I thought the box art was a hint of what was to come within the game. Of course, that became setup for KH4.
KHII Final Mix's box art did this by depicting KH3's Final World so I imagine KH3's box art would be a Quadratum at night maybe?
Pirates in KH3 was a testing ground for whether they could make KH work with live action properties on a larger scale. Nomura said this himself. It’s possible all of the worlds will be based on live action properties. I think this is what could set Unreality apart from the main KH universe.
Even without Nomura's confirmation on this, I think it would make the most sense to do this for 4. Even today, I'm still blown away with how they managed to make KHIII Caribbean world look. The premise of Unreality will certainly be for a lot of live-actions properties in order to show off those amazing visuals and graphics. One could've convinced me that shot of the Forest Moon of Endor was an actual real-life shot.
I just don't see why Versus 13 and its cast don't count as FF characters but Cloud does. It's not like the KH versions have ever been particularly faithful to the characters they're based on in the first place; Yozora is much closer to Noctis than, say, KH Setzer is to FF6 Setzer. There's no reason not to consider Yozora + co. to be bona fide FF characters except IP law which is fake and dumb.
Honestly, I can see where both of you are coming from.
Chie makes a good point about how the essence of Final Fantasy isn't just about familiar faces like Cloud or Sephiroth appearing, but about how the series’ deeper concepts, (like how KH time travel mirrors FF8), shape the narrative. This interpretation broadens what it means for a game to carry the "spirit" of FF cuz like, it’s not just about visual or surface-level references, but about thematic and structural influences.
On the other hand, Phoenix highlights a critical aspect of why Kingdom Hearts originally stood out - its crossover appeal. The strange sight of Cloud standing next to and interacting with Hercules, or Sora teaming up with characters like Auron (which was fucking awesome to me the first time I experienced that), was a huge draw for a lotta players. It’s this tangible, recognizable crossover that gave the series its unique flavor and attracted a broad and diverse audience.
The crux of the issue, then, is whether Kingdom Hearts can maintain its identity and appeal if it shifts away from these more recognizable crossovers in favor of subtler, more integrated Final Fantasy elements. For some, like Phoenix, the absence of these clear nods to beloved characters might feel like a loss of the series’ core charm. For others, like Chie, the evolution into a narrative that deeply weaves in Final Fantasy’s complex themes - even if the characters aren’t as overtly recognizable - could be seen as a natural and exciting progression.
Ultimately, it might come down to how well Disney/Nomura can balance these elements. If they can maintain the series' unique identity while also pushing the boundaries of what it means to include Final Fantasy within Kingdom Hearts, they
might satisfy both camps. However, it is most certainly a risky move, as it challenges the expectations that have been set over the course of the series.
But at the same time, KH4 is pretty much the beginning of a new era, so I wouldn't be surprised if they attempt something completely different in this regard. Personally, I just wanna see more FF characters involved. Kinda hard to do at this point with the number of original characters KH now has but one can still hope.
Unless Verum Rex becomes real.
