KH3's Legacy Discussion

[Face My Fears]

Kingdom Hearts 3 means a lot to me. One of the things it meant was the amount of time that passed in my life, which I feel goes the same for all other fans of the series. I was prompted to make this thread because I randomly decided to look at old threads here and the first page that came up when I searched literally was all about KH3... way back in 2005. 15 years ago people were speculating about KH3... yet here we are, with KH3 and a DLC expansion to it (15 years ago, that wasn't even a consideration for gaming). It's actually mindblowing to go into those threads and seeing the comments talk about "I'm going to be 20 when KH3 comes out" -- with that poster apparently being 16 and thinking it would come out on the PS3.

So I guess this thread isn't about KH3's quality or storylines or anything like that, just the legacy of the game. It seems so... unique. I don't recall any other game having such a long wait time for an actual sequel, let alone one that had an overarching story like the KH series... throw in the fact that it's a crossover series with Disney. Like, it just seems so unbelievable to me that KH3 actually came and went, and we're even moving forward now. Sometimes I wonder what if KH2 was all we got and that was the end. With the amount of nostalgia pandering and Disney being DISNEY now, would that have prompted a reboot/sequel to KH2 if the series ended more than a decade ago? What would people's perception on the series have been looking back on it if Days/BbS/Coded never happened? Would it have been this groundbreaking series that people wouldn't want touched after leaving its mark on the gaming community for over a decade? Could the direction of the series been different if it went straight from KH2 (PS2) to KH3 (PS4)?

I find this series and everything it's been through so fascinating. I don't think any other game can or will replicate what KH has done, let alone the iconic (whether you hate it or love it) status of what the name "Kingdom Hearts 3" means.

Anyway, share your thoughts on this and reminisce. I also included a screenshot of the page that had all the KH3 threads from 2005.

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[disney233]

These threads. Kinda makes me wonder what everyone's idea for KH3 would be, back then.

 

[Face My Fears]

These threads. Kinda makes me wonder what everyone's idea for KH3 would be, back then.

I remember thinking that Maleficent and Pete would be the main villains of KH3 - with an introduction of the armoured people in the secret video to be set up as future villains. Essentially, I thought KH3 would be Disney focused, so that it could build to KH4 being original character focused (after introducing new people). I did have a sneaking suspicion that Xehanort would return somehow because it was weird that they kept mentioning him in KH2, but didn't do anything further.

 

[PikaPal]

Just three words to describe this:

Fake PS3 covers.

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Ahhh yes, those crazy times where most people thought that super secret video from KHII was going to be the main focus of KHIII only for it to be turned into the PSP exclusive (or at least it was until the 2.5 collection) prequel "spinoff" that we know today.

 

[Deleted member 252753]

I only got to experience any of the post KH2 games when I bought a PS4 and the compilations at the end of 2017. I really liked KH1 and 2 while at school but felt like I couldn't ask my parents to buy me a PSP or a DS to keep up with the side games and couldn't wrap my head around plot summaries of Days and BBS so gave up for many years until I finished uni.

Looking at reactions on here, I think it was nice to experience the games between 2 and 3 in quick succession throughout 2018 so I didn't spend much time ruminating and building expectations of what would happen to various characters. Hence, I didn't have any hopes dashed by KH3. Plus, the foreteller stuff didn't seem so left-of-field when rushing through everything else post KH2 and I found it really intriguing.

That's definitely not to criticize people who did follow the series avidly through the years and across consoles and expect proper resolutions to all the build-up.

I can't really imagine going straight from KH2 to KH3 when the whole Dark Seeker Saga is only really built after KH2 so without the side games KH3 would have to be extremely different.

 

[Ballad of Caius]

I always had my expectations grounded. I always knew that KINGDOM HEARTS III would come out whenever it came straight from the horse's mouth: Nomura. When I saw the Gathering in KHIIFM, it was kinda obvious that this wasn't going to be KHIII, seeing as how the old man looked like an older Apprentice Xehanort and Terra after removing his helmet and looking up looked like Apprentice Xehanort. And with all the words appearing on the ending, it practically was a given that this was gonna be a game centered on explaining who Apprentice Xehanort was before his amnesia.

Then came Days and coded, and then DDD. Pretty much after 3D it was a given that KH3 was gonna happen. So that's when I started speculating as to what KH3 was gonna offer.

 

[Face My Fears]

Just three words to describe this:

Fake PS3 covers.

Spoiler Show

View attachment 12392

Ahhh yes, those crazy times where most people thought that super secret video from KHII was going to be the main focus of KHIII only for it to be turned into the PSP exclusive (or at least it was until the 2.5 collection) prequel "spinoff" that we know today.

OMFG! The fake covers! I remember seeing them all the time and I would just groan/laugh.

 

[Zettaflare]

I remember thinking the KH2's secret ending was the teaser for KH3. Something that always stood out to me was that conceptual beast Terra slayed. Just what was it? I'm guessing if was kept in some kind of Unversed

 

[Face My Fears]

I remember thinking the KH2's secret ending was the teaser for KH3. Something that always stood out to me was that conceptual beast Terra slayed. Just what was it? I'm guessing if was kept in some kind of Unversed

Up to this day, I wonder what it was. It vanished so strangely too. I chalk it up to being a "concept trailer", so some things Nomura just ignored because they just didn't fit. Like Aqua, Terra, and Ven picking up Sora/Riku/Mickey's keyblades.

 

[MATGSY]

I hope to God KH4's development has already began. The entity of the last 2 gens should be a hard lesson for Square to never not have the next mainline FF & KH in the works at all times.

 

[Ballad of Caius]

I hope to God KH4's development has already began. The entity of the last 2 gens should be a hard lesson for Square to never not have the next mainline FF & KH in the works at all times.

The next KH game is being worked on already. And by the time Nomura announced KH3, it was already in development. Remember they lost a year of dev (maybe even more).

 

[Alpha Baymax]

I remembered the debates about whether Marvel and Star Wars should be in Kingdom Hearts III. I was against it at the time because it would be too disruptive. But now with the potential introduction of alternate realities, I'm embracing the thought now.

I hope to God KH4's development has already began. The entity of the last 2 gens should be a hard lesson for Square to never not have the next mainline FF & KH in the works at all times.

Kingdom Hearts III long development cycle was the result of developing on Luminous Engine then switching to Unreal Engine 4 alongside getting approval from the various Disney franchise teams to have their properties represented in the games.

The assets have now been finalised, the development cycle for future games is going to be much smoother from hereon out.