After Kingdom Hearts: Missing Link was canceled earlier this week, fans joked that within it was the most information we’ve gotten on the development of Kingdom Hearts 4 since it was revealed in an announcement trailer three years ago. Square Enix said it is “hard at work” on Kingdom Hearts 4, which will continue Sora, Donald, and Goofy’s adventures in a new story arc.
The same day that it announced Missing Link’s cancellation, Square Enix casually dropped several new screenshots of Kingdom Hearts 4, causing the fandom to leap for joy. There’s so much to break down in these images that there’s enough to do a deep dive (pun intended) on all of them. Let’s take a look.
Image: Square Enix
The above screenshot shows humanoid Heartless that aren’t Neo Heartless — they kinda look like Sora with that hair — but are also more human, maybe because they’re based on Quadratum humans? There are more new Heartless in the back rocking fists the shape of shields. The Form Change ability for the keyblade we saw from the trailer (Are those stars paopu fruit? Are these chains… chains of memories?) is being used to deal with the new group of Heartless instead of using it to travel as previously shown.
According to Tetsuya Nomura, a new Build mechanic in the command menu (which is themed after Quadratum) will allow Sora to scrap and rebuild things. There’s also a Japanese-language version of this exact moment posted on the Japanese Kingdom Hearts social media account that shows it from another angle. In this image, we can see a third creature with long legs, a bell-shaped waist, and a long neck with a spike protruding from it. It looks more like the Pokémon Magearna and Alolan Exeggutor than a Heartless.
Image: Square Enix
TheGamersJoint (one of the best Kingdom Hearts YouTubers) noticed that the health and MP UI have changed to move the EX Gauge from on top of the MP bar to curve around the health bar, similar to the original Kingdom Hearts interface. He also notes that the EX gauge will most likely be renamed, as Square Enix usually does, often using EX as a placeholder. Fun fact: Sora has a smartwatch on! What does it do? No one knows.
Strelitzia from Kingdom Hearts Cross Union is shown, which showcases an improved character model compared to she looked in the Kingdom Hearts 4 reveal trailer. Also, phones make a return to the series since Kingdom Hearts 3’s introduction of Gummiphones, but this time it’s a rotary phone. Will whippersnappers like Sora even know what it is?
We get to play as Mickey in what would appear to be a minigame (the command menu is extremely limited, leading us to believe it’s a small gameplay section). It’s been theorized this library could be within Scala ad Caelum, since Mickey was previously tasked to look into the Foretellers from Cross Union last we saw him.
The next image showcases what would appear to be a Darkside Heartless from the original trailer, albeit with a new design that includes wings and an even larger presence. But there are two forms of light rushing toward it. Could it be our hero joined alongside another? Yozora perhaps? Only time will tell.
The next photo shows Sora standing in the street in the dark, with sparkles surrounding him on the ground. Some believe the sparkles to be rain, but it could also be broken glass from the surrounding cars following a battle. In the distance is a bright light, which suggests things haven’t settled down in the streets. The last image looks to be from this same scene, but from the perspective of Sora, as the light in the distance illuminates his face.
Although there’s no release date or news on a new trailer, Square Enix promises it’s hard at work developing Kingdom Hearts 4. After so many years of radio silence, and in the wake of canceling a game, this was the best move the team could have made to show the fans good faith that their long wait will indeed pay off.
