Kingdom Hearts creator Tetsuya Nomura recently hinted at a pivotal shift for the series with the upcoming fourth mainline installment. Discover what he revealed about this crucial chapter in the Kingdom Hearts saga.
Nomura Hints at a 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 definitive, based on a recent interview with creator Tetsuya Nomura. Anticipation for Kingdom Hearts 4 is high, and Nomura's comments suggest the next game will be a turning point.
In an interview with Young Jump (translated by KH13), Nomura stated that Kingdom Hearts 4 is designed "with the intention of it being a story that leads to the conclusion." While not confirming a series finale, this suggests the beginning of a final arc. This upcoming game launches the "Lost Master Arc," a fresh narrative accessible to both newcomers and veterans, eliminating the need for extensive prior knowledge of the complex lore.
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."
Nomura's comments suggest a potential end to the main storyline, yet Kingdom Hearts' history is full of unexpected twists. What seems conclusive might be open to interpretation, paving the way for future spin-offs or side stories. The series boasts a rich cast of characters, each potentially leading their own adventures. This is further supported by 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," He continued, "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 into the narrative while preserving beloved core elements. New perspectives could lead to innovative gameplay and unexplored areas within the Disney and Square Enix collaboration.
However, while Nomura's vision has been crucial to the series' success (and occasional confusion), he's considering retirement in 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?"
A New Arc, New Beginnings
Announced in April 2022, Kingdom Hearts 4 is currently under development. The first trailer showcases the start of the "Lost Master Arc." Details are scarce, but the trailer reveals Sora awakening in Quadratum, a world Nomura described in a 2022 Famitsu interview (translated by VGC) as an alternate reality.
Nomura stated, "From each of our perspectives, our perceptions change. 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-inspired, dreamlike world is not entirely new; he conceived it during the first game's development.
In contrast to the whimsical Disney worlds of previous titles, Quadratum offers a more realistic setting. This, combined with enhanced visuals, 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...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 in earlier installments.
Whether Kingdom Hearts 4 concludes the series or ushers in a new era, it's a significant moment for Sora and his companions. For many fans, a full-circle narrative under Nomura's direction, while bittersweet, would be an epic ending to a story spanning over two decades.
