Nomura Talks 2.8 FCP and KH3 with Dengeki Playstation (UPDATE: Now With Translated Interview)

Meilin Lee · Oct 12, 2016

In an interview with Dengeki Playstation that should be released soon, Kingdom Hearts director, Tetsuya Nomura, discussed projects he was currently involved in, including 'Kingdom Hearts 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue' and 'Kingdom Hearts III'. While a full interview has yet to be released, a summary is available, detailing interesting points made by Nomura, which include:

'2.8 Final Chapter Prologue' will be in 4K when played on the PS4 Pro

The Hikari/Simaple & Clean remix used in 0.2 BBS was done concurrently with Utada Hikaru's return from her hiatus

No decision on a new theme song for KH3

No new KH3 news until 2.8 is released

Once a full interview is out and translated completely, this post will be updated, so be sure to check back for any updates!

Special thanks to KH13 for the translated summary.

UPDATE:

The full interview with Nomura has been released, and is translated (courtesy of KH13 once again):

You presented the release date for 'Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue' at the September SIE press conference, right?

Nomura: We sincerely apologize for prolonging the release date from December 2016 to January 2017. We wrote it in the comments on the official Twitter, but due to several titles that are coming out one on top of another, this is what it's become.

You also revealed a gorgeous package art.

Nomura: There are actually two secrets about the illustrations from 1.5 until 2.8 FCP. Extremely attentive KH fans might have already discovered them, but one is that Sora's movements change from sitting, to standing, to walking. One more is that when you line up the three illustrations, you'll notice that they show the flow of time with changes in the sky. 1.5 is sunset becoming night, 2.5 is the middle of the night, and 2.8 FCP is night breaking into dawn. Those three illustrations have a message regarding the final chapter, KH3.

So you planned all this from the time of 1.5's release, then?

Nomura: We worried a long time about the package art for 2.5, and we worked on trying to connect the three productions in a continual manner. It seems like there were a lot of people who figured out Sora's movements, but there were not very many people who noticed the connection between the skies. There are two meanings to “sora” (I.E. one being the protagonist's name, and the other meaning “sky”).

Since the illustrations were blown up for display at Tokyo Game Show, they really stood out.

Nomura: Since we were told that we needed to finish the art in time to have it on display at the Game Show, I drew it with my fighting spirit. In result, we finished the package illustration with unprecedented progress.

The trial version you presented at Tokyo Game Show seemed to basically be the same as what was at [E3 2016], right?

Nomura: That's right. It's the version that was revised right after [E3]. The new short cuts functions, etc. from KH3D HD are the same thing. The master version is having a lot of things brushed up from the TGS version. The production is continuing according to plan, so soon you'll be able to master-up.

We got a taste of the evolution of action on the PS4 with 0.2 BBS at TGS, but will KH3 see an even deeper improvement of action from there?

Nomura: That's what will happen. Since there is an overwhelmingly large amount of things one can do while playing as Sora in KH3 timewise, compared to playing as Aqua. Aqua cannot change her keyblade as the story progresses, but Sora can, and that will in result change the action.

The exploration and battles in the latest PV, are those the developments that came after crossing the bridge in the TGS trial play?

Nomura: Yes. Like what you were able to play in the trial, there is a map waiting up ahead with more added to it. The Osaka production team cleverly placed it as an object, and they're good at making maps with areas outside one's exploration.

Let me ask about things connected to X[chi], too. First, the browser game X[chi] ended its service at the end of September, but what are your thoughts on that three years of continued service?

Nomura: It's too bad that service ended so early, but I think having continued for three years served as a great amount of strength to us. Looking at the user number, there were more people playing the smart phone app Unchained X[chi], so we will now focus on that. As we've already announced, we are planning a season two of Unchained X[chi], so we are continuing its service. In October there will be new worlds available, and we are working on the planned multiplayer function for January release, so please look forward to it.

You laid out the last scene of X[chi] to us, but will Unchained X[chi] develop in the same way?

