The trailer for Kingdom Hearts 4 launched followers to the world of Quadratum, which bears a placing resemblance to the actual world ( therefore Sora’s realistic-looking, Remaining Fantasy-esque makeover). Strelitzia, the woman who resides there and within the Tokyo condo Sora wakes up in, tells Sora that Quadratum is like an afterworld for individuals like them, however it’s vigorous for everybody else. As collection creator Tetsuya Nomura identified in a latest interview with Famitsu, it’s a distinct actuality than the one Sora got here from, due to this fact he received’t keep there without end, nor will he hold his new look as soon as he leaves and will get again to his universe.
That being stated, there can be loads of different worlds for Sora and firm (as soon as Donald and Goofy discover him, after all) to journey to the place he’ll preserve his unique look — spiky hair, clown sneakers and all (or no matter outfit he wears in accordance to the motif of the world he finds himself in). Nomura did verify that a number of worlds are in growth however didn’t reveal what they’re.
Now comes the enjoyable a part of the Kingdom hearts hype cycle: Anticipating which Disney and Pixar worlds may make it into the sport. Listed below are the six I have to see in Kingdom Hearts 4 (together with one that will have been teased already).
Star Wars
At the start of the Kingdom Hearts 4 trailer, followers have noticed the foot of what seemed just like the AT-ST walker. Such an artifact implied {that a} Star Wars world can be within the recreation — particularly, Endor.
For these of you who will not be Star Wars fanatics, Endor is a fuel planet within the Outer Rim that’s residence to the Ewoks, the teddy bear-like creatures from Return of the Jedi, and has extra vegetation than some other planet within the galaxy (which explains the crimson spores rising out of its bushes). It’s additionally the place the Empire constructed a second Demise Star and the place stated Demise Star received destroyed, taking the Emperor and Darth Vader with it.
A attainable story state of affairs for this world can be to have Sora, Donald, and Goofy undergo Jedi coaching with Luke Skywalker and comply with Princess Leia and Han Solo, together with Chewbacca, R2-D2 and C-3PO, as they raid the Forest Moon of Endor, shoot up some Stormtroopers, and face the AT-ST and Darth Vader as boss fights. Maybe we’ll be capable of see Sora carry a Lightsaber Keyblade. Kingdom Hearts is already like Star Wars in and of itself, so it looks like a pure match.
Onward
Though the world of Pixar’s Onward is stuffed with all kinds of legendary creatures — elves, unicorns, goblins, trolls, pixies, manticores, and mermaids — the superior expertise that each one its inhabitants adopted has rendered nearly all magic ineffective. Nonetheless, some individuals nonetheless examine the artwork of magic, as 16-year-old elf Ian Lightfoot tries to resurrect his father, Wilden, utilizing a magic workers gifted to him by his mom on his birthday. If Yen Sid and the Three Good Fairies actually labored their magic on Sora and the gang, Sora would nonetheless be capable of solid spells along with his Keyblade.
On the danger of this world’s cutscenes being shot-for-shot remakes of the unique film, Sora and the crew might go on a quest with Ian and his brother, Barley, to seek out the Phoenix Gem and full the visitation spell that will carry their dad again for a day. Alongside the way in which, they’d struggle Heartless within the type of the aforementioned creatures, tackle the pixie bike gang, and struggle off the cursed stone dragon — and experience on prime of Barley’s van to struggle off any flying Heartless whereas they’re at it. Sora may additionally give Ian a life lesson that anybody might be his actual father, even when it’s not his organic one. He ought to know, he’s been raised by Donald and Goofy.
Talking of which …
A Goofy Film
We’ve visited Queen Minnie at Disney Fortress in Kingdom Hearts 2; interacted with Scrooge McDuck and his nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie at Disney City in Kingdom Hearts: Beginning by Sleep; and fought alongside Mickey, Donald, and Goofy of their Musketeer types in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. Nonetheless, there’s one Disney Toon world that has evaded Nomura’s contact: Goofy’s hometown of Spoonerville within the Goofy Film universe.
Outdoors of the Kingdom Hearts franchise, everyone knows that Goofy has a son named Max primarily based on his appearances in Goof Troop, A Goofy Film, and An Extraordinarily Goofy Film, in addition to another TV reveals and direct-to-DVD movies within the early 2000s. Nonetheless, Goofy has not talked about Max as soon as all through his adventures with Sora and Donald. This world appears like a loopy concept even by Nomura’s requirements since any reminiscence Goofy, and Pete by extension, might have of his life in his film/TV universe has been cleaned, however it will be enjoyable to see how his interplay with Max, who may in all probability be a younger faculty graduate, would play out. If Nomura follows by way of with it, perhaps it received’t be so awkward.
Moana
Future Islands apart, the Polynesian islands the place Moana takes place can be the third nautical-themed world within the Kingdom Hearts collection after The Little Mermaid and Pirates of the Caribbean (OK, perhaps the fourth in case you embrace Neverland from Peter Pan because it’s simply an island in an infinite ocean). Within the film, the titular character is chosen by the ocean to return the guts of Te Fiti to Te Ka, a volcanic demon who induced a blight on Moana’s island after demi-god Maui stole the relic to be able to give humanity the ability of creation. Moana seeks out Maui to information her towards the island of Te Fiti to revive it and save her individuals.
The story would comply with carefully to the unique supply materials — although hopefully not as shut because the Tangled and Frozen worlds did in Kingdom Hearts 3 — and gameplay for this world would play out within the fashion of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker as Sora and the gang would struggle off pirate-like Heartless threatening to sink them to the depths of the ocean. They might additionally tackle the Kakamora, Tamatoa, and Te Ka as attainable boss fights.
Zootopia
Zootopia can be a enjoyable, furry world for Sora and the gang to run round in. Donald and Goofy would retain their unique types and Sora would turn out to be a fursona of no matter animal Nomura would select to attract him as. He might be a rabbit, tiger, hen, fox, or a lion since he was already one within the Delight Lands in Kingdom Hearts 2.
In Zootopia, rabbit Officer Judy Hopps and con artist fox Nick Wilde kind a partnership to seek out all of the predator animals which have been kidnapped, solely to find that the mayor’s assistant, a lamb, was the brains behind the tried takeover of town. The world’s story in Kingdom Hearts 4 can be set after the occasions of the movie, the place Nick leaves his con artist days behind and turns into Judy’s companion within the ZPD, which leaves quite a lot of room for creativity. Sora and the gang would assist the cops clear up crimes and examine chilly circumstances à la TellTale or an episode of Gotham.
Encanto
Winner of this 12 months’s Academy Award for Greatest Animated Function, Encanto was Disney’s runaway hit of 2021 each in theaters and on Disney+, which began streaming the movie on Christmas Eve — only a month after its theatrical premiere. Set in a magical realm within the mountains of Colombia, the movie lastly Mirabel, the one member of the Madrigal household who doesn’t have any magical powers that will profit the agricultural titular village, as she discovers the sentient home by which she and her multigenerational household reside is falling aside and their magic is fading.
With hit songs like We Don’t Discuss About Bruno, Floor Stress, and Dos Oruguitas, it’s straightforward to imagine there can be a plotline that includes rhythm segments set to these songs identical to Atlantica in Kingdom Hearts 2. However Casita didn’t consider giving anybody the present of music, not to mention Mirabel, so that will be off the desk. As an alternative, Sora must struggle off the Heartless that will manifest because the decay of the Home of Madrigal and the generational trauma the household suffers from on account of the matriarch’s excessive expectations for everybody.
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