Kingdom Hearts 3 Ultimania - Main Nomura Interview Translated
- Details
- Published on March 12, 2019 @ 04:15 pm
- Written by Cecily
goldpanner has translated the KINGDOM HEARTS 3 Ultimania main interview with Series Director Tetsuya Nomura. He discusses the game's development, Utada Hikaru's return to the series with two new theme songs, certain late-game plot points and teases for the future.
[The reason there are 2 theme songs is because of the support from the fans.]
—At about what time did the production of KH3 begin?
Nomura: I began conceptualizing it right after we had finished with KH2. The actual development didn’t begin until much later, but from the beginning we had planned to release it on PS4 and Xbox One. I've heard there are rumours that we had initially planned to release it on the PS3, but the PS4 was already the latest console by the time development had begun. The game was always going to be for PS4 and Xbox One, even before we changed the game engine (an all-purpose “program” that is responsible for processing all the main components within the game) from Luminous Studios to the Unreal Engine,.
—Unlike KH1 and KH2, this time development was handled by the Osaka Team. Can you tell us about how this came about?
Nomura: The Osaka Team has been responsible for handling the development of the handheld games like KHBBS, as well as titles like KH Re:COM and the HD remasters, but from the beginning I had always wanted them to grow into a team that could develop a main numbered title for consoles. They had gained plenty of experience with the KH series while developing non-numbered games, and the Tokyo team had begun work on another title by then, so the time was finally right to leave KH3 to them.
—At the beginning of production, what sort of things did you request from the team?
Nomura: The first world we had decided on was Toy Box from the “Toy Story” series, so I told them that I wanted them to make battles where you could hop in and out of robots. I also said I wanted to make the project of having time sensitive commands appear and pile up above the command menu the main focus. Later, when it had been decided that we would go ahead with KH0.2, we included that system as a sort of experiment.
—We were worried that Utada Hikaru, who performed the theme songs for every numbered title up until now, would not return for KH3 as she had been taking an extended break from music. But, she returned safely to the business and provided the theme song this time around also.
Nomura: We actually approached Ms Utada regarding new songs for the non-numbered titles too, but we didn't get the opportunity to have it come to fruition. But because this game was to be the latest entry to the numbered titles, the time was ripe to ask her for a new song. And when we did, Ms Utada was the one who proposed that instead of using an arrangement for the opening theme, we go with a second completely different new song: we were over the moon. I believe that it was the power of the KH fans around the world that motivated her to do such a thing. All the messages sent to Ms Utada from fans globally would have been a big encouragement to her, I would like to think.
—You are also an illustrator. What kind of illustrations did you have in mind for this game?
Nomura: I knew I would have to at least draw the box art, and I got depressed when I remembered how hard it would be with so many characters (dry laughter). I've always used A4-size copy paper when drawing my original pieces, and I do my best to fit everything into that. But when I started drawing the box art this time on a piece of A4 paper, I'd only drawn Sora, Riku and Kairi when I realised there was no way everyone was going to fit. I joined two pieces of paper together and re-drew it on that… while thinking to myself, if I'd done it digitally, I could have just copy-pasted the three people I'd already drawn (laughs). That illustration dragged itself out until right before the deadline: coloring included, it took me about a week of straight work to finish. For some reason, the packaging manufacturing deadline for the overseas version was a lot earlier than the domestic one, so I worked on it in the midst of people urging me to hurry since "at this rate, the international version is just going to have a plain black cover!"
[He felt he couldn't make KH3 without including Pixar works]
—After KH2 was released, Pixar was purchased by Disney. Did this expand the range of worlds available for you to include in this title?
Nomura: Actually, we did make a few trial models of characters from Monsters Inc and Toy Story during the production of KH2, and we did begin negotiations to have them appear in the game. We did have to shelve them in the end, but I felt I couldn't make KH3 without including Pixar works, so I started up negotiations again—and this time, the situation between Disney and Pixar had changed, and we were able to make it happen. After we had finished deciding all the worlds for this game, Disney and Pixar kept releasing fascinating titles. I found myself wishing over and over again that we could have included this and that.
— So including Monsters Inc. and Toy Story in KH3 were highest in priority for you.
Nomura: Even so, the hurdles we had to jump to get there were higher than I had expected. To begin with, I went to America twice for negotiations, where it turned out that we couldn't move forward with that until we had a plot. So, I wrote the plot of Toy Box at a stage where the main story still hadn't been written. After that, we were in correspondence for quite a long time, until the plans were boiled down into something they finally approved. It was the first time we had worked with Pixar, and we built a relationship with them through Toy Story which we used as a base when suggesting other titles.
—We were surprised at how the plot of the Pixar worlds were continuations of the original movies.
Nomura: Originally, the basic pattern of the KH series was that Sora and the others get involved in scenes that depict the happenings of the original films. The Tangled and Frozen worlds fit that description. However, with Toy Story and Monsters Inc., upon request from the creators, we went with a pattern of depicting a period set after the movie as an "authorized history." Which pattern a world would follow depended greatly on the ideas of the creators and producers of the movies.
—The stories based on the events of the original movies still managed to cleverly incorporate episodes involving Sora and his friends, didn't they?
Nomura: That is the achievement of Oka (Masaru Oka: Scenario + Cutscene Director) and the level design team (the team that creates enemy positioning and the shape of the maps.) In recent KH titles, Oka has been discussing and deciding the location and flow (of battles and cutscenes) with the level design team and creating tentative scenarios that fit. I touch things up in the final stages, but what I correct is mostly to do with dialogue. The events of the story of each world mostly prioritize level design.
—Disney has now acquired companies other than Pixar, such as Marvel and LucasFilm. Will this expand the range of worlds available for future games?
