News ► Nomura shares first details of Kingdom Hearts III DLC

[Deleted member]

y'all really want to play on that patch of dirt huh

 

[Obiewantsanipod]

How awesome would it be if we got to visit a couple of new worlds and play as both Kairi and Sora. And then Sora saves her, disappears, and the DLC has a new secret ending showing Sora in Shibuya looking around, only to receive a text message that reads: "Reach 104. You have 60 minutes. Fail, and face erasure. -The Reapers"

Oh boy, I would flip out.

 

[FudgemintGuardian]

"Remind" could cover anyone really. It could even be about Lauriam, Elrena, Demyx, and Luxord's forgotten memories of the Chi-era.

Which reminds me, where exactly did Vexen do any of his research? I would say TWTNW but all of the organization meetings happened at the Keyblade Graveyard

He also had stuff at Castle Oblivion. It'd be hilarious if the reason we don't see Demyx later on is because he got trapped in LoD's walls when it was restored.

Even if all that we saw was at the Keyblade Graveyard doesn't mean they didn't do stuff at other places. There's no way Vexen had equipment at KG. What with all that nothing the world has.

Also 10,000th post

Wahoooo!

 

[Deleted member]

so here's my theory about the new keyblade:

it's one based on the seven flans and you get it for doing all their minigames and that's why it's a free update because it's a reward for something all the players have instead of being based on the dlc.

 

[LostArtist]

secret episode: sora wakes up in tokyo. He ends up at the sky tree at some point. He then attends the 'tower of radiance and shadow' event at sky tree. Some sort of executive boss battle happens. Obtains sky tree keyblade

 

[DarkosOverlord]

Inb4 it's all a shotout to the Vanitas mod made for KH II FM

We play as Vanitas instead of Sora, and every once in a while the game gets altered: for example, when we go to the Final World there's Dark Chirithy instead of normal Chirithy. And it and Vanitas just spend the time insulting each other.



I'd like playable Kairi. I agree with the concerns, her fate is there to prevent any easy fix to her situation, but I'd still take it over not having her.

I can see playable Riku, but... eh. Not that he wouldn't also gain a lot from some more flattering sequences in KH III, but I get it.

Honestly, we should just get some character scenario for almost all the Guardians, maybe pairing some up to cut corners (like Roxas and Xion as an ally), like the newer version of Dragon Quest XI seems to have.
I know how some feel about "Episode That Guy" after FF XV, but if there's a game who needs this kinda stuff is this one.

 

[alexis.anagram]

You haven’t made specific points to anything you’ve said, in regards to the game being “broken” and you say I’m using hasty generalizations? You’re the pot calling the kettle black. Also I have acknowledged that kh 3 has issues so that dissonance statement is nothing, but a complete lie, my guess here is your only aim, is to make condescending responses while making empty generalizations that the game is “broken”, or Nomura “fumbled” it. You say a lot with little substance and make some baseless assumptions not once have I said anything in regards to whether someone is “fan enough” or not, nor did I say that only a select few get to decide what is kh.

That was my entire point, the responses in this thread hadn't even risen to the level of decent, serious criticism and yet yourself and others immediately jumped to conclusions about what wasn't happening yet and making sweeping judgement calls about every potential dissenting statement. None of my posts were intended to formulate a stringent argument on why the game is bad, only to address the redundancy with which this same exact scenario occurs and the kind of atmosphere it establishes, while also commiserating with some members on our level of interest/disinterest in this DLC: none of which requires a detailed account of the problems with KH3 in order to function as self-contained inferences.

Also I mean in regards people say proud was too easy, kingdom hearts games have not been known to be difficult games in general, proud has always been a relatively easy difficulty and even with critical mode aside from kh 2 lvl 1, it’s also not a terribly hard experience. So the easyness of kingdom hearts has been a thing for the series in general, then people complain about the story how certain things that were brought up weren’t explained, this has also been a thing throughout the series, when something was introduced you usually had to wait for a whole other game to fully expand on it and explain it, to take exception with kh 3 doing this is ridiculous because that’s what the series is known for, an example is like when xemnas goes to the chamber of repose and talks with aquas armor and calls it friend, we wouldn’t get an explanation on this until birth by sleep, and how all the organization members became nobodies we wouldn’t see how this was done until dream drop if I’m remembering correctly.

