'Kingdoms Hearts 3' release date news: Expected to arrive April 2017; game to explore more Disney, original worlds
The development for "Kingdom Hearts 3," the long-awaited game from Square Enix, was said to have started 10 years ago. The long wait was said to have made fans upset especially for not getting any updates on the next "Kingdom Hearts" installment for years. In fact, while "Kingdom Hearts 2" came out in 2005, "Kingdom Hearts 3" was just officially confirmed in 2013.
Now the anticipation for the upcoming game has remained high, especially with initial reports saying that "KH3" will appear at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), which was held in June. Unfortunately for fans, though, the game was a no-show at the event, and Square Enix put the spotlight instead on "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue," which is scheduled to release in December.
In an interview with KH13, "Kingdom Hearts" series director Tetsuya Nomura revealed that they are already in the final stages of development for "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue." It's said that the game that is currently in development will serve as an introduction for the upcoming "KH3," and fans can safely assume that once the current project is off the table, Square Enix will get right back to "KH3."
Nomura told fans to expect more news on "KH3" this coming winter. In the meantime, he just advised "Kingdom Hearts" fans to be patient, and focus on the game that Square Enix is currently developing.
In regards to "Kingdom Hearts 3," GameSpot reported that according to "Kingdom Hearts" co-director Tai Yasue, players will experience a different game this time around. Though the game will have players revisiting locations from older games, like Hollow Bastion or Traverse Town, there will be no visits to worlds in the "Final Fantasy" games, something that players feel is warranted since there are constant appearances of "Final Fantasy" characters in the "Kingdom Hearts" games.
Yasue also went on to say that, though there are no visits to "Final Fantasy" worlds, the developers will focus on creating original worlds and Disney worlds. Recent in-game footage reveals that Sora will be going to the "Tangled" universe. Hardcore Disney fans will know that "Frozen," another famous Disney title, exists in the same world as "Tangled," so it's possible that players will have Sora meeting Elsa the Ice Queen in "Kingdom Hearts 3." "Wreck-It Ralph" also seems to be a world that's right up the game's alley.
While "Kingdom Hearts 3" is reportedly set for an April 2017 release, the game is most likely to hit Japan before going overseas to non-Japanese gamers.
