Kingdom Hearts 3 ’s new Toy Story world was first revealed during D23 last month, and game director Tetsuya Nomura can’t stop talking about it. In the latest issue of Game Informer, as transcribed by KH13, Nomura touched on the new world’s graphics and gameplay improvements brought on by current-gen consoles.
One of the first things we noticed in the Toy Story reveal trailer was how true to the source films it looked. Surprisingly or not, Nomura told the publication he felt the same way:
“With Kingdom Hearts 3, I feel like we were able to recreate the world of the original CG film pieces close to its original quality in terms of its graphics and the look of the different worlds. Up until then, we created the worlds so that it looks like it is a stylized Kingdom Hearts world, but now with Kingdom Hearts 3, we were able to depict the world of the original film close to its original form as possible.”
Of course, as those who’ve played past Kingdom Hearts games will know, the fun in the franchise has always been about experiencing the unique blend that only Disney and Square Enix can offer. Despite technology catching up to accurately recreate something as complex as Toy Story, the game’s unique flavor can be sensed through its finer gameplay elements.
“Even with previously introduced mechanics, [the team] always tr[ies] to make it their own or tweak it. Even if it is small or minor, we customize it so it’s for Kingdom Hearts 3,” Nomura said.
One known vehicle for this customization is the updated Flow Motion mechanic, tentatively called Athletic Flow in the new game. In 2012’s Dream Drop Distance, Flow Motion essentially allowed Sora or Riku to chain together combos and fly around world maps. Its use was more limited in Kingdom Hearts 2.8 this year, but its impact was still present.
“It’s basically revamped and introduced as a new mechanic in Kingdom Hearts 3,” Nomura admitted. “You’ll be utilizing the environment to propel yourself to an area that you’re not normally able to go to, or again, running up the cliff during battle.” The main point of emphasis this time, however, is making sure those movements feel tighter and less erratic than their previous incarnation.
Of course, being the tease that he is, Nomura couldn't stop there. He also mentioned that a key theme of Kingdom Hearts 3’s story is rescuing friends, like Aqua, Terra and Ventus, from tragedy. Beyond that, he hinted that explaining how those characters fit into the plot would “spoil everything” about the narrative he’s helped create.
Toy Story is the latest revealed Disney-themed world for Kingdom Hearts 3, but more announcements are likely to follow in the coming months. In addition to Toy Story, Mt. Olympus from Hercules, the Kingdom Of Corona from Tangled and San Fransokyo from Big Hero 6 have also been confirmed. From our estimates, that’s slightly less than half of the title’s total locales.
Kingdom Hearts 3 is expected to release on PS4 and Xbox One in 2018.
Do you think the graphics of the Toy Story world look as good as the movies? Which gameplay mechanic should be improved for Kingdom Hearts 3? Tell us in the comments section!
