I’ll be honest, having just watched the latest trailer for Kingdom Hearts 4, I’m less confident I know what’s going on in the game. Protagonist Sora’s in a realm visually inspired by Mexican Día de Muertos celebrations, while Donald Duck and Goofy ship of the Greek underworld, then end up as force ghosts before rocking up in the Mexican realm without Sora. At least the game’s freshly announced release window is less confusing to non-hearts heads. It’s due out in late 2027.
KINGDOM HEARTS IV – Extended D23 2026 Coco TrailerHaving whipped out a teaser during June’s Not-a-PC-tendo Direct, Square confirmed KH4’s release window during the weekend just gone’s D23 Disney convention. Creative director Tatsuya Nomura made sure to emphasise that the late 2027 window won’t end up slipping, with the studio not anticipating any delays now they’ve finally zeroed in on a specific landing zone.
According to a press release, the Mexican realm shown off in Kingdom Hearts 4’s latest trailer is there because of 2017 Pixar movie Coco, which is about a 12-year-old boy who’s desperate to play the guitar. I’ve not seen it, but it sounds fine. It’s also got a sequel coming out in 2029, which might have factored into its inclusion here.
As for KH4’s plot, here’s the synopsis: “Our hero Sora awakes in the unfamiliar world of Quadratum. As he looks for a way to return from this modern metropolis to his own world, his friends Donald and Goofy head for the Underworld in hopes of finding a clue to his whereabouts.” Mickey Mouse is also on the look out for Sora, but seems to have decided to take the easy route by reading books in a fancy library. There are fast-paced battles along the way, with combo building and switching up the keyblade to match your strategy at any given moment being, er, key.
A PC release for Don and Goofy’s romp through hell has also been locked in, with a new Steam page being the place to head if you fancy wishlisting Kingdom Hearts 4. If you want someone to have a crack at explaining to you what on earth’s generally going on in the Kingdom Heartsverse, try this Kat Bailey column from 2021.
