A new Kingdom Hearts title has been announced for a major system. No, it is not Kingdom Hearts 4. It’s Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory, a new rhythm based game that was just announced for the Nintendo Switch. The game will release sometime in 2020.
Based on the trailer, we can see that this game is eerily reminiscent of Square Enix’s Thetarhythm series, which was released on Nintendo 3DS.
In that series, players were able to relive a number of Square’s biggest musical moments by tapping along with a rhythm-based system. That same formula is being revived here, but in true Kingdom Hearts fashion. We see Donald, Goofy, and Sora together once more, traveling down a pathway in some iconic Kingdom Hearts locations as they attack along with some of Kingdom Hearts most iconic music.
The game’s official website reads, “Many characters from the Kingdom Hearts series appear as playable characters! Depending on the stage, Disney characters will appear as guests and lend you their strength. The game features a massive catalog of over 140 songs, including Kingdom Hearts series music, Disney music, and more. Enjoy rhythm-based action through unforgettable music. There are four play modes, including online battles.”
The Kingdom Hearts series is not a stranger to rhythm adventures. In Kingdom Hearts 2, there was an entire world completely dedicated to timed rhythm mini games. That world was Atlantica, which was a full blown adventure world in the first game.
In the sequel on the PlayStation 2, Sora, Donald, and Goofy once more return to Atlantica to check in on Ariel, Sebastian, and Flounder. While there are no Heartless monsters attacking the world, Ariel has fallen in love with a human, and longs to be a part of his world.
Sora, Donald, and Goofy help Ariel, and even battle Ursula, through a number of songs. There were some Disney favorites from the movie like Part of Your World and Under The Sea. There were also some truly terrible original songs like Swim This Way.
“A musical for everyone to have a lot of finny fun,” was one of the lyrical gems found within the game’s original music.
If you’re not a fan of rhythm themed games and feel that this is skippable, think again. The game’s trailer shows some interesting story elements that were first hinted at in Kingdom Hearts 3. That means Melody of Memory is going to have an impact on the overall plot of the series and will be a vital piece of the story on the (likely very long) road toward Kingdom Hearts 4.
