Kingdom Hearts 4 Will Reboot the Series

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 crucial chapter.

Tetsuya Nomura Hints at a Potential 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 significant turning point.

In an interview with Young Jump (translated by KH13), Nomura stated that Kingdom Hearts 4 is being developed "with the intention of it being a story that leads to the conclusion." While not explicitly confirming a series end, this strongly implies the game will launch the final saga. The game initiates the "Lost Master Arc," a fresh narrative accessible to both newcomers and veterans without requiring extensive prior 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 Nomura's comments suggest a potential end to the main storyline, the series' history necessitates caution. Kingdom Hearts is known for its twists. A seemingly definitive ending might allow for interpretation or future spin-offs. The extensive cast also opens possibilities for individual character-driven adventures, particularly given Nomura's inclusion of new writers.

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," highlighting the involvement of writers new to the Kingdom Hearts franchise. He clarified his role as editor, emphasizing that this isn't a complete departure from established elements.

The addition of new writers is promising, potentially injecting fresh perspectives while maintaining the series' core appeal. This could lead to innovative gameplay and unexplored areas within the Disney and Square Enix collaboration.

However, Nomura's own future is a factor. He's considering retirement within a few years, posing 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 under development. The initial trailer showcased the "Lost Master Arc." Details remain 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 world, with a dreamlike quality, is a long-held concept dating back to the first game.

Unlike the whimsical Disney worlds of previous games, Quadratum offers a more grounded setting. This, coupled with enhanced visuals, necessitates a reduction in the 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, this streamlining could lead to a more focused narrative, potentially mitigating the complexity of previous installments.

Regardless of whether Kingdom Hearts 4 concludes the series or initiates a new era, it will be a pivotal moment for Sora and his companions. For many fans, a conclusion under Nomura's direction, while potentially bittersweet, would be a fitting end to a story spanning over two decades.