Nomura: Yes. However, the contracts necessary to use a franchise in a game are each tied to their own separate companies, and in several cases there are existing contracts with other game companies. So, it's not as simple as "the company has been acquired by Disney, so it can appear in KH." We were only able to use a single cut of Mickey in KH1 for a similar reason. Another game company was releasing a Mickey game around the same time, so they told us we couldn't use him at all. But I was persistent, and I ended up receiving an idea for a compromise: "You can use him if it's just one cut, and it's just his silhouette, and he's just waving from far away or something." I deliberated over how to make the very most of that one chance, and the result is that appearance of his in KH1.
[We created new graphics while using the original films as reference]
—Among the worlds of KH3, Olympus is a constant that has appeared in nearly every game in the series so far. Do you have particular feelings towards it?
Nomura: There isn't really a reason for that, it's honestly just by chance. I mean, the reason it appears in KH3 is simply because it made for a perfect beginning to the journey: Sora going to visit a hero who had once regained lost powers, in order to try and regain his own. If I were to say I had particular feelings about it, I'd say that I love having Hades appear. He's a very funny character, and I start wanting to watch him moving about.
—The 100 Acre Wood is another constant, come to think of it.
Nomura: That's because Pooh is the kind of character who makes you feel safe just by being there (laughs.) Since I knew that the other worlds would take up a lot of production time, I thought from the start that I wanted to make the 100 Acre Wood a place for you to take a breather from the adventure, with a light minigame.
—In the 100 Acre Wood, the graphics switch to a unique style where the character outlines are much stronger.
Nomura: That processing wasn't added to the game until the last stages of development. For KH3 we used what we call the Kingdom Shader to change the feel of the graphics for each world, but Pooh's world was just normal. So, I had them make the graphics less like the cartoon and more like the original picture book. When trying to bring out that storybook feel, I personally was very particular about the color of the sky.
—On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Caribbean was overwhelmingly detailed - almost lifelike.
Nomura: In a way, that world was what determined the graphics quality for the whole game. In the early stages of development, I created a video of Sora sailing the sea and riding enemies through the skies for an in-house presentation session. The quality of the graphics in that one-off test clip were so high, and it looked so overwhelmingly good among all the other titles that our company was developing at the time, that it completely stole the show at that presentation session. I sensed that this world would be a highlight right from those early days. By the way, the coat Sora wears in the Caribbean is designed after a coat of my own that I gave the staff as a reference upon my request. I think I might not have gotten it back yet (laughs).
—Of all Sora's world-specific forms, he undergoes quite a drastic change in Monstropolis.
Nomura: In the beginning, I considered having him wear some kind of monster onesie, like Boo does in the original film, but thanks to Pixar's wishes he ended up turning into a monster. In the original Monsters Inc., there are rather strict rules concerning the colors and eye shapes that can be used in character designs. So, after they had decided upon designs that fit those rules, I made final adjustments of my own. Sora in particular started off with a soft shiny body that I felt wasn't quite coming together, so I put fur on him. But then Pixar instructed me not to make him look too much like a cat—it was a struggle to find a compromise. And so, even though it looks like Sora has cat ears they're actually horns (laughs.)
—You were able to recreate the graphics of the worlds based on CG titles to a very high level. Did you use graphics data from the original films?
Nomura: We did receive some to use as reference, but due to factors such as the number of polygons and the data format it's not something that's possible to use directly. So, we recreated everything anew, trying to make it look the same as the original film. For the cutscenes, the staff in charge watched the original films over and over again, adjusting the camera work and blocking. If you think that we recreated the graphics to a high level, it's all thanks to the hard work of the staff.
—In contrast, Classic Kingdom is done in the style of an old LCD game. People who remember those days find it so nostalgic.
Nomura: My vision was that since each minigame is based on a different short film, I wanted to make each minigame into a world, just like the other Disney works. Although even as worlds, they don't have maps, they have 1 screen (laughs). LCD games were booming when I was a child, but my parents wouldn't buy them for me. So, I bought them for myself when I grew up. I have dozens of them. I had wanted to make a smartphone RPG with LCD game style graphics, and had even submitted a project plan unrelated to KH. If I could, I'd love to make a real Classic Kingdom LCD game handheld.
The developments of the Dark Seeker Saga as envisioned since KH2
—With this title, the Dark Seeker Saga is complete. From when did you have this conclusion in mind?
Nomura: I started envisioning it as the Dark Seeker Saga at the time of KH2. I more or less had the outline of the story decided around then. There are parts that changed from my initial vision as I went on writing the scenarios, for as manga artists often say, characters have a mind of their own. However, the main flow of events didn't change.
—In KH2, we learned that the Ansem who appeared in KH1 was not the real one. Did you have that planned from the start?
Nomura: When I was writing the scenario for kH1, I thought to myself, "Ansem sure is super evil for a so-called wise man" (laughs). That feeling was the seed that influenced the setup from KH2 on.
—We never would have guessed how important Xigbar ended up being when he first appeared in KH2, either.
Nomura: I hear that a lot, but on the inside I meant for Xigbar to be a character with a special position from early on, which is why I had him do suspicious things. During voice recording for KH2, while listening to Hochu Otsuka's voice (Xigbar's voice actor), I felt that there was no way Xigbar was just an ordinary soldier in the system—he definitely had something going on behind the scenes—and midway through production the setup developed into what we have now. That kind of thing does happen sometimes: the setup behind a character transforming as I bounce off a voice actor.
—The story's endgame where all your friends and foes gather at the Keyblade Graveyard was a masterpiece.
Nomura: I know each fan has their own different beloved character, so I wanted to give each one an appropriate moment. But in the end there was too much story that had to be told then, and I ended up being restricted to the minimum necessary to move Sora forward. The truth is, the Keyblade Graveyard was the toughest part I faced when writing the scenario. Shining the spotlight on each character one by one allows you to depict the unfolding developments with time and care, but the flow of the game requires the player to control Sora and fight battles. Ideally, I should have had characters with connections fight it out one by one and settle things that way, but that would have required too much exposition. On the other hand, I did think of limiting the number of enemies you actually battle and finishing others with cutscenes, but it didn't feel right. At the end of deep worry and thought, I narrowed my aim and ended up with the way it is now, which prioritizes rhythm.
