Oh man. Nintendo finally hit the big, red “new Kingdom Hearts IV trailer” button during its Direct showcase, giving us our first look at the game in several years.
In the trailer, a figure clothed in the trademark black cloak of an Organization 13 member is talking about this new world they’ve discovered and how the concepts of light and dark do not exist there. The character’s little speech makes it sound like the plot of Kingdom Hearts IV is Sora, Donald, Goofy and a bunch of new friends and enemies have gotten isekai’d from their world of hearts and Disney characters, into the modern world. Think Manhattan Island instead of Destiny Island.
Kingdom Hearts IV was revealed in 2022. In the time since it’s first reveal, Square Enix has had to cancel other Kingdom Hearts projects while sharing little info on the new entry. Last year, Square Enix shared images that implied KH4 might let players control Mickey Mouse, though none of that footage appeared with today’s new trailer.
But even I have to admit, this first look is a little strange. Kingdom Hearts IV seems to be going for a more realistic look, a departure from the stylistic cartoon aesthetics of the previous games. The environments we see in the new trailer look taken from a regular cityscape with skyscrapers and traffic lights instead of the chunky, clockwork buildings of Traverse Town or Hollow Bastion. The problem is Sora, Donald, and Goofy don’t look like they left Traverse Town, and their bright, colorful clothing and fantastical accessories (Sora’s still wielding a keyblade) clash kinda garishly with their surroundings. Its a weird, off-putting look but I’m curious to see how the team at Square Enix works with it in the overall game.
Developing….
