Although they have been criticized for their irrelevance to the overarching plot, Disney worlds have always been an important part of theKingdom Heartsseries. Part of the franchise’s appeal is the entertainment value of seeing semi-serious RPG foes like the Heartless invade the universes of the often optimistic and colorfulDisney animated canon. While more recent entries in the series have focused on other Disney properties and more modern titles, the studio’s classic output dominated earlierKingdom Heartsgames, and still make up most of the represented movies in the franchise.
Aside fromHercules,Kingdom Hearts 3was filled with non-traditional Disney fare, such as Pixar films andPirates of the Caribbean, or modern “classics” animated in CGI such asTangled,Frozen, andBig Hero 6. No new worlds were based on a traditionally animated feature, a far cry from the direction taken by the first fewKingdom Heartsgames. This hints at a certain future for the franchise, especially because Disney owns both Marvel and Star Wars - two franchises that will likely get some kind of representation. The Disney classics might not be in vogue, butKingdom Hearts 4should not just let them be.
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The Benefits of Bringing Back Old Disney Worlds
Despite the fact that plenty of franchises have been represented inKingdom Hearts, the series is far from out of options. If it wants to keep being fresh withKingdom Hearts 4, the series might have to rely on properties bought by Disney or supplementary media to introduce new worlds. A majority of the most popular Disney classics, fromthe Disney princess flickstoWinnie the PoohandThe Lion King, have made an appearance in the franchise at least once.
If one’s definition of “keeping things fresh” involves introducing new content, the return of old Disney worlds inKingdom Hearts 4might just be seen as proof of a creative decline. However, there is plenty of room for improvement when it comes to the Disney worlds inKingdom Hearts. Most of their self-contained storylines were seen as shallow retellings of the original films’ plots, withKingdom Hearts 3finally attempting to do something originalwith these predetermined characters and worlds. Bringing old Disney worlds back would be an opportunity to remedy these past mistakes and expand on one ofKingdom Hearts 3’s strengths.
Some of the worlds that could afford new touches include several of the worlds from the originalKingdom Hearts. This may be a pipe dream thanks to copyright issues that preventTarzanfrom reappearing, but Deep Jungle is level that often gets the short end of the stick despite having potential to be more enjoyable if it adhered toKingdom Hearts’ mechanical highlights rather than the first game’s awkward platforming. Other movies with worlds in the first game thatcould be revisited includePinocchio, whose diverse set pieces were wasted on a psychedelic mazelike depiction of a whale’s innards; andAlice in Wonderland, whose colorful and surreal setting could make for a gorgeous and creative world in the modern era.
Even with the infamous reputation it has attracted,Kingdom Hearts’ story is an important aspect of the games’ development, so there likely is not a need nor a desire to return to these more simplistic Disney worlds. That being said, theKingdom Heartsseries now knows what makes Disney worlds work. Bringing back older levels based on the classic films could reinvigorate that timeless feel from the earlier installments, all while modernizing and updating the portrayal of the worlds themselves.
Kingdom Hearts 4is in development.
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