I agree that KH has always been easy, and this has never been a concern of mine with KH3. Anyway, Critical Mode seems to have fixed that for people who wanted to challenge themselves. I'll never play it, but it's nice for those who wanted it.
The problem with KH3 is not that information is left ambiguous as a way of enhancing how people think about the story and getting them to take a harder look at it (an approach with a lot of merit which past games have used), it's that entire swaths of the story are incomprehensible or underdeveloped because Nomura applies every imaginable narrative shortcut in order to achieve his desired endgame, and that undercuts the emotional resonance of the most important moments that rely on proper internal build up in order to land dramatically: and all the while the game shoehorns in a seismic ton of sequel fodder which is actively detrimental to the capacity of KH3 to perform in its role as the culminating moment for the series up to this point, which itself relies on delivering a proper sense of closure to the central elements that have shaped the series. KH3 gives more lines to Chirithy than Namine. Roxas is developed as one of the most important subplots in the game but is ultimately returned through a series of offscreen events and deus ex machina that tell us nothing about him as a character and the details of which are relegated to the KH equivalent of homework (the journal) to follow properly. The groundwork is laid early on for Kairi to act as a participant in the final struggle and achieve growth as a character and all she does is fulfill the role of Sora's passive magical gf just like in KH1, so an actual regression from KH2 in which she started to take a more proactive role, and then die. I could list (and have listed elsewhere) dozens more examples of how this game betrays its characters and its central conceit, but yeah, it's simpler and more efficent to just say it: the game is broken, and DLC can't fix any of the things that are truly wrong with it. It can only expand on an utterly inept baseline.

 

[Face My Fears]

I feel this is an entirely reasonable bar to set and I share in this demand (not that there's anything in this world or the next that could move me to pay for more KH3).


You were just in another thread lecturing people about how they ought to direct their criticism of this game towards DLC development in order to address any lingering questions or concerns or desires they have about it.
I agree with you that people shouldn't be expecting DLC to "fix" KH3, but only to the extent that KH3 is so broken it realistically can't be fixed. There's nothing Nomura can do now but bandage the worst fractures and move on. Also, nobody called you in to police their impressions of information and product related to this game, but thanks for stopping by all the same.

You're right that I shouldn't be policing people on their impressions. You're also right in saying that I was telling people to forward their concerns to Nomura in a respectful way and hope that Nomura produces DLC that accommodates. However, I think I should have been more specific in my post that people should stop seeing KH3 as an "incomplete" product. People keep saying that the game was released unfinished. Nothing in KH3 feels unfinished to me. Could there and SHOULD there have been more content? Yes. Do I think it was released unfinished just to sell DLC? No.

People complaining that the DLC should "complete" the game is insane. They're building themselves up that the DLC will fix their laundry list of problems with the game, stuff that seems like asking way too much in just a DLC expansion.

 

[Face My Fears]

I'm torn on having Kairi's training be more explored. Like on the one hand more screen time for her is obviously good, but on the other, I feel like putting any more emphasis on her training will just make the ending sting even more? Like knowing how she and Lea both whiff it in the ending, I feel like having more buildup and showcase of them training is just going to make that feel worse.

Maybe they can actually show that they had problems wielding a keyblade? I think it would be endearing for their characters to actually show that people can't just pick up a keyblade and be amazing at using it. It could also add to Kairi's own character where she really wants to become a better keyblade wielder and that her failure at Keyblade Graveyard is something that haunts her and pushes her to work harder? Especially if she believes her failure is what caused Sora to sacrifice himself.

 

[SweetYetSalty]

Am I greedy for wanting all the guardians playable? I know it's likely not going to happen but a KH fan can dream right? As for who the episodes could be about, I'm being greedy again. I want one for everyone darn it XD

Expansions on Lingering Will/Terra, Namine, Xion, and Roxas seem the most likely for a title called "REMIND" and these are the characters that suffered the worse in terms of screentime in KH3 Well them and Eraqus. I'm bias so I'd love to play as Roxas again, even just once like Riku and Aqua were. I selfishly crave more Roxas time.

As for playable Xion, I'd be down for it if the scenario is her taking back her body by beating...whatever is driving her new body to begin with. They haven't fully said if she was norted or not since we can't see her eyes when hooded. Still I would have enjoyed what would basically be a playable situation of the "Rikuception" Even better if it takes place in Dive to the Heart and evil Xion uses the forms from Days. Some real Xion-on-Xion violence there.

Lingering Will would also be fun to play as again. Maybe even have "spirit" Namine as his emotional backup or something. Anything to give Namine more screentime. I'm still bummed I skipped her scene in my first Proud Mode playthrough. But I could get on board with it. Though it be a tad boring for Lingering Will to keep fighting the same guy over and over again in Terranort. I'm being totally greedy in what I hope to see. I know most of these won't happen but it's fun to speculate.

 

[MATGSY]

What the heck, I'll just go ahead and say my dream ReMIND scenario in full regardless of how likely any of it is.

