The Kingdom Hearts series is no stranger to complex storytelling, weaving decades of lore across multiple games and spin-offs. With Kingdom Hearts 4 on the horizon, Square Enix faces a significant challenge: making the story accessible to new players without alienating long-time fans. This is an issue many franchises encounter, particularly those with long gaps between mainline entries.
A recent example of this struggle is Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which attempted to reboot its series while balancing the expectations of veteran fans. While The Veilguard succeeded in refining gameplay and introducing one of the series’ best combat systems, its approach to continuity left players in a frustrating middle ground. Kingdom Hearts 4 has the opportunity to learn from this and ensure its own story remains compelling for both returning fans and first-time players.
Is There A Place For Final Fantasy Characters In The Next Kingdom Hearts Saga?
Now featuring a pretty intimidating selection of original characters, it's hard to imagine the Final Fantasy series playing a major role in Kingdom Hearts going forward. That said, there's no reason why Cloud and Sephiroth can't make an appearance in Kingdom Hearts 4, especially since they completely vanished at the end of Kingdom Hearts 2.
The Veilguard’s Struggle with Legacy and Newcomers
Dragon Age: The Veilguard attempted to bridge past narratives with a fresh start, but its execution was met with mixed reactions. While the game allowed players to import a few key choices from Dragon Age: Inquisition, such as Inquisitor romances and the fate of the Inquisition, it ignored many significant past decisions. Events like whether Hawke was left in the Fade—a gut-wrenching choice from Dragon Age: Inquisition—had no real impact on The Veilguard’s story.
This left long-time players feeling their past choices were inconsequential, removing much of the personal world-shaping that defined earlier Dragon Age games. At the same time, the game’s deep ties to established lore meant that new players had difficulty understanding key events and character motivations. It created a situation where neither group felt fully satisfied. If Kingdom Hearts 4 is to avoid a similar pitfall, it will need to find a way to honor past events while still making the game approachable for fresh audiences.
Balancing Kingdom Hearts’ Dense Story with Accessibility
The Kingdom Hearts series has long been infamous for its convoluted narrative. Spanning numerous spin-offs across multiple consoles, its overarching story is difficult to follow without significant investment. With Kingdom Hearts 4 marking the beginning of a new entry, it has a crucial opportunity to introduce a more accessible entry point.
One potential solution is a well-integrated recap system. While previous games have included some form of catch-up, Kingdom Hearts 4 could take this further by offering an interactive lore guide or an optional playable prologue. A great example of this is Final Fantasy 16’s Active Time Lore function. Rather than overwhelming new players with cutscenes full of exposition, a more organic approach—such as discovering past events through in-game journals or character dialogue—could help bridge the knowledge gap.
Another way to make Kingdom Hearts 4 more accessible is through its character focus. A newcomer-friendly approach could involve introducing a secondary protagonist who serves as an audience surrogate, learning about the world alongside players who are new to the series. This character could interact with Sora and other established heroes, creating a natural way to introduce major plot points without requiring extensive prior knowledge.
Going All-In on Sora’s Conclusion
With Kingdom Hearts 4 possibly marking the final arc in Sora’s journey, the best approach might be to embrace that fully. Rather than trying to cater equally to newcomers and returning players in a single game, Square Enix could use this entry to give long-time fans a definitive and emotionally satisfying conclusion. By committing to finishing Sora’s story properly, the game can tie up lingering plot threads without feeling obligated to hold new players’ hands through every aspect of its lore.
After Sora’s arc concludes, the series could then pivot to a fresh start in a future entry. A post-Kingdom Hearts 4 title could serve as the true jumping-in point for new fans, featuring a new protagonist and streamlined narrative. This would allow Kingdom Hearts 4 to focus on wrapping up existing storylines in a meaningful way, rather than straining to be both a conclusion and a reboot at the same time.
Kingdom Hearts director Tetsuya Nomura would like to finish the saga before retiring. That makes it all the more crucial for Kingdom Hearts 4 to avoid the narrative pitfalls that Dragon Age: The Veilguard encountered. As far as players know Kingdom Hearts 4 will bring an enticing new storyline, but details on the full narrative are still under wraps.
Why Another Kingdom Hearts Game Like Birth By Sleep Shouldn't Be Off the Table
A new Kingdom Hearts prequel sounds like spinning the franchise's wheels at this point, but there's precedent showing that it could be the right move.
The Best Path Forward for Kingdom Hearts 4
Square Enix has a unique opportunity to handle Kingdom Hearts 4 in a way that satisfies both long-time fans and newcomers. Instead of forcing accessibility by watering down past events, the game can embrace its history while providing tools to help new players catch up at their own pace. Whether through interactive recaps, a secondary protagonist, or a well-designed conclusion to Sora’s story, there are multiple ways to navigate the challenge.
While Dragon Age: The Veilguard struggled to fully satisfy either new or returning players, Kingdom Hearts 4 can learn from that experience and take a more balanced approach. By carefully considering how it bridges its complex past with a more approachable future, it can avoid the same missteps and deliver a game that resonates with its entire audience.
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Kingdom Hearts
