Kingdom Hearts3 (KH3)was released just over three years ago, and it brought about the long-awaited conclusion to the story arc titled theDark Seeker Saga. While still a wonderful game and satisfying end for the tale that Square Enix had been telling since 2002, many fans found certain aspects ofKH3to be a little underwhelming.
Related:Kingdom Hearts Won’t Be The Same Without Organization XIII
Now,Kingdom Hearts 4 (KH4)has been officially revealed, delivering botha hint of what’s to come in the storyand a tease of how the series is evolving its gameplay. What many gamers are eager to know more about, though, is just how this new entry will improve on the title that came before it.
8More Original Story Content
The story ofKingdom Heartsseems like a convoluted mess to anyone not already invested in the saga, but for those players who have played the games and studied the lore, it’s one of the greatest stories in gaming.Kingdom Hearts 3was meant to be this grand conclusion to the conflict between Sora and Master Xehanort, but the game crammed most of this plot development into the final few hours of a 30+ hour title.
KH4has the opportunity to offer more original story content, digging intomany of the loose threads left behind byKH3,the “Re Mind” DLC, andKingdom Hearts: Melody Of Memory. The new characters and conflicts that the series has created over the years have become far more compelling than anything else in the games, and fans are eager to find out where the story goes next.
7Better Post-Launch Support
KH3marked the first time in the series' history that aKingdom Heartstitle received substantial story DLC.“Re Mind” is a sizable, add-on pack that tells three stories, one of which that takes place concurrently with the ending ofKH3and two others that take place a year later. It’s a sizable chunk of additional content, but it was the only real post-launch support the game received, and it came out a full year after launch.
The gaming industry revolves around post-launch support now, even for single-player titles. Almost every release includes some form of season pass, and developers are supporting their games for years after their initial launch. With such long waits between major releases, it would be nice to have newKingdom Heartscontent to play for an entire year to tide players over.
6More Consequential Side Content
TheKingdom Heartsseries has long been known for its array of side content, most notably the Olympus Coliseum tournaments and the Hundred Acre Wood storybook world. While both Olympus and the Hundred Acre Wood are inKH3, this entry doesn’t include the tournaments and reduces the Hundred Acre Wood to a single, short visit.
Related:Kingdom Hearts 3: All Worlds From The Game, Ranked
Kingdom Hearts 4has the chance to turn this around and hopefully add new side content that feels more worthwhile and connected to the rest of the game.Kingdom Hearts 2nailed this implementation with worlds like Aquatica and the aforementioned Hundred Acre Wood, andKH4has the chance to get back to that level of quality.
5Less Leaning On Disney IP
As much fun as the integration ofDisneyandFinal Fantasyhas been over the years,KH3took the Disney content to a level many gamers weren’t happy with. Most of the game was spent diving into new worlds and rehashing the plots of various Disney movies, though a few standouts like Toy Box and San Fran Sokyo offered an original spin on the classic films.
If the Disney collaboration is going to continuefor this series,KH4needs to find fresh ways to incorporate them into its own story. Sitting through a full rendition of “Let It Go” while Sora, Donald, and Goofy look on was not nearly as interesting as watching Woody smack-talk a time-traveling villain, and Square Enix needs to lean more into that side ofKingdom Hearts.
4More Series Lore In Mainline Entries
Kingdom Heartsis a sprawling mass of a story at this point, with multiple releases across at least six different platforms. With so much content spread so thin, it can be difficult for players of any experience level to fully understand what’s going on during the game. One notable moment at the end ofKH3features a prominent character from the mobile game, a reference many players undoubtedly didn’t understand.
Kingdom Hearts 4is already set to include more of this esoteric lore with the inclusion ofStrelitzia, another character who debuted in the mobile game, but the new title has the chance to set this up more clearly. Include this lore in the game itself so that players both old and new are on the same page when momentous events occur.
3Better Story Pacing
Kingdom Heartshas been a little uneven over the years in terms of story pacing, but it has gotten pretty close to greatness in the past.Kingdom Hearts 2is arguably the best in the series when it comes to pacing, allowing each world to breathe without dragging the story to a standstill.KH3falls far short of this standard, and the story suffers as a result.
Related:Kingdom Hearts 2: All Worlds From The Game, Ranked
KH4has the chance to do better, and a large part of this is to give each world just enough time to make an impression without making players feel like they’re spending an eternity there.KH2’s two-visit structure worked wonderfully for this, and it might be worth it for the new game to consider returning to that formula.
2Cut The Gummi Ship
The Gummi Ship has been a staple of theKingdom Heartsseries since the very first title released in 2002, and it’s still around inKH3.This latest version of the travel mechanic was significantly expanded with more missions, collectibles, and open exploration that gave players freedom to chart their own path toeach of the game’s worlds.
And yet, it still never feels like anything more than a distraction. It’s filler to lengthen the time between each world and does nothing to justify its existence even with all the improvements made forKH3.KH4is the optimal time for the Gummi Ship to retire, and the plot provides an excellent excuse to cut the system entirely.
1Bring Back Drive Forms
Drive Forms were some of the most exciting and awesome additions to all ofKingdom Hearts, allowing Sora towield two Keyblades at the same time.KH3offers a new spin on the mechanic, called Form Change, that is also very fun and visually arresting, but it doesn’t offer the same level of strategic and role-playing energy of Drive Forms.
KH4could absolutely bring Drive Forms back alongsideKH3’s Form Change system, or perhaps merge the two into a broader system that allows players to more carefully specialize their version of Sora. Drive Forms were just a ton of fun to use and level up, and bringing them back would be a huge win.
Kingdom Hearts 3is available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch via Cloud Streaming, Steam, the Epic Games Store, and the Microsoft Store.
Kingdom Hearts 4has been announced, but no release date or platforms have been confirmed.