—The Final World is introduced as a place that is very important to the story. What kind of world is it?
Nomura: It's the world where those one step from death end up; a place connected to the Station of Awakening. The Station of Awakening as we have seen it so far has been a stained glass pillar standing in pitch darkness, and it represents the inside of the heart. But this time I wanted to represent it more tangibly, so I went with the setup that the Final World is like a portal for each heart. As said in the game, "the edges of sleep and death touch:" hearts that are in a state of sleeping are in the Station of Awakening, and if they continue to walk forward from there, they'll end up in the Final World. That's the sort of image I was going for.
—Was there a reason that no FF characters appeared in the game this time?
Nomura: It was simply that there was no room. There were so many characters appearing in the main story that in the end I wasn't able to create opportunities to use the FF characters. Although, I did have the team make polygon models of Leon and some others just in case. They also made the Fairy Godmother from Cinderella and a few others, but by the end I just couldn't find a place to use them. The production staff were mad at me.
[What world are Sora and Riku in, in the secret movie…?]
—Both the epilogue and secret movie made quite the impact. Does what we see in the epilogue mean that the characters from KH Union Cross have been revived?
Nomura: Yes. The Keyblade Masters from the distant past known as the Foretellers have transcended time to gather once again. Xigbar too was once a Foreteller: Luxu, who has been alive for a very long time, changing his form.
—Xigbar says, "I had a role to play. And after all these years, it's done." What was his role?
Nomura: He was directed by his mentor, someone called the Master of Masters, to make sure that they Keyblade entrusted to him was passed down into the future. This was tied to another mission… which will be made clear in a future game.
—We really want to know what is inside the black box...
Nomura: Everyone asks that, but it's the key to the future games. As the Master of Masters said in KH X BC, it's a surprise~ (laughs).
—In the last part of the epilogue, seven black pieces are brought out to be used in a new game. Do six of those represent the six apprentices of the Master of Masters?
Nomura: Yes.
—Who is the remaining one?
Nomura: It's… someone you may be able to guess, but it's a secret.
—So, is Sora the white piece?
Nomura: Well, maybe… Either way, the epilogue is hinting at what is to come after the Dark Seeker Saga.
—We see. Next, we'd like to ask about the secret movie. Does that scene follow on from the ending?
Nomura: Yes. When Sora disappears in the ending, he ends up in the world in the secret movie. That's the flow of events.
—Is Sora in the world of the World Ends With You (a game Nomura previously directed)?
Nomura: It does look like it. But there's more meaning in the fact that it is not Shibuya (written with kanji), but Shibuya (written with katakana). Also, Sora promised Neku and the others in KH3D that he would meet them in Shibuya (written in katakana), but that doesn't mean it's directly connected to this movie.
—The scenery of the world Riku is in is also very exciting. It feels like it's trying to summon past memories. The man looking down from the roof of the building looks a lot like Yozora from VERUM REX, the game that was popular in the Toy Box world...
Nomura: Yeah, he's Yozora.
—So that means that's the world of VERUM REX?
Nomura: Yes, that's right. I know the visuals have some people thinking it's the same as a title I had been working on in the past, but it isn't. There are parts of the unreleased project that have been cooking along inside me, so there's a chance that I may have some overlap of ideas, but VERUM REX is a completely different thing. Nobody knows what was in the project that wasn't released, and VERUM REX doesn't even exist yet, so perhaps it's difficult to understand right now, but I will just say that they are different things and leave it at that.
—Who was the person in the black robe who made a heart with their hands against the moon in the final scene?
Nomura: The Master of Masters. Nobody else would be messing around while dressed like that (laughs).
There are things that need to be depicted before KH4 can be made
—Is work on the upcoming DLC going well?
Nomura: At this point in time, I have given the staff a list of the battle elements I want to do, and they are investigating. As for additional story, I think it will mainly be expanding on the Keyblade Graveyard things I mentioned before when I talked about narrowing my aim. I do plan to complete it as soon as possible, but as we are working on it alongside preparation for the next project, I still can't tell you when to expect it to be released. For the time being, we are planning to present several pieces of content as one pack rather than release several separate things.
—Final Mixes have been a staple of the KH series. Do you plan to release one for KH3 too?
Nomura: I have no plans for a separately released Final Mix title. I am thinking of adding an English mode to the DLC pack. Also, we were moderate with the battle difficulty levels due to taking the tendencies of modern players into consideration, but many people have let us know that they want to fight harder enemies. So, I plan to release a Critical Mode soon as a free download, and add Final Mix type tough enemies to the purchasable DLC pack.
—With the end of the Dark Seeker Saga creating a moment of punctuation to the KH series, how do you feel?
Nomura: I expected to feel relieved once it was over, but it hasn't been like that at all. Even now I am right in the middle of work on DLC, and I'm involved in several other titles all at the same time. I also want to hurry up and start work on the next title, so honestly it doesn't feel like any kind of punctuation to me.
—The fans would love to know what's coming next in the KH series…
Nomura: No official projects have been decided, so I can't say anything at this point. The current top priority for the KH series is the KH3 DLC, and we are also in the middle of preparing a large update for KH Union Cross. For the time being, I do have two ideas for future developments, and there's another special project I have to think about. I hope to be able to tighten these up into two future titles. Also, there are things that need to be depicted before KH4 can be made, so I am also considering the possibility of doing another title in between. So that we can move on past the Dark Seeker Saga, I hope for the support of the fans of the KH series.
Secret of this title that only he knows:
There were theories that the cat next to Ventus on the box art was Chirithy, but it's my pet cat. Also, the protuberances on the corners of the clock tower are actually black robed figures.
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COMMENTS
Wow, even the production staff were upset at the lack of FF characters.
