‘Kingdom Hearts 3’ Co-Director Explains Why the Sequel Took So Long To Make

We're less than four weeks away from the arrival of Kingdom Hearts III, after spending what feels like an eternity waiting for it. The game was announced years ago; and for some time, we were wondering if it would come out at all. Alas, it finally is.

So what took so long for it to make its way to release anyway? Was there trouble with the game's financing? Or did Square Enix just want to take the extra time to make it special? There were a number of reasons lingering, but co-director Tai Yasue decided to clear the air.

In a recent interview with Newsweek, Yasue explained that the game's engine needed replacing, with the previous one having been outdated. With that came a bit of a learning process for the team, having to learn additional development tricks and nuances.

"Our current engine is great in terms of developing a high end AAA title, but because there was a change in technology and work flows, it took some time for the team to adapt and adjust," he explained.

But he also felt the frustration that fans were going through in waiting for Kingdom Hearts III to become a reality. "I'm truly sorry to have kept everyone waiting for so long!" said Yasue. "It took a while, but we really wanted to make sure the game met everyone's expectations. I hope, more than I've hoped for anything else in my 20 years of making games, that you all enjoy it."

There's a lot of hype going into the game, including a slew of trailers that made their debut over the past month, introducing the various worlds that Sora and company will be exploring throughout the sequel. These include Toy Story, Monsters Inc. and Big Hero 6, among many others. No doubt fans will be in for a treat.

We've only got a little further to go, Kingdom Hearts fans. The game arrives on January 29 for Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

Want to chat about your favorite characters in the Kingdom Hearts series or other gaming silliness? Follow me on Twitter at @TheDCD!

(Hat tip to DualShockers for the scoop!)