One of the most beloved franchises in history. Kingdom Hearts IV is the beginning of a new adventure for Sora, Goofy, Donald and company. The magical Disney and Square Enix adventure will continue once again in what promises to be the start of an arc that leaves the villainous Xehanort behind. The fabulous Action RPG from the Japanese company will address the plot of the Master of Masters by immersing us again in a battle between light and darkness.
Release date
Taking into account that Kingdom Hearts IV has been shown for the first time in 2022, we will most likely have to wait until at least 2024 to see it on our screens. A release window is completely unknown, but considering the projects Square Enix has in the works with Final Fantasy, it’s a generous estimate.
Development News
In April 2022, the game was shown for the first time along with the revelation that it was in development. Not surprising considering that Kingdom Hearts III was far from completely wrapping up the story created by Tetsuya Nomura.
A gameplay of a few minutes is what we will have to hold on to for a long time, since the Japanese creative himself has ensured that it won’t take long to see Kingdom Hearts IV again. Regarding the more realistic aspect of the game, it will be a unique aspect of the world of the trailer.
Elsewhere, the aesthetic will be more like the usual in the series. For now, the title is in the initial stages of development and although what has been seen has been generated through Unreal Engine 4, the final result will be seen in Unreal Engine 5.
characters and plot
The plot will address what has happened after Sora’s disappearance and the Lost Master arc, who will act as the main antagonist. Nomura has once again shown characters dressed in the typical black hooded robes that camouflage their identity.
“This new enemy has a lot to do with the masked characters that appear at the end of Kingdom Hearts III. (…) Also, in Kingdom Hearts 2.8 we show what kind of characters they are, so the enemies have already appeared in the series. We’re going to reintroduce them and obviously there will be more new characters as well, but we can’t go into details about them yet.”
To clear up any kind of doubt, Sora will once again be the main character. Of course, Nomura has indicated regarding Xion, Axel, Roxas, Ventus, Terra and Aqua that “it would be great to include more of them or continue to share more of their story in future opportunities.” On the other hand, the presence of characters and elements of Final Fantasy will drop drastically, which we could already see in the third installment. The Japanese manager believes that the franchise has already acquired enough personality not to depend on other games.
Also, we can rule out any kind of link to The World Ends With You or Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, which seemed possible because Kingdom Hearts IV will play with the concept of an isekai. “From the perspective of the inhabitants of Quadratum, his world is real, and the world that Sora and his friends were in is the other side, a fictional world,” Nomura explains.
The girl who appears in the apartment next to Sora is called Strelitzia and it is about “a mysterious character who appears in front of Sora in this new world”. The truth is that we could already see it during Kingdom Hearts Union χ for mobile devices. She wanted to give the player a message, but she couldn’t after releasing her heart.
It is also worth noting that Goofy and Donald are looking to save Sora from Quadratum, so they seek help from a mysterious character. Finally, the person narrating the trailer it’s not about Brainbut he will not be completely unknown to us either, since we know him but we have never heard him before.
worlds
A delicate subject. Kingdom Hearts IV It will not abandon one of the strengths of the saga such as the Disney worlds. Nomura has indicated that they will have a very strong presence, although for now the only one that has been revealed has been Quadratum.
We are talking about a representation of Minami-Aoyama, one of the most popular areas in Tokyo. We will also see Shibuya, the region in the heart of the city. An absolute change of perspective, since we had never been shown a real location before. We did get a glimpse of this place in the Re:Mind DLC, so it looks like our steps will follow the path started by the expansion.
On the other hand, a forest full of life has appeared during the trailer, without seeming related to any kind of universe. However, fans have begun to make their own speculations and firmly believe that we are talking about the moon of Endor. That is, the franchise Star Wars would finally appear after the purchase of Disney of the rights of George Lucas.
More disturbing is the place where Donald and Goofy are. A place completely consumed by darkness in which the sorcerer duck must use his staff to light his way. Whoever they’re looking for, they believe will be vital to helping Sora.
Sword Keys
the usual Sora’s Kingdom Chain It’s the only Keyblade we’ve seen so far, but considering the background of the series, we expect to see a huge array of weapons.
Gameplay and game modes
One more time, Kingdom Hearts IV It will be an Action RPG in which there will be a combination of hack & slash mechanics, magic and unique abilities to combine. We well know that Nomura has confirmed that the reaction commandos from the second installment will be back, which is a joy for many.
We have been able to see during the trailer a colossal combat against a Dark Side that was ravaging Quadratum. In this case, the mechanics seem to be closely associated with QTE and do not require such an active participation on our part. Spectacular, full of effects and with the introduction of the concepts of discarding and building.
It is not at all clear what Nomura is referring to with both ideas, but he has stressed that his role will be fundamental during the development of the battles. On the other hand, so “you spend time there and then you go to different worlds and come back”. We will see Sora perform everyday actions in the apartment, as the challenge for the development team was “to see how realistic we can be.”
backward compatibility
Not a single platform has been confirmed in which it will be released Kingdom Hearts IV, but it is totally certain that it will do so on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and, most likely, PC. The entire series has already debuted on the computer field, so it would not be surprising if we saw it on Steam and the Epic Games Store.
When it comes to the previous generation consoles, PS4 and Xbox One, it is not difficult to guess that they will be left out of the equation. By the time the game comes out, intergenerational titles will be a thing of the past, though it’s too early to rule them out entirely. In the case of Nintendo Switch, Square Enix could well take advantage of the potential of the cloud just as it has done with the franchise, but there is no confirmation of this either.
Minimum and recommended requirements
For now, it is completely unknown if Kingdom Hearts IV It will arrive on PC and by the time it does, the minimum and recommended requirements that it marks will be different from what has been usual in recent years.
Trailers and images
Kingdom Hearts IV promises to plunge us back into a journey of fantasy, friendship, darkness and light. The tokens are placed on the board to relive an unforgettable adventure with Sora, Donald and Goofy.
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