Gamers are already anticipating the official release of "Kingdom Hearts III", the third installment to the popular game series.
LatinTimes reported that a recent interview with Square Enix, conducted by Nexxt Up, featured more details about the entire series. Tai Yasue, co-director of Square Enix, also shared some of the things that fans can expect in "KH3", such as new bosses, new stages and more.
The last "Kingdom Hearts" game was actually released about a decade ago. Yasue, who also led the development of "Kingdom Hearts 1.5 Remix" and "Kingdom Hearts 2.5 Remix", said that it was all for the improvement of the game as a whole.
Gameranx reported that in the final mix of "Birth by Sleep", a completely new "dark" level will be available after players finish the game. They get to play Aqua and must battle with a "predatorial" enemy at the end of said level. "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix" will also be showcasing a new boss.
Yasue said in a report by Kotaku: "We have been working on 3 and 2.5 at the same time, so a lot of people are crossing over and doing both. There are also a lot of new people working on both. In a way, we've learned what was good about our previous 'Kingdom Hearts' by making 2.5."
Yasue added, "For 3, we want to evolve it in a new direction, but at the same time we don't want to change what is fundamental about 'Kingdom Hearts.' We're hiring new people continuously, so they are learning about 'Kingdom Hearts' through making 2.5. It's a good learning experience."
He also said in the same Kotaku report: "There's a lot to get used to working with the Disney content. You have to have a lot of dedication and respect for their visual IPs for example, and when you play 'Kingdom Hearts 2' you see that: when you summon a character or use a spell there's a lot of love and care that goes into the presentation. When you see Stitch coming out of the screen, for example, it's very true to the original movie. That dedication is something you learn through the process or remaking 2."
Yasue explained that "Kingdom Hearts" is a unique project because of the need to strike a balance between respecting the Disney properties and introducing original ideas that gamers will enjoy. This is also why training was necessary.
He also hinted that after Disney acquired both Marvel and LucasFilm, fans should not be surprised to find certain elements from the two groups, such as Star Wars characters and Marvel superheroes.
As for the official release date, Yasue said in a GameNGuide report that it will be sometime in 2016.