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News ► Kingdom Hearts IV and Missing-Link officially announced!



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AR829038

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Not true, if that was the only thing it wouldn't be an issue, guys a certified creep. Pretty sure he harassed Willa Holland while they did a movie together and she was 17 at the time?

Happy for the people who wanted star wars in KH for years, not my cup of tea but you guys have been riding this trains for too long
Ah. Was not aware of that. Are those just allegations, or is there sturdy evidence? Cause I imagine Nomura doesn't care much about that kind of stuff unless it has real weight.
 

Zettaflare

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So with this much more realistic artstyle, are we finally going to see Final Fantasy based worlds? Or possibly Star Wars or Marvel based worlds? I'm super in the dark as I haven't been keeping up with the mobile games at all since KHIII came out. All I remember is that there was a big mystery on the whereabouts of one girl and who another one was. I still need to play the rhythm game too....

Real question is will they be brave enough to turn Donald and Goofy into a hyper realistic duck and dog in order to not mess with the world order?
That would be pretty funny. Bet Sora wouldn't recognize them at first, lol. Seriously though give them new outfits in Quadratum Nomura, please
 

Ballad of Caius

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"Early development"?????? Uuuuuuggghhh... But hey, at least by the time KH4 releases, they'll be cheaper versions of current gen consoles, LOL

By the way, I think it'll be multi platform. There's a button sequence and they don't show PlayStation button. We'll see if it'll be timed exclusive like FF7 R.
 

2 quid is good

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Ah. Was not aware of that. Are those just allegations, or is there sturdy evidence? Cause I imagine Nomura doesn't care much about that kind of stuff unless it has real weight.
Willa's mother accused him of harassing her, I wouldn't take the allegations lightly
 

bambii

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Some interesting tidbits here though I can’t find a proper translation.

Based on Google translate, I’m gathering the following (aside from the UE5 bit which we already knew):
  • The logo change is to mark the start of a new saga
  • Nomura chose KH4 over Verum Rex but was torn
  • Something else about Verum Rex I can’t interpret
  • The trailer narrator is the character it has been so far (?)
  • Missing-Link has action gameplay like the main series, includes up to 6 players. 2 modes: story mode and walking mode (Pokémon Go-esque). Beta scheduled for autumn 2022
  • Missing-Link is a story that connects all the mysteries thus far; key words are multiple (???), founding ancestor Ephemer, secret society of Keyblade wielders
 

Face My Fears

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That would be pretty funny. Bet Sora wouldn't recognize them at first, lol. Seriously though give them new outfits in Quadratum Nomura, please
I feel like their new Quadratum outfits were already somewhat shown in Toy Box. I think the toy outfits were the Quadratum designs, just in toy form.
 

KingdomKurdistan

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I love the Sora lost in spacetime aspect. The dissonance of him being on a photorealistic sofa in the lazy daylight of a harsh summer morning, with regular-sized feet and boringly ordinary hair: Perfect. In other threads, I've discussed how this being the beat running though KH4's story would be the ideal way to write it. And I'm glad they seem to be leaning into it from what I can tell.

However... Frustrating people with unfamiliarity in a narrative sense is one thing. Basing the whole first trailer on that is a bit self-defeating. KH2's prologue was so powerful because of the sense of anxiety we felt at being unexpectedly removed from the familiar. And as being captive to the story being told. We can not buy a game but the threshold for refusing to play it once committed is higher.

Of course there's the issue of if not showing that then what? I'd have focused more on the Donald/Goofy scene while only hinting at the Sora parts. But that's just me. I wouldn't signpost narrative subversion in the marketing because it both cheapens the impact of that subversion of expectations while risking the loss of interest among many turned off by how removed it is from what we know. Especially as their first exposure to the game.
 

NoWay

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Considering how long the development of KH4 still takes, I was wondering if it really is the next console game release?

We still have the UX leak from NVidia. Is it still possible to receive UX for consoles in the next year?
 

Launchpad

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God I am just so happy. I don't think Quadratum will represent the bulk of the game, one way or another we will be running through beautiful Disney commercials as always. Can't wait to see more.
 

KingdomKurdistan

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Also, that gameplay footage looks so underwhelming and I'm surprised they even presented it. Why not just leave it at cutscenes and pre-rendered footage.

