Tetsuya Nomura and Tai Yasue have revealed several Kingdom Hearts 4 gameplay features, including new traversal mechanics in Quadratum, world-specific combat systems and a puzzle-focused section involving Mickey.
Nomura explained during the Kingdom Hearts panel at D23 that gameplay is one of the team’s main priorities when deciding which worlds and characters to include. “When it comes to worlds, I’m the same as Tai. I typically first prioritize the gameplay experience above all else,” Nomura said.
Yasue added that the team wants every world to provide a different gameplay experience. He pointed to Kingdom Hearts 3, where Toy Story allowed Sora to ride a robot, Pirates of the Caribbean introduced air and underwater traversal, and Arendelle focused on movement through snowy environments. “For each sort of world, I think having differences and having unique gameplay I think that’s really important for us.”
New Traversal Mechanics In Quadratum
Quadratum will introduce new traversal mechanics designed around its Tokyo-inspired environment. Yasue revealed that Sora can shoot his Keychain to launch himself onto buildings, while also sliding down power lines and twirling around poles and signboards.
“For Kingdom Hearts 4, we have a new action where you shoot your Keychain, and then you could launch yourself on top of buildings, for example,” Yasue explained. “You could slide down power lines in Tokyo. You could twirl around poles and signboards.”
Coco Brings Character-Specific Combat
The Coco world will also incorporate its characters’ musical identities into combat. Miguel can use his guitar and sing during battles, while Hector can use his bones as weapons and even transform his arm into a nunchuk.
Sora, Miguel and Hector can fight together, with Yasue describing the combination of different character identities as part of the “Kingdom Hearts charm.”
Mickey Gets Puzzle-Based Gameplay
Mickey will receive a very different gameplay experience in a paper-based world where players can create origami versions of the character. Paper-thin Mickeys can pass through cracks, while other versions have different uses, including transforming into paper airplanes.
These abilities are used to solve puzzles, with Yasue describing the experience as “a puzzle-based game design that’s very different from Sora’s adventure.”
Kingdom Hearts 4 is scheduled to release in late 2027 for PS5, Xbox Series S|X, Switch 2, and PC.
