It would be a severe understatement to simply summarize Kingdom Hearts III as a “highly anticipated” game title. Longtime fans have eagerly awaited the final installment in Sora’s keyblade-themed adventures for years, gobbling up every last detail they could get their hands on.
Whether due to that very same excitement spiking to new heights as we near the game’s release on January 25th, or to make up for the spoiler-rific devastation of this past weekend’s leaks, Square Enix released their last Kingdom Hearts III trailer a day early.
Cinematic Trailer Clips and Story Hints
Titled the “Final Battle,” the latest trailer drops with high stakes, new companion and gameplay footage, and fresh cut-scenes. It also features the recently announced title song “Face my Fears,” which is a collaborative piece from Skrillex and series music staple, Utada Hikaru.
Regarding new character assists, Sora teams up with Stitch from Lilo and Stitch and gets extra screen time with renowned chef Remy from Ratatouille.
Of course, fans need a story with a compelling (if not somewhat confusing) plot to surround their beloved cameos. More conversations with Organization XIII fill the trailer with hints about the game’s antagonists and their ominous designs.
The trailer’s dark foreshadowing hits a climax by the end, complete with a heavy battle scene and what appears to be a significant loss for the game’s central good-guy team.
Despite new developments in the protagonists’ journey, the series’ final installment shows no sign of leaving behind it’s source material. For example, a scene between Axel and Kairi brings past story elements to the forefront by alluding to the events of 358/2 Days.
Additional calls to Sora’s colorfully adventurous and extensive past nod to classic Disney and series villains like Maleficent and Pete.
The trailer’s striking game footage puts previously revealed worlds and settings all in one video. In case you missed them, those worlds include:
- Hercules
- Monsters, Inc.
- Toy Story
- Tangled
- Winnie the Pooh
- Frozen
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Big Hero 6
- Twilight Town’s Old Mansion
As far as why the schedule was moved up for this trailer release, it may have something to do with the leak scandal from over the weekend.
Players Beware: Real Villains Bring Spoilers
If there’s one thing most fans can agree on it’s that there are few winners when a handful of greedy gamers break the rules. A shared desire to experience Kingdom Hearts III as intended has lead gamers across the web to warn their fellows of incoming spoilers more than a month before the game’s release.
Rumor has it, the aforementioned rule breakers swiped Xbox One copies of the game from a production or distribution center. Up to thirty copies even made it onto the Facebook Marketplace, though the listing has since been deleted.
The community immediately took the threat behind uploaded videos of Kingdom Hearts III install and title screens seriously. The Kingdom Hearts subreddit even swore to ban any spoiler-happy Redditors who propagate leaks.
Director Tetsuya Normura’s voice joined the sea of warnings as he pleaded for good faith from his fan base. He officially addressed the situation on Twitter.
An important message for #KingdomHearts III from Director Tetsuya Nomura: pic.twitter.com/j9aVRFTS5B
— KINGDOM HEARTS (@KINGDOMHEARTS) December 16, 2018
The new trailer certainly contrasts the ugly feelings around the leak with exciting and positive news for fans to devour. It’s a much better start to a Monday, if nothing else.
– – –
Do you have any new theories based on the Final Battle trailer? Share them in the comments!
