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The Kingdom Hearts 3 Premiere Event gave us the amazing opportunity to try the first-ever demo of this long-awaited title. As we went hands-on, it became clear just how much love and care went into developing in this game over the past 5 years. From the swirl-patterned trees and daunting mountains of Olympus to the Galaxy Toys shop that perfectly mixes the sensibilities of east and west, to characters that acknowledge their past experiences and react accordingly to new situations, the worlds now feel fully realized.
The first demo took place, briefly, in Olympus. Though the battle with the Rock Titan didn't last very long, the segment already dwarfed Olympus's first three-room incarnation in the first Kingdom Hearts game. The mountainside was epic and packed with curling fauna in the signature Olympus-style spirals. The dusty rocks turned dark and slippery when the weather transitioned seamlessly into an intense thunderstorm, and you could watch small streams of rain collect off the rocks and collect in pools at the bottom. There was even a hidden Mickey in the trees.
But as nice as it was to return to Olympus for a quick clash with the Rock Titan, Toy Box was the real highlight. It was clear that the development team is extremely proud of the work they've done with the first Pixar world in the series. Yoko Shimomura's interpretation of "You've Got A Friend In Me" delivers a wave of nostalgia as the world's field theme, and the new battle theme brings up memories of grand adventures with our own childhood favorites. The toys look absolutely spot on, which is not surprising as Pixar gave Square Enix their unshaded character models to use for the game. It was very impressive to see the insane levels of detail on them, between the scratches and smudges caused by years of play, the names on the soles of their feet, the red thread where Andy reattached Woody's arm and even the ©Disney/Pixar on Buzz's rear.
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This trip into the world of Toy Story feels like a reunion with old friends. Video-game enthusiast Rex quickly mistakes Sora for "Yozora", the hero from his favorite video game, as he tells him about his struggles trying to defeat Bahamut. (And what a coincidence it is that Yozora is the Japanese word for "night sky", the meaning of which is shared by Final Fantasy XV's Noctis Caelum.) There's the witty Hamm who always has a smart remark to say, and good-natured Woody who struggles to comprehend things like splitting world and shadowy powers but doesn't hesitate to face each new problem head-on. And Buzz, who openly mocks the ridiculous video game logic being presented to him as if he didn't once believe he was an actual space ranger, still has the best intentions at heart. Even the hive-minded Aliens and fiercely loyal Green Army Men don't feel out of character at all, and it gives us a lot of confidence that the story will do them justice.
And that's not even to say anything about the world they built! Andy's bedroom is littered with toys and shows signs of being well-lived. The iconic Luxo Ball lies among wooden blocks and a disassembled train set, just asking to be jumped on to bowl over unassuming Heartless. The bed, neatly covered by a Buzz Lightyear bedspread, presses down gently as the toys walk on it. Empty soda cans and crumpled pieces of homework rest on the floor by his desk; feel free to kick them around if you'd like. Posters and fliers decorate the walls and corkboard, along with sticky notes for important appointments and sports practices.
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The exterior of the house gets no less attention, and it helps plenty that the plot has conveniently removed all other life forms so there are no threats of being seen by curious children or getting run over by a car. Sora and the others are free to leave the confines of the house and traverse the front lawn, loiter on the neighbor's driveway, and even cross the street! But don't be fooled by its simplicity; there are actually few easter eggs hidden around! Inspect the license plate of the neighbor's cars to find Pixar's code A113, and following the path going behind Andy's house will lead to the yard sale sign and blue lockbox that Woody gets stolen out of in Toy Story 2, indicating the events of the second film were quite recent. That or the Davis family should probably throw their junk away. And if you'd ever like to return to Andy's room, as Goofy will point out, simply use Molly's trampoline beside the driveway to hop back on the roof and reenter through the window.
Finally, there's the pièce de résistance: Galaxy Toys. This amazing shop consists of three floors, with specific areas dedicated to different genres. The first floor offers shelves of board games, consoles and tall displays of action figures, which can be used for platforming or demolished by sending Heartless tumbling into them. A large capsule machine in the center leads to a series of ramps that can transport Sora to the upper levels. Be sure to take a good look around the ground floor before you proceed! You'll spot a Hidden Mickey behind the registers and the Pizza Planet truck in the parking lot.
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The second floor features old-school games, models and action figures that reminds us of visiting the local hobby shop. A pair of Rock 'Em Sock 'Em-esque robots offers a quick minigame: take control of one bot and try to knock the opponent over to reveal a treasure chest. Bumblebee and dragonfly mechs attached to strings fly around in circles, waiting for Sora to leap on to reach hidden treasures. There's even an entire shelf of Dissidia Final Fantasy NT figurines! Alexander, Ramuh, and Leviathan are only shown on the packaging, but Odin, Bahamut, and Ifrit are proudly on display. Hopefully, they figure out how to start moving by the time we return to Toy Box, as it'd make for an amazing boss battle.
There's also a balloon stand outside this area, which was one of the things Co-Director Tai Yasue was particularly excited about. The reason for this being the gas canister filled with helium that is attached to the stand. Giving it a good smack will cause the helium to leak out. Sora and any surrounding party members will breathe it in, and those who have been graced with high-pitched voices will share a brief but silly conversation:
Sora: "Whoa! ...Hey, what happened to my voice?! "
Goofy: "Hey, you sound funny! ...Gawrsh, so do I!"
Buzz: “What?! Well, this is rather embarrassing. Who said that?”
Woody: "Get a load of this, Buzz! I sound like an Alien!"
Donald: ...? What? (his voice is unchanged)
The third floor contains what looks to be a game shop that was closed off for the demo (named 999999), as well as the babies and toddlers section that's packed with comforting toys that'll make any child feel at ease. Adorable animal plushes will cry out when they're pressed, and Sora can bounce on them to reach higher areas so long as they're not currently possessed and trying to attack him. There's even a frog orchestra that can be activated by with a record player. Rather than simply dropping the stylus, Sora will opt to run on the record instead, another throwback to Toy Story 2. The frogs will lift up their instruments and play as long as he keeps the record going, but what's really special is that the song they're playing is Sora's own character theme!
And of course, we can't forget about the line of Angelic Amber dress-up dolls being sold for the whopping price of $255.99. With large eyes, flowing hair and clad in frilly lolita fashion, they may appear to be rather typical, but they've certainly got rather unique names. "Sweet Ruby", "Elegant Emerald" and "Mysterious Onyx". Aren't those the same names as the Weapons from Final Fantasy VII? There's Ruby Weapon, Emerald Weapon, and while an Onyx Weapon doesn't exist, concepts for the unused Onyx Dragon served as the foundation for Ultima Weapon.
There was one final area within Galaxy Toys that could be reached via a ramp going up and through a spaceship-shaped hole in the ceiling. But given that the demo only included about 30% of Toy Box, the secrets that rest within will need to be saved for another day.
Our time with the Premiere Event demo may have been brief, but in that time, we discovered a wealth of surprises that'll put a smile on anyone's face. The sounds were nostalgic, the characters moving, and the world better than we could have imagined. Fans will no doubt have plenty more to discover once Kingdom Hearts 3 releases later this year. And if this demo has shown us anything, it's that the rest of the game will offer experiences as rich and fulfilling as this small vertical slice.
If you would like to see some of these features in action, please check out this video:
Be sure to check out the rest of our Premiere Event coverage:
Part 1: Developer Panel Transcript
Part 2: KH3 Demo Impressions
Part 3: The Divide Between Emotional Connection and the Xbox One
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