When Japanese game developer Square Enix unravelled the gameplay trailer of the crossover role-playing game “Kingdom Hearts 3” during the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2015 in June, it was clear that the Disney-themed worlds that protagonist Sora will go into with pals Donald Duck and Goofy are that of Rapunzel’s “Tangled” and “Hercules.”
Gamers thought that Square Enix already settled for the two Disney-themed worlds for “Kingdom Hearts 3.” They were wrong as the game developer pulled off a surprise and made another announcement during the D23 Expo held at Anaheim, California on August 14 to 16.
Through a concept art, Square Enix showed that the world of “Big Hero 6” will also be integrated into “Kingdom Hearts 3” as Sora is shown riding an armoured Baymax with his Keyblade extended out toward what looks like a dark Baymax.
Astute gamers and “Big Hero 6” fans later on explained that the dark Baymax is the one who was left in the portal when Hiro and his team tried to rescue the professor’s daughter from Yonkai. The Baymax who is giving a ride to Sora is the new Baymax that Hiro developed using the original chip.
However, based on latest reports, it looks like the game would have another Disney-themed world coming along. Square Enix recently released a screenshot from the game, which shows Sora, Goofy, and Donald Duck in a new world.
The threesome is on board a ride that resembles Buzz Lightyear’s Astroblasters in Disneyland, which could be a hint that “Toy Story” is being considered for integration to “Kingdom Hearts 3,” details the Christian Today.
However, sources from the game developer said that the screenshot is just a matter of group attraction flow strategy, without going into further details.
A sham of a report
A few weeks ago, reports started coming out in the internet that the latest trailer of “Kingdom Hearts 3” would come out on November 4. However, the day has come and passed and there was nothing of anything about “Kingdom Hearts 3” that came from Square Enix.
Dan Seto, Square Enix moderator on the company’s online public forum, said that gamers should know better than to trust news reports that don’t even have any sources.
He explained that Square Enix has never announced any trailer would be released soon. What the company came out with is an official statement about the Disney worlds that would be integrated into the game and nothing about the game’s release date.
Seto said that gamers should be more cautious and discerning when it comes to processing rumors to avoid being shammed and avoid setting unnecessary expectations.
Returning characters
According to Latinos Post, in addition to the usual protagonists like Sora, Goofy, Donald Duck, and King Mickey, there will be other returning characters when “Kingdom Hearts 3” finally comes out in the Xbox One, the PlayStation 4, and the PC in 2017.
Gamers should also expect to see Riku and Kairi as well as Maleficent, Ansem, Braig, Isa, and Jiminy Cricket. However, these characters will not be part of the crossover Disney worlds in the game but as game characters.
From a 2016 release date, “Kingdom Hearts 3” has been pushed to an early 2017 roll out. Game director Tetsuya Nomura, in a recent interview, disclosed that the main reasons why the release date of “Kingdom Hearts 3” has been pushed back are due to the recent switch in the game engine, the new battle system, and the increased number of playable characters.
Nomura said that the switch in the game engine to Unreal for “Kingdom Hearts 3” meant that they have to start from scratch, recreating key effects in the engine, as well as moving their new shader to the new game engine.
The game director also said that the development team also went through the different battle systems used in the past games and they practically banked on new technology to improve the game’s battle systems. As a result, protagonist Sora will have new and different moves in “Kingdom Hearts 3” including the Keyblade Transformation, which is already part of the combat and the story of the game.