News ► KINGDOM HEARTS Melody of Memory game announced, releasing worldwide in 2020

[alexis.anagram]

Oh, so this is the Kairi game. Haha, cool, cool. Promised and delivered.

Color me surprised that the first two titles immediately announced to follow KH3 are both batting cleanup for the Xehanort Saga. And here I was under the impression (after having it repeatedly drilled into me) that the game's sole objective was to bring closure to that narrative strain and the cliffhanger was acceptable because it ended the Xehanort story and moved the franchise on towards something new.

And yet somehow this strikes me as like the inverse of the post-KH2 Days/BBS/Coded announcement. Whereas that showcased the capacity for the franchise to expand itself conceptually, post-KH3 it's all been about taking advantage of the generosity of patience which exists/has been conditioned into the fandom. Surely folks will be just riveted at the opportunity to play through a segmented rehash of all of the previous games, again. Surely if they're given an IV drip of new canon that is really old canon but repackaged to look like new canon, it'll get eaten right up.

Yum stale franchise breadcrumbs. While we're at it, Days remake, please and thank you. I'll even accept it in rhythm game format if Xion is playable.

 

[darknessofheart]

So
I think they're going with the angle that Kairi got sudden PTSD at the sight of Terranort in KH3 & that's why she was all deer in the headlights.

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Given that this would be the first time she saw him again since her abduction, that scene suddenly has an additional layer of disturbing context.

After seeing further translated trailers, I'm more convinced the figure is apprentice Xehanort. I don't know who else she would have a memory of that she despises so much unless they pull a Subject X stunt and introduce another new character into the backstory from left-field.

On a side-note, I like the callback to the static similar to Sora's memory reconstruction in KH2, only this time it's Kairi's memories. Perhaps at the conclusion, her full memory and power is restored and serves as the key to reaching Sora.

 

[MATGSY]

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Given that this would be the first time she saw him again since her abduction, that scene suddenly has an additional layer of disturbing context.

After seeing further translated trailers, I'm more convinced the figure is apprentice Xehanort. I don't know who else she would have a memory of that she despises so much unless they pull a Subject X stunt and introduce another new character into the backstory from left-field.

On a side-note, I like the callback to the static similar to Sora's memory reconstruction in KH2, only this time it's Kairi's memories. Perhaps at the conclusion of her true, her full memory and power is restored and serves as the key to reach Sora.

Seriously, why the hell didn't we get a Kairi scenario in DDD? Could've had a CLU fight, Frollo, a TWEWY boss, thunder-based yellow lobster, Full-bodied Holey Moley, a Chernabog fight that didn't suck, & AX as her final boss. Such wasted potential.

 

[silentmusic16]

I love me some rhythm gaming - mixing it wth KH is only a great thing in my mind. And to think that Nomura is continuing his decades-long run as a total madman and squeezing plot relevant details into this is wonderful, at least to me. I can't imagine ever getting off Nomura's wild ride.

Is it disappointing that in "Kairi's game" we're likely not playing as her? Sure. But I have hope that she'll show up as playable on future ARPG titles now that she has in Re:Mind, and anyway, we're finally getting more Kairi focus regardless - definitely a net positive imo.

Spoiler Show

That it's on the Switch is fanning the flames of my forever-hope that we'll get Sora in Smash.

 

[darknessofheart]

Seriously, why the hell didn't we get a Kairi scenario in DDD? Could've had a CLU fight, Frollo, a TWEWY boss, thunder-based yellow lobster, Full-bodied Holey Moley, a Chernabog fight that didn't suck, & AX as her final boss. Such wasted potential.

Hopefully, this is just a preview of what's to come later on in the series. It seems Nomura certainly got the message from fans that they want and expect Kairi to be a real active part of the action as a fighter. Apparently, he didn't get that message in time for KH3, but it looks like he's trying to make up for it with ReMind and now this, so hopefully in the next console game that will also hold true.

 

[Zettaflare]

Seriously, why the hell didn't we get a Kairi scenario in DDD? Could've had a CLU fight, Frollo, a TWEWY boss, thunder-based yellow lobster, Full-bodied Holey Moley, a Chernabog fight that didn't suck, & AX as her final boss. Such wasted potential.

There was really no reason why Kairi shouldn't have take the exam the first time. None. Yen Sid was already planning on having her fight so just have her become Master level with the boys, sheesh

 

[the red monster]

Can't wait for kingdom karts with sora driving through realm of darkness being cannon

 

[darknessofheart]

Also, I think this further confirms just how much Nomura loves Xehanort as a character. With Dark Road and now MoM, the series is still largely revolving around Xehanort even though he's finally gone. I'm all for that as long as it doesn't lead into some contrived way of bringing him back yet again.

Richard Epcar made a slight joke in an interview last year that he might be back because they keep doing prequel and spinoff games and he was right. I would imagine he would be back to voice apprentice Xehanort again.

 

[*TwilightNight*]

Isn't that still investing into KH tho

Search what the definition of "investing" is.

 

[MATGSY]

Can't wait for kingdom karts with sora driving through realm of darkness being cannon

Sounds better than a music rhythm game to me.

 

[SweetYetSalty]

English Translation:

Kairi can't forgive him. Not something someone with a pure heart devoid of darkness would say or should feel. Hmm.

Seeing this makes me wish apprentice Xehanort truly was one of the 13 Seekers of Darkness and be Kairi's foe in KH3...and bump off Marluxia and/or Larxene. What could have been. Looks like they are trying to correct that now.

 

[2 quid is good]

Kingdom Hearts is just such a monkey paw franchise.

I get a rhythm game which I've always would have loved but it's tied to the plot in such a weird way.

