Square Enix has announced that 's Verum Rex video game world, with a visual style that is more realistic and a more cinematic action style.
The Kingdom Hearts fans of the world weren't expecting a mainline game so soon, considering that there was a near fifteen-year gap between Kingdom Hearts 2 and Kingdom Hearts 3. The Kingdom Hearts series is big on spin-off titles that move the story forward at a snail's pace, with the traditional bizarre Square Enix Final Fantasy-style name to separate them from the mainline games. The only hint that a new Kingdom Hearts game was in development happened in September 2021, when the Kingdom Hearts 4. This leak was seen as speculatory by many and the Kingdom Hearts entry could have been a placeholder.
It seems that Sora will be returning to the world of gaming a lot sooner than anyone expected. It was first revealed during the Kingdom Hearts 20th-anniversary celebrations in Japan that Kingdom Hearts 4 is in development. The first trailer for the game is available on the official Kingdom Hearts YouTube channel, along with announcements for Kingdom Hearts mobile titles. There's currently no word regarding a release date or platform for the game.
The trailer shows Sora waking up in the world of Quadratum, which is seen in the world of a video game called Verum Rex in the Toy Story world of Kingdom Hearts 3. This isn't the first time that Sora has been seen here, as 's secret ending features Sora and Yozora in Quadratum. The visual style is notably different in Kingdom Hearts 4, with a more realistic look than in previous games. The trailer ends with Goofy and Donald Duck looking for someone in the darkness, before being accosted by someone who is lit by blue flames, who may be Hades from Hercules.
It seems that Kingdom Hearts 4 is going in a new direction for the series in of style and story. The return to Quadratum might also give fans a look at what Tetsuya Nomura had in store for Final Fantasy Versus XIII, as people have speculated that Quadratum is based on his concept for that game before it was retooled as FF15. If the GeForce Now leak is also legit, then the Kingdom Hearts 4 trailer may have also confirmed that the is real, as well as remasters of Final Fantasy Tactics and Tactics Ogre. Whatever the case, it's a great time to be a fan of old-school Square Enix games.
Kingdom Hearts 4 is currently in development.
Source: Kingdom Hearts/YouTube