Square Enix put its best foot forward with the new trailer for Kingdom Hearts 4. Not only does the recent preview suggest that the game will look absolutely beautiful, but it even gives audiences a glimpse at a new world that is quite unlike anything we’ve seen before in the series. However, that trailer also left some fans worried about how different the next Kingdom Hearts game looks.
The majority of the Kingdom Hearts 4 trailer seemingly takes place in the new world of Quadratum, which is almost certainly the most contemporary setting in Kingdom Hearts history. Quadratum looks similar to present-day Tokyo and is full of photorealistic buildings, people, cars, and cellphones. A much more modern-looking Sora even wakes up on a modern-looking sofa in a modern-looking apartment. He no longer has cartoonish proportions, and his signature giant shoes have been replaced with reasonably-sized loafers. All in all, Sora seems to fit in with the residents of Quadratum and looks like he belongs in Final Fantasy XV instead of the Kingdom Hearts games as we know them. Since the majority of the Kingdom Hearts 4 trailer features that artstyle, the implication seems to be that the sequel will utilize more photorealistic graphics. At least that’s what a lot of people assumed was the case before the trailer’s “after-credits scene” started to play.
During the video’s final 30 seconds, audiences see Donald Duck and Goofy looking for Sora. Donald and Goofy look completely different from the rest of the trailer (which is to say they look exactly the same as they did in Kingdom Hearts 3). Granted, their models have been improved, but otherwise, the characters’ designs are as cartoonish as ever. What gives? Why would Sora sport realistic proportions and textures but not Donald and Goofy? Probably because they aren’t in Quadratum with him.
Throughout the Kingdom Hearts franchise, Sora and the gang occasionally undergo costume changes to fit in. For instance, in Kingdom Hearts 3, Sora, Donald, and Goofy swap their normal clothes for pirate attire when they travel the world of Pirates of the Caribbean. Sure, the character models maintain their normal proportions, but the textures are more complicated. They even showcase dirt and wrinkles that match that world’s live-action aesthetic.
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