Kingdom Hearts III: Everything we saw at E3, from freezing Frozen to the heat of the Caribbean

One of the biggest expectations of this E3 was certainly Kingdom Hearts III. The game appeared in three shows: Micorosoft, Square Enix and finally Sony. Unfortunately, it was only in the first and third conferences that we had the opportunity to see something more about the title. In fact, the released videos showed several innovations, not only as regards the technical aspect and gameplay, but also for the plot, always an object of cult and mystery for all fans of the series. According to the Game Director this third chapter will be the end of the Xehanort saga, for this reason has promised a videogame full of twists and with a difficult ending to digest. In the meantime, however, it is right to focus on what we saw at the Los Angeles fair, or the world of Frozen and that of the Pirates of the Caribbean. Also because, in the course of the days following the fair, very important information emerged both on the game and on the two worlds just presented.

Put on the jacket

Let's start with the first world presented during E3 2018, or that of Frozen. The location will be called Arendelle, a vast land covered with snow, glaciers, frozen lakes and thick woods. What did we find out from the trailer? First of all, Sora can't stand the cold and is very easily surprised when he sees another person controlling the elements, in this case Elsa with ice. In the video you can also clearly see Anna, Elsa's sister and co-star of the film, the young and charming Kristoff, the reindeer Sven and the mascot Olaf, a well-known snowman so popular among children. The gameplay offers new and interesting insights, as a new themed keyblade was shown and, consequently, one of its transformations. Beyond the classic form, the weapon can become a kind of armor which will give our hero unprecedented powers. We also saw a scene fleeing from hartless, with the magical trio descending a mountain using Goofy's shield as if it were a snowboard.

Unfortunately, the Frozen trailer did not focus particularly on the combat system, a normal choice if we think of the amount of gameplay information released just over a month ago. For this reason the movie, especially as regards the second part, focused mainly on the plot, revealing really important details and, in part, mercilessly destroying some of the certainties of the fans. Basic the plot that you will face in this world will follow the events of the films: you will meet Elesa on the run and, after a short introduction, the princess will talk to you about her discomfort in controlling such atypical powers, and about the fear of hurting people. We also see a big comeback of Larxene, a sadistic female from Organization XIII. The aim of this bitter enemy will be to feed the doubts that are undermined in Elsa's heart, cultivate the anxieties and horrors and make her yield to darkness.

We also have the opportunity to see other heroes. One of all is certainly Hercules, visibly in difficulty during the arrival of Sora and his companions. . On the occasion, some details regarding Rapunzel were released: in addition to some gameplay glimpses, scenes reproduced faithfully as inside the film are visible, from when the young girl recognizes herself on the mosaic on the wall, to when she turns on herself with braided hair. Graphically, those scenes are really well done, almost as if we were watching the real movie. Obviously the most interesting part of the trailer comes at the end, with the shocking revelation of Aqua, who has been traveling within the realm of darkness for too long. The young woman will be together with Mickey and Riku: the first inside a kind of dark bubble, the second crouched on the ground, as if he had just finished a fight. However, the focus is all on the keyblade, unpublished and never seen before. Once Aqua grabs the weapon, she turns to mouse thus revealing her true nature: gray hair and amber yellow eyes, our heroine has succumbed to darkness, most likely becoming a vessel of Xehanort. The latter, coming into possession of Terra's mind and body and Aqua's soul, will almost certainly now point to the Castle of Oblivion, so as to free Ventus from his hiding place.

In the face… dead or alive, she will follow you!

In the second and always full-bodied trailer, Square Enix announced the return of the film The Pirates of the Caribbean, this also goes to show the desire of society to recreate cinema films to perfection where real actors are present. Obviously, as in any self-respecting world, there will also be the new outfit of Sora, Goofy and Donald, all three ended up on a raft in search of who knows what. In this regard, however, Nomura in an interview specified that this location will be closely linked to the infamous Black Box, whose content as we all know is still unknown. Immediately after the presentation of the three protagonists, the sequence of the movie moves to the unmistakable Captain Jack Sparrow, intent on maneuvering his ship in a sea of ​​sand, as happens exactly in the movie At World's End. Seeing the realistic gaze, even if always in computer graphics, of Will, Elizabeth, Barbossa, Gibbs and Calipso, is a feast for the eyes: the technical level reached by this world is truly out of the ordinary, reproducing the various characters with absolute fidelity. that made the film famous.

The desire to faithfully follow the third episode of the Pirates of the Caribbean saga is clear right away, even if it has been specified that The Phantom Strongbox will still be briefly summarized. The presence of Davy Jones will therefore seem obvious and, being the film At the World's End, also get ready to experience the famous battle between the pirates and the English navy. In addition to a majestic technical aspect, the trailer immediately showcased new aspects of gameplay. Although some worlds - like that of Hercules - have left us quite dumbfounded as well as with a fairly flat feeling, the interactivity seen in this location gives us hope for the future. The map looks huge and seems to be explored in several ways. One also represents a really intriguing novelty introduced in the game, namely naval battles: in the movie Sora is clearly seen at the helm of the Black Pearl while commanding cannons and boarding enemy galleons to destroy them and clear the way. The world will exploit in its entirety the shallows of the sea (there will also be the possibility of touring the depths of the sea), dry land (probably represented by the jungle) and air, even if on the latter we have seen relatively little, only Sora riding a Hartless to go and defeat the boss.

Returning for a moment to naval battles, the reference to Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag seems clear and evident, complete with the inclusion of more powerful ships that will require more effort to be sunk. Even the boarding seems to be fast and dynamic, making the most of the new adrenaline-pumping gameplay of Kingdom Hearts III. There was also a chance to see the new pirate Keyblade, but its transformations didn't seem particularly inspired. The progression of the areas, as communicated several times by the development team, will be fundamental for the fluidity of the adventure, therefore it is easy to imagine that the vast areas will still be closely linked together. The rediscovery of the verticality of this third chapter of the saga, in the world of Jack Sparrow is certainly exploited to the maximum, even if the location seemed not very lively. After this hit and run gameplay, the footage focuses on the narrative showing Jack and Luxord engaged in the Black Box negotiation.

In the final part of the trailer we also have time to admire Kairi and Riku: the first, while sporting a new and captivating look also seasoned with a new haircut, we see her intent on talking with Axel, the second instead is in the company of her "Dark self" to the islands of fate. Nomura has made some really striking statements about the future of Sora, Riku and Kairi, specifying that they have changed as well as their relationship. This could mean that the three are destined to separate once this adventure is over, or many other meanings yet to be discovered. What is certain is that the Game Director has confirmed that there will be more playable characters in Kingdom Hearts III and the rumors that emerged speaking clearly: the game at some point will split into a sort of "Riku perspective", perhaps this refers to the portion of the game that takes place in the realm of darkness, and a prologue where you will have to control a young Eraquos who is studying to become a teacher.

Kingdom Hearts III is a game still shrouded in mystery, with a complex development and always under the eye of the storm. Fans expect Nomura's masterpiece, but the fear of a third chapter that does not meet expectations are many. The material shown by Square Enix in any case is quite convincing, although there are still many doubts regarding the linearity of the title. It would be nice to see some sort of side missions inserted that allow the player to explore the various areas with a sense. The saga, in fact, has always been very linear in following the main story, giving little space to the objectives that are not really primary. We hope that this sort of "narrative funnel" has been definitively set aside, giving more space to the player's freedom. In conclusion we can say that the title is ambitious, but to get a more complete picture we should stop seeing fleeting flashes of gameplay, but more a focus dedicated to in-game progression. We just have to wait to see how this new chapter of the Kingdom of Hearts will fare.