Summary
The wait forKingdom Hearts 4carries on, but fans haven’t been left wanting for Square Enix games. All ofKingdom Heartsnow exists on modern consoles, so the community can keep itself occupied by catching up on the story so far. TheFinal Fantasy 7 Remaketrilogy is also progressing with the launch ofFF7 Rebirth, and fans of one will probably enjoy the other. It’s good all of that is around, asKingdom Hearts 4hasn’t had any substantial updates beyond its reveal trailer. There’s still some uncertainty as to the shape of this game, but hopefully that will change soon.
What fans know right now aboutKingdom Hearts 4is thatKHprotagonist Sora has been separated from his friends by his sacrifice at the end ofKingdom Hearts 3. Now, he finds himself alongside the supposedly dead Strelitzia fromKingdom Hearts Union Crossin the unreality of Quadratum, and it appears that dark forces are once again at work. If2024 brings more news aboutKingdom Hearts 4, its next trailer will need to address this situation and relate some news about what Sora’s allies are doing to find him. That said, it would be better if Quadratum and its cast got some time to breathe first.
Kingdom Hearts 4 Needs To Emphasize Its New Elements
Quadratum represents a new wave of possibilities forKingdom Hearts, and could potentially makeKingdom Hearts 4a good soft reset pointfor new players to enjoy. It is the beginning of the Lost Master Arc, and should offer a fresh set of worlds and a predominantly new cast of characters to go along with them. After many of the series' running plot threads were resolved inKingdom Hearts 3, it will be nice to ignore some of the baggage thatKingdom Heartshas been piling up, at least for a little while.
Old Kingdom Hearts Can’t Get In KH4’s Way
However, all of that is predicated on the new parts being interesting.Kingdom Hearts 4can’t afford to drop the ball when it comes to developing some new characters, even if they are technically old faces like Strelitzia or Yozora, to forge its own identity. Sora will want to leaveKH4’s setting, but his efforts to return home can’t bear fruit right away. Echoing that,Sora shouldn’t reunite with his friends inKH4either, and they would ideally be absent for most of the game’s duration. The player and Sora need time to grow accustomed to new faces and places, andKingdom Hearts 4is fortunately equipped to provide just that.
Slowing Its Story Should Give Kingdom Hearts 4 Room To Grow Alone
A common complaint aboutKingdom Hearts 3’s pacing is that it’s overly slow for most of the game, with major revelations being backloaded. The central criticism is that howSora unlocks the Power of Waking doesn’t make sense. Visiting the Disney worlds does nothing, up until Sora travels directly to where the Power of Waking is necessary to gain it forKH3’s finale. Repeating this narrative structure would serveKingdom Hearts 4better, as it would give Sora more time to become acquainted with new party members in various Disney worlds like inKingdom Hearts 1.
Kingdom Hearts 4 Needs To Manage Sora’s Friends Carefully
Similarly toKH3, cutscenes could play after certain worlds showing what Sora’s friends are doing. Spreading these out among the cast would give players the impression that important things are happening, but they haven’t caught up with Sora yet. Keeping Riku busy, as he also traveled to Quadratum at the end ofMelody of Memory, would be vital, even if his presence could add aDream Drop Distance-like element toKH4. As long as Sora’s disappearance fromKingdom Hearts 3isn’t nullified by being resolved too soon, thenKingdom Hearts 4should be able to start its new saga with a bang.
Kingdom Hearts 4
Kingdom Hearts 4 is an action RPG developed by Square Enix and represents the fifteenth installment in the franchise. Players once again are put in the shoes of Sora who is suddenly trapped in a more realistic world called Quadratum, with companions like Donald and Goofy attempting to rescue him. Kingdom Hearts 4 is a direct sequel to Kingdom Hearts 3 and Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory.
