Nomura Reveals More On Kingdom Hearts IV And The Series’ Future With Final Fantasy

Square Enix recently released Kingdom Hearts IV. The reveal trailer showcased a more realistic-looking Sora in a much different world, ushering the series into a new era. It was a perfect time for us to talk with Tetsuya Namura about the evolution of the series. He gave some insight into Kingdom Hearts IV’s future. You can read on for more information about Final Fantasy’s future characters as well as his hesitation over Sora’s inclusion in Smash Bros. The Ultimate and Why you Shouldn’t Worry About Disney’s Presence in Kingdom Hearts IV 

Recently, the series celebrated its 20th anniversary. What does it feel like to reflect back over the past two decades? And what is your hope for Kingdom Hearts’ legacy?

Nomura:It feels like twenty years has passed, but it isn’t. I vaguely remember visiting Disney’s offices in America and attending meetings over the many years of our long history. But, when it comes to memories of the development and just making the actual game – it’s just kind of fuzzy. Because the series continues, it doesn’t seem like any of that has changed. It’s still happening in real time. It’s always changing; there are new stories every day. Concerning the legacy, the central theme of Kingdom Hearts is the heart. This story will be told in many different ways.

This series is famous for its thrilling finales. What was your strategy for keeping the series satisfying, while also making sure that fans had answers to their questions? 

We try to make every game a complete package. There’s an actual ending in a sense to each game, which is probably something similar to any game that is made. There are so many things we can do in Kingdom Hearts because the storyline is so complex and ongoing. Many fans claim that every time they believe they have solved a mystery, there is another one. 

I suppose it’s a combination of just trying to make sure that the game is contained within itself and comes to a clear stop, but then also it’s just trying to prepare a new mystery so that fans are aware of what will be important in the next title or the next part of the story that’s coming up. This approach, while not unique to me, is something I think all game designers should consider when creating their next titles.

What has been your favorite cliffhanger to see fans’ reaction to?

It is obvious that the end of the original Kingdom Hearts was the first. I feel like that was maybe really unexpected on the player’s part because people playing that first game probably didn’t think that the story would continue beyond that. Also in Kingdom Hearts III, when Luxu takes off their hood at the very end … I really enjoyed seeing the fans’ reactions, just because it was something that I’d really hoped for.

Do you think characters from Kingdom Hearts 358/2 days and Birth By Sleep would become as popular as they are today? Is it possible to expect Kingdom Hearts IV characters from other games like Birth By Sleep and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days?

It was something I didn’t expect to see these characters become so popular. Players wanted more characters like Sora and Riku. This was quite unexpected, as the two characters were very well-received. As far as including them or continuing their story in Kingdom Hearts IV … The story for Kingdom Hearts IV is focused more on Sora’s disappearance. I’m not quite sure if there will be room to really explore the other characters’ stories as much, but I’m aware and the team is aware that these characters are very popular and people want to see more of them. It would be wonderful to continue sharing their stories in the future, or include them more often if it is possible.

Another area where we saw Kingdom Hearts’ popularity surge was seeing Sora in Smash Bros. Ultimate. Are you able to talk about how Sora affected your emotions?

Naturally, it was a great pleasure to see Sora in Smash Bros. Ultimate. The majority of feedback received by Sora was [announced]Smash Bros. Ultimate was, ‘I can’t believe Disney okayed for him to be in this game.’ Behind the scenes, I was actually the one being very picky about his appearance in Smash Bros. Disney was the one that was like, ‘Go ahead! This is a great opportunity.’ I thought it would be tough to pull off because it might clash with the established lore in Kingdom Hearts and the Disney worlds, so it was an opportunity I had to consider very carefully. I was overwhelmed by the joy of everyone in welcoming Sora into Smash Bros.

Xehanort is such a memorable villain, and now we’re going into the Lost Master Arc. What can you do to follow up on that and start a new conflict with your adversaries?

Xehanort has a great reputation. It took a long time to develop this antagonist presence in the series. It all started in the original Kingdom Hearts, where there’s Ansem and Kingdom Hearts II with Xemnas – basically, these two figures that stem from one person. The first game only covered the heart. The second game focused on the physical body. All of this led to the physical embodiment and fullness of the character. This slow-burn method of building up the character was something I love. The presence of an enemy character is essential for them to be a great character. The story is richer and more complex because of it. That’s what I felt.

And now we’re moving on to the next saga. The trailer for Kingdom Hearts IV featured The Lost Master Arc. We’re going to be delving into a new enemy figure for the continuation of the story. The masked figures that appeared at the end Kingdom Hearts III are the new enemies. They’re going to be obstacles that stand in front of Sora. Kingdom Hearts 2.8 showed the type of characters that they were, and so, the enemies are already in the series. We’ll be reintroducing them, and obviously, there will be more new characters as well, but we really can’t go into detail on those characters just yet.