I do find it interesting Nomura went to Utada for themes for the non numbered titles. I would have loved to see them actually recorded and compare them to the other four songs.
It's them and all the other characters the staff wasted time making only for the work to be shelved. Hopefully they'll find a use for them in the DLC.
Okay, so it is "Shibuya" of TWEWY...we just aren't meant to know which Shibuya in the grand multiverse it is.
I have a gut feeling that Kingdom Hearts III DLC will be unveiled for this years' D23.
| Nomura: I knew I would have to at least draw the box art, and I got depressed when I remembered how hard it would be with so many characters (dry laughter). I've always used A4-size copy paper when drawing my original pieces, and I do my best to fit everything into that. But when I started drawing the box art this time on a piece of A4 paper, I'd only drawn Sora, Riku and Kairi when I realised there was no way everyone was going to fit. I joined two pieces of paper together and re-drew it on that… while thinking to myself, if I'd done it digitally, I could have just copy-pasted the three people I'd already drawn (laughs). That illustration dragged itself out until right before the deadline: coloring included, it took me about a week of straight work to finish. For some reason, the packaging manufacturing deadline for the overseas version was a lot earlier than the domestic one, so I worked on it in the midst of people urging me to hurry since "at this rate, the international version is just going to have a plain black cover!" |
Okay, so it is "Shibuya" of TWEWY...we just aren't meant to know which Shibuya in the grand multiverse it is.
| —The story's endgame where all your friends and foes gather at the Keyblade Graveyard was a masterpiece. |
I wanna meet that person and tell him/her how wrong they are.
I wanna meet that person and tell him/her how wrong they are.
It's a matter of opinion.
So I noticed Nomura hinted that the white chess piece Eraqus was holding might not have been Sora's. Maybe Sora will be in Shibuya longer than we thought.
It's a matter of opinion.
This.
Not to mention that everyone gathering there is indeed a milestone and something one can get giddy about.
It's the execution of the whole thing that's somewhat lacking when it comes to the involvement of characters that aren't Sora, but I am positively impressed that Nomura himself acknowledges that being the case and the main reason being because he had to sacrifice exposition and interaction in favor for "rhythm" and moving things along.
I may not like the decision to do it like that especially when it comes to the finale of a whole saga, but I do see where it is coming from and that he still has the characters in mind and may expand on it with the upcoming DLC.
If one remembers Vanilla KH 2 was also lacking quite a bit and it was not until Final Mix additions that we got a fuller and more detailed view on certain characters and developments.
Lea/Axel stating that they had to "iron out some plot points" when the Days and BBS crew rejoin with Sora & co. also reeks like an opportunity for some DLC scenes or even small playable sections being worked in.
---
The stuff about the Epilogue, TWEWY, Yozora and the Secret Ending is typical vague Nomura stuff. Same procedure than every time here, lol.
Learning that he had such a hard time drawing the Cover Art makes me appreciate it even more though, especially since he did take the time to include the whole major cast in it. ^__^
I absolutely loved reading this! Tetsuya Nomura has been a very busy man, working his hardest and doing his absolute best to deliver extraordinary things. And it doesn't look like that will stop anytime soon. With the Final Fantasy VII Remake and all of these future Kingdom Hearts projects, Testuya Nomura will continue to be very busy. I admire his positive outlook on all of this, despite how busy he must be. However long it takes for the next Kingdom Hearts game, I am prepared to wait. I wouldn't want Testuya Nomura to undergo serious health problems from an overload of work. That issue has happened with so many people in the video game industry, including Sakurai who gave us Super Smash Bros. I hope Testuya Nomura is careful with his health as he remains so busy. Nevertheless, I am very excited for all of his upcoming projects, and I will be patient while we wait.
Am I the only one mind blown about the
"Also, the protuberances on the corners of the clock tower are actually black robed figures."
The foretellers? Like they were right into front of us the whole time. I never noticed that.
Could you imagine the directors of a film series deciding to create a TV series in-between because they can’t just depict "story that needs to be told before the next film" in the next film? That is just crazy talk, like so much of the rest of this interview. Ew at the Marvel and Lucasfilm stuff likely becoming part of KH, but somehow there’s just no room to be found for FF anymore.
I did like what he said about the Final World. That’s about it.I personally had no problem with the final battles the way they were, but if the DLC revolves around that world, how can he then say the finished product is the only way it could’ve been done? It’s like saying there’s nothing wrong, then saying we’re going to fix it in the next breath.
It does look like it. But there's more meaning in the fact that it is not Shibuya (written with kanji), but Shibuya (written with katakana). Also, Sora promised Neku and the others in KH3D that he would meet them in Shibuya (written in katakana), but that doesn't mean it's directly connected to this movie.
So I noticed Nomura hinted that the white chess piece Eraqus was holding might not have been Sora's. Maybe Sora will be in Shibuya longer than we thought.
But...crown? Sora's the only character associated with the crown symbol, so if the piece is not Sora then who?
That's a good question. Nomura might introduce another character associated with the crown necklace. Or knowing Nomura maybe an alternate version of Sora.
He was also vague about the seventh black chess piece as well
Fire whoevers idea it was to shaft original worlds into a hallway,empty area and a boss area.
Could you imagine the directors of a film series deciding to create a TV series in-between because they can’t just depict "story that needs to be told before the next film" in the next film? That is just crazy talk, like so much of the rest of this interview.
So, like how they have to have movies inbetween the Avengers movies to set up plot and characters for the next Avengers movie, basically?
I personally had no problem with the final battles the way they were, but if the DLC revolves around that world, how can he then say the finished product is the only way it could’ve been done? It’s like saying there’s nothing wrong, then saying we’re going to fix it in the next breath.
I don't think the DLC is going to drastically change how the Keyblade Graveyard sequence works. It sounds more to me that initially he thought paring it down was the right way to go but now he thinks "maybe I pared it down a little too much" and is now adding in a few scenes to add some extra context/moments, but it's still using how it currently is as its base.
