Square Enix released a few new screenshots for the long-awaitedKingdom Hearts 4, and it appears that one of the franchise’s iconic enemies has gotten its first redesign since its debut in the original game back in 2002.Kingdom Hearts 4was announced back in 2022for the series' 20th anniversary. Since then, additional information on the game has been sporadic at best, but with these new screenshots, there’s quite a bit for fans to analyze, and it looks like there’s a major glow-up on the way for one enemy.
In one of the screenshots posted by the officialKINGDOM HEARTSaccount on X, it appears thatDarkside has gotten a pretty significant change. Darkside was in the original reveal trailer, but the in-development game has seen some visual changes since then. This version of Darkside is much larger than it has been in the past, with him towering over suspended highways in Quadratum, the game’s only currently revealed world, which is inspired by real-life Tokyo.
Thescreenshot of Mickey Mouse, which confirms him to be playable, at least for small segments, features what appears to be him standing on a golden chandelier in a library, with the environment and the objects in it being more comparable to real-life than the previous games' environments. Sora can also be seen standing near cars, and his general proportions also appears to be more realistic.
Kingdom Hearts 4 Has A Radically Different Look
A Much More Realistic Game
Kingdom Hearts 4will be the first in the series to feature a radically different art style, one that appears to be more photo-realistic and less cartoon-y. In thenewKingdom Hearts 4screenshots, the details and animations for Sora, the large world, the Heartless, and combat animationsare much more lifelike than the series has ever had before. Darkside’s wings are much larger, and its general size gives it a grand sense of scale that was not present in the previous games.
Sora’s facial animations are more realistic now, too, with him able to show concern, determination, and battle emotions. This direction forKingdom Heartsseems tomatch Square Enix’s recent art style directionfor its other games.Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthsaw high-fidelity, ultra-detailed character models and environments, as didFF16.
This Visual Evolution For KH Is Exciting
A New Style For A New Era
This leap in art style and visual fidelity matches perfectly withKingdom Hearts 4being a resetand the start of a new story arc. Being able to see Sora, Donald, Goofy, Mickey, and all the others in a new light after 23 years of the same-ish art style should be thrilling for fans. How the Disney worlds will look and feel remains to be seen, but if they are anywhere near as detailed as these new screenshots, both Disney fans andKHfans will likely be happy with this new direction.
Some fans might be skeptical about this drastic of a graphical overhaul, but this might be what the series needs, as it prepares to introduce new fans and re-introduce dedicated fans back toKingdom Hearts.Kingdom Hearts 3was generally, at least somewhat, disappointing for some fans, while others enjoyed the concluding chapter to the Dark Seeker Saga. The game’s fresh coat of paint will likely please most fans, and if the Darkside redesign is anything to go by,Kingdom Hearts 4may have many surprises in store.
