Dark Road final update releases on August 26

[LoneFox]

I certainly agree with those who think that this stuff should have been explored either before or during KH III rather than afterwards.

Realistically Dark Road should have been the story they focused on after DDD/0.2 over Union X as it would have been timed better.

But isn't this exactly how Nomura originally planned it? Dark Road was supposed to be an independent game, it got cancelled by some necktie clowns, and then much later was reinstated as UX add-on?

 

[Sign]

But isn't this exactly how Nomura originally planned it? Dark Road was supposed to be an independent game, it got cancelled by some necktie clowns, and then much later was reinstated as UX add-on?

More or less. It was something Nomura wanted to do before KH3 but didn't have the opportunity. If the UX team hadn't approached him, asking to let them work on another game, DR would have never seen the light of day.

It's not really anything to do with UX as that was always a lower scale project, whereas this Xehanort backstory would have ideally been a console game, judging by how Nomura talks about it.

 

[rokudamia2]

I wouldn't be shocked if this was planned (Maybe not officially but in nomura's kind) to be released after ddd but square enix basically forced him to focus on kh3 with x on the side.

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

keep in mind there was a mysterious project that was, indeed, shelved. It was either BBSv2 (because ??? why else would they make that secret ending that amounted to nothing lol) or Xehanort (or it was also a part of BBSv2)

Oh BBSv2…what you could have been. Happy for 0.2 but I will always dream of a game that reflected on Riku’s experiences in the year gap and what Kairi did at the Twilight Town Mansion…and a proper Xehanort game because I wanted to play as him in a 3D game

Okay, I’m done whining.

 

[bambii (aka foreteller)]

keep in mind there was a mysterious project that was, indeed, shelved. It was either BBSv2 (because ??? why else would they make that secret ending that amounted to nothing lol) or Xehanort (or it was also a part of BBSv2)

From everything I’ve gathered, my impression has been that Nomura intended for BBSv2 to be sort of experimental in its structure, jumping around chronologically and between characters to fill in various “blank points” in the story. Whether that would have amounted to a cohesive game is questionable but I still would’ve drooled over it lol. But SE execs probably weren’t sold on the concept. It seems to me that Nomura is finally fulfilling a spin on that original idea now with Dark Road and Missing-Link—he even talks about them both as games that connect or solve outstanding mysteries across the series. Of course, the KH universe has evolved dramatically since the early 2010s, so I doubt these games would touch on things like Riku during the CoM-KH2 gap, but it’s not impossible IMO. Nomura clearly has some stories he’s wanted to tell and ideas for connecting these “fragments” to each other.

But yeah I will forever mourn BBSv2, RIP

 

[MoonRabbit]

BBSv2 seemed like it was pretty important to the KH timeline. BBS was the equivalent of KH0 and BBSv2 was supposed to be KH0.5. Yeah, we got 0.2, but we are still missing the other 0.3.

— Where did Riku get the Keyblade he gave to Kairi in KH2?

Nomura: If you're asking about that... I'll follow up on it. If I don't, then we'd just be throwing that all away.

The way Nomura worded this, "throwing that all away", it made me think that this was something intended for BBSv2.

— Did someone give Isa the scar on his face? Why does it seem like a mark of a heretic?

Nomura: There is a story regarding, Lea, Isa, and the girl they tried to save... Since there is a backstory there, we are thinking of expanding on it. We hope you can look forward to it.

Same with this. It sounded like he had a more in-depth backstory in mind for Lea and Isa, as well as an explanation for Isa's scar and how he became a vessel. But that whole story was going to be thrown away and replaced with Retcon Girl X.

ML is supposed to address mysteries from throughout the series. The X series is technically not part of the Dark Seeker Saga nor the Lost Masters saga, but a series to bridge them together. And the title itself is interesting. A missing link is "a thing that is needed in order to complete a series, provide continuity, or gain complete knowledge." Sounds like a good place to fill in that blank 0.5 timeline. I don't see why Riku's blank time would be off the table. There were even little bits of it in Coded, so I don't see why it couldn't be in this game. Especially if your goal is to collect records of all the worlds' pasts, presents, and futures. ML really is the best chance to salvage some of these unused storylines and give them a second chance, like DR is doing for Xehanort.

 

[LucemFerto]

I am so incredibly excited for this game, it's unbelievable. I really hope I am not ruining it for me through expectations. But everything we've seen from it so far makes me believe that they'll be able to do something they haven't achieved since 0.2 and that would be have a decent character study.

