Though Square Enix has promised to stay quiet on Kingdom Hearts III until after Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue releases next year, the official Kingdom Hearts Twitter account released two new images today to tide fans over.
Alongside the announcement that Kingdom Hearts 1.5 ReMix and 2.5 ReMix will be bundled and come to PS4 next year, as well as the debut of Final Chapter Prologue’s new opening cinematic, two brief glimpses of Kingdom Hearts III also debuted.
So with what is otherwise a lockdown on Kingdom Hearts news, what do these images tell us about the upcoming sequel? Let’s take a deeper dive (into the heart) and see what secrets can be unchained.
Kingdom Hearts 3 Guard Form Reveal
As the accompanying tweets explain, the first new photo reveals the latest Drive Form for Sora. (For those who may have skipped out on Kingdom Hearts II, Drive Forms were introduced in the sequel and, when activated, give Sora amplified abilities — and a new outfit — themed around certain combat styles.)
Titled Guard Form, the latest iteration of Sora’s expanding wardrobe seemingly transforms the keyblade into a shield — here adapting the Herc’s Shield keyblade. (The Olympia keyblade is the previous Hercules-inspired form of Sora's weapon.)
The Hercules world has appeared in previous Kingdom Hearts III trailers, but these images both offer a new look at an area previously unexplored in any iteration of Hercules' location. Sora appears to be on Mt. Olympus itself, rather than down at the Coliseum as in Kingdom Hearts or in the Underworld, which was added in Kingdom Hearts II. Having explored Earth and what lies below, it only makes sense to extend the world up into the clouds if the area is being included once again. (This could also be the Coliseum location, which may have been given a visual upgrade, but the cloudy pillars certainly give credence to the idea that Sora will finally make his way to the famed mountain.)
Kingdom Hearts 3 Hidden Keyblade Form
The second image is by far the more mysterious, as it comes saddled with this caveat from the Kingdom Hearts Twitter account: “This power form was edited as it is the Keyblade from a world that hasn’t been released yet, so it has changed into a hammer shape.”
Unfortunately, the image gives us very little to go off of when guessing what Disney property the keyblade is attached to. Sora’s hand placement on the keyboard is peculiar (he is truly wielding it like a hammer) and suggests a heavy attack-focused Drive Form.
The Rorschach test-patterned pants don’t immediately point to a specific Disney franchise, either. (The red is a much darker shade than that used for the Valor Form first introduced in Kingdom Hearts II.)
If we take the use of “hammer” literally, that could suggest a Thor-themed level and associated keyblade transformation. (A properly numbered Kingdom Hearts game has not released since Disney acquired Marvel in 2009.) But if we’re simply going by Sora’s hand placement, it could just as easily be an adaptation of the weapon Maui uses in the upcoming animated Disney movie Moana.
And the phrase “hammer shape” could simply be misdirection to hide whatever world the keyblade indicates. So far, Olympus, a Tangled world, Big Hero 6’s San Fransokyo, Twilight Town, and Destiny Islands have been showcased in previous trailers and announcements, which leaves open a wide range of Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Lucasfilm possibilities.
Otherwise the image shows off a little more of the Mount Olympus area, revealing new architecture along with the cloudy plumes surrounding the buildings.
And of course, an enemy Shadow heartless makes an appearance in both images, though the foe has been confirmed to return via previous trailers.
The latest look at Kingdom Hearts III, unsurprisingly, doesn't let slip too much that we didn't already know. Confirmation of the return of Drive Forms, with new options, is perhaps the biggest clue offered about the long-awaited sequel, but the hidden keyblade reaffirms Square Enix's stance on holding back anything brand new while Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 has yet to be released.
Let us know what you think the new world and keyblade might be in the comments below, and for more on Kingdom Hearts 3, including the message hidden in previous Kingdom Hearts box art, stay tuned to IGN's continuing coverage of the upcoming sequel.
Jonathon Dornbush is an Associate Editor for IGN. Find him talking about Kingdom Hearts, and occasionally Gilmore Girls, on Twitter @jmdornbush.
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire