Kingdom Hearts 4

The legendary Square Enix series continues in Kingdom Hearts 4. Follow Sora on a quest like never before, as the young hero discovers a world that looks completely alien to him, but might look more than just a bit familiar to you and me.

Kingdom Hearts has always been a fascinating series that manages to combine the best of classic JRPGs with the wonder and magic of Disney, and the result is always a convoluted mismatch of ideas that makes little to no sense to players that just dip their toes into the franchise.

It’s A Small Universe

To any outsider spectator, the world of Kingdom Hearts might just look like a combination between Final Fantasy and every Disney franchise – and, for the most part, they would be right. However, long-time fans of the series know that there’s an even deeper narrative hidden under the happy-go-lucky exterior of the franchise.

Kingdom Hearts 4 signals the end of an era, as Sora reaches a turn of no return in his journey. After the shocking twist at the end of Kingdom Hearts III, Sora has finally reached a place that could rival the strangest of Disney’s kingdoms: real-life Japan. That’s right: our anime hero has ditched the clown shoes and settled in Tokyo, where an epic adventure of JRPG proportions awaits.

This marks a considerable departure for the series, which has always had a more lighthearted tone on the surface than most Final Fantasy titles. Whether or not this seriousness extends to the whole narrative of the game remains to be seen, as there are some areas that are yet to be revealed by Square Enix.

Other than that, the game seems to keep a similar approach to combat as its predecessors. This means that the same aerial shenanigans that players saw in Kingdom Hearts III and Final Fantasy XV should still be possible, even in the middle of a busy interception in Shibuya.

Redefining Clarity

The visual fidelity is an area where the game seems to have taken a clear lead over its prequel. Kingdom Hearts III was already quite the looker, so we can only expect Kingdom Hearts 4 – which is being developed for next-gen consoles – to surpass its older brother in every conceivable way.

Of course, this would also mean that a beefier rig might be in order if you wish to enjoy this game with all its visual bells and whistles. Owners of next-gen consoles, on the other hand, can rest easy, as Square Enix has a good track record when it comes to Kingdom Heart’s performance on home consoles.

It seems like the game that began as a “what if?” scenario between Disney and Final Fantasy has grown larger than anyone could’ve predicted. Kingdom Hearts 4 is the culmination of over a decade of character and plot development, and it’s a gaming experience that long-time fans of the franchise should definitely keep in their radars.

As for those who are yet to play any of the other games in the series, it would be better if they tried to play some of the other Kingdom Hearts titles before they dived straight into Kingdom Hearts 4.

Pros

• Amazing visuals that feel lifelike at times
• Great character and enemy designs
• Compelling plot that ties together the whole franchise

Cons

• Floaty combat
• Convoluted plot, especially for newcomers