Kingdom Hearts III

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Tetsuya Nomura Looks Back On One Year of KH3 Being Released

Posted by Meilin Lee : Jan 22, 2020 at 8:57 PM ( 0 , 675 )

With just hours until KH3 Re:Mind becomes playable, series director, Tetsuya Nomura, recently got a chance to discuss 'Kingdom Hearts III' on the Playstation Blog, including some tidbits on tomorrow's DLC! Check out the interview below:

2019 was a really big year for you! Looking back on Kingdom Hearts III, what part of that game are you most proud of?
Tetsuya Nomura: Everything, as I couldn’t put anything out there that I couldn’t stand behind with confidence. I did all that I could given all the different conditions that could arise during development.

Out of all the plotlines that are resolved in Kingdom Hearts III, which was the most meaningful to you?
TN: A lot of things come to mind, but maybe Xigbar, because we spent a long time getting him to where he is.

The fans really seemed to enjoy the updated character designs in Kingdom Hearts III. Which of them are you most happy about?
TN: For each of them, I would feel satisfied once I finished drawing, but after a bit of time, I would end up thinking about what I would like to do differently next time.

Back in April of 2019, you released the Critical Mode update, which added this higher difficulty mode to the game. Have you played Critical Mode yourself, and do you have any tips?
TN: With my ability, not at all. Judging by the videos that have been uploaded online, I think the players’ gameplay would offer more insight than I can provide.

Are there any important details in Kingdom Hearts III which you haven’t seen fans pick up on yet?
TN: If I were to say something like “the true identity of so-and-so,” for example, that would spoil the surprise for people later on. So, I can’t say anything specific, but sometimes I do see interpretations that make me think they could be overthinking things.

With the Re Mind DLC launching tomorrow, what are you most excited for players to experience there?
TN: I’m always amazed by the KH fans’ interpretations, and I’m looking forward to how they analyze things this time as well.

Finally, we have to ask… Which Keyblade would you personally like to wield yourself?
TN: Master Xehanort’s Keyblade.
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Twitter Q & A w/ Tetsuya Nomura

Posted by Meilin Lee : Jan 22, 2020 at 8:47 PM ( 0 , 630 )

Just like yesterday with Tai Yasue, another Q & A was conducted on Twitter today, this time with series director, Tetsuya Nomura, discussing the DLC scheduled for release tomorrow! Check out the translated Q & A below (once again, credit to @_KH_ENGLISH for translations):

Q1. How does Re:Mind differ from the Final Mixes released for previous numbered titles?

We released Final Mixes to adjust the balance of and add things to the entire game. Re:Mind is independent content you can enjoy after beating the main game. That said, we did also add English voices to the Japanese version, limit cut bosses, and other things you'll find familiar from Final Mixes. So, other than the fact that the main game hasn't been changed much, you can basically think of this as the equivalent of a Final Mix.

Q2. How did you decide what to put in the free update and what to put in Re:Mind (paid update)?

KH3 and Re:Mind are to be thought of as separate content. It is split up like this: the version update is basically for what you bought as KH3, and Re:Mind is for new features outside the main game. But, as I just said, the English voices and other features that would previously have been included in a separate package as a Final Mix have been included in Re:Mind. But then I also included some new content that would usually have been in a Final Mix, like Keyblades and new abilities, in the free update - with the aim of giving you something for after finishing the game.

Q3. So there won't be a KH3 Final Mix? What about a physical release of this?

There are no concrete plans right now. We might think about something when a new console releases, but I'm not thinking about whether that something will be a Final Mix.

Q4. When is the new story in Re:Mind set? And what can we expect to see in it?

Chronologically it jumps around a bit, but most of your time as Sora is set between the end of the last battle and the final cutscene, depicting the blank space of Kairi's rescue. As a player, you view the story from a higher vantage point than Sora - and in Re Mind, Sora is following the story from a different vantage point to the main game. It's hard to explain, but KH3 concludes with itself, and its ending connects to the ending of Re:Mind.

Q5. Does it influence or rework anything in the main KH3 game?

