During the D23 Expo in California last weekend, Square Enix revealed a new trailer for Kingdom Hearts III. The trailer shows the first Kingdom Hearts world based on a Disney-Pixar film, Toy Story.
“At long last, we are excited to open up the Kingdom Hearts universe to include the world of Disney-Pixar’s ‘Toy Story,’” said Tetsuya Nomura, Director of the KINGDOM HEARTS series. “I’m sure fans have been anticipating the inclusion of this world for many years. The narrative will be an original story exclusive to Kingdom Hearts III, and the gameplay will feel characteristic of the ‘Toy Story’ style and aesthetic. Please stay tuned for more details to be revealed soon.”
The lengthy trailer is over five minutes long and shows both gameplay and cutscenes (Japanese voices, English subtitles). Sora, Donald, and Goofy adopt a polygonal art style as they’re shrunk to toy-size and interact with classic characters from the films. Like the Disney worlds of previous games, the Heartless have invaded and threaten everyone. It’s up to Sora and friends to help defend the world.
“Featuring a brand new storyline that brings together beloved ‘Toy Story’ friends with the heroes of Kingdom Hearts, the ‘Toy Story’ world in Kingdom Hearts III successfully mirrors the level of quality that we strive to achieve with every Pixar film,” said Jason Katz, Story Supervisor, Pixar Animation Studios. “Kingdom Hearts III will undoubtedly be an experience that fans will not want to miss.”
To celebrate the new trailer, mobile spin-off title Kingdom Hearts Union x[Cross] will reward a “Kingdom Hearts III Sora [EX] Medal.” That is the first character medal from Kingdom Hearts III. You can receive the medal by logging into the game from now until August 16.
The Kingdom Hearts series is a unique partnership between Disney and Square Enix. They let players explore familiar locations and characters from Disney films in an action-RPG.
Kingdom Hearts III has been in development for a decade. The previous mainline title was Kingdom Hearts II in 2006, for the PlayStation 2. Several spin-offs, handhelds, and mobile titles have released over the years. Earlier this year, Square Enix released a remastered compilation of all the Kingdom Hearts titles in Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix for PlayStation 4.
Kingdom Hearts III is scheduled for a 2018 release for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
