Summary
Kingdom Hearts 4might still have an unknown development timeline, but it’s set to evolve the franchise like never before with a more realistic art style when it does come around. With its Tokyo-inspired setting’s potential to bring more human elements to the life of Sora,Kingdom Hearts 4could end up taking influence from another popular series that has utilized the same city.
Places like Twilight Town and Radiant Garden have been key locations in past games through serving as hub worlds, and this role seems to have shifted tothe “afterworld” of Quadratum inKH4. The circumstance that led Sora to this place was essentially a form of death in his reality, leading him to be seemingly trapped within the meta “unreality”. An interview with series director Tetsuya Nomura may have confirmed that this change in style will lead to more live-action Disney IPs appearing, but also made one curious statement about the implications of a real-life setting.
Kingdom Hearts 4’s Focus on Realism in Quadratum
Players Can Expect to See Sora’s Daily Routine
InNomura’s interview with Game InformerregardingKH4, he was specifically asked about how the realism of Quadratum could bring about new forms of gameplay. While the series has historically centered around combat on this front, the director provided insight into a new focus:
“I think it will be a pretty good amount of time since it is set as the initial base within the game. You spend time there and then go to different worlds and then go back there. Because the graphics are more realistic this time around,I feel like there’s more of a realistic daily life aspect to Sora’s life. You can see him go in and out of his room and spend time there. I feel like players will get to see more of the day-to-day routines he goes through.”
A Possible Evolution of KH’s Mini-Games
From theactivities ofWinnie the Pooh’s 100 Acre Wood inKingdom Heartstitles to cooking with Remy fromRatatouilleinKH3, the series has always featured side diversions that can break up the core combat. IfKH4goes through with its portrayal of Sora living as a “real” person in a city, there’s a good chance that Square Enix could choose to emphasize the “day-to-day” components as the new mini-games instead.
If these include mundane tasks like household errands, school, work, and social situations, it’s tough to imagine them outshining the charm of activities that came before. Taking inspiration fromAtlus’Personagames, a franchise that has capitalized on making daily life exciting, however, could make for one ofKH’s strongest shifts.
Harnessing the Persona Series' Life Sim Elements in Kingdom Hearts
Day-to-Day Life and Relationships Can Mature Sora
Some fans have grown to desire amore mature version ofKH’s Soraafter 20 years of seeing him and his friends as generally immature, and the next game’s potential emphasis on normal routines could be a great step forward. ThePersonagames have been able to explore dark and personal themes which are relevant to real life through their blend of social sim and fantasy RPG fare, and this formula could bringKingdom Heart’s cast up to a similar level of emotional complexity. If he ends up having to keep up with things besides fighting Heartless, such as laundry, cooking, or even personal relationships chosen by the player, there will be much more time to see Sora and others as introspective, three-dimensional beings.
The Full Implications of Quadratum as an ‘Afterworld’
It still remains to be seen just how much of an impact Quadratum’s implied status as an afterlife will have, but it could be assumed that its residents ended up there for a reason. If Sora emerged after abusing the Power of Waking,Union X’s Strelitziawas already present, and Yozora is there on his own unknown journey, it’s easily possible that many more characters with their own compelling backstories could form a cast worth understanding on a deeper level than in previous games.
