Kingdom Hearts is one of the most successfull videogames ever released and they are about to release the third installment!
So it’s about time to find out more about this videogame series!
- Kingdom Heart is a series of crossover action role-playing games
- Kingdom Hearts is developed and published by Square Enix
- It is a collaboration between Disney Interactive and Square Enix
- It is under the direction of Tetsuya Nomura, a longtime Square Enix character designer
- Kingdom Hearts is a crossover of various Disney properties based in a fictional universe
- The series centers on the main character, Sora
- Its focal point is his journey and experiences with various Disney, Final Fantasy, The World Ends with You and Pixar characters
- The heroes of the series clash against the various incarnations of the primary antagonist, Xehanort, throughout the series
- Almost all characters and worlds of the Kingdom Hearts franchise are owned by The Walt Disney Company
- The series consists of twelve games available for multiple platforms
- Future titles are planned
- Most of the games in the series have been positively received
- They are commercially successful
- As of June 2018, the Kingdom Hearts series has shipped more than 25 million copies worldwide
- A wide variety of related merchandise has been released along with the games
- Including soundtracks, figurines, companion books, light novels, cards and manga series
- Kingdom Hearts is the first game in the series
- It was released in Japan on March 28, 2002 for PlayStation 2
- Tetsuya Nomura has served as game director, his first time in this position
- Kingdom Hearts introduced the main characters (Sora, Kairi and Riku) of the series
- It established the plot’s framework involving hearts and dark beings known as the Heartless
- It also established the role of Disney characters in the series, with character cameos from the Final Fantasy series
- Kingdom Hearts was released in North America on September 17, 2002
- It also featured additional content that was not in the original Japanese version
- Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories is a direct sequel to the first game
- It was released on the Game Boy Advance in Japan on November 11, 2004
- Chain of Memories was touted as a bridge between the two PlayStation 2 titles
- it introduced plot elements that would be explored in the next game
- The gameplay system is a departure from the original and employs card game mechanics in real time
- Players construct decks out of cards that correspond to different actions in battle, such as attacking or using magic
- It was remade into a PlayStation 2 game titled Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories
- The remake was released in Japan as a second disc packaged with Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix on March 29, 2007
- It was released in North America as a standalone title on December 2, 2008
- Kingdom Hearts II takes place one year after the events of Chain of Memories
- It was released for the PlayStation 2 in Japan on December 22, 2005
- The game further explores the “heart” concept by involving a new group of enemies, the Nobodies
- They are the cast-off shells of those who have become Heartless
- The gameplay is similar to that of the first Kingdom Hearts game
- Kingdom Hearts Coded is an episodic mobile phone game that picks up directly after Kingdom Hearts II
- The “preinstall” episode was released in Japan on November 18, 2008
- Eight episodes were released between June 3, 2009 and January 28, 2010
- The game was remade for the Nintendo DS as Kingdom Hearts Re:coded, and features updated gameplay combining that of two later titles in the series
- Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days was released for the Nintendo DS in Japan on May 30, 2009
- It is primarily set between Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II
- It is focusing on Roxas’ time in Organization XIII and his motives for leaving
- It is the first game in the series to feature cooperative multiplayer in addition to the traditional use of AI-controlled partners
- Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep is a prequel to the series, released for the PlayStation Portable in Japan on January 9, 2010
- And in North America on September 7, 2010 with additional content
- The game is set ten years before the events of the first Kingdom Hearts game, revealing the origins of the villain, Xehanort
- It consists of four scenarios
- Three of which focus on one of the game’s three protagonists, Terra, Ventus and Aqua
- Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance was released on March 29, 2012 in Japan for the Nintendo 3DS
- The game focuses on Sora and Riku’s Mark of Mastery exam under Yen Sid in anticipation of Xehanort’s return and their subsequent conflicts with enemies from their past
- In addition to similar systems inherited from Birth by Sleep, this game features “Dream Eaters” which serve as both enemies and allies
- Players may collect and breed friendly Dream Eaters and train them to become more powerful
- Kingdom Hearts χ: At Tokyo Game Show 2012, Square Enix announced Kingdom Hearts χ, previously known as Kingdom Hearts for PC Browsers
- It is a browser game for PCs, and is only playable in Japan since July 18, 2013
- It features cartoon-like 2D models
- It is a prequel to the series, taking place before the Keyblade War
- Kingdom Hearts: Unchained χ: An international port of Kingdom Hearts χ that was released for Android and iOS devices featuring content from the original game’s release while later diverging from it and providing all-new conten
- Unchained χ was released in Japan on September 3, 2015
- In North America on April 7, 2016
- And in Europe on June 16, 2016
- Later in April 2017, it was rebranded as Kingdom Hearts: Union X
- In September 2010, Tetsuya Nomura stated that his team was too busy with other projects to work on Kingdom Hearts III
- He also stated that his team was doing research concerning the high-definition graphics of the game, and depending on the technical requirements of the next generation consoles
- On June 10, 2013, at the E3 Sony press conference, after years of rumors and speculations, Nomura introduced a teaser for Kingdom Hearts III
- He stated it was in development for the PlayStation 4
- It was announced the next day to be in development for the Xbox One as well
- In Kingdom Hearts III, the series protagonist Sora will search for the “Key to Return Hearts”
- While Sora’s friends, Riku and King Mickey, search for Keyblade wielders
- The game concludes in the “Dark Seeker Saga”
- The game was released on January 25, 2019 in Japan
- It is scheduled to be released on January 29, 2019 elsewhere
- It has been decided where certain characters end up in order to potentially continue their story in future games
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