I think not having Disney Worlds with an actual plot to follow or rather not being so chained to the specific plot of the worlds. I am especially hopeful that the other characters get their time to shine - that's something that I feel Union χ really failed on. But Xehanort's classmates and perhaps even the upperclassmen will get some stuff to do, judging by the trailers.

I'm also very intrigued that the game seems to go ALL the way into Birth by Sleep. That is way beyond where I thought it would end. Unless they're literally going until his death in KHIII. Which would be very cool, actually.

 

[bambii (aka foreteller)]

I am so incredibly excited for this game

Same. I’ll always have my complaints about the presentation of these mobile games (at least give us voice acting, yeesh), but dang we’re getting a full KH game in 2 weeks. Feel like I’ve been dangling on a narrative edge for the past 2 years; I know this won’t address everything, but my desire to know what happens is through the roof. Pretty hyped.

 

[MoonRabbit]

I am so incredibly excited for this game, it's unbelievable. I really hope I am not ruining it for me through expectations. But everything we've seen from it so far makes me believe that they'll be able to do something they haven't achieved since 0.2 and that would be have a decent character study.

I think not having Disney Worlds with an actual plot to follow or rather not being so chained to the specific plot of the worlds. I am especially hopeful that the other characters get their time to shine - that's something that I feel Union χ really failed on. But Xehanort's classmates and perhaps even the upperclassmen will get some stuff to do, judging by the trailers.

I feel the exact same way. The last KH story I enjoyed was 0.2 because it was so character-focused. That's where the storytelling of KH really shines. When I first booted up Dark Road in the first chapter, it made me so happy. It actually felt like the old KH series that I used to love. Other recent games have been entirely plot-focused. Union leaders, black box, time travel, worldlines, Quadratum, blah blah blah. There's endless exposition to set up mysteries and new plots, but it has all the emotional impact of a wet sock.

 

[Chaser]

I need to find my iPad and get to charging it. Hopefully it releases at the time the previous UX updates went out. If it does, I can get playing at 5pm on that Friday and hopefully finish the game by the end of the night.

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

Because I asked it on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1559930999428902912

 

[Face My Fears]

Xehanort's mother is also Sora's mother.

 

[Chaser]

Xehanort's mother is also Sora's mother.

Wouldn't Riku's mother make more sense, since Nomura is having Toddlernort's hair match KH3 Riku's hair?

 

[Sonofjafar]

Xehanort's mother is also Sora's mother.

Sora, I am your father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate.

 

[MoonRabbit]

I'd be surprised if the big twist wasn't that MX himself was a vessel for one of the 13 "Progenitor Darknesses", specifically Super/Pride. Was it really MX's plan to split his heart into empty vessels and create 13 selves? Or was it Darkness's will expressing itself through him? We know that without physical form they lose their individual will and that they needed vessels to continue to exist.

"They gather in darkness, masterless and free... until they weave together to make Kingdom Hearts. And when that time comes, we can truly, finally exist."

I dunno, ever since I saw the Union X finale, I thought that whole plot made way more sense if it was part of the Dark Seeker Saga. Xemnas and Saix just had something really inhuman about them. It would be perfectly believable for me to think that their personalities were simply the result of Darkness puppeteering their bodies, even if they themselves were unaware of this.

 

[Face My Fears]

View attachment 15621

I'd be surprised if the big twist wasn't that MX himself was a vessel for one of the 13 "Progenitor Darknesses", specifically Super/Pride. Was it really MX's plan to split his heart into empty vessels and create 13 selves? Or was it Darkness's will expressing itself through him? We know that without physical form they lose their individual will and that they needed vessels to continue to exist.



I dunno, ever since I saw the Union X finale, I thought that whole plot made way more sense if it was part of the Dark Seeker Saga. Xemnas and Saix just had something really inhuman about them. It would be perfectly believable for me to think that their personalities were simply the result of Darkness puppeteering their bodies, even if they themselves were unaware of this.

This is interesting. I always wondered how Master Xehanort constituted pure darkness. If he transferred only his darkness into 12 empty vessels, wouldn't himself still be part light?

 

[MoonRabbit]

This is interesting. I always wondered how Master Xehanort constituted pure darkness. If he transferred only his darkness into 12 empty vessels, wouldn't himself still be part light?

