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 significant chapter.
Nomura Hints at 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 suggested Kingdom Hearts 4 will be a major turning point.
In an interview with Young Jump (translated by KH13), Nomura stated Kingdom Hearts 4 is being developed "with the intention of it being a story that leads to the conclusion." While not confirming a series finale, this suggests a potential final saga. The game initiates the "Lost Master Arc," a fresh narrative accessible to both newcomers and veterans, regardless of prior storyline knowledge.
Nomura explained, referencing Kingdom Hearts III's ending: "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…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 hinting at a potential end to the main storyline, Nomura's comments must be viewed within the context of the series' history. Kingdom Hearts is known for its twists and turns; a seemingly definitive conclusion might allow for interpretation or future spin-offs. The series' extensive cast also opens possibilities for individual character-driven adventures. Furthermore, Nomura confirmed the involvement of new writers.
"Both Kingdom Hearts Missing Link and Kingdom Hearts IV have been created with a stronger focus on being new titles rather than sequels," Nomura told Young Jump. "…we have had staff who have not been involved in the Kingdom Hearts series before participate in writing the scenario. I will be editing it, 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 addition of new writers is promising, potentially injecting fresh energy while preserving beloved core elements. New perspectives could lead to innovative gameplay and unexplored territories within the Disney/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 "Lost Master Arc" begins in the first trailer. Details remain scarce, but the trailer shows Sora awakening in Quadratum, a world Nomura described (in a 2022 Famitsu interview) as an alternate reality.
"From each of our perspectives, our perceptions change," Nomura stated (translated by VGC). "From Sora’s perspective, Quadratum is an underworld…But from the point of view of the inhabitants on the Quadratum side, the world of Quadratum is reality…"
According to Nomura's Young Jump interview, this Tokyo-esque, dreamlike world is not entirely new; he conceived it during the first game's development.
Compared to the whimsical Disney worlds of previous titles, Quadratum offers a more realistic setting. This, coupled with enhanced visuals, results in a reduced number of Disney worlds.
"With regards to Kingdom Hearts IV, players are definitely going to see a few Disney worlds in there," Nomura told GameInformer in 2022. "Since each new title…the specs have been really increasing…it kind of limits the number of worlds…there will be Disney worlds in Kingdom Hearts IV."
While fewer Disney worlds are a change, a more focused narrative could offset the complexity that sometimes challenged players in past installments.
Regardless of whether Kingdom Hearts 4 concludes the series or initiates a new chapter, it will be a significant milestone for Sora and his companions. For many fans, a full-circle conclusion under Nomura's guidance, while bittersweet, would be an epic end to a story spanning over two decades.
