Kingdom Hearts 3 hype is largely carried by its collection of playable worlds, and at this point we can only confirm five of them. As a PSA to fend off rumors, here are a few places Sora and pals are definitely headed.
1) Twilight Town: While its reveal was a long time ago, Twilight Town was the very first world we saw in Kingdom Hearts 3. It debuted as a tech demo during D23 2013, but we’d have to imagine this iconic locale will make its return as a hub once more.
The design on show is obviously different from its older counterparts, but that patched hole in the wall we see during Sora’s big battle is unmistakable. The only question to ask now is if that repair job will ever be torn down so we can make our way to the Haunted Mansion. The Kingdom Hearts 2 feels are high with this one.
2) Mt. Olympus (Hercules World): Mt. Olympus has been a fixture of Kingdom Hearts 3 promotion since E3 2015, and we’ve just recently seen a couple new screenshots of the world’s design. Fresh off the heels of Dream Drop Distance, Sora is in desperate need of training from a hero to help him relearn his lost abilities. Herc sounds like the perfect guy to get the job done.
The layout is different here too, and it looks like its purpose may stretch a bit further than the usual timed challenges and boss rush. Keyblade transformations showed a brief glimpse of Zeus’ chariot as well. Will the legendary God have a role in the Kingdom Hearts 3 narrative? It’s possible.
3) Kingdom Of Corona (Tangled World): The Tangled world was first unveiled in the same trailer as Mt. Olympus, and it’s honestly somewhat difficult to tell the difference between the early concepts of both sections of the game. Regardless, the lush green hues we’ve seen definitely channel the aesthetic of the original Disney film. Sora also confronted new types of Heartless here, so there should be plenty of intrigue for longtime enthusiasts of the series.
Sora has been on a constant mission to find himself throughout the Kingdom Hearts series. What better vehicle to convey that message than to bring Rapunzel along for the ride?
4) San Fransokyo (Big Hero 6 World): The next major world reveal came during U.S. D23 2015 and involved Big Hero 6. The popular and recent Disney hit will absolutely play a role in Kingdom Hearts 3, even though we technically haven’t seen any footage of the map in action.
Concept art for Kingdom Hearts 3 which will feature Big Hero 6. pic.twitter.com/m9WHvCsc9w
— Peter Sciretta (@slashfilm) August 16, 2015
With regard to its plot, the game’s version of San Fransokyo will be after the events of the film. Having already become fast friends, Hiro and Baymax will unite to take down a seriously dark threat. Concept art seemed to suggest that an evil version of Hiro’s lovable robot friend will take hold of the city. Will our protagonists be able to restore the lost light?
5) Mysterious Tower: Last but not least is the case of the Mysterious Tower. The first evidence of it emerged from a screenshot in 2015, but we’ve seen many tiny references to it since. Its main resident, Master Yen Sid, promises to play a key role in establishing the plot context for Kingdom Hearts 3 much like he has in other series titles. Most visibly, we’ve seen Sora use his Astro Blaster attraction flow attack here.
It’s not a world we typically stay in for very long, but it’s almost always got big implications in terms of story development and new powers for main characters.
Kingdom Hearts 3 is in development for PS4 and Xbox One.
What worlds do you want to see in the final version of Kingdom Hearts 3? Which of these has you most excited? Tell us in the comments section!
