Fans for the Kingdom Hearts series really want to see a return of the series with the third official game. It has been over a decade since Kingdom Hearts 2, and although there has been a few related games thrown in (including the recent mobile release of Kingdom Hearts Unchained X), the anticipation for Kingdom Hearts 3 grows. Square Enix and Disney have really not said much about the game, but that might change at E3 2016, and here are Five Things Kingdom Hearts Fans need to hear about Kingdom Hearts 3.
Neurogadget reports that a recent interview with Hironori Okayma, the producer of Kingdom Hearts Unchained X didn't have much as far as Kingdom Hearts 3 is concerned, but there was a promise that there will be more learned about it "during E3 and afterwards".
This means that E3 2016, the big video game convention held every year in Los Angeles, will be the time where more information about the long-awaited Kingdom Hearts 3 will be announced. This is scheduled to take place on June 14-16 at the usual LA Convention Center, and here are five things that fans of the franchise need to hear from Square Enix.
1) The Release Date
Fans of Square Enix's other big gaming franchise, Final Fantasy 15, were finally given the release date of the long-awaited game at the end of March thanks to a huge event. This big event was announced ahead of time, so it is possible that a similar strategy will be implemented.
This is not to say that E3 2016 will be used as a platform to announce the release date. That is literally far from it, as E3 2016 will probably be a time where they announce the release date will be. If they are following the Final Fantasy playbook, then Kingdom Hearts 3 will have its own event to announce the release date, which will probably be sometime in 2017, possibly late in the year.
2) Final Fantasy Tie-In
These days, it's all about connected universes, and Disney certainly has good money invested in Marvel and Star Wars, so why not Kingdom Hearts? In fact, Disney's name appears with Square Enix, so perhaps the gaming studio should take a page from the Mouse House and connect Final Fantasy 15 characters directly into Kingdom Hearts 3? Final Fantasy characters have appeared in past games, so why not again? As far as the issue of "canon" is concerned, that is hopefully for Square Enix to decide.
3) Disney Worlds and Characters
Those familiar with the Kingdom Hearts series know that Disney characters tend to make appearances from time to time, like Mickey, Donald, and Goofy of all people. There has been talk there will be worlds based on Disney intellectual property, and some of it recent, like the world of Big Hero 6, Tangled, and even Zootopia. It seems like every week there is a new rumor as what worlds will be involved, and that includes the previously mentioned Marvel and Star Wars.
4) Who are the Voice actors?
Reports have come in saying that Quinton Flynn, the person behind the lead character Axel in the franchise has tweeted that he has not been called in to do voice work. However, veteran voice actor Jim Cummings has been called in, so that is some progress. One would think that voicework would be the last step of a video game, so it is possible that they Flynn and other voice actors could be called in for some studio time as the game progresses toward its finish.
5) Will there be a PC Version?
The Master Herald reports that there is no word if Kingdom Hearts 3 will have a PC version, but if Final Fantasy 15 will get one, then it is a safe bet that Kingdom Hearts 3 will have one as well.
Let's hope that these questions will be addressed at E3 2016, and if you are a fan of the game, leave a comment and let us know what you would like to see in Kingdom Hearts 3.