The story of KH3 itself hasn't changed. You play it after finishing KH3, so it doesn't influence anything. But, we did update a few places in version 1.07 - things we gave up on at the time due to various circumstances that we wanted to make do justice to our original vision. To give concrete examples, it's stuff like damage-taking expressions in cutscene and the way the sky looks in the background.

Q6. Why didn't any Final Fantasy characters appear in the main game this time? Why did you add them back in?

The story developments of KH3 didn't provide a reason to stop by Radiant Garden, plus work related issues. They appear in Re Mind because story developments make them needed, and because of the passionate wishes of you fans. So, even though they don't have a big role, they now have a sense of presence in the world of KH3.

Q7. What are the highlights of the limit cut bosses? Who do you want us to pay attention to in particular?

We had decided to use the New Organization XIII for the limit cut bosses, but as the project progressed we began to feel conflicted over whether or not to leave Xion in there. Development was already underway when I went to discuss it with Yasue, like, maybe we really should cut her? Knowing this, I hope you feel just as conflicted as you fight her. She's super strong.

Q8. Early on you said you wanted to add the equivalent of one world - did that change?

Actually, we did start designing and planning a new world, but the reasoning why just this world would be added in after being separate didn't sit well with me. In the end I decided that it would be better to work it in properly from the start next time there's a chance. All the new content added with Re Mind put together makes more than one world's worth of content. In particular, it was a lot of work making this many bosses.

Q9. What can you say about the secret boss & episode?

The secrets contain my thoughts about the future of the series, but with the information out at present I don't think you'll be able to guess any of it. Some parts of the battle ended up very different from what I requested. But it surprised me in a good way, so take it as it is.

Q10. Why did lines from KH1 appear in the final trailer?

Those were lines I'd long wanted to put together if I ever got the chance. You may not understand, but the inclusion of those lines is what got the world of Kingdom Hearts approved. There is no mystery to solve this time, they stand at the doorway.

Q11. Are there any plans for further updates or DLC?

There are no plans for a hypothetical update as of now, but if issues come up we will deal with it. Re Mind is to be the first and only DLC. We are already working on the next title. The title screen of Re Mind serves as a piece of foundation for it.

Q12. Will you tell us about any plans for future KH projects?

We still need some time with regards to main line Kingdom Hearts, but first up the KH UX team will have a surprising announcement tomorrow. Aside from the KH3 and KH UX teams, we actually have two new teams in operation, and from them one title will be coming surprisingly soon.

Q13. Finally, a message for fans.

We had some organizational changes after finishing KH3, and I'm very sorry this took so much longer than expected. The elements added in Re:Mind are ideas we came up with that we thought you would enjoy. My attention always ends up turning to the plot no matter what, but most of our development time was spent working on new battle and gameplay elements. I hope you enjoy the merciless battles only possible via DLC. Also, we have unlocked nearly the entire game for sharing via the KH3 share function. Yasue said he really wanted to see everyone trying the secret battle, so we unlocked as much as possible. Please first try beating these formidable opponents. In just a few more hours, at midnight on the 23rd (JST), Re Mind will be playable. Thank you for all your support.
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Tai Yasue Discusses KH3 Re:Mind DLC Additions

Posted by Meilin Lee : Jan 21, 2020 at 11:18 PM ( 0 , 719 )

Earlier today, a Q & A was conducted on Twitter with co-director of 'Kingdom Hearts III', Tai Yasue, detailing the additions we can expect with the upcoming DLC. Thanks to @_KH_ENGLISH, we now have the Q & A translated, which you can read below:

Q1. What's new in the Version 1.07 (Free Update) You can get the Oathkeeper and Oblivion Keyblades. They have form changes:

Oathkeeper has Light Form and Oblivion has Dark Form, and there's dedicated combo action. We have also added 6 normal combo action abilities, fixed some of the cutscenes in the main game, and unlocked a lot of parts of the game that were previously locked from sharing.

Q2. Why did you focus on adding to photo mode (i.e. Data Greeting and Slideshow?)

The gameplay videos fans were uploading after release were really interesting and cool, and it moved us. So, we wanted to add something to the DLC that would get everyone even more fired up. In Data Greeting, you can select characters and then give them poses and add effects and such and take pictures. Then you can choose images and music to add to a Slideshow, and easily create your own personalized videos. After we made the feature, all the members of the development staff tested it with a photo competition. All the pictures were things you'd never see in the actual game, from heartwarming ones to ones that made us go, um, should this even be allowed? I really think everyone will have a lot of fun with it.