I think so, yeah. That's the idea that Nomura seemed to be trying to convey with the ending of KH3. It was all a callback to KH1's ending.

"The heart may be weak. And sometimes it may even give in. But I’ve learned that deep down, there’s a light that never goes out!"

Xemnas's last words were about how being human takes incredible strength. Xehanort sold his soul for power because he thought the world needed someone strong to stand up and lead. His true nature wasn't evil. But his heart was weak. Darkness swallowed his heart, took over his mind/soul/will, and used his body as its vessel. But deep down there was a light that never went out.

"The darkness spread, swallowing the light and many people’s hearts. But small fragments of light survived...in the hearts of children."

That tiny bit of light was reawakened once Xehanort remembered his childhood with Eraqus. It's only after that that he gives Sora the χ-Blade.

— What happens to the hearts of those who have had Master Xehanort’s heart planted within them?

Nomura: They’ll gradually be swallowed by it. As for Master Xehanort, he plans to control them completely. The planted parts of the heart are captured rather than disappear.

MX probably wasn't splitting his own human heart into 13 vessels. It was Darkness that was swallowing their hearts, like it did with him.

 

[SweetYetSalty]

View attachment 15621

I'd be surprised if the big twist wasn't that MX himself was a vessel for one of the 13 "Progenitor Darknesses", specifically Super/Pride. Was it really MX's plan to split his heart into empty vessels and create 13 selves? Or was it Darkness's will expressing itself through him? We know that without physical form they lose their individual will and that they needed vessels to continue to exist.



I dunno, ever since I saw the Union X finale, I thought that whole plot made way more sense if it was part of the Dark Seeker Saga. Xemnas and Saix just had something really inhuman about them. It would be perfectly believable for me to think that their personalities were simply the result of Darkness puppeteering their bodies, even if they themselves were unaware of this.

I hope they don't go this route. If it turns out Xehanort was just a vessel for Darkness it robs him of his agency, which is something his character does not need, especially since he's suppose to be the main antagonist of the Dark Seeker Saga. You can make a villain's backstory interesting without stripping him of his free will. If it turns out this was all Darkness's plot then what does Xehanort have? Honestly this is one of Square Enix's problems with their villains at times. Xehanort would become the KH version of Golbez.

 

[Agroogrooiya]

Three more days fellas. We are getting closer and closer to see what made the boy become a man, and the man turn into a tyrant. Lets hope it can beat Xenoblade 3's N in tragedy!

 

[Face My Fears]

I think so, yeah. That's the idea that Nomura seemed to be trying to convey with the ending of KH3. It was all a callback to KH1's ending.



Xemnas's last words were about how being human takes incredible strength. Xehanort sold his soul for power because he thought the world needed someone strong to stand up and lead. His true nature wasn't evil. But his heart was weak. Darkness swallowed his heart, took over his mind/soul/will, and used his body as its vessel. But deep down there was a light that never went out.



That tiny bit of light was reawakened once Xehanort remembered his childhood with Eraqus. It's only after that that he gives Sora the χ-Blade.


MX probably wasn't splitting his own human heart into 13 vessels. It was Darkness that was swallowing their hearts, like it did with him.

I hope they don't go this route. If it turns out Xehanort was just a vessel for Darkness it robs him of his agency, which is something his character does not need, especially since he's suppose to be the main antagonist of the Dark Seeker Saga. You can make a villain's backstory interesting without stripping him of his free will. If it turns out this was all Darkness's plot then what does Xehanort have? Honestly this is one of Square Enix's problems with their villains at times. Xehanort would become the KH version of Golbez.

I don't want "Darkness" to be the reason for Master Xehanort's entire plan. However, I would like to see Xehanort believe he was in control or even manipulating "Darkness" into doing his bidding.

I can see Master Xehanort being so dedicated to his cause, that he might actually put Darkness into himself, just so that he could execute the plan in the future. They can maybe even use Darkness as the explanation for the actual appearance of the Guardian (that Ansem has). I know it's supposed to be Terra - but why present that way, let alone help during the fight? Maybe they can even explain that Darkness was becoming too much of a burden for Master Xehanort to keep at bay, so he needed to dump it on another heart (Terra) while keeping Darkness inside himself, so that he could eventually do the split.

Yeah, basically I rather see Master Xehanort use Darkness as a tool in his crazy experiment/plot rather than have Darkness just lead Xehanort down some "destined path".