Movement and interaction with the environment looks great. the environments themselves look below awful. Uniform lighting. Bland textures. Nondescript buildings. Empty interiors.

I know it's a work in progress and will look nothing like this upon release. So why show it at all. People who aren't KH fans will see that and think "the heck is this fan made tech demo?"

Also, thank fook it's UE5. Jeez. Do we know which teams are working on this? Is there any chance SE Europe devs will be involved?
 

AR829038

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Also, that gameplay footage looks so underwhelming and I'm surprised they even presented it. Why not just leave it at cutscenes and pre-rendered footage.

Movement and interaction with the environment looks great. the environments themselves look below awful. Uniform lighting. Bland textures. Nondescript buildings. Empty interiors.

I know it's a work in progress and will look nothing like this upon release. So why show it at all. People who aren't KH fans will see that and think "the heck is this fan made tech demo?"

Also, thank fook it's UE5. Jeez. Do we know which teams are working on this? Is there any chance SE Europe devs will be involved?
I mean, they also showed rough gameplay footage at the 2013 KH3 teaser too. I don't think it's designed to actually entice, but rather to give viewers some sense of the kind of mechanics they'll be going for in the finished product. And tbf, they were very clear that this was made in UE4 but the finished product will be in UE5, so they're trying to broadcast heavily that this doesn't represent the full vision.

That being said, everything you've said is exactly what I feel about the Missing-Link trailer. I've seen it several times over now, and each time I see it Scala ad Caelum looks worse and worse. It looks like that generic-ass city from the Sonic '06 game, and it doesn't inspire confidence. It's such an insane downgrade in terms of both style and grandeur from the Scala we see in 3.
 

JJ1020

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Could Sora being stuck in Quadratum imply that perhaps this game will have 2 playable characters? Perhaps Sora could be the playable character through Quadratum and live-action-inspired worlds and the other character (Kairi?) could be the one that is with Donald and Goofy in Disney and Pixar worlds.

Anyhow, the footage (though clearly early stuff) looks great and I can only imagine how it will look in Unreal 5. I'm not sure how I feel about Sora looking so...different. But I get that's maybe the style they're going for. It's just going to take some getting used to.

Also, not at all surprised that there won't be anything for the game at E3. Perhaps we might get some more at one of the D23s? If so, D23 Japan is the most likely option. Remember, this game has likely only been in development over the last couple of years. It is going to take time. Hopefully not as much time as KH3, but still. Time.

I'll say that comparing this footage to the first footage of KH3, KH4 seems to be further along in production as of the first trailer. There's already voice acting and a little bit of gameplay footage. Perhaps 2024-2025 is a viable release window?

Early predictions;
Much of the tone of the game seems to be centered around death and the afterlife, so that will probably be the focus of a number of the game's elements, story, and level design.

For worlds, it's a little too early to speculate. However, it would probably not be wrong to assume that at least a handful will be live-action based given the tone of the trailer, particularly if Sora stays separated for a while in the game. I guess that the game will have 10 Disney Worlds in total. One more than the last game, but keeping with the mainline number count. I'll give a list of ones I think are possible. These are not the worlds that will be, only ones that may be only (to paraphrase Charles Dickens).

Disney Animation and Pixar Worlds:

-New Worlds:

-The Land of the Dead- Coco. This one feels like a given. With Pixar now available for Kingdom Hearts and the game's focus is in part on the afterlife, I'd say this is the most likely new world we will see. It just fits.

-The Underworld? Honestly, I can't see Olympus coming back this time around. The stuff with Hades will probably be not much more beyond a cutscene or two. Could be wrong though. It doesn't count if it's just a few cutscenes.

-Motunui- Moana. Another fairly obvious candidate given that it is widely loved and still does incredibly well on Disney+. Perhaps they could be looking for magical objects like Maui's fishhook or the heart of Te Fiti?

-Zootopia- Another obvious candidate. The film did quite well and would provide an interesting setting given that cities seem to be a big part of KH4.

-Encanto- I know this is a newer film, but with how popular it has become it would seem strange for it not to appear in some form. It could be about reconnecting with loved ones as part of the journey? The family doors alone would make for interesting level possibilities.

