Kingdom Hearts creator Tetsuya Nomura recently hinted at a pivotal shift for the series with the upcoming fourth mainline installment. This article delves into his revelations about this new chapter.
Nomura Hints at Series Conclusion with Kingdom Hearts 4
Kingdom Hearts 4: A Story Reset, According to Nomura
The future of Kingdom Hearts appears both captivating and potentially conclusive, based on a recent interview with Nomura. He suggests Kingdom Hearts 4 will be a turning point.
In an interview with Young Jump (translated by KH13), Nomura stated Kingdom Hearts 4 is designed "with the intention of it being a story that leads to the conclusion." While not confirming a series end, it positions this installment as potentially the final saga. The game initiates the "Lost Master Arc," a fresh narrative accessible to newcomers and veterans alike, regardless of prior storyline knowledge.
Nomura explained, "If you remember how the ending of Kingdom Hearts III goes, you'll understand that Sora ends up like that because he's ‘resetting’ the story in a way," adding, "So Kingdom Hearts IV should be easier to get into than before. I think that if you like the series, you'll feel like 'this is it', but I'm also hoping that as many new players as possible will play it."
While suggesting a potential end to the main storyline, Nomura's comments should be viewed within the context of the series' history. Kingdom Hearts is known for its twists and turns. A seemingly definitive ending might allow for interpretation or future spin-offs. The series' extensive cast also opens possibilities for individual character-driven adventures, especially with Nomura's announcement of new writers contributing to the Kingdom Hearts universe.
Nomura told Young Jump, "Both Kingdom Hearts Missing Link and Kingdom Hearts IV have been created with a stronger focus on being new titles rather than sequels," adding, "For example, as a new experiment, we have had staff who have not been involved in the Kingdom Hearts series before participate in writing the scenario. Of course, I will be editing it in the end, but I don't think it will be positioned as a work that needs to be done in the sense that the writer who has never been involved in the 'Kingdom Hearts' series is creating a new base."
The inclusion of new writers is exciting, potentially injecting fresh energy while retaining core elements. New perspectives could introduce innovative gameplay and unexplored areas within the Disney and Square Enix collaboration.
However, Nomura, whose vision has shaped the series' success (and occasional confusion), confirmed consideration of retirement within a few years. He posed a personal challenge: "If this isn't a dream, then I only have a few years left until I retire, and it's looking like: will I retire or will I finish the series first?"
New Arc, Fresh Start
Announced in April 2022, Kingdom Hearts 4 is currently under development. The first trailer showcases the "Lost Master Arc." Details remain scarce, but the trailer shows Sora awakening in Quadratum, a world Nomura described in a 2022 Famitsu interview (translated by VGC) as an alternate reality similar to our own.
Nomura stated, "From each of our perspectives, our perceptions change," explaining, "From Sora’s perspective, Quadratum is an underworld, a fictional world that is different from reality. But from the point of view of the inhabitants on the Quadratum side, the world of Quadratum is reality, and the world where Sora and the others were is the other side, the fictional world."
According to Nomura's Young Jump interview, this Tokyo-esque world with a dreamlike quality isn't entirely new; he conceived it during the first game's development.
Unlike the whimsical Disney worlds of previous titles, Quadratum offers a more grounded setting. This, along with enhanced visual fidelity, results in a reduced number of Disney worlds.
Nomura told GameInformer in 2022, "With regards to Kingdom Hearts IV, players are definitely going to see a few Disney worlds in there," adding, "Since each new title, the specs have been really increasing, and there’s so much more we can do in terms of graphics, it kind of limits the number of worlds that we can create in a sense. At this time, we’re considering how to approach that, but there will be Disney worlds in Kingdom Hearts IV."
While fewer Disney worlds are a change, streamlining could lead to a more focused narrative, mitigating the complexity that sometimes overwhelmed players.
Whether Kingdom Hearts 4 concludes the series or initiates a new chapter, it will be a significant moment for Sora and his companions. For many fans, a full-circle conclusion under Nomura's direction, while bittersweet, would be an epic ending to a story spanning over two decades.
