To the delight of many fans, Square Enix announced Kingdom Hearts IV yesterday. The gripping cinematic trailer shows the more grown-up Sora exploring an actual human city invaded by the Heartless. Naturally, the video raised a ton of questions, but it also left us speechless about what we’d like to see in the much-anticipated sequel.
That’s why we Kingdom Hearts fans in Game informant office, couldn’t help but share our personal hopes and dreams for the next game. Let us know what you think of our wish list, and be sure to share your own wishes and expectations in the comments!
Wesley LeBlanc
There are two things I want most about Kingdom Hearts IV: A new Pirates of the Caribbean world built on the foundations of Kingdom Hearts III iterations and a full (Dream Drop) trip into Quadratum, the world. of Verum Rex, and finally Nomura’s monster Frankenstein from Final Fantasy Versus XIII in Kingdom Hearts.
Nomura’s canceled Versus XIII game was popular, and if you’ve played Kingdom Hearts III, you know how much of a percentage Versus XIII exists in the Verum Rex video game in its universe. Nomura is working on this lost project in one way or another, and I respect that dedication. That it seemed like he would make it through Kingdom Hearts was the most Nomura thing ever. Kingdom Hearts III already gives us a taste of what it looks like, but I hope that in some way, shape or form, Kingdom Hearts IV has even more of Nomura’s Versus XIII in it.
Oh, and I hope we get a Star Wars world in Kingdom Hearts IV. And while we’re at it, let’s get some love of the Marvel Cinematic Universe there too, if only to watch Nomura re-enact the popular movie. Avengers: Endgame portal scene in the way that we see Sora, Donald, Goofy and Mickey appear alongside the likes of Spider-Man and Black Panther.
Marcus Stewart
I will preface my upcoming keynote by revealing that I am, in fact, a Kingdom Hearts fan. Not a hardcore person, but I’ve completed and enjoyed nearly every game to some degree. That said, what I wanted more than any film rep, combat mechanic, or zippered costume was an improvement on the series’ brutal writing. I’m not talking about its overly complicated story. That ship has sailed (mostly over my head). I mean actual dialogue.
Playing Kingdom Hearts III made me realize that I’ve grown beyond the cliched, gimmicky chatter of the franchise. The dialogue in these games is always irregularly interrupted, interspersed with awkward pauses and uncomfortable silences before someone speaks up again. I tried with it in 2000/2010, but it pushed me up a wall in KH III, robbing many emotional moments in their gravitas.
Since we appear to be on a journey to the “real” world in KH IV, let’s follow suit by making Sora and Co’s speech and emotional expression closer to real people and dislike accidental parodies. of bad anime. The writing doesn’t have to be Naughty Dog’s stellar (surprise me) and I don’t mind it being silly. Dialogue just better. I felt my wish could come true when Sora helped the cow Maggie in a Home on the Range world, but a man can dream.
Oh, and FINALLY we can get a world based on A silly movie, complete with a playable rendition of “Eye to Eye”? Isn’t it pretty, Square?
Monica Rexach Ortiz
I hope Kingdom Hearts IV helps us understand where Sora is. In Kingdom Hearts III, we see Sora save and swap Kairi’s place after Xehanort sends her heart into nothingness. The biggest question for me after that was over:
1. Where is Sora? Is he dead, lost or forgotten?
2. What does it mean to die in Kingdom Hearts? Is this where Xion landed when she was forgotten?
3. And, most importantly, will Sora ever become a Keyblade Master like his best friend Riku, and will he learn to use the Power of Awakening?
My second hope is that Kingdom Hearts IV sheds light on many of the major plot points left unanswered in the previous games.
I also want to see new and exciting Disney worlds with fun mechanics! I want the world to be based on CocoStar Wars, EncantoMarvel movies, Frozen II, Muscled man, Moana, Contradictory – There are too many options! I also hope they will include some of the musical elements of these movies. I love being able to sing along in frozen world in Kingdom Hearts III and I’m a fan of rhythm games in Little Mermaid world from Kingdom Hearts II.