-One More New Pixar World. As for which one, I'm not sure. Your guess is as good as mine. The most likely options include Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, A Bug's Life, Brave, Inside Out, Wall-E, etc. There's no way that there will be only 1 new Pixar world, is all I'm saying.

-Returning. I only expect maybe 1 or two returning worlds.

-Toy Story- The biggest Pixar property by far and the one most suited for returns. There are more characters to showcase, like Jessie, Bullseye, Slinky, etc. Also, perhaps visiting this world could provide more insight into Yozora and Verum Rex.

-Frozen 2- Yeah, I know. The complaints about Arendelle are clear. But this time they'll have more resources and time to flesh out a better level. Ahtohallan could provide for many interesting design possibilities and will be less frustrating given that it's mostly forest and not a mountain.

-Live-Action Disney properties. That is both a broad and loaded assumption, but it seems likely given what we are seeing. Which worlds specifically? IDK. But I can speculate; Marvel and Star Wars are possibilities. I know that is controversial for some fans, but the fact of the matter is that both franchises are among the most beloved and popular series in the world. Disney and Square Enix can't just ignore that fact. But they're not the only live-action properties Disney could bring in.

- Star Wars. For me, the question is not whether to bring Star Wars into Kingdom Hearts. It's when to bring in Star Wars. I believe that the best place for Sora to venture into a galaxy far, far away is the Original Trilogy. It's the most known, the most beloved, and the least controversial between the prequels and the sequels. Nomura has stated that he's a fan, so with EA's exclusivity contract over, this seems like a definite possibility.

-Marvel. The biggest problem with Marvel is what characters do you focus on? There are scores of characters. My solution would be one of two options;
1. have it be like Hundred Acre Woods where you find comic books based on the characters instead of torn pages. My guess for characters would be Spider-Man, Doctor Strange (he's not an Avenger, keep in mind), The Avengers, and the Guardians of the Galaxy.
2.) Have the characters in Quadratum. Perhaps something Doctor Strange did cause them to appear in Quadratum and Sora needs to help them return home. Kind of like the Final Fantasy characters in KH1 and KH2.

-Pandora- Avatar. I know the complaints this will inevitably get. But the fact of the matter is; Avatar is one of the two highest-grossing films of all time. It has a dedicated land built in Disney's Animal Kingdom. And the sequels are fast coming. If you think that Disney isn't going to want to market those films to the heavens, you're kidding yourself. Avatar was also popular in Japan and around the world too, so there's that.
Plus, I've heard Matt Belloni (a noted Hollywood insider) say on a podcast that all of the studios expect Best Picture next year at the Oscars to come down to either Spielberg, Scorcese, or James Cameron's Avatar 2. The early footage is rumored to be that good. And again. Matt Belloni is not just some blogger with semi-reliable info. He used to be a writer for The Hollywood Reporter and is often at big events like the Oscars. This guy is a reliable source. If he says that Avatar 2 is going to be a contender, I believe him.
Now, it might not be. Avatar 2 could underperform, to be sure. But if there's one thing that people should learn by now, it's never to underestimate James Cameron.

That's all I have for now, but we'll have to wait and see what's coming soon.
 
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ROXAS_32

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The trailers were dope. To be completely honest I wasn't expecting much so I'm satisfied with what they shown off. We'll probably get a few games before KH4 releases (in 2031 lol). Now we play the wait game till the release of the beta of Kingdom Hearts: Missing - Link.
 

KingdomKurdistan

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My biggest wish atm is they animate separately for Japanese and English so the dialogue can be written and performed in natural language without straining to match timecodes. There was a half baked automated version of this for FF7 Remake which apparently worked fairly well. Not sure of the exact details

And hire an editor. Jeez. Just indiscriminately hack at the script with scissors for all I care. If the cutouts are important just add them to in-gameplay dialogue so people aren't standing around gesticulating into mid air with 10 minutes of dry exposition.

I played The Avengers (distributed by SE) recently and the animation for cutscenes is INCREDIBLE. As is the acting and writing. Felt like watching a movie even though most was rendered in-engine.
 

