The Kingdom Hearts games have widespread appeal thanks to their ties with Disney and Final Fantasy, so we expect this to be among the best-selling games of 2019. See more of our most anticipated games here. We went hands-on with the upcoming game at E3, so read our Kingdom Hearts 3 preview if you want to find out exactly what we thought after playing through two of the new levels.
Kingdom Hearts 3 release date
It’s been almost 14 years since Kingdom Hearts 2 came out on PS2 in 2005. Since then, fans of the roleplaying game have been eagerly awaiting the next instalment. There was a time when we doubted whether there would be one at all. However, in 2013 it was finally confirmed by Square Enix that Kingdom Hearts 3 is coming. Back then, we thought we might be playing it in 2015, but it soon became clear that we were suffering from wishful thinking. As of E3 2018, we got a release date for Kingdom Hearts 3: 29 January 2019. Which means Kingdom Hearts 3 is here now!
Where to buy Kingdom Hearts 3
You can buy Kingdom Hearts 3 now. Click the links below to go to the relevant retailer and buy there.
Kingdom Hearts 3 leaks
About a month before release, copies of Kingdom Hearts 3 made their way into the hands of a select few people who then proceeded to leak screenshots and videos of the game on the web. Some of these videos contain huge spoilers for the game, none of which we’re going to share here, so the game’s director Tetsuya Nomura took to Twitter to urge people not to spread these spoilers further. He revealed that the epilogue and secret movie for Kingdom Hearts 3, which would contain the biggest spoilers, will be released as an update after the game’s launch to prevent them from making their way onto the internet – a smart move.
Kingdom Hearts 3 platforms
Kingdom Hearts 3 will be available to play on Xbox One and PS4 consoles.
Kingdom Hearts 3 worlds
As soon as word of Kingdom Hearts 3 got out, speculation erupted over what new worlds we’d see in the game. Throughout the Kingdom Hearts series, we’ve been transported to Disney worlds including Hercules’ Olympus Colosseum, Aladdin’s Agrabah, Pirates of the Caribbean’s Port Royal, The Lion King’s Pride Lands and so many more. It’s particularly exciting with Kingdom Hearts 3, because, since the release of the previous game, Disney has been rather busy releasing awesome new films and acquiring new companies like Marvel and Lucasfilm. However, Star Wars is unlikely to make an appearance this time, because Electronic Arts already published the Star Wars Battlefront games. So far, we know that the following worlds will feature in the game:
TangledToy StoryMonsters IncFrozenMount OlympusBig Hero SixRattatouille
Kingdom Hearts co-director Tai Yasue has said that we will see a mix of new worlds and worlds we’ve seen before in the franchise. “Whenever we come up with worlds for Kingdom Hearts, we want to have them be varied. You don’t want the same type of world, so we will have different categories. That will make it feel fresh, like you’re having an adventure.” “There’s a lot of Disney content that’s new and coming out, and we’re considering which ones to use, which would be good from a gameplay perspective,” Yasue continued. “This is not an announcement or anything, but personally I enjoyed watching Frozen. It was magical: the stories, the songs, the ice expressions.” Frozen was confirmed at E3 2018, in a trailer shown below, while Big Hero 6’s San Fransokyo was shown in quite a lot of detail in the latest trailer from Tokyo Game Show. Currently rumoured worlds include:
The Jungle BookDarkwing DuckWall-EMarvel
Kingdom Hearts 3 gameplay
Kingdom Hearts 3 gameplay looks incredible, with huge improvements over previous games. The Keyblade has some powerful new features including transformations that you’ll see in the trailers below, and Disney’s theme park rides will play a fun part in combat, too. We’ve seen rides including a Pirate Ship, Runaway Train and Teacups used by Sora during battle during the trailers released so far. “There’s a lot of stuff we have never ever done before,” Yasue has said about gameplay. “ There’s a lot that’s the same, but there’s a lot that’s changed. We’re moving from a totally different console to a new console. The technology has evolved; it’s very new and everyone is doing a lot of research. It looks amazing as well.” We don’t yet know whether Kingdom Hearts 3 is going to have a multiplayer element to it, but it is possible. Stay tuned for updates on that. We do, however, know that Sora won’t be the only playable character in the game. Speaking to IGN in July of last year, Nomura said: “It would be tough to introduce many, multiple playable characters, but there is an intention of adding a playable character aside from Sora. Unfortunately we’re not able to disclose who it is yet, but there will be [another playable character].” Square Enix has also revealed that the Keyblade will be able to transform into various forms in Kingdom Hearts 3, each form equipped with new attacks, moves and animations. Not only that, but you’ll also be able to equip multiple Keyblades and combo attacks between them! In addition to the main gameplay details we know so far, we’ve also been treated to a new trailer that reveals minigames available to play within Kingdom Hearts III, in what’s described as Classic Kingdom.
As you can see in the trailer, Kingdom Hearts characters are transported into games inspired by classic LCD games from the 80’s. The trailer also reveals a tiny bit of a town square that could be a version of Traverse Town from previous games, or could be something more than that. Some fans have suggested a Ratatouille world, while others have been reminded of Twilight Town. What do you think?
Kingdom Hearts 3 trailers
There are lots of KH3 trailers now, some of which you’ll have already seen above and the rest you can watch below. When Square Enix first announced Kingdom Hearts 3 in 2013 we certainly didn’t anticipate that we would wait five years for it to be released. It’s been teased at E3 and D23 events ever since, with trailers, world reveals and gameplay videos to make us even more desperate to get our hands on it. Part of the reason for the delay is Square Enix’s decision to remaster previous Kingdom Hearts games for PS3, then again for PS4. There have been plenty of ‘spinoff’ type games for mobile and handheld consoles, too, including Chain of Memories, 358/2 Days, Birth By Sleep and Dream Drop Distance. Kingdom Hearts director Tetsuya Nomura has recently stated that the game is taking ages because Square Enix is making technology decisions that are “out of his hands.” It looks like these include a personnel shortage and the decision to switch to the third-party Unreal Engine 4. We’d rather the company takes its time and gets it right than rushes and pushes out something sub-standard. After all, we’ve already been waiting 13 years! During a Kingdom Hearts 3 trailer release at D23 in February, Nomura said that development of the game has been split into three parts. The early part is almost complete, the middle part is more than half way there, but the end stage is a mystery, with Nomura stating that it will be something he has “always wanted to do and put into Kingdom Hearts ever since the days of working on Final Fantasy.” Intriguing. If you’re as impatient as we are about its release, you might be interested in playing Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue for PS4, and Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 and 2.5 Remix for PS4 in the meantime Ashleigh is Tech Advisor’s Head of Affiliate. Providing expert buying advice you can trust is her forte, helping you to find the most reputable consumer tech products and services, and ensuring you don’t spend a penny more than you should.
