Kingdom Hearts III (Video Game)

***Kingdom Hearts III (Video Game)*** is an upcoming action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It is the twelfth installment in the ***Kingdom Hearts series***, sequel to ***Kingdom Hearts II***, and the final chapter in the Dark Seeker saga. Set after the events of ***Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance***, returning protagonist Sora is joined by Donald Duck, Goofy, King Mickey and Riku in their search for the seven Guardians of Light and the "Key to Return Hearts" as they attempt to thwart Master Xehanort's plan to bring about a second Keyblade War. Their journey has them cross paths with characters, and visit worlds based on different Disney properties and Square Enix's ***Final Fantasy*** franchise.

Concepts for the game began as early as 2006, after the release of ***Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix*** in Japan, with the game not confirmed to be in development until E3 2013, after years of rumors and speculation. ***Kingdom Hearts III*** sees many returning gameplay features from the series, while introducing new "Attraction Flow" attacks that incorporate various ***Disney Parks*** attractions. The game was built using Unreal Engine 4, and is scheduled for release in 2018.

## Gameplay

Gameplay in ***Kingdom Hearts III*** is similar to its predecessors, with director Tetsuya Nomura stating that the combat would be along the lines of the system seen in ***Kingdom Hearts II***, with an evolution similar to what was seen from ***Kingdom Hearts*** to ***Kingdom Hearts II***, and closely tied to the gameplay in ***Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance***. He also revealed that the handheld games' combat was a place he could experiment and try new things, and that some of the well received additions may appear in ***Kingdom Hearts III***. Nomura noted that new gameplay elements are the "skeleton" of the game, saying, "When creating a ***Kingdom Hearts*** game, we start with a gameplay system that I think would be a fun element, and once we have an idea of what kind of gameplay or system we want in place, we flesh out the story around it, surrounding the basic concept of what kind of fun we’re going to have with this new installment." Additionally, the development team "always want to try something new", taking previously introduced mechanics and making small "tweak[s]" to them so it is customized for ***Kingdom Hearts III***.

Sora returns as the main playable character, once again joined in the party by Donald Duck and Goofy, with the ability to have two additional characters join the party, for a total of five-player parties, an increase from previous main entries in the series, where players were limited to two additional party members at any given time along with Sora. Another main playable character will be available in the game, with King Mickey being considered, and multiplayer elements also being considered. Describing the gameplay, Nomura called the action "pretty frantic", "really flashy and exciting. The enemy AI is a lot more intricate, too, and I think the gameplay will reflect that new dynamic balance." Sora faces Heartless and Nobodies in the game. Sora can once again perform magic, with a new, powerful tier of each spell available to him, similar to what Aqua has available to her in ***Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep*** – A Fragmentary Passage.

New gameplay elements include new enemy types, traversal elements such as wall running and jumping, summons, Keyblade transformations, and team-up attacks, which combine Sora, Donald and Goofy into one attack. Situation Commands return from previous entries, which can trigger the Keyblade transformations. Nomura revealed that Keyblade transformations were conceived as early as the development of ***Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix*** and would be similar to Aqua's ability in ***Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep*** saying, "Each Keyblade transformation is unlocked by clearing all missions in one of [the game's] worlds, and each individual world offers its own unique Keyblade transformation." He further elaborated stating there were two forms each Keyblade can take, with "multiple layers in terms of transforming" starting with one transformation and achieving the second after "successfully connect[ing] your combos". The Keyblade transformations have also been referred to as "Drive Forms" (a term which was used for a similar mechanic in ***Kingdom Hearts II***. They are: Guard Form, where the Keyblade is transformed into a shield (Counter Shield) and then a Pegasus leading a chariot; Power Form, where the Keyblade changes into a hammer (Hyper Hamer), and then into a drill (Drill Punch); another form with Double Arrowguns as the first transformation, and Magic Launcher as the second; and Second Form, triggered with the Kingdom Key, where Sora reverts to his outfit from ***Kingdom Hearts II***. In Second Form, the Keyblade does not shift, but new battle skills are available. Shotlocks also return.

In addition to the traditional "smaller" enemies, the player will face giant bosses, which give "Sora greater freedom of movement and room to experiment with attacks—including the new theme-park-ride summon attacks," known as "Attraction Flow", such as "Mad Tea Party", "Big Magic Mountain", "Pirate Ship", and "Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters". Sora also has the ability to jump on certain enemies, such as ones shaped like a vehicle, and mechs, which are called Gigas. Regarding traversal, Nomura noted the new mechanic, called "Athletic Flow" in Japanese, was refined from the Flowmotion mechanic from Dream Drop Distance, which players felt was "a little too free... and it was kind of hard to control on their end." "Athletic Flow" allows the player to utilize the environment to access previously unreachable areas. The Gummi Ship also returns as a means of travel between the different worlds of the game.

## Characters

### **Final Fantasy**

* Sora
* Riku
* Kairi
* Namine
* Roxas
* Lea
* Xion
* Hayner
* Pence
* Olette
* Ventus
* Terra
* Aqua

### **Mickey Mouse and Friends**

* Mickey Mouse
* Minnie Mouse
* Donald Duck
* Daisy Duck
* Goofy
* Pluto
* Chip and Dale
* Huey, Dewey and Louie
* Scrooge McDuck
* Pete

### **Disney Classic**

* Jiminy Cricket
* Master Yen Sid
* Maleficent
* Merlin

### **Winnie the Pooh**

* Winnie the Pooh
* Piglet
* Roo
* Tigger
* Rabbit
* Eeyore
* Gopher
* Lumpy

### **Hercules**

* Hercules
* Megara
* Phil
* Pegasus
* Zeus
* Hades

### **Tangled**

* Rapunzel
* Flynn Rider
* Pascal
* Maximus
* Mother Gothel

### **Frozen**

* Anna
* Kristoff
* Elsa
* Olaf
* Sven

### **Big Hero 6**

* Baymax
* Hiro Hamada
* Honey Lemon
* Go Go Tomago
* Wasabi
* Fred

### **Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End**

* Captain Jack Sparrow
* Tia Dalma
* Will Turner
* Elizabeth Swann
* Joshamee Gibbs
* Captain Hector Barbossa

### **Toy Story**

* Woody
* Buzz Lightyear
* Rex
* Hamm
* Sarge
* Green Army Men
* Little Green Men

### **Monsters, Inc.**

* James P. Sullivan
* Mike Wazowski
* Boo
* Randall Boogs

## Worlds

### **Final Fantasy World**

* ***Destiny Islands***
* ***Twilight Town***
* ***The Mysterious Tower***
* ***Radiant Garden***
* ***Land of Departure***

### **Disney World**

* ***Disney Castle:*** *Mickey Mouse and Friends World*.
* ***Hundred Acre Wood:*** *Winnie the Pooh World*.
* ***Olympus:*** *Hercules World*.
* ***Kingdom of Corona:*** *Tangled World*.
* ***Arendelle:*** *Frozen World*.
* ***San Fransokyo:*** *Big Hero 6 World*.
* ***The Caribbean:*** *Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End World*.
* ***Toy Box:*** *Toy Story World*.
* ***Monstropolis:*** *Monsters, Inc. World*.

## Voice Sounds

Kingdom Hearts III (Video Games) / Voice Sounds