AdrianXXII

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So I just watched the Kingdom Hearts 20th Anniversary trailer and feel oddly deflated and disappointed. I guess, despite trying to expect nothing, I was expecting more than just a trailer for a delayed mobile game, an awful looking sequel to Union Cross and an off feeling intro trailer to KH4. I guess, on some level I expect the 20th anniversary to be them putting their best foot forward and if this is their best foot... I'm not sure what that means.

Missing-Link looks absolutely horrible graphic and gameplay wise... it being another mobile multiplayer game doesn't help, seeing I personally don't care for those. I personally would have prefered seeing another "spin-off" focusing on one of the trios or already established cast. Hopefully the finished product will be more interesting and enticing.

Also I can't believe that I didn't feel any excitement at all for the KH4 segment... I should be excited and hyped, but I just feel deflated... I don't think I've ever reacted this poorly to a KH announcement before.

Hopefully reading through other people's post and seeing other's reaction will get me more excited.
 

Face My Fears

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So I just watched the Kingdom Hearts 20th Anniversary trailer and feel oddly deflated and disappointed. I guess, despite trying to expect nothing, I was expecting more than just a trailer for a delayed mobile game, an awful looking sequel to Union Cross and an off feeling intro trailer to KH4. I guess, on some level I expect the 20th anniversary to be them putting their best foot forward and if this is their best foot... I'm not sure what that means.

Missing-Link looks absolutely horrible graphic and gameplay wise... it being another mobile multiplayer game doesn't help, seeing I personally don't care for those. I personally would have prefered seeing another "spin-off" focusing on one of the trios or already established cast. Hopefully the finished product will be more interesting and enticing.

Also I can't believe that I didn't feel any excitement at all for the KH4 segment... I should be excited and hyped, but I just feel deflated... I don't think I've ever reacted this poorly to a KH announcement before.

Hopefully reading through other people's post and seeing other's reaction will get me more excited.
"Best foot forward"? Nomura finished the artwork at 10AM before the event!

I think he showed what he could at the event solely because the event was happening. If there was no 20th anniversary event, Nomura wouldn't have shown a damn thing yet.
 

AR829038

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So I just watched the Kingdom Hearts 20th Anniversary trailer and feel oddly deflated and disappointed. I guess, despite trying to expect nothing, I was expecting more than just a trailer for a delayed mobile game, an awful looking sequel to Union Cross and an off feeling intro trailer to KH4. I guess, on some level I expect the 20th anniversary to be them putting their best foot forward and if this is their best foot... I'm not sure what that means.

Missing-Link looks absolutely horrible graphic and gameplay wise... it being another mobile multiplayer game doesn't help, seeing I personally don't care for those. I personally would have prefered seeing another "spin-off" focusing on one of the trios or already established cast. Hopefully the finished product will be more interesting and enticing.

Also I can't believe that I didn't feel any excitement at all for the KH4 segment... I should be excited and hyped, but I just feel deflated... I don't think I've ever reacted this poorly to a KH announcement before.

Hopefully reading through other people's post and seeing other's reaction will get me more excited.
I'd be lying if I said I didn't share some of your sentiment.

On the one hand, it's so incredibly cool to actually get a look at KH4 this soon after KH3 knowing what our fanbase has gone through over the last decade in terms of waiting and false teases.

On the other hand, the lead-up to the event did suggest a bit more than what we got. I don't want to be greedy, and I certainly don't want the road to KH4 to be paved with a bunch of interim titles like what happened between 2 and 3. But at the same time, yeah, the more I let my brain cool down from the hype and the excitement, the more I feel just a little bit disappointed with what we actually are getting.

I mean, when you take stock, all we're really getting is a trailer for the last, NON-playable portion of a terrible mobile game that SHOULD'VE been finished 8 months ago, a trailer for yet another mobile game that ONLY looks good in comparison to the UX/DR games, which is NOT high praise, and finally a relatively rough-looking teaser for a game that isn't likely to be releasing anytime within the next few years.

I guess when Nomura said this year was going to be busy, I was hoping for...more. KH4 is cool, but it doesn't count if it's still years down the line. I was REALLY hoping for an actual, honest-to-God GAME, not another mobile title. Something on the Switch, maybe. People on that console are getting really shafted with this series.

I'm not completely pessimistic, but yeah, for their 20th anniversary event, I think you're right, it was relatively underwhelming. Unless there's more they simply haven't revealed yet, but I find that unlikely.
 
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