Do you feel it’s important to keep Sora as the main protagonist, or do you ever see the series moving beyond him?

Spin-offs have had characters who were not Sora. However, for the main series Sora is the only viable candidate to become the main character. If Sora becomes a secondary character, then that will be a sign of the end for the number titles. He’s ThisIt is crucial to the series.

We saw Donald and Goofy in the Kingdom Hearts IV reveal, but one question a lot of fans have is how much will Disney still be integral to the series?

Kingdom Hearts IV players will see some Disney worlds. This aspect is not important, but I want to make it clear. Although it might be a little different than previous Kingdom Hearts games, once they have played the game they will realize that this is a Kingdom Hearts title. It’s the game series that they’ve come to know and love.

Graphic qualities… Since each title has had its specs increase, and we have so many more graphics options, it limits how many worlds we can make. While we are still figuring out how to do that, Kingdom Hearts IV will include Disney Worlds.

What was your first time you started thinking about Kingdom Hearts IV and how did it go?

Whenever I’m working on a title, I’m already thinking about what I want to incorporate in the next one. Kingdom Hearts IV was an example of this. I already had ideas in my head about how I would use it during Kingdom Hearts III. These thoughts extend to the characters, worlds and gameplay systems that I would like to create. Every time it’s the same process; I’m constantly thinking of what to improve or change in the next title.

Kingdom Hearts II introduced, for example, the reaction command system. It wasn’t popular and I didn’t think fans would like it. So in Kingdom Hearts III, we took that system out, but then fans said, ‘Why’d you take it out?’ So now we’re considering bringing it back in Kingdom Hearts IV. It’s all about the gameplay. It’s hard to execute the satisfying action moves when the footing isn’t very secure. We’re trying to improve this aspect of Kingdom Hearts IV gameplay.

We will be spending lots of time in Quadratum. Are there more chances to explore new gameplay ideas in an environment that is realistic?

Because it serves as the base for the entire game, I believe it will take quite a bit of time. There are many worlds to explore, and you can spend some time in each one. Because the graphics are more realistic this time around, I feel like there’s more of a realistic daily life aspect to Sora’s life. It’s possible to see Sora move around his bedroom and enjoy the time he spends there. Players will be able to witness more of his day-to-day activities.

As far as worlds go, in the past, we’ve featured a lot of Disney worlds and among those, the most realistic one was probably Pirates of the Caribbean. This time around we’re spending some time in the actual real world. This was a challenge we had for ourselves – just to see how realistic can we make this, and that’s something that we’re working on right now. We can’t go into more detail than this for now.

Final Fantasy characters are not being included in the newer entries, which has been a source of concern for many fans. Is it worth reducing the number of characters featured in Final Fantasy, or could Kingdom Hearts IV be a way to add more?

It is my understanding that Kingdom Hearts III didn’t have as many Final Fantasy characters. Let me clarify one thing: Many fans believe Kingdom Hearts is a combination of Disney characters with Final Fantasy characters. But I really feel like that’s not the basic concept of Kingdom Hearts; that’s not exactly what Kingdom Hearts is.

We had very few Kingdom Hearts characters when we first released the title. When they were interacting with really well-known, beloved Disney characters, I felt nobody really knew these new characters, so it was harder for them to stand their ground just yet. We had many Final Fantasy characters available to assist everyone in getting to know them. [original Kingdom Hearts]Characters that are more interesting

There are many Kingdom Hearts characters that people love, including some of the most beloved characters. Kingdom Hearts III had many Kingdom Hearts original characters. It was therefore difficult to add more Final Fantasy characters. That’s why we are trying to balance it. I’m aware that there were some people who weren’t thrilled about this and they wanted more Final Fantasy. characters. That’s We are certainly thinking about it. With so many original characters, it is difficult to know what Kingdom Hearts IV’s balance will be. This is something we can’t give you an exact answer to.

Are you willing to share one last tease with your fans regarding what’s in store for them?

Concerning Kingdom Hearts IV I am unable to provide any additional information. However, I was able to share some new details and information during the interview. It would be wonderful if you could think about that and get some additional information.

Kingdom Hearts Missing Link is also something I wanted to highlight. We are working to launch the closed beta this year. It’s not for everyone, and some people might not like it. But we want it to be something anyone can get into. It’s much closer to the series than our previous mobile releases and is also linked in many ways with Kingdom Hearts IV.

To find out more information about Kingdom Hearts IV, the easiest way is to first play Missing Link. You will find other mysteries throughout the series, which are not directly related to Kingdom Hearts IV. Some figures in Missing-Link may also be related to Kingdom Hearts IV. That’s all I can really say now.

Do you want more Kingdom Hearts IV? Check out our article on the Game Informer editors’ expectations for Kingdom Hearts IV. Our ranking of all titles is also available.