But...crown? Sora's the only character associated with the crown symbol, so if the piece is not Sora then who?
In the chess scene, YMX kind of associates the Crown Piece as being emblematic of the World's Defender. Maybe that's the concept?
I’m very happy about the fact that they are already working hard on the DLCs! :)
I hope we get critical mode in May/June.
So, like how they have to have movies inbetween the Avengers movies to set up plot and characters for the next Avengers movie, basically?
Except The Avengers involves multiple franchises that interact and interlock at the same time. I know what you're going to say, "Well, KH does, too--Disney." Except the next KH plot doesn't require finding out what happened offscreen with Woody and Buzz like it would with the GotG, Thor, Iron Man, Spider-Man, etc. because the original characters are the only ones with importance to the story in KH.
First time posting here! I am really happy to hear that they are focusing on difficulty balancing and adding new enemies to the DLC. Im hoping for a couple of new keyblades to be added because not having Oblivion or Oathkeeper I feel is a crime :P As for the secret ending and epilogue interview, personally Im gonna chalk it up to Nomura just being vague again. There is no way he isn’t gonna use Sora vs the Foretellers as the next big thing for KH4. And I think we are going to be in TWEWY Shibuya in some capacity, more specifically the UG, even if we don’t see Neku and Co. (Maybe at the least we will see Josh if he’s the one who brought Sora to Shibuya.)
I wish they would’ve asked him what was the purpose of the Darkling on the cover
That's a good question. Nomura might introduce another character associated with the crown necklace. Or knowing Nomura maybe an alternate version of Sora.
He was also vague about the seventh black chess piece as well
n the chess scene, YMX kind of associates the Crown Piece as being emblematic of the World's Defender. Maybe that's the concept?
Building off, the crown was also displayed on a TV in Shibuya; in that case, Yozora could be his world's defender.
First time posting here! I am really happy to hear that they are focusing on difficulty balancing and adding new enemies to the DLC. Im hoping for a couple of new keyblades to be added because not having Oblivion or Oathkeeper I feel is a crime :P As for the secret ending and epilogue interview, personally Im gonna chalk it up to Nomura just being vague again. There is no way he isn’t gonna use Sora vs the Foretellers as the next big thing for KH4. And I think we are going to be in TWEWY Shibuya in some capacity, more specifically the UG, even if we don’t see Neku and Co. (Maybe at the least we will see Josh if he’s the one who brought Sora to Shibuya.)
Welcome to KHI! Agreed on TWEWY; at the very least, the characters should introduce Sora to the new world, much like their role in DDD.
It's a matter of opinion.
Yes, let's make the crappiest/clichest of writing hide under the rug of opinion. Smh, how do you even want to have art progress with people like this invading big, important works?
Not to mention that everyone gathering there is indeed a milestone and something one can get giddy about.
The person literally said it's a masterpiece. A MASTERPIECE. TO NOMURA. It's hard to imagine they could stand against what fans want any more.
| It's the execution of the whole thing that's somewhat lacking |
That's my point, you don't call something a masterpiece for a mere good intentions. It's like unironically calling a child's work a masterpiece, just because it wanted good.
Yes, let's make the crappiest/clichest of writing hide under the rug of opinion. Smh, how do you even want to have art progress with people like this invading big, important works?
The series should belong to those who raise it as if it were their own child. In that sense, no one on this earth has earned more artistic authority than Nomura and the Osaka team.
| The person literally said it's a masterpiece. A MASTERPIECE. TO NOMURA. It's hard to imagine they could stand against what fans want any more. |
There's nothing wrong with people enjoying things more so than others.
Building off, the crown was also displayed on a TV in Shibuya; in that case, Yozora could be his world's defender.
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Yozora could also be the "prince" of Shinjuku like Noctis was in Insomnia. If he represents the white crown piece he'll definitely be a new Guardian of Light
Yozora could also be the "prince" of Shinjuku like Noctis was in Insomnia. If he represents the white crown piece he'll definitely be a new Guardian of Light
If Yozora was a new guardian of light then would he be Sora's replacement? Or maybe the new guardians of light are going to be like the new 7 princesses of hearts and will be made up of characters both new and old.
That's my point, you don't call something a masterpiece for a mere good intentions. It's like unironically calling a child's work a masterpiece, just because it wanted good.
Or maybe people find more depth to the story than you have by observing it at its most surface level?
If Yozora was a new guardian of light then would he be Sora's replacement? Or maybe the new guardians of light are going to be like the new 7 princesses of hearts and will be made up of characters both new and old.
I'd say the latter. We could have thirteen Guardians of Light total against the seven new big bads
Or maybe people find more depth to the story than you have by observing it at its most surface level?
Nice implication. And nice example of such depth, I hope you'll give me some.
Yes, let's make the crappiest/clichest of writing hide under the rug of opinion. Smh, how do you even want to have art progress with people like this invading big, important works?
No matter how you feel, you're still not really disproving Sign's statement. Which, was a pretty fair, impartial stance in the first place. Calling that part of the game a "Masterpiece" or calling it "Crappy/Cliche" both fit along the spectrum of thought for opinion/personal experience. Don't throw a fit.
Honestly the 7 black pieces are Luxu, the five Foretellers, and the last piece has got to belong to the MoM. As for WHO the MoM is we don’t know yet. But I guarantee that he was the last one Nomura was referring to. As for the guardians of light Sora is the only one who I can think of who fits the crown symbol still, but along with him I can see Riku, Mickey, Ventus because of his connection to KHuX, maybe Aqua, and maybe if they find Skuld (If she’s Subject X) and maybe Yozora. I really hope they give Kairi SOMETHING to do too, KH3 was really unfair to her ):
—We were worried that Utada Hikaru, who performed the theme songs for every numbered title up until now, would not return for KH3 as she had been taking an extended break from music. But, she returned safely to the business and provided the theme song this time around also.
