Kingdom Hearts can always been counted on for bringing some whimsical Disney magic to E3 in one form or another. This year the series is represented by two titles.
First, of course, is Kingdom Hearts III, which is on target to launch who knows when. Seriously, at the end of the new trailer there’s a line that still just says “now in development.” That doesn’t instill much confidence that the game is getting any closer to release. I’m holding out hope for next year, but Square Enix dev cycles are notoriously long, so even next year is probably wishful thinking.
The main Kingdom Hearts III development this E3 is the introduction of a world based on Disney’s animated film, Tangled, which appears in the new trailer showcasing much larger and more open environments, as well as some cool special attacks based on Disney theme park rides. This is only the first of many collaborative world reveals Disney and Square Enix will be announcing. I’m sure everyone’s just waiting for the inevitable Frozen world to be announced.
Kingdom Hearts: Unchained X is the other series title to make an appearance. It’s another in a long line of Kingdom Hearts portable spin-offs, this one a free-to-play (with in-app purchases) Android and iOS game based on a PC browser game previously only released in Japan.
Unchained X–pronounced Unchained Key, because Square Enix just loves weird naming conventions–will connect to previous events in the series, in addition to having story ties with Kingdom Hearts III. Notable features include co-op battles, costumes based on a variety of seasonal events and Disney themes, and the ability to create a custom Keyblade wielder for the first time in the series. Like the newly announced World of Final Fantasy, the game has a cutesy-fied chibi art style.
I’d play it if I owned a smartphone or tablet, but since I don’t someone please give me a shout if by some miracle the game is ever localized for browser play, or gets ported to 3DS or Vita.