I get a Kairi centric game.... But she's likely not even playable in it, or voiced by Hayden Panettiere which is kinda extremely sad.

I get KH3 and it's... Well, it's a game.

I get a Xehanort prologue game! And new characters who look so good! And it's on a mobile!!

It's the epitome of you can't have your cake and eat it. We never get to eat xD

 

[MATGSY]

Kairi can't forgive him. Not something someone with a pure heart devoid of darkness would say or should feel. Hmm.

Seeing this makes me wish apprentice Xehanort truly was one of the 13 Seekers of Darkness and be Kairi's foe in KH3...and bump off Marluxia and/or Larxene. What could have been. Looks like they are trying to correct that now.

I was already doubtful that Kairi would forever remain a PoH anyway. It's a bit inelegant for her to be in 2 different generations. Have her pass the torch to Vanellope or something.

 

[SweetYetSalty]

I was already doubtful that Kairi would forever remain a PoH anyway. It's a bit inelegant for her to be in 2 different generations. Have her pass the torch to Vanellope or something.

Vanellope's like a major brat...she'd be perfect as a pure heart. I would hope Kairi got to use her PoH powers before passing them off.

 

[MATGSY]

Kingdom Hearts is just such a monkey paw franchise.

I get a rhythm game which I've always would have loved but it's tied to the plot in such a weird way.

I get a Kairi centric game.... But she's likely not even playable in it, or voiced by Hayden Panettiere which is kinda extremely sad.

I get KH3 and it's... Well, it's a game.

I get a Xehanort prologue game! And new characters who look so good! And it's on a mobile!!

It's the epitome of you can't have your cake and eat it. We never get to eat xD

Don't forget epic crossover of Disney & Final Fantasy but they barely crossover at all & are all overshadowed by a mass of fan fic OCs. Series has been monkey pawing since Day 0.

 

[Zul]

Seeing this makes me wish apprentice Xehanort truly was one of the 13 Seekers of Darkness and be Kairi's foe in KH3...and bump off Marluxia and/or Larxene. What could have been. Looks like they are trying to correct that now.

The weird thing is that if he didn't lose his memories, he's Terranort, who is MX.

If he did, he's Ansem SoD.

There doesn't appear to be a way to actually fit AX as a separate being into the Seekers.

Assuming memory loss.

Terranort=MX in Terra's Body
AX= MX's amnesiac heart(treating this as a separate identity) in Terra's Body
Ansem SoD= MX Amnesiac heart in no body, then in Riku's body, then in a replica body in KH3.

...I guess it counts since the heart/body combination between AX and ASoD is different?

 

[SweetYetSalty]

The weird thing is that if he didn't lose his memories, he's Terranort, who is MX.

If he did, he's Ansem SoD.

There doesn't appear to be a way to actually fit AX as a separate being into the Seekers.

Assuming memory loss.

Terranort=MX in Terra's Body
AX= MX's amnesiac heart(treating this as a separate identity) in Terra's Body
Ansem SoD= MX Amnesiac heart in no body, then in Riku's body, then in a replica body in KH3.

...I guess it counts since the heart/body combination between AX and ASoD is different?

I mean a lot of this is true, but Terranort and Master Xehanort act nothing alike. I can't believe they are the same person sometimes. I think there is enough to separate Ansem Seeker and apprentice Xehanort, as absurd as that sounds, to be their own figures. Apprentice Xehanort was more of a scientist while Ansem was a darkness fanatic with a Riku fetish.

 

[2 quid is good]

Don't forget epic crossover of Disney & Final Fantasy but they barely crossover at all & are all overshadowed by a mass of fan fic OCs. Series has been monkeying pawing since Day 0.

KH1 really is still the peak of the franchise huh

 

[Deleted member]

We never get to eat xD

speak for yourself, i'm feasting.

Oh, so this is the Kairi game. Haha, cool, cool. Promised and delivered.

Color me surprised that the first two titles immediately announced to follow KH3 are both batting cleanup for the Xehanort Saga. And here I was under the impression (after having it repeatedly drilled into me) that the game's sole objective was to bring closure to that narrative strain and the cliffhanger was acceptable because it ended the Xehanort story and moved the franchise on towards something new.

And yet somehow this strikes me as like the inverse of the post-KH2 Days/BBS/Coded announcement. Whereas that showcased the capacity for the franchise to expand itself conceptually, post-KH3 it's all been about taking advantage of the generosity of patience which exists/has been conditioned into the fandom. Surely folks will be just riveted at the opportunity to play through a segmented rehash of all of the previous games, again. Surely if they're given an IV drip of new canon that is really old canon but repackaged to look like new canon, it'll get eaten right up.

Yum stale franchise breadcrumbs. While we're at it, Days remake, please and thank you. I'll even accept it in rhythm game format if Xion is playable.

ah, exhausting as ever, alexis.

 

[Zul]

I mean a lot of this is true, but Terranort and Master Xehanort act nothing alike. I can't believe they are the same person sometimes. I think there is enough to separate Ansem Seeker and apprentice Xehanort, as absurd as that sounds, to be their own figures. Apprentice Xehanort was more of a scientist while Ansem was a darkness fanatic with a Riku fetish.

I notice that too. Nomura himself stated that it's MX controlling Terra's body (or rather, the plot mysteries part of the old BBS Ultimania stated that).

But the dialogue itself is confusing. Most of the time it speaks as if it IS MX in Terra's body, but a few times it sounds like "Dark Terra" instead.

"You'll never be able to break these chains, they're OUR bonds!" (unless that line was meant to be mockery?)


EDIT: This confusion also happened in DDD, where the dialogue acted as if Ansem SoD was 100% Master Xehanort, but KH3 acted like he was separate.