Kingdom Hearts III Producers Discuss New Gameplay Features

Next week is going to be a pretty big one for Kingdom Hearts fans as we finally learn when we'll be able to play the newest game in the series.

Square Enix will likely reveal a release date for Kingdom Hearts III at the event (if not before) along with a new gameplay clip that could reveal another great new world.

But before we get to that point, Famitsu had the chance to sit down with Kingdom Hearts' producers to discuss some upcoming features in the game among other things.

First off, producer Tai Yasue discussed some of the new types of gameplay being introduced. "Each world adopts new features. In OLYMPUS, which you can play a demo of, you can dive from the sky and climb walls. OLYMPUS in particular has a sense of scale to it. Also, KHIII includes the evolved forms of gameplay from past titles in the series. For example, the multi-storey maps from KH3D are even more powered up in KHIII - not only can you kick from wall to wall, you can now also run straight up walls. We have adopted all sorts of elements that allow you to really adventure, and the maps are vertically expansive."

But there's more where that came from. "In the Toy Story world, you can ride Gigas (robots) in battle, which is a key new gameplay style. In KHIII we have created brand new ways to play for each world, making each world fresh and exciting.

"There's a very exciting Attraction Flow in OLYMPUS. We would love for you to play it very thoroughly. In the Toy Story TOY BOX World, as I said before, you can control robots - and there are several types of robot. Also, in TOY BOX, investigating is crucial, so make sure to enjoy all the toys and features. Personally, I hope you try hitting the gas tank and watching Sora and the others' reactions."

The Keyblade was then discussed, with producer Tetsuya Nomura noting, "One big difference is that the Keyblade can transform. As seen in KH Birth by Sleep, Keyblade transformation is an ability only formally trained Keyblade wielders possess - however, now Sora has finally become able to do it too."

Yasue then chimed in, "In the demo, the Infinity Badge (Toy Story Keyblade) transformation has pretty strong destructive powers. Personally, I like the twin yo-yos of the Smile Gear (Monsters Inc. Keyblade). Also, in this game you can switch Keyblades mid-battle - the increased depth of possible strategy is a draw of this game."

KH Insider actually posted the full interview which also discusses how Square Enix teamed up with Disney for the game; the process for designing different Keyblades; and a lot more. It's well worth the read. You can also see what all we know about the game thus far here.

Kingdom Hearts III doesn't currently have a release date but is expected later this year for Xbox One and PlayStation 4.