Q3. Tell us how to best enjoy the Premium Menu. Also, why did you add the Fastpass Code and the Black Code, which will make things harder for yourself?

The Premium Menu is a feature that lets you customize the game in various ways from the pause menu. Right after starting a new game, you can select either the Fastpass Code or the Black Code. The Fastpass Code includes settings like auto guard, and is aimed at people who want to move through the game quickly. The Black Code has settings like HP Slip (where your HP slowly decreases over time) and is aimed at people who want to enjoy a harder challenge. Both Codes have their own dedicated Achievements, and you can play with various settings as you aim to get Achievements. Some of them are curveballs - one of the Fastpass Code Achievements is to make it from Rapunzel's Tower to Corona while touching the ground as little as possible.

Q4. The members of the New Organization XIII appear as Limit Cut Bosses, but are they different from the ones in the main game? Who is the hardest boss?

They are completely different. We have changed their AI as well as their moves. They're all strong or fun in their own ways - you might need to be good at blocking, or attacking, or reading moves - which means different people will find different ones hard, but I think Xion and Master Xehanort are especially hard compared to the rest. They are so nerve-wracking and so satisfying to beat that your hands will still be shaking 15 minutes after you beat them.

Q5. Nomura requested a secret boss so hard it'd make people cry - did you succeed?

We got testers and developers who had defeated past KINGDOM HEARTS secret bosses to do a survey, and received the opinion that it was indeed hard enough to make them cry. It has a particularly high number of attack patterns - this secret boss will take time to develop a strategy against. But, just like with the New Organization XIII members, there is a way to strategize against the character's movements - it's not impossibly hard, and in fact if you play perfectly you can win without taking a single hit.

Q6. What else has been added in Re:Mind?

Re Mind is an additional scenario that complements the end of the main story and allows you to have fun with new co-ordinated action while playing as Kairi, Roxas, Riku and Aqua. You can swap between English and Japanese voices, and the "w/ Orchestral Concert Ver." edition has a mode that lets you enjoy recordings of the Kingdom Hearts orchestra.

Q7. Lastly, a message for the fans.

This DLC expands on everything - battle, story, gameplay - allowing you to enjoy KH3 on an even deeper level. For those who are looking forward to the story and playing as the new characters there's Re Mind, for those who like being creative there is Data Greeting and Slideshow, for those who want challenging battle there is the New Organization XIII Limit Cut, for those who want to experience gorgeous music and visuals there is the Orchestra recordings (**Orchestral Concert Ver. edition only**) - we have prepared a wide range of content to suit all sorts of tastes, so please play it and see!
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New KH3 ReMind DLC Artwork & Screenshots Revealed

Posted by Meilin Lee : Jan 20, 2020 at 1:54 AM ( 0 , 678 )

With just a few days to go before the release of the Kingdom Hearts III ReMind DLC, Square-Enix revealed some new images to show us what to expect with the upcoming expansion to last year's release. First off, we have what appears to be KH3's new menu artwork, which simply adds Kairi next to Sora, holding a Paopu fruit just like him (credit to @MysticDistance for providing a high quality version of the artwork):

Next up, Square-Enix also released some screenshots showing the return of the Oathkeeper and Oblivion Keyblades, along with features introduced in ReMind, such as Data Greeting, Premium Menu, and Slideshow greeting, which you can view below:

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'Kingdom Hearts III' Awarded 'Best RPG' in PlayStation Blog Game of the Year Awards

Posted by Meilin Lee : Dec 19, 2019 at 2:29 PM ( 0 , 789 )

With 2019 coming to an end, Playstation Blog celebrated the best games of the year with their Game of the Year Awards, with the list of winners announced today. Among the games that were recognized, 'Kingdom Hearts III' was declared the Best RPG of 2019! In addition to that award, KH3 also received other awards, which you can check out below:

Best RPG (1st Place)
Best Sountrack (2nd Place)
Best PS4 Game (3rd Place)
Best Narrative (4th Place)

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