Nomura: We actually approached Ms Utada regarding new songs for the non-numbered titles too, but we didn't get the opportunity to have it come to fruition. But because this game was to be the latest entry to the numbered titles, the time was ripe to ask her for a new song. And when we did, Ms Utada was the one who proposed that instead of using an arrangement for the opening theme, we go with a second completely different new song: we were over the moon. I believe that it was the power of the KH fans around the world that motivated her to do such a thing. All the messages sent to Ms Utada from fans globally would have been a big encouragement to her, I would like to think.
damn, imagine having different songs for every title, that's actually wild. I'm glad they ended up with the two songs for 3!
No matter how you feel, you're still not really disproving Sign's statement. Which, was a pretty fair, impartial stance in the first place. Calling that part of the game a "Masterpiece" or calling it "Crappy/Cliche" both fit along the spectrum of thought for opinion/personal experience. Don't throw a fit.
Okay, I won't dwell on why standards exist and the level of experience matters, but as a supposed professional journalist you don't freaking go and tell the creator of a long running, complex franchise's arc (which's the entire franchise basically), who - according to fans and basic (good) writing rules - blew its epilogue, that he actually did exceptionally/peerlessly great with it, and without even throwing some "in my opinion" or "despite what others say I think" in at that, as if you were talking on the fans' behalf. (unless it's just a mistranslation)
Okay, I won't dwell on why standards exist and the level of experience matters, but as a supposed professional journalist you don't freaking go and tell the creator of a long running, complex franchise's arc (which's the entire franchise basically), who - according to fans and basic (good) writing rules - blew its epilogue, that he actually did exceptionally/peerlessly great with it, and without even throwing some "in my opinion" or "despite what others say I think" in at that, as if you were talking on the fans' behalf. (unless it's just a mistranslation)
Japanese gaming journalism isn’t the same as gaming journalism in the west. They exist more as marketing arms for various companies rather than critical and investigative journalists. And what did you expect to happen in a KH3 guide book made by Square Enix with an interview scripted by these interviewers and SE’s marketing staff with the creator of the franchise? The whole thing is a celebration of KH3 so of course they are going to praise Nomura.
And again, that’s an opinion. KH3 blew its epilogue for YOU and maybe for others, but the opposite can easily be said. Many liked it. Stop trying to talk as though any extreme is right or wrong. The interviewer didn’t need to clarify that it was their opinion. It’s their opinion. These things don’t have to always be prefaced.
Honestly the 7 black pieces are Luxu, the five Foretellers, and the last piece has got to belong to the MoM. As for WHO the MoM is we don’t know yet. But I guarantee that he was the last one Nomura was referring to. As for the guardians of light Sora is the only one who I can think of who fits the crown symbol still, but along with him I can see Riku, Mickey, Ventus because of his connection to KHuX, maybe Aqua, and maybe if they find Skuld (If she’s Subject X) and maybe Yozora. I really hope they give Kairi SOMETHING to do too, KH3 was really unfair to her ):
I mean of course it does, the MoM said as much himself.
Backcover:
Master of Masters: So that makes you the indisposable number seven.
Luxu: Huh.
Master of Masters: Come on! It's simple. You six plus me is seven.
Interviewer: What was it like making a masterpiece?
Nomura: I made a lot of great writing decisions that turned out really well, like deciding there was nothing to be done about there being too much story to tell in a space of time as small as only 24+ hours, and plotting out one of the Pixar worlds before I even had the main story for the game down! Also I know what you are all thinking but I am not still mad about... that other project... that I never completed...
Also I'll be adding an English language option to the Japanese version of the game despite repeatedly telling fans it would be too much to give them a language toggle option in our current gen game! (laughs) And they'll still buy KHDDD2!!
So Nomura confirmed in the last part they'll probably be a title before KH4, like a 3.5 or whatever.
Can anybody think what it could possible be about, storywise?
So Nomura confirmed in the last part they'll probably be a title before KH4, like a 3.5 or whatever.
Can anybody think what it could possible be about, storywise?
My best guess is Sora and Riku's adventure in Shibuya/Verum Rex. Though if that storyline is a part of KH4 then the game could focus on another character.
Yozora being a Guardian of Light would be interesting, but I'd like to think that the content under Verum Rex will be introduced in KINGDOM HEARTS for the sake of testing the waters and see if Nomura can make a game out of that.
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Edit:
Also, maybe the Crown symbolizes the character that is the top Guardian of Light that is at the same time the one that is responsible of safeguarding their respective Worldline. Sora could be the Crown of his Worldline, while Yozora is the Crown of the Worldline Sora is in.
Perhaps this is what is inside the Black Box: some sort of experiment that is meant to be the Guardian and Crown of every single Worldline.
And again, that’s an opinion. KH3 blew its epilogue for YOU and maybe for others, but the opposite can easily be said. Many liked it. Stop trying to talk as though any extreme is right or wrong. The interviewer didn’t need to clarify that it was their opinion. It’s their opinion. These things don’t have to always be prefaced.
And again, there's a difference between expressing that you like something, and calling it a masterpiece. If you call something a masterpiece that has an obvious, gigantic flaws (some of which are predictability) that only completely inexperienced people can't see, in a serious, big work that's known for its complex storytelling and plot, you're asking yourself to be called out for it or not to be taken seriously at the very least. So, hopefully, Nomura is very well aware of the criticism (which he most likely is) and knows why certain things were disliked exactly.
I do wonder if this would lead some DDD-style game with Sora lost in Shibuya, I'm speculating 2021.
And again, there's a difference between expressing that you like something, and calling it a masterpiece. If you call something a masterpiece that has an obvious, gigantic flaws (some of which are predictability) that only completely inexperienced people can't see, in a serious, big work that's known for its complex storytelling and plot, you're asking yourself to be called out for it or not to be taken seriously at the very least. So, hopefully, Nomura is very well aware of the criticism (which he most likely is) and knows why certain things were disliked exactly.
