Though the old Keyblade Masters may have reappeared in a familiar world, series protagonist Sora has found himself in a brand-new one. The realistic city of Quadratum lies on the other side of unreality, beyond even the realms of sleep and death. Despite Kingdom Hearts 4’s firm connections to Kingdom Hearts lore, the game will still mark a departure from the usual setting and characters. No one knows what this means for the standard assortment of Disney worlds, but Square Enix can be trusted to adapt just about anything into Kingdom Hearts. With KH4 potentially going for a lower world count, distinguishing what is there should be a priority.
RELATED: Kingdom Hearts 4 Should Bring Back Drive Forms
Certain Kingdom Hearts Worlds Stand Out
The most common format for a world in Kingdom Hearts is a linear series of areas populated by enemies, treasure, and sometimes platforming. This formula has gone unbroken since the beginning of the franchise, with every game sporting a cast of worlds that unfold in largely straightforward manners. Some areas are especially large and open, with examples again dating back to the first game, but players know that they’ll probably be fighting through waves of Heartless on their way to a boss. It fits Kingdom Hearts’ action-oriented gameplay, but there have been attempts throughout the series to break up the monotony.
Kingdom Hearts 2 is well known for having a high density of gimmick fights, with unusual objectives even permeating the final boss fight. These are spread throughout the game’s worlds, but some worlds break away from typical gameplay entirely. Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2 share such a world, that being the underwater kingdom of Atlantica. KH1 uses a unique swimming system for free-range movement, while KH2 just makes Atlantica a musical minigame. The Pride Lands in KH2 coupled Sora’s lion form with a new style of movement, and The Caribbean from KH3 features both improved underwater gameplay and extended sailing sequences. How much these atypical worlds impress players has varied, but they all serve the essential duty of breaking up Kingdom Hearts’ routine.
How Kingdom Hearts 4 Can Implement Different Types of Worlds
Future Kingdom Hearts titles should take care to follow this example. With so much ground to cover and so many radically different locales to visit, shaking up the action every once in a while is important. Kingdom Hearts 4 ought to have at least one world that features a different gameplay experience from other worlds. Star Wars or Marvel areas would be perfect for extended flight sequences, whether it’s in the cockpit of a starship, in rocket-powered Keyblade armor, or using a grappling hook. These would be similar to Kingdom Hearts 3’s Gummi Ship segments and San Fransokyo, but the ideas present in those areas are worth exploring further.
Building off of the San Fransokyo example, a world that features more platforming than combat would be interesting. Despite FlowMotion being worked into much of Kingdom Hearts 3D and 3, there hasn’t been a dedicated platforming area in Kingdom Hearts since Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix. Through the use of tools, vehicles, transformations, or Sora’s already impressive movement abilities, Kingdom Hearts could easily fit alternative gameplay experiences into larger games. Kingdom Hearts 4 should make a point of realizing that potential, keeping the trend of unusual worlds alive.
Kingdom Hearts 4 is in development.
MORE: Kingdom Hearts 2: All Worlds From The Game, Ranked