Sora saving Kairi rewinded time again, but now it wound all the way back to the start of the game, except Sora has been erased from the timeline. The ReMIND scenario is a complete replay of KH3 with Kairi as the lead with new scenes/party/bosses. Kairi is the only character to retain a vague memory of the previous timeline. Just enough to know what happened to Sora and she still has her training and can skip that this time around. She, Donald, and Goofy go on a journey to find a means of saving Sora.

Olympus: Kairi gets training from Phil that's harsher than what Merlin's furniture targets, which toughens her up a bit more. She pursues Hades as he's a God of the dead and she wonders if he is capable of bringing back Sora. Doesn't go well.
New Boss: Hades on his flying chariot

TT: we finally get the scene of Kairi at the mansion. Some scenes of her meeting Namine's will and Xion's revival.
New boss: Hooded Xion

Toybox: Takes place on the other half of the split world. Still no humans, they all fell to heartless but are restored by end of the game.
New Party: Jessie
New Boss: Zurg

Corona: Kairi learns more about her PoH status while teaming with Rapunzel.
New Boss: Marluxia

Arendelle: plottwist reveal, Kairi isn't a PoH anymore as her death to make the XBlade counts as losing it in the same way as the other old princesses. This has carried over in the altered timeline.
New Party: Elsa
New Bosses: Hans, Larxene

Monsters Inc: With Kairi no longer a PoH, she now is capable of darkness which is utterly a foreign concept to her. Vanitas tries to exploit this by attempting to corrupt her before she learns to control her newfound darkness.
New Bosses: Vanitas, Randall piloting construction vehicles (operating under an unfounded premise that S-E lied about being able to make Randall a boss to keep it a surprise)

Caribbean: Kairi gets more involved in the film's events. The resurrections of Jack and Barbossa strike her as another opportunity for a means to bring back Sora. Doesn't work out.
New party: Will and Elisabeth
New boss: underwater Kraken fight

Sanfransokyo: The 2 Baymaxs and Riku brings up more possible of bringing back Sora as a replica or data copy. Data-Sora makes a long overdue cameo.
New Boss: Riku Replica and Reprogrammed Data Sora tag team (Kairi forced to fight her friends in a sense)

TKbGy/SaC: Destruction of the Demon Wave is done in a cutscene (its a moment that can't be repeated with losing the intial impact). Roxas comes back earlier to be the 7th.
MX sacrifices himself to complete the X-Blade and has his will send it back through time to the version of himself that would put it to the best use.
New Boss: MX in TKbGy
New Final Boss: "Peak" Xehanort. This is post-training adult Xehanort at the absolute peak of both physical fitness and keyblade mastery.

 

[Deleted member]

you basically just described an entire new game o.o

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

y'all really want to play on that patch of dirt huh

I want to see Xehanort and Eraqus’ slow-burn, one-sided but actually not, tragic romance. And I guess to get a little exposition on how they viewed the legend of the age of fairytales.

 

[kaseykockroach]

The problem with KH3 is people naive enough to expect good storytelling in a Disney anime game.

 

[Sakuraba Neku]

As for the new secret bosses we gonna have, I'm more excited about the possibility of Yozora being one of them than anyone from X era. MoM included.

Riku vs Yozora would be the matchup of 2019 and the climax should take place at Square Enix's headquarters rooftops.

 

[2 quid is good]

Realistically? I think the dlc will amount to perhaps 2 or 3 cutscenes regarding Xion's (and maybe Terra's) return. An extension of the KG sequence where we either have more 1v1s, or its a CoR style ting, and the secret episode? Anyone's guess tbh, but I'm leaning towards a Yozora boss fight.

To be honest, while I do appreciate the first two, and feel that they're somewhat necessary, I personally would have much preferred a radiant garden episode, with all the good stuff that would have come with it, over them. But that's just me. I'll see what the FM has to offer but it's definitely not a Day 1 buy or anything like that.

At the end of the day, I'd much rather KH expand more on its existing universe and concepts than a new gauntlet of boss fights, but both are equally as valid as the other; it is a game after all. I just wish that one didn't have to come at the expense of another.

 

[2 quid is good]

The problem with KH3 is people naive enough to expect good storytelling in a Disney anime game.

I'm sorry, but I have to take issue with this. I don't think anyone here expected a masterpiece of story. It is Kingdom Hearts after all. We suffered through DDD and Re:Coded, and the fact that UX still exists means that much of the fanbase *knows* the general quality of the storytelling here.

