Kingdom Hearts 4 remains one of the most elusive upcoming video games out there. During the franchise’s 20th anniversary celebration in April 2022, Kingdom Hearts 4 was officially revealed, sending a shockwave through the fanbase just three years after the release of the last major entry, 2019's Kingdom Hearts 3. Since then, however, Square Enix has gone through an intense period of radio silence with this new game, failing to provide many updates on the project or any footage of the game in action outside of the initial trailer.
As fan impatience for Kingdom Hearts 4 has begun to mount, Square Enix has recently released some brand-new screenshots of the game to satiate the fanbase. These screenshots showcase several new elements of the game and provide fans with the comfort of knowing that the game is still moving along in its development phase. One noticeable change in one of the screenshots creates some major question marks surrounding how the game will play out, specifically in its earliest moments.
Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link's Loss May Be KH4's Gain
After the cancellation of Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link, it's now up to Kingdom Hearts 4 to pick up the pieces of the mobile title.
Kingdom Hearts 4’s Gameplay Screenshots Showcase A Massive Switch-Up
Sora Could Be By Himself For A Good Portion Of Kingdom Hearts 4
Square Enix’s latest screenshots of Kingdom Hearts 4 showcase several different elements of the game, from the gameplay to the new character and world designs. One noticeable image of the gameplay showcases Sora in a combat interaction with what appear to be new versions of the franchise’s common enemies, the Heartless. The screenshot also very clearly shows the new Tokyo-inspired setting of Quadratum, the overarching hub world where Sora is stuck at the beginning of the game.
Much like the initial trailer showcased in its short gameplay demonstration, Sora is the only character shown in the game’s HUD, indicating that at least for a portion of the game, players might only get to spend time with him. In the past entries, Sora had a party that largely included Donald and Goofy, but could be swapped out with other Disney characters that the cast would encounter along their adventure. With that said, Sora being stuck in Quadratum means that he will be the only character for players to engage with for at least the early portion of the game.
Kingdom Hearts 4 May Finally Let Players Control Donald And Goofy
This gameplay screenshot showcasing Sora by himself in Quadratum raises the question of how long he will be by himself until he gets to reunite with Donald and Goofy. After all, the initial Kingdom Hearts 4 trailer ended by revealing that Donald and Goofy would return. Furthermore, as Quadratum has been confirmed to be the game’s main hub world where players will get to travel between different levels, it remains to be seen whether Donald and Goofy will get to be with Sora in Quadratum, or only meet him when he travels to other Disney worlds.
Perhaps with Donald and Goofy being separated from Sora in Kingdom Hearts 4, this could very well become the first game in the series where the duo is playable. In the past, Donald and Goofy have been relegated to being AI-controlled party members, casting magic spells and assisting Sora in battle, but not being controlled by the player. As this title will see the trio separated, it makes sense for Square Enix to finally allow fans to play as Donald and Goofy in a Kingdom Hearts game this time around.
It remains to be seen whether Donald and Goofy will get to be with Sora in Quadratum, or only meet him when he travels to other Disney worlds.
Mickey Mouse Looks To Be Playable In Kingdom Hearts 4
It wouldn't be out of the ordinary to have Donald and Goofy become playable characters, as the early Kingdom Hearts 4 gameplay screenshots seem to confirm that Mickey Mouse will be a playable character in the game. This would not be the first time fans can play as Mickey in the Kingdom Hearts franchise; he was previously playable in Kingdom Hearts 2. Still, if Sora is stuck in Quadratum by himself for a large portion of the game, Square Enix could opt to swap control between several characters, a move that it had done in previous titles such as Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep and Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance.
Of course, all of this should be taken with a grain of salt, as these gameplay screenshots of Kingdom Hearts 4 are simply that: screenshots. Square Enix has not released any accompanying video footage of Kingdom Hearts 4 in action, leaving the fanbase to simply continue speculating what the screenshots could mean for the finished product. Here's hoping that Square Enix does not keep the fan base waiting much longer and brings out Kingdom Hearts 4 sooner rather than later.
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Kingdom Hearts