Nomura: That was only the development for X[chi]. The story for Unchained X[chi] will deviate midway to a different story.

In the latest trailer of Kingdom Hearts X[chi] Back Cover, there was a figure wearing a black cloak, separate from the five Foretellers, but...?

Nomura: As we've already revealed in [KH X], that is a character named Luxu. Since he's wearing that black coat, it seems like a lot of people mistook Luxu for the Master of Masters, but they're two different people. The one holding a dandelion on the package art and in the trailer is the Master of Masters, and the other person wearing a black cloak is Luxu. Their relationship is more clearly drawn out in [KH X Back Cover].

Since they serve as a road to KH3, you really can't overlook any of the productions included in 2.8 FCP.

Nomura: Even among players, there seemed to be some people who were just now hearing about 2.8 FCP at the Game Show and seemed troubled, but please, we'd like you to play 2.8 FCP. Since it is a prologue to KH3, just as it says in the title, you'll need to play to smoothly enjoy KH3!

In the latest trailer, we got to hear a new arrangement of Utada Hikaru's “Hikari,” so that stirred up our hopes.

Nomura: Since I heard that Utada has returned from hiatus, I thought it was perfect timing, and I requested an arrangement from her. We have yet to decide the main theme for KH3.

By the way, will 2.8 FCP be supported on the PS4 Pro, too?

Nomura: It supports 4K, so it should cleanly play without any problems. Anything else detailed about support, we will showcase next time.

Also, when will you be presenting more interesting news on KH3?

Nomura: We spoke of this a bit at E3, but we are waiting to speak more about KH3 after releasing 2.8 FCP, so we have currently released all available information. Please wait shortly for new news.

Since 2017 is the KH series' 15th anniversary, we're hoping for a lot of developments!

Nomura: We are thinking of a lot of plans heading toward the 15th anniversary. Next year's January release of 2.8 FCP will be the start, and from March the full orchestra's world tour will commence. It will be a year's worth of non-stop KH news, so we look forward to speaking with you again.
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Meilin Lee · Oct 12, 2016

Updated OP with full translated interview.

Day~Dream · Oct 12, 2016

If the mobile game will deviate midway from the PC ver. will it still be part of the overall story? Or will it just give us another side of the story?

And as for the arrangement I'm so glad to hear Utada Hikaru had something to do with it. Really hope she returns to make the theme for KH3 :)

Meilin Lee · Oct 12, 2016

Day~Dream said: ↑

If the mobile game will deviate midway from the PC ver. will it still be part of the overall story? Or will it just give us another side of the story?
Click to expand...

I'm guessing probably the latter, where it's the same story, just small differences (sorta like the differences between CoM and Re:CoM)

. : tale_wind · Oct 13, 2016

Day~Dream said: ↑

If the mobile game will deviate midway from the PC ver. will it still be part of the overall story? Or will it just give us another side of the story?
Click to expand...

Master Trumpanort said: ↑

I'm guessing probably the latter, where it's the same story, just small differences (sorta like the differences between CoM and Re:CoM)
Click to expand...

I'm actually going to go out on a limb and say that it will still be a part of the overall story, but that said story will be incorporated in part into Unchained.

Bear in mind the developments when the protagonist in both the mobile and browser versions met Master Ava, who spoke of a separate world called Unchained, where her Dandelions would be sent to survive the Keyblade War, and then the secret ending to the browser game, titled Unchained 0, where the protagonist awoke with their memories rewritten and the Keyblade War yet to occur. The implication is clear--that the browser protagonist was taken into the Unchained world by Ephemer and Skuld.

Obviously, how the logistics of that will be resolved is yet to be seen, but we'll see as Unchained progresses; for the time being, tomorrow (or rather, today) Japan gets its first Unchained story update that majorly deviates from the browser version, sending players to Castle of Dreams. We're not due to see this in global until January or later, according to the recent developer letter, but it's something to look forward to.

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Nomura Talks 2.8 FCP and KH3 with Dengeki Playstation (UPDATE: Now With Translated Interview)

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