Summary
- Kingdom Hearts 4 will likely bring a new focus to unique combat encounters, featuring world-specific enemies in addition to the traditional Heartless foes.
- The inclusion of non-Heartless enemies can add depth and immersion to the game, allowing players to fight opponents grounded within specific settings.
- The upcoming game's setting of Quadratum suggests a new direction for Kingdom Hearts 4, but Square Enix should not miss out on the potential for fresh faces and more combat opportunities within its lineup of Disney worlds.
Following the conclusion of the Dark Seeker Saga, Kingdom Hearts 4 is set to bring the iconic Square Enix crossover series into a new era when it eventually arrives. There hasn’t been any substantial update since the game’s initial reveal trailer, but it’s already been made clear that the next Kingdom Hearts will likely be a departure from its predecessors as it dives into a more serious and realistic style. Given the series’ foundations in the charm of Disney properties, however, there’s one element which used to be more prominent in older KH titles that Kingdom Hearts 4 could benefit from incorporating more heavily.
The original premise for Kingdom Hearts may be a cross between Final Fantasy and Disney on paper, but the series has established its own unique approach as an action RPG. The worlds of various Disney properties are featured, but the vast majority of enemies encountered are likely to be some form of original KH creature. The Heartless and subsequent likes of the Nobodies and Unversed are all examples of hostile opponents found throughout the franchise, with actual Disney characters in Kingdom Hearts rarely appearing as foes in combat scenarios. The changes set to be brought about by KH4 have a chance to bring a new focus to these rarer encounters, however, providing its new worlds with the chance to be even more immersive.
World-Specific Enemies in Previous Kingdom Hearts Games
Unique Combat Encounters in Disney Worlds
Many KH worlds have set up original stories or even recaps featuring the actual cast of characters from a given IP, but tend to mostly feature fights with original enemies. There is also a substantial quantity of Disney bosses across Kingdom Hearts games, but seeing characters like this in regular combat encounters has been a rare occurrence. Despite being uncommon, there have still been several memorable battles involving world-specific foes:
- Card Soldiers - Wonderland (KH2)
- Struggle Tournament - Twilight Town (KH2)
- Undead Pirates - Port Royal (KH2)
- Maleficent Goon’s - Enchanted Dominion (KHBBS)
- Black Guards - The Grid (KHDDD)
- Beagle Boys - Country of the Musketeers (KHDDD)
- Chernabog’s Fiends - Sorcery of Symphony (KHDDD)
- Possessed Toys - Toy Box (KH3)
The Value of Alternative Enemy Types
There is typically not much challenge associated with fights like the Card Soldiers of KH1’s Wonderland, but the surreal nature of allowing something other than a Heartless to be fought with a keyblade helps cement the validity of the crossover. This sort of scenario has become less prevalent over the years, with Kingdom Hearts 3’s Toy Box world only having enemies that are technically inanimate objects possessed by Marionette Heartless. These enemies are still Heartless, but the feeling of fighting opponents grounded within a particular setting has the potential to inspire the next KH game.
How Non-Heartless Enemies Can Shine in Kingdom Hearts 4
New Worlds and Their Conflicts
A new version of the Darkside Heartless is the only enemy that has been shown to appear in Kingdom Hearts 4 so far, but that doesn’t mean the game won’t vary its approach to battles moving forward. With a version of Star Wars’ Endor in KH4 already possibly having been teased via the game's reveal trailer, there is a chance that a new focus on more realistic Disney-licensed settings matching Quadratum’s style could be in store. Combined with the seemingly darker aesthetic of the Heartless, Square Enix going this route could be massively complemented by an increase in world-specific enemy encounters.
The Implications of Quadratum
The truth behind KH4's world of Quadratum has yet to be fully revealed, but the place's vastly different art style shows that the next game could be headed in a completely new direction. Many of the series' original and Disney characters alike could be left behind in favor of fresh faces, and allowing the casts of the upcoming game's worlds to engage in more combat would only help to ease this transition. There's no telling what Kingdom Hearts 4's approach to worlds will look like, but seeing less of the all too common Heartless in favor of unique enemies has the potential to satisfy many fans and even expand the scope of the franchise as a whole.
- 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.
