It has been confirmed! Kingdom Hearts III is currently in development. According to recent media updates about it and the official Square Enix website for Kingdom Hearts, it is to be released on the PS4 and Xbox One consoles. This is a first, as this is the first ever multi-platform Kingdom Hearts game ever!
The original plan made for the new game was for it to be the end of the entire series. Wow. That is horrible. But recently, Tetsuya Nomura held a press conference and told the world that he “just can’t let it end.” The head of gameplay and story for the new game (Tetsuya Nomura) said “that it doesn’t feel like a trilogy” and decided to continue the series, but end the Dark Seeker saga.
So, let’s go into about what we know about the new continuation of the Kingdom Hearts series, story-wise. The story is set directly after Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance, and is the end of the Dark Seeker saga. The main character, Sora, sets out to find the 7 Lights to combat Xehanort’s evil plan, along with famous Disney characters Donald and Goofy. Meanwhile, Riku and King Mickey have gone to look for more Keyblade wielders to help in the battle against Xehanort and the True Organization XIII.
So that is what we know about the story so far. But what about gameplay? Mechanics? That’s all coming up, right…now! In Kingdom Hearts III, the people in Square Enix have decided on using similar to same gameplay to Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep and Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance. They have changed the graphics engine to make a new...texture, or colouring for characters (although it seems to have affected Sora mainly) making it look newer or more realistic. More features have been implemented in the game, such as transforming your Keyblade (in the trailer, it shows Sora fighting a group of Heartless holding two guns) which is a cool, fresh idea. In terms of worlds, we don’t know much except that Twilight Town IS in the game. Director of gameplay and story Tetsuya Nomura has hinted at the possible inclusion of Frozen, the new hit movie from Disney in the game as a new world. He said it was “possible.”
So, do you want the good news first or the bad news first? Too bad. I chose for you. The bad news is, there isn’t a release date and there won’t be for a while. This is because Squeenix (short form for Square Enix, used by fans) is focusing on the upcoming Final Fantasy XV (previously named Final Fantasy versus XIII) which doesn’t have a release date yet either, but considering how much they have already, I would say a release date is coming soon. The good news is, there isn’t a release date yet. This is good, because if this is the finale of the current arc in the KH series, they should take their time and make it as good as possible.
That’s all for now, but keep an eye out for news updates about Kingdom Hearts III and Final Fantasy XV. And most importantly, tune in for more news, info, tips, and more in the upcoming issues of ENIX Reloaded! RELOAD!