Summary
- Kingdom Hearts 4 introduces a new world, Quadratum, and brings back fan-favorite characters with new gameplay features.
- The game marks the start of the end of the franchise's story.
- It also is the beginning of the "Lost Master" story arc.
The upcoming Kingdom Hearts 4 will be the beginning of the end for the franchise's overarching narrative. Square Enix has revealed precious little about Kingdom Hearts 4, though a few important details about the highly-anticipated action-RPG have been revealed.
It's been confirmed that Kingdom Hearts 4 takes place in a world called Quadratum, and that it will see the return of fan favorite characters and villains. The iconic Keyblade weapon will be making a comeback, with new traversal options, as well as the brand-new "build" command. The game looks as though it will be delivering the same kind of action that franchise fans have come to expect, but otherwise, Square Enix has kept mostly quiet about Kingdom Hearts 4.
While fans wait for another Kingdom Hearts 4 trailer and more details on the game in general, series creator Tetsuya Nomura has revealed another interesting tidbit while speaking to Young Jump (as translated by Automaton). According to Nomrua, Kingdom Hearts 4 marks the beginning of the end of the franchise's current storyline. Now, it's unclear what this means for the Kingdom Hearts franchise as a whole. Nomura didn't reveal how many games it would take for the series to actually reach its conclusion, just that KH4 is the start of it.
Kingdom Hearts 4 Will Start Moving the Franchise's Story to Its End
The Kingdom Hearts storyline has been spread across over a dozen games and multiple console generations. It's entirely within the realm of possibility that even though Kingdom Hearts 4 is the beginning of the end for the franchise's story, there will be quite a few games after it before things actually wrap up. And even after Sora's story is over, that doesn't mean there won't be future Kingdom Hearts games. Kingdom Hearts is an incredibly popular series, and so chances are good that new entries will continue to be released as long as people keep buying the games.
Kingdom Hearts IV More Like Kingdom Hearts XIII, says Nomura
"Kingdom Hearts IV" was just announced, but it's really just like "Kingdom Hearts XIII"
-Tetsuya Nomura
It's previously been confirmed that Kingdom Hearts 4 marks the beginning of a brand-new story arc. All the previous Kingdom Hearts games fell under the Dark Seeker Saga banner, while Kingdom Hearts 4 and the games that follow it represent the "Lost Master" arc. It's been said that Kingdom Hearts 4 could be an ideal game for newcomers to start with if they can't be bothered to start the series from the beginning.
Luckily, it's easier than ever before to play through the Kingdom Hearts games. Multiple Kingdom Hearts collections have been released, allowing fans to experience nearly the entire franchise on modern platforms. With no news on when Kingdom Hearts 4 is coming out, there should be plenty of time for those interested to catch up.
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Kingdom Hearts
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.
