I’ll be honest, after watching the latest trailer for Kingdom Hearts 4, I’m less sure what’s going on in the game. Protagonist Sora finds himself in a kingdom visually inspired by Mexican Día de Muertos celebrations, while Donald Duck and Goofy embark on the Greek underworld, then end up as force ghosts before launching into the Mexican kingdom without Sora. At least the game’s recently announced release window is less confusing for non-cores. It should be released at the end of 2027.
After releasing a teaser during June’s Not-a-PC-tendo Direct, Square confirmed KH4’s release window during the just-concluded weekend at the D23 Disney convention. Creative director Tatsuya Nomura made sure to emphasize that the late 2027 window wouldn’t end up slipping, with the studio not planning any delays now that it has finally zeroed in on a specific landing zone.
According to a press release, the Mexican kingdom featured in the latest Kingdom Hearts 4 trailer is there because of the 2017 Pixar film Coco, which tells the story of a 12-year-old boy who is desperate to play the guitar. I haven’t seen it, but it looks good. He also has a sequel coming out in 2029which might have factored into its inclusion here.
As for the plot of KH4, here is the synopsis: “Our hero Sora wakes up in the unknown world of Quadratum. As he searches for a way back from this modern metropolis to his own world, his friends Donald and Goofy head to the Underworld in the hopes of finding a clue to his whereabouts.” Mickey Mouse is also looking for Sora, but seems to have decided to take the easy way out by reading books in a fancy library. There are quick battles along the way, with creating combos and changing keyblade to match your strategy at any time being, uh, key.
A PC version for Don and Goofy’s adventures through Hell has also been locked down, with a new Steam page be the place to be if you feel like wishing for Kingdom Hearts 4. If you want someone to have a chance to explain to you what’s generally happening in the Kingdom Heartsverse, try this 2021 review from Kat Bailey.