It's like you are choosing to misunderstand. There are massive flaws to you. To others, they might actually not see the flaws or actually enjoy something despite the flaws. You can't call these people "inexperienced" if they find enjoyment in what you do not find enjoyment in.
I personally did not even have an opinion besides "wow wtf" or even come close to LIKING KH3 but I'm not about to call people who do find it enjoyable or don't agree with the what I think is wrong with the game as people who are wrong or that they can't be taken seriously. My opinion of KH3 is no better than any other opinion, nor is yours for that matter. As an audience, our opinions are going to vary and subjective takes will vary.
I do wonder if Nomura simply did not want to say that its Sora even though it is Sora, because he wanted to keep people speculating about his fate. Maybe the chess match at the end will only be important later and not the next game thus he wants to keep it a secret if Sora will manage to free himself. I would just find it really strange to suddenly have someone else be the crown piece.
Also about Shibuya and "not Shibuya". Someone on reddit had posted a picture yesterday, showing that in the Verum Rex trailer there was a scene with a banner that had Shibuya on it, so even in that world Shibuya does exit. So honestly I still think that this was all about Verum Rex.
I do wonder if this would lead some DDD-style game with Sora lost in Shibuya, I'm speculating 2021.
I'm scared Disney will factor very little into this or not all. I feel like I'd like this game more if it were marketed as a TWEWY game with KH tie-ins rather than a fully-fledged KH title.
I'm scared Disney will factor very little into this or not all. I feel like I'd like this game more if it were marketed as a TWEWY game with KH tie-ins rather than a fully-fledged KH title.
Well the only pertinent plotlines, came in form of Maleficient and Pete looking for the Box and The New Seven Hearts
So if anything, Don't really know how important they'll be for this specific title, because if there are going to be important for the Next Saga then probably more so, its something thats going to be saved for KH4.
This however looks like Disney won't play too big of a factor, since they don't have those plotlines involved in this situation.
I would imagine this is going to be a smaller scale game, which would save trouble for how long KH3 took. Plus I think it'll give Nomura time to also to develop KH4 since they do that.
Despite Nomura being vague on what comes next, my best guess is a bridge game similar to COM. Like how COM bridged 1 and 2 by introducing new characters and an ongoing conflict, this new game could do the same between 3 and 4. I don’t know if Malificent and Pete will be in this bridge game, but one thing is for certain.
You need Sora for KH4 unless they plan on saving the resolution to his fate for the beginning of KH4 (which would suck.) So I figure this game will give more focus on Yozora, what’s up with Riku, saving Sora, and the MoM.
God, if the pessimism stays high for KH players. We won't get the Next Saga until late 2028-2029 pretty much 10 years from now. I probably would've dropped out from then.
God, if the pessimism stays high for KH players. We won't get the Next Saga until late 2028-2029 pretty much 10 years from now. I probably would've dropped out from then.
You're not wrong. We prob not getting KH4 until all the FF7 stuff is out and released which could take a loooong time.
I'm scared Disney will factor very little into this or not all. I feel like I'd like this game more if it were marketed as a TWEWY game with KH tie-ins rather than a fully-fledged KH title.
You're not wrong. We prob not getting KH4 until all the FF7 stuff is out and released which could take a loooong time.
Not necessarily. While I do think it is going to be a bit of a wait, KH3 was developed and released by the Osaka team completely independently from FF7s development. While Nomura is obviously being tossed between multiple projects, Tai Yasue will probably be helming the next title while Nomuras not in house. But since we don't know how far along the whole FF7 project is we could coincidentally be waiting till it's all out for a 'KH4', if the remake is that far along.
Also I can't see Disney waiting for Square to finish their title when they could be making money off the next KH with how well 3 has been performing.
It's like you are choosing to misunderstand. There are massive flaws to you. To others, they might actually not see the flaws or actually enjoy something despite the flaws. You can't call these people "inexperienced" if they find enjoyment in what you do not find enjoyment in.
I personally did not even have an opinion besides "wow wtf" or even come close to LIKING KH3 but I'm not about to call people who do find it enjoyable or don't agree with the what I think is wrong with the game as people who are wrong or that they can't be taken seriously. My opinion of KH3 is no better than any other opinion, nor is yours for that matter. As an audience, our opinions are going to vary and subjective takes will vary.
I understand that you want to be reasonable, fair, but I'm sorry, in my eyes there ARE some limits to having a viable opinion. Just like you've said - they could've been not counting stuff they ignored, yet still call it a masterpiece which's definition in short means that (nearly) everything is as close to perfection as possible, so overlooking the obviously understated, predictable, easy-going, unoriginal, rushed writing (basically the biggest enemies of a good storytelling) - is telling me that they're either inexperienced or don't understand the definition of the word "masterpiece".
why are you so worked up over the translation of an opinion of a random interviewer from another country
like, nomura doesn't even agree or thank the interviewer in the interview for saying that. instead he immediately goes into a paragraph long answer about how difficult the ending was to write, how every approach was going to be flawed in some way, and so he had to choose what to emphasize over other things. the fact that he also says this is a main focus for dlc shows he isn't totally satisfied with the end result either, so like, you dont need to worry about someone saying something nice about kh3 going to his head or something lol
why are you so worked up over the translation of an opinion of a random interviewer from another country
like, nomura doesn't even agree or thank the interviewer in the interview for saying that. instead he immediately goes into a paragraph long answer about how difficult the ending was to write, how every approach was going to be flawed in some way, and so he had to choose what to emphasize over other things. the fact that he also says this is a main focus for dlc shows he isn't totally satisfied with the end result either, so like, you dont need to worry about someone saying something nice about kh3 going to his head or something lol
Sure.
Now I'm just replying back to people who may misunderstand my way of thinking or don't fully aknowledge certain perspectives.
