TheKingdom Heartsseries is no stranger to complex storytelling, weaving decades of lore across multiple games and spin-offs. WithKingdom Hearts 4on 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 isDragon Age: The Veilguard, which attempted to reboot its series while balancing the expectations of veteran fans. WhileThe Veilguardsucceeded 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 4has the opportunity to learn from this and ensure its own story remains compelling for both returning fans and first-time players.
The Veilguard’s Struggle with Legacy and Newcomers
Dragon Age: The Veilguardattempted to bridge past narratives with a fresh start, but its execution was met with mixed reactions. While the game allowedplayers to import a few key choices fromDragon 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 fromDragon Age: Inquisition—had no real impact onThe Veilguard’s story.
This left long-time players feeling their past choices were inconsequential, removing much of the personalworld-shaping that defined earlierDragon Agegames. 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. IfKingdom Hearts 4is 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
TheKingdom Heartsseries 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. WithKingdom Hearts 4marking 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 4could take this further by offering an interactive lore guide or an optional playable prologue. A great example of this isFinal Fantasy 16’sActive 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 makeKingdom Hearts 4more 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
WithKingdom Hearts 4possibly 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.
AfterSora’s arc concludes, the series could then pivot to a fresh start in a future entry. A post-Kingdom Hearts 4title could serve as the true jumping-in point for new fans, featuring a new protagonist and streamlined narrative. This would allowKingdom Hearts 4to 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 forKingdom Hearts 4to avoid the narrative pitfalls thatDragon Age: The Veilguardencountered. As far as players knowKingdom Hearts 4will bring an enticing new storyline, but details on the full narrative are still under wraps.
The Best Path Forward for Kingdom Hearts 4
Square Enix has a unique opportunity to handleKingdom Hearts 4in 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.
WhileDragon Age: The Veilguardstruggled to fully satisfyeither new or returning players,Kingdom Hearts 4can 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.
