Nintendo finally showed off the new Kingdom Hearts IV trailer during its Direct showcase, delivering the first significant look at the game in several years.
In the video, a character wearing the signature black cape of Organization 13 members talks about a newly discovered world where the concepts of light and dark simply do not exist. The character’s speech suggests that the plot of Kingdom Hearts IV takes Sora, Donald, Goofy and new allies and adversaries to be transported from the Disney universe of hearts and characters to a contemporary setting, something like Manhattan Island instead of Destiny Island.
Kingdom Hearts IV was announced in 2022. Since then, Square Enix has had to cancel other projects in the series while releasing little information about the new chapter. Last year, the company shared images that hinted at the possibility of controlling Mickey Mouse, although none of those scenes appeared in the trailer this time. Kingdom Hearts IV appears to maintain combat mechanics from previous titles. Sora appears facing what appears to be the same giant Heartless monster seen throughout the franchise, and the theme park ride-inspired attacks from Kingdom Hearts 3 also return.
Even so, this first look causes some strangeness. Kingdom Hearts IV adopts a more realistic aesthetic, moving away from the stylized cartoon look of previous games. The environments shown in the trailer resemble a common urban landscape, with skyscrapers and traffic lights, rather than the robust mechanical constructions of Traverse Town or Hollow Bastion. The problem is that Sora, Donald and Goofy look straight out of Traverse Town, with their colorful clothes and fantastic accessories. Sora still wields the Keyblade, creating a striking contrast with the surroundings. It’s an unusual and disconcerting appearance, but it sparks curiosity about how the Square Enix team will integrate this into the full game. There is no release date yet, but Nintendo has confirmed that the title will be available at the launch of the Switch 2.
