players can anticipate in New Game+ is Final Chronolith Trials on Final Fantasy Mode, alternatively just Chronolith Trials if not on Final Fantasy Mode. Each Trial is based on an Eikon and consists of the following:

“…multiple stages, each with four rounds of enemies. The first three rounds will be standard waves of monsters, each increasing in difficulty as you progress. The fourth round, however, will feature a boss. Chronolith Trials are also time trials, and every stage contains a list of moves, combos, and objectives you can execute to gain more time. However, pulling these off won’t be easy because there’s no healing in these trials, save for recovery that immediately begins after activating any Limit Break move. “