Kingdom Hearts III left a lot of clues about where the saga is going next, but as everyone waits for Kingdom Hearts IV (or whatever Square Enix will call it), there are a few other games I’d like to see added to the Kingdom Hearts series…
358/2 Days Remake
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days is one of the more divisive games in the series, with some fans who love it, some fans who hate it, and some fans who think it would be just fine except for its clunky gameplay. 358/2 Days was a DS title, and while it doesn’t play too badly, it definitely isn’t as smooth as the others. In the Kingdom Hearts collections, it’s included as a cutscene compilation movie, but the full game includes more dialogue and characterization that you can’t get from the cutscenes alone. I got into the series late, but after I watched the movie, I got a copy of the game to play it myself… and ever since then I’ve wanted a complete remake of 358/2 Days with The Castle That Never Was as a fully explorable hub world. Members of the original Organization XIII are as important as ever, so let’s spend some more time with them in a 358/2 Days remake.
A Non-Mobile Incarnation of Union χ[Cross]
In 2013, Japan got an exclusive browser game called Kingdom Hearts χ[chi], set during the era of the original Keyblade War. It was later turned into a mobile game (which was part-remake, part-sequel) called Kingdom Hearts Unchained χ, which was released in the west. This game was eventually renamed to Kingdom Hearts Union χ[Cross] and one of the collections included a movie called Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover set during the same era. With all of that, you’d think the last thing we need is another χ game, but Kingdom Hearts III made it clear this story is an important part of the next saga beyond just the Master of Masters, Luxu, and the Foretellers. I only wish I could experience it without all of the free-to-play mobile game trappings. Would they adapt the story for a single-player experience? Would it be an MMORPG? Whatever they decide, the story has become far too relevant to restrict it to a mobile game.
A Lea & Isa Prequel
Lea and Isa’s story has been gradually building in the background of Kingdom Hearts. By the time we see them as Axel and Saïx in 358/2 Days, their friendship is on shaky grounds despite Axel assisting Saïx in plans for a potential coup that is only lightly hinted at. Birth By Sleep shows us Lea and Isa as kids attempting to sneak into Ansem’s castle. Now with Kingdom Hearts III, we finally know what they were trying to do… but we’ve still got a large span of time left untouched. What happened during their time in the castle? How much did they know about Xehanort’s experiments? What were the early days of Organization XIII like? With the implication that the mysterious girl Lea and Isa befriended is relevant to the Union χ plot, this feels like the perfect place for a prequel game to fill in the gaps.
An Eraqus & Xehanort Prequel
To be honest, I wanted this before Kingdom Hearts III, both to see Xehanort before he became evil, and for context to explain why Eraqus so persistently trusted his old friend. However, the fanbase would have exploded if another game came out before Kingdom Hearts III, so I resigned myself to hoping that the chess flashback would include a playable section… and since it didn’t, I’m back to wanting a prequel game. In fact, after what we saw of them in Kingdom Hearts III, I want a game starring Young Eraqus and Young Xehanort more than ever. Now, you might be shouting, “The Xehanort Saga is over!” but that was only ever an informal name for the Dark Seeker Saga. Eraqus and Xehanort seem to spend half their time talking about the Lost Masters, and Eraqus even has chess pieces for the new saga, so I can’t think of a better duo to help introduce us to this lore. (And if they can come up with a way to explain Xehanort’s appearance in the chess scenes without contradicting Birth By Sleep, Dream Drop Distance, or Kingdom Hearts III, they’re mad geniuses who have all my praise.) The Dark Seeker Saga is over, but I’m ready for one last game with Xehanort, Eraqus, and maybe even a younger Yen Sid.
In Conclusion
I’ve wanted all of these games at various points since I became a Kingdom Hearts fan, but it’s only now after beating Kingdom Hearts III that I see how they really could fit together nicely as part of the next saga. Union χ to introduce the mysteries of the past, an understanding of the Lost Masters from Eraqus and Xehanort’s perspective, the adventure that led Lea and Isa to meet a girl possibly from that distant era, and a 358/2 Days remake to further tie in all the Organization XIII members with connections to both the past and the future.What Kingdom Hearts games would you like to see made?
