Kingdom Hearts 4 Will Reboot the Series

Kingdom Hearts creator, Tetsuya Nomura, recently hinted that the upcoming fourth installment will serve as a pivotal turning point for the entire series. This article delves into his revelations about this significant new chapter.

Nomura Hints at a Series Conclusion with Kingdom Hearts 4

Kingdom Hearts 4: A Story Leading to Resolution

The future of the Kingdom Hearts franchise appears both intriguing and potentially conclusive, according to a recent interview with Nomura. He suggested that Kingdom Hearts 4 will be a major 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 finale, this strongly implies the game will mark the culmination of a major story arc. The game initiates the "Lost Master Arc," a fresh narrative designed to be accessible to both newcomers and veteran players, 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. 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 of twists and turns warrants caution. A seemingly definitive conclusion might allow for interpretation or future spin-offs. The extensive cast of characters also presents opportunities for individual adventures. Furthermore, Nomura's introduction of new writers to the Kingdom Hearts universe adds another layer of intrigue.

"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. "For example, as a new experiment, we have had staff who have not been involved in the Kingdom Hearts series before participate in writing the scenario. Of course, I will be editing it in the end, 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 involvement of new writers is a promising development, potentially injecting fresh energy into the narrative while preserving beloved core elements. Their contributions could lead to innovative gameplay and unexplored areas within the Disney and Square Enix collaboration.

However, Nomura's own future is uncertain. He confirmed consideration of retirement within a few years, posing the question: "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, A Fresh Start

Announced in April 2022, Kingdom Hearts 4 is currently under development. The game's initial trailer showcased the start of 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 similar to our own.

"From each of our perspectives, our perceptions change," Nomura stated. "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, dreamlike world is not entirely new; he conceived the concept during the first game's development.

In contrast to the whimsical Disney worlds of previous titles, Quadratum offers a more grounded, realistic setting. This, coupled with enhanced visual fidelity, has resulted 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, 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 the reduction in Disney worlds is notable, this streamlining might lead to a more focused narrative, potentially mitigating the complexity that has sometimes challenged players.

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 full-circle conclusion under Nomura's guidance, while potentially bittersweet, would represent an epic culmination of a story spanning over two decades.