My last wish is to be able to swap between the main characters again, just like in Birth by Sleep. It’s fun to experience the main story from three different perspectives and use characters with different fighting styles. I enjoyed experiencing Kingdom Hearts IV from the lens of Kairi, Sora, and Riku as they found their way back together.
John Carson
It’s hard to say where Kingdom Hearts should go these days, especially with KH4 leaning towards realism in its first trailer. Clearly, the Lucasfilm and Marvel universes are easily seen as the next potential world to explore. Throw Sora on a treasure hunt with Indiana Jones, and let him travel the stars with the Guardians of the Galaxy on a gummi ship. Both will be useful and fun, but I want KH4 to lean on the other half of what made Kingdom Hearts so special to me in the first place. Give me more Final Fantasy characters and worlds!
I haven’t played anything in Kingdom Hearts II before, but I do know that existing Final Fantasy characters all disappear in KH III, despite aspects of Final Fantasy Versus XIII/Final Fantasy XV bleeds into the series. Let Donald, Goofy, and Sora explore Ivalice, Midgar, Balamb Garden or Eorzea with the characters from those games. Of course, Disney is the big name associated with selling copies of the game, but these days, I’d rather see FFXII’s Balthier appear than the cast of the game. Luca or Encanto to change things up a bit and go back to the series’ roots. Also, I hope Nomura can finally make the Versus XIII he’s been wanting to get out of his system for over a decade. It was clear that he couldn’t move on from those ideas until they became reality in some form or fashion.
Kim Wallace
Kingdom Hearts IV moves the series’ into a real-world setting that opens up a lot of possibilities for what’s possible, and in turn, what I want in the next game. Things I never felt possible for the series suddenly seemed like they could happen. I’m excited to explore Quadratum and see how much inspiration it takes from Tokyo and its landmarks. The realistic setting and graphics will also match Disney’s Marvel and Star War properties. Unfortunately, whether we see Marvel or Star Wars worlds/characters really belongs to Disney. Kingdom Hearts III has been a financial success, so it may give Disney more of a bow, but as we’ve heard from director Tetsuya Nomura, Disney’s approval process can be challenging and complicated . BUT PLEASE MAKE IT HAPPEN. With that said, I hope the animation world still has a big place in IV. If we come to my world wish list: Turn red, Encanto, Moanaand Coco highest ratings.
I’d also like to see Final Fantasy characters brought back in some way that makes sense for IVs. Sora practically looks like he’s straight out of the Final Fantasy series right now (combined with Squall), which is fitting. On the theme of the game, give me the super bosses and intense battles that the previous entries were known for, but with added verticality and options for killing. The trailer shows it heading in this direction, which makes me happy, especially since Sora currently has a grappling hook and slides through buildings. I love Flowmotion from Dream Drop Distance, and I got that vibe when I watched IV’s reveal, especially when Sora swings on a pole and launches herself into the air, so I hope IV will be like an upgraded version of it.
In order not to spoil anything, I will keep my story short. While Kingdom Hearts III offers some conclusions, it also leaves a lot on the table, and many characters still need their moments in the sun (Lea and Kairi, cough). I also feel like IV’s more realism is an opportunity for the story to get darker and delve deeper into themes of loss and friendship, and maybe even help us finally let go. for Sora. I love Sora, but it’s time for a new take on and the series will grow beyond him. If anything is clear, it’s that you can’t really put your finger on where Kingdom Hearts is going next, as Nomura has proven he’s full of surprises no matter how many clues he puzzes over him. he left it to us. This is the biggest change we’ve seen in the series and I don’t mind it being well received as it could be a great reincarnation for a new generation that takes things to an exciting new level. .
For more on Kingdom Hearts IV, be sure to read about its status Developed using Unreal Engine 5speculation of Star Wars ‘Endor appeared in the trailer and announced a new KH mobile game, Missing link.
