Game development studio Square Enix has confirmed that the Android and iOS versions of "Kingdom Hearts Unchained X" will arrive in North America later this week. In addition, the game's designer Tetsuya Nomura explained how "Kingdom Hearts Unchained X" is connected to "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue."
According to IGN, "Kingdom Hearts Unchained X" for the Android and iOS platforms will be available for the U.S. market starting on April 7. Its story will serve as a prequel to the entire franchise and will explain how the Foretellers and Keyblade Wielders came to be.
The gameplay of the upcoming mobile title will mainly involve collecting completing live events as well as collecting medals. Players will also take on the role of a Keyblade Wielder and will be guided by a cat-like character called Chirithy.
As noted by Nomura, "Kingdom Hearts Unchained X" will introduce a new world called "Daybreak Town." This is also where players will begin once they start the game. It is not yet clear how many worlds the game will have but according to the designer, Square Enix may add more in the future if it decides to continue servicing the app.
But aside from the new world, probably the highlight of the game is its live feature. Unlike previous "Kingdom Hearts" games, the upcoming title will allow players to communicate and cooperate with one another. Another aspect of this social feature is that gamers can compete with one another and increase their ranks.
According to Nomura, aside from serving as the prologue to the series, "Kingdom Hearts Unchained X" is also connected to the three games featured in "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Prologue."
"All three titles within 'Kingdom Hearts 2.8' has a link to 'Kingdom Hearts Unchained X' in some way," he said according to the Square Enix blog. "You can see it mist prominently shown in 'Kingdom Hearts X Back Cover' - a brand new, approximately one-hour long cinematic piece, which is depicted from the perspective of the Foretellers, who gather the Keyblade Wielders."
"In 'Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance HD'...you may notice the Dream Eaters were sort of foreshadowing," he continued. "And the title that would act as a bridge between these two titles would be the latest installment in the series, 'Kingdom Hearts III.'"
It is not yet clear when "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue" will be released, but it is expected to come out sometime this year.