And yet despite this KH3 was so lacklustre in all the ways that mattered most. After my initial introduction to the series through KH2, I couldn't give less of a stiff about Disney, and the fact that so much weight was given to it over FF, and more importantly, the original story and cast (which is what I'm willing to bet most of us are here for) is kinda bullshit.

Nomura set up so many interesting plots in the past 11 games and the resolution that we were given here was filled with replicas and gummiphones. That's low even by his standards.

 

[HakaishinChampa]

I'm gonna put my two cents here what I think this DLC may be, I'll probably end up being wrong though:

ReMIND: We'll see Xion's death from Days and her waking up in a Laboratory, she retains her memories but she doesn't have the connection to her friends anymore because they don't remember her. We might get to see some behinds the scene stuff with the New Organization XIII and eventually lead up to the Keyblade Graveyard scene where the Organization reveals themselves in the Keyblade Graveyard. We could also hear Xion's Letter to her friends from the Orchestra World Tour way back, Kairi's Letter came in KH3 so why not Xions? Maybe even Namine and Terra's conversation as well?

Limit Cut/Break: Most likely a Cavern of Remembrance Scenario, I was hoping that Radiant Garden would return and the new CoR would show up there but Radiant Garden's return is very unlikely. The new Cavern of Remembrance could show up in either the Land of Departure or Keyblade Graveyard but probably the Keyblade Graveyard. I'd love to see a Vexen and Demyx fight in this DLC.

Secret Episode: Riku going through some worlds that Sora visited to try to track where Sora could've gone, he eventually ends up in Galaxy Toys and goes inside the Verum Rex game for unknown reasons.

Also since JP is getting an English Voice Option maybe we can get JP voices?

Last thing is that I think like Audo said before, the free Keyblade will be based off the Flans.

 

[SuperSaiyanSora]

What the heck, I'll just go ahead and say my dream ReMIND scenario in full regardless of how likely any of it is.

Sora saving Kairi rewinded time again, but now it wound all the way back to the start of the game, except Sora has been erased from the timeline. The ReMIND scenario is a complete replay of KH3 with Kairi as the lead with new scenes/party/bosses. Kairi is the only character to retain a vague memory of the previous timeline. Just enough to know what happened to Sora and she still has her training and can skip that this time around. She, Donald, and Goofy go on a journey to find a means of saving Sora.

Olympus: Kairi gets training from Phil that's harsher than what Merlin's furniture targets, which toughens her up a bit more. She pursues Hades as he's a God of the dead and she wonders if he is capable of bringing back Sora. Doesn't go well.
New Boss: Hades on his flying chariot

TT: we finally get the scene of Kairi at the mansion. Some scenes of her meeting Namine's will and Xion's revival.
New boss: Hooded Xion

Toybox: Takes place on the other half of the split world. Still no humans, they all fell to heartless but are restored by end of the game.
New Party: Jessie
New Boss: Zurg

Corona: Kairi learns more about her PoH status while teaming with Rapunzel.
New Boss: Marluxia

Arendelle: plottwist reveal, Kairi isn't a PoH anymore as her death to make the XBlade counts as losing it in the same way as the other old princesses. This has carried over in the altered timeline.
New Party: Elsa
New Bosses: Hans, Larxene

Monsters Inc: With Kairi no longer a PoH, she now is capable of darkness which is utterly a foreign concept to her. Vanitas tries to exploit this by attempting to corrupt her before she learns to control her newfound darkness.
New Bosses: Vanitas, Randall piloting construction vehicles (operating under an unfounded premise that S-E lied about being able to make Randall a boss to keep it a surprise)

Caribbean: Kairi gets more involved in the film's events. The resurrections of Jack and Barbossa strike her as another opportunity for a means to bring back Sora. Doesn't work out.
New party: Will and Elisabeth
New boss: underwater Kraken fight

Sanfransokyo: The 2 Baymaxs and Riku brings up more possible of bringing back Sora as a replica or data copy. Data-Sora makes a long overdue cameo.
New Boss: Riku Replica and Reprogrammed Data Sora tag team (Kairi forced to fight her friends in a sense)

TKbGy/SaC: Destruction of the Demon Wave is done in a cutscene (its a moment that can't be repeated with losing the intial impact). Roxas comes back earlier to be the 7th.
MX sacrifices himself to complete the X-Blade and has his will send it back through time to the version of himself that would put it to the best use.
New Boss: MX in TKbGy
New Final Boss: "Peak" Xehanort. This is post-training adult Xehanort at the absolute peak of both physical fitness and keyblade mastery.

That would literally be a brand new full-length game. It'd be dope, though. A Witcher 3 type expansion.

 

[FudgemintGuardian]

We walk around

and spot

a trash heap.