Honestly, the hassle from the back and forth with writing the Disney world stories and Disney's "Let it NO" attitude is a detriment to the series, so it might be for the best if Disney worlds take a back seat next game so more time can be put toward the main story. And maybe be a low key "If you don't give me more control then you're out!" message. lol
It’s more likely Nomura would be removed from this franchise than Disney, considering Disney owns this. And while I could definitely picture a scenario of Nomura threatening not to make any more games if he couldn’t get his way, I doubt SE would give up the chance for more $$$ since KH is a lucrative property. Hard to even know if Nomura being removed would be a bad thing, tbh. The waits between games would be less and surely the storyline couldn’t get any worse. The only + I can think of to Nomura being in control is Sora remaining the protagonist.
Moreover, KH3’s problems have nothing to do with the Disney content anyway, imo--other than the low number of worlds. What's really lacking is the original content. A large final world, abbreviated levels for Castle Oblivion or the Realm of Darkness, an expanded Twilight Town, and/or a Radiant Garden visit would have pushed this game from a 7/10 to a 10/10. Nomura's the only one responsible for their absence.
It’s more likely Nomura would be removed from this franchise than Disney, considering Disney owns this. And while I could definitely picture a scenario of Nomura threatening not to make any more games if he couldn’t get his way, I doubt SE would give up the chance for more $$$ since KH is a lucrative property. Hard to even know if Nomura being removed would be a bad thing, tbh. The waits between games would be less and surely the storyline couldn’t get any worse. The only + I can think of to Nomura being in control is Sora remaining the protagonist.
Moreover, KH3’s problems have nothing to do with the Disney content anyway, imo--other than the low number of worlds. What's really lacking is the original content. A large final world, abbreviated levels for Castle Oblivion or the Realm of Darkness, an expanded Twilight Town, and/or a Radiant Garden visit would have pushed this game from a 7/10 to a 10/10. Nomura's the only one responsible for their absence.
Also be careful when saying the story couldn't get worse. Someone could take that as a challenge. lol
Not all of the problems anyway, but looking at how the new PoH were treated Disney may no longer be too keen on their girls being involved with the plot, which would explain why the new PoH plotline went absolutely nowhere and wasted everyone's time.
Granted it's hard to say since there's nothing concrete, but Disney could have pushed hard enough to put the original worlds to the sidelines so KH3 was more Disney-centric. Either way I have a hard time blaming Nomura fully when we know Disney was more involved this time around, so while I still think Nomura could have done much better with what we're given there really may have been some things out of his control.
Disney isn't much of a problem in the overall Disney writing, but rather in intellectual properties that they are so protective of, in this case, Frozen. And after watching Frozen 2's trailer it makes sense for them to have created limitations, seeing as how they may have wanted their team to develop whatever Nomura would have done.
I have a feeling that if they used Moana or Zootopia instead of Frozen that Disney wouldn’t be as restrictive as they were with Arendelle. Hopefully with Frozen 2 now a thing we can have a far better Arendelle world in KH4.
Aw, man! He cut out the Fairy Godmother? I was really wanting to see her again, like Merlin she's really interesting. Maybe she is even a key blade master like him.
Hopefully he utilizes her, Leon and the others in the dlc.
Aw, man! He cut out the Fairy Godmother? I was really wanting to see her again, like Merlin she's really interesting. Maybe she is even a key blade master like him.
Hopefully he utilizes her, Leon and the others in the dlc.
Since when is Merlin a keyblade master? Thats just Yen Sid right? (Or maybe I missed something) Because as far as I remember he is just a powerful magic user which is why some people asked why he was looking after Kairis and Axels training and not a master like Yen Sid. (Which I also wonder)
I doubt that we will see the whole FF gang in DLC. Its not impossible but they would have to create character models for everyone other than Leo and get the VAs back. That seems like a bit of too much work for just a DLC, especially since Nomura believed that they were not needed in KH anymore. We already fought most of them in other KH games so for me, it would be better to have new enemies as harder boss fights in the game instead of the same fights again.
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God, if the pessimism stays high for KH players. We won't get the Next Saga until late 2028-2029 pretty much 10 years from now. I probably would've dropped out from then.
[FONT=Verdana]Not really with the development team using the Unreal Engine 4, they can just reuse the same character models and assets for the next games. At this rate I expect a new KH game to come out in 2021/2022 while KH4 comes out in 2023.[/FONT]
[/LEFT]Not necessarily. While I do think it is going to be a bit of a wait, KH3 was developed and released by the Osaka team completely independently from FF7s development. While Nomura is obviously being tossed between multiple projects, Tai Yasue will probably be helming the next title while Nomuras not in house. But since we don't know how far along the whole FF7 project is we could coincidentally be waiting till it's all out for a 'KH4', if the remake is that far along.
Also I can't see Disney waiting for Square to finish their title when they could be making money off the next KH with how well 3 has been performing.
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[FONT=Verdana]With the team using the Unreal Engine 4, they can just reuse the same character models and assets for the next games. At this rate, I expect a new KH game to come out in 2021/2022 while KH4 comes out in 2023.[/FONT]
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I have a feeling that if they used Moana or Zootopia instead of Frozen that Disney wouldn’t be as restrictive as they were with Arendelle. Hopefully with Frozen 2 now a thing we can have a far better Arendelle world in KH4.
It would be interesting if films such as Wreck-It Ralph, Zootopia, Moana and any future Disney animated film from Walt Disney Animation Studios would also receive restrictions just like what happened to Frozen in KH3, cause basically aside from Frozen and the Pixar worlds (even though the restrictions aren't in the level as Frozen, and done in the right way), basically Tangled, Hercules, Winnie the Pooh, Pirates of the Caribbean and Big Hero 6 (as this world takes place after the movie) didn't have restrictions from Disney nor the people involved from these properties.
With Frozen II releasing this year it makes me hopeful we would get less restrictions from Disney and the film's creators when it is adapted again as a world for KH4.
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Zettaflare
March 12, 2019 @ 04:40 pmOffline