The popularity of Kingdom Hearts is difficult to dispute, but how the sequence has managed to remain so iconic is a fascinating question.
Kingdom Hearts, a role-playing game for the PlayStation 2, was released in early 2002, drawing the attention of many gamers due to how unexpected it was. It was a Square Enix-Disney collaboration that highlighted an original story about a young boy named Sora who traveled through worlds populated by Final Fantasy characters as well as familiar Disney characters such as Mickey Mouse and Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Despite its unconventional title, the film was a commercial success. It’s been twenty years since that title was released to fans all over the world, and the Kingdom Hearts brand has consistently reached new heights.
The game has published 13 titles across multiple console games, and Sora has consistently outperformed the odds, resulting in surprises like his incorporation in Super Smash Bros Ultimate.
The series has also become a well-known Disney product, with Donald and Goofy making surprise showings in their Kingdom Hearts outfits at Disney parks around the world. It begs the question of what fueled Kingdom Hearts’ huge popularity.
Disney meets Final Fantasy
Few people were expecting Final Fantasy and Mickey Mouse to join forces in one grand RPG epic, despite the many crossovers that have occurred in the video game world. Those who worked on the series frequently stated that Kingdom Hearts came about because the two firms shared a building in Japan more than 20 years ago.
Because of the close proximity, the concept was pitched and then greenlit quickly. When comparing how the businesses treated the project in the past to how it is now, the experimental environment of it may have been its saving grace in the beginning.
If one considers the evolution of gaming and entertainment, Square Enix could not have released Kingdom Hearts at a better time in the long run.
The game was released at a critical juncture in the history of the anime subculture, when it was just beginning to establish itself in overseas markets, making what might be lovingly nicknamed the “anime Disney game” appealing to the fledgling anime fans at the time.
If players hadn’t played other games like Kingdom Hearts before, it turned out to be the ideal way to introduce them to the RPG genre.
The Story of Kingdom Hearts
Many of the most popular role-playing video game franchises make it a point to keep their stories as standalone adventures. Even Square Enix’s other RPGs, with the exception of special events and crossover titles, try to keep their titles in different universes.
This is where Kingdom Hearts goes in a new direction. Each game in the series has an impact on what happens next, and Kingdom Hearts 3 even provides as the conclusion to a “arc.”
As a result, each Kingdom Hearts release opens up new paths for the franchise’s lore to develop, leading to concepts like teleportation and unreality being introduced as the story progresses. Kingdom Hearts 2 was the beginning of the franchise’s adoption of a spawling and overarching storyline, as fans could tell.
However, while things grew to this scale in order to keep the mystical nature of its universe vague, few fans expected Kingdom Hearts to become what it became over time. The scope of its story has either enthralled or perplexed fans, and this has become part of the show’s allure.
Kingdom Hearts is available in all of the ways that it should be
The fact that the creators lost the entire source code for the first Kingdom Hearts at some point in the series’ history tells fans that Kingdom Hearts was an ongoing project. Tetsuya Nomura stated that as a consequence, when it came time to create the HD ReMix version of Kingdom Hearts, they had to recreate almost all of the visuals for the HD version of the game from scratch.
The effort, however, has purchased off tenfold, as the HD Remix titles are now available on multiple console generations. If such new players decide to dive into the series, there was no need to be concerned about losing out on titles because they’re all easily accessible.
While newer fans can play even the oldest games on their preferred platform, the Kingdom Hearts sequence has long been known for having different difficulty settings.
While Critical Mode is the game’s most well-known feature, there is a Beginner Mode for those who prefer a less challenging experience. While playing on easier difficulties used to keep players from seeing the secret endings, newer games like Kingdom Hearts 3 have transformed that.
In many ways, this makes Kingdom Hearts one of the most approachable RPGs available. Kingdom Hearts, like many other popular video game franchises, has worked to keep its gameplay fresh, but the fundamental formula has remained consistent.
Players can expect to pick up the latest iteration and have a good idea about what they’re doing, as Sora continues to play in a similar manner to the first game. The only time the gameplay changes are with spin-offs, which by definition have the right to do things like change the combat style to specialize on cards or commands rather than Keyblades.
Kingdom Hearts may appear daunting at first glance due to the series’ length, whether it’s the amount of games or the scope of the franchise’s lore. However, because of its charm and accessibility, fans are welcomed in with open arms, and many who try it quickly start appreciating the series for what it is.
As the time passes, the fanbase who wonder where Sora’s next journey will accept him seems to increase. Fortunately for fans, that question may soon be answered, as Kingdom Hearts is hosting a 20th anniversary livestream on April 10 that may provide some insight into what’s to come.
