Summary
TheKingdom Heartsfranchise is famous for its wide variety of crossover content, folding in characters from all manner ofFinal Fantasyand Disney properties, butKingdom Hearts 4may want to scale back the inclusion of the latter conglomerate. It has been speculated that various Disney franchises such asStar Warscould appear inKingdom Hearts 4, alongside the classic Disney worlds and characters that have featured heavily in the previous games. There’s promise in this idea, but leaning too heavily into Disney may not be the right call.
Since Square Enix ownsFinal Fantasy, it has far more creative liberties when it comes to how the franchise’s characters, locations, and concepts are implemented, relative to the more static and predefined Disney elements. That said, Square Enix greatly de-emphasizedFinal Fantasycontent in the thirdKingdom Heartsgame in favor of Disney brands, and changes in the entertainment landscape and audience expectations should prompt the developer to reevaluate how it approaches these crossovers inKingdom Hearts 4.
Final Fantasy Might Be a Better Fit for Kingdom Hearts 4
Disney Content In Kingdom Hearts 4 May Not Have the Same Appeal As It Once Did
An essentialKingdom Heartstradition, Disney crossovers have been a major part of the franchise since its first entry. WhenKingdom Heartsfirst launched in 2002, this sort of grand media collaboration was fairly unheard of, especially in the world of gaming, and bringing together so many disparate entities from film and TV was genuinely exciting and unique. However, times have changed a bit, and this kind of Disney crossover doesn’t have the same novelty, nor the same impact, as it did whenKH1andKH2were released.
Disney has undergone some drastic changes in recent years, particularly with the acquisition of Marvel andStar Wars. Whether IP likeStar Warswill appear inKingdom Hearts 4is unclear, but the fact of the matter is that Disney has ballooned in size, and public perception of the company, while still positive in many ways, has shifted; in the eyes of many, Disney is no longer a purveyor of touching, wholesome animated films likeAladdinorMulan, and is instead looked at as the leader of modern, blockbuster filmmaking.
Doubling down on the Disney elements of theKingdom Heartsfranchise would likely mean introducing at least some of these new brands or tonal elements, which could wind up feeling forced or overplayed, potentially affecting the identityofKingdom Heartsnegatively.
Final Fantasy Is Ready to Play a Bigger Role in Kingdom Hearts
Sora could be more mature inKingdom Hearts 4, which may result in a shift away from the more family-friendly Disney content. By leaning into the relatively more mature stories, characters, and worlds featured in theFinal Fantasygames,Kingdom Hearts 4can have Sora undergo deeper character development, bringing hard-hitting storytelling back to the forefront of the series. Many dedicatedKingdom Heartsfans are well into adulthood by now, andKingdom Hearts 4can cater to this demographic by focusing on a more mature tone, facilitated byFinal Fantasycrossovers.
It’s also worth noting thatFinal Fantasyis a bit of a hot propertyright now, with a fanbase that is much broader than it was in the 2000s. Thanks to successes likeFinal Fantasy 16and the highly-anticipatedFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the franchise is more relevant than ever, so it might be time forKingdom Heartsto shine a brighter spotlight on it.Kingdom Hearts 4certainly shouldn’t do away with Disney content completely, but the game may benefit from a pivot into the more mature, focused ideas and characters of theFinal Fantasyseries.
Kingdom Hearts 4
Kingdom Hearts 4 is an action RPG developed by Square Enix and represents the fifteenth installment in the franchise. Players once again are put in the shoes of Sora who is suddenly trapped in a more realistic world called Quadratum, with companions like Donald and Goofy attempting to rescue him. Kingdom Hearts 4 is a direct sequel to Kingdom Hearts 3 and Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory.
