I think the kingdom hearts series taking a more serious tone and real shift could be the best thing this series has ever done, I’ve never been so hyped for the future as I am now!!

I'm stoked for this. Kingdom Hearts had a much darker/mysterious aspect about it back in KH1, and now it seems like it may be going back in that direction.

I think its important to just accept that creators like to take concepts that weren’t fully thought out in previous works and flesh them out in current day. Sure the basic ideas we’ve seen are here but its been years since. Nomura hasn’t just been sitting on the same idea for this long I’m sure its been developed and changed over time

The idea of Quadratum being an "afterworld" fits well with the concept of Insomnia originally being a society that worships death and reapers.

if in the future we get Verum Rex as it's own thing and it is a revamp of versus 13, i'd be down to buy that day one. Especially since Yozora is awesome.

For me I always liked KH taking the middle road. Being its own thing while taking equally fun bits from FF and Disney to accentuate it’s own story. I look forward to KH4.

One of the threads I can't seem to let go of is how Strelitzia describes Quadratum as "full of life. But for you and I, it's similar to an 'afterworld'..." Descriptions of Quadratum by KH characters so far are vague and unsure as if their words or their understanding are insufficient to properly explain what it is. More importantly though, it suggests that Sora is dead dead, and where he is now, is where you go when you die, for keyblade wielders at least. Strelitzia definitely got merc'd by Ventus and now seems to be guiding Sora in his new universe as the latest dead keyblade wielder in Quadratum. Both of their untimely deaths resonate strongly with the first spoken lines in the teaser: "If this isn't the ending you desired-- if it brings you despair-- then leave this world for another." Another moment that seems to resonate with this idea is where they show Donald and Goofy are wandering. The blue and red flames reek of Hades, the lord of the underworld, and there's definitely some Greek mythology (and the Hercules movie for that matter) that deals with bringing back the dead. On another note, Quadratum does mean "square," in Latin. So it could quite literally be another Square/Final Fantasy world.

I remember watching the Versus 13 trailers at the library computer back in 06 so this is a huge deal for me. The best of both worlds coming together. So excited!!!

I never really got into Final Fantasy outside of the context of Kingdom Hearts, but I actually love that they’re experimenting with a more modern FF-style take on KH, and especially love that Nomura gets to see out his vision for Versus 13, I think if it’s done right this could really breathe new life into the series and set a really good tone for this new arc. Very hyped !

Loving the videos Jared, They bring me back to the pre kh3 release days! Keep these great videos coming :D

Final Fantasy Versus 13: “AVENGE ME!”

I've always been really fascinated with the original story of Versus XIII. Years ago I read this crazy "leak" that could very well be fake but it was talking about how Regis gave Noctis' soul to the God of Death Etro while he was still in his mother's womb in order to save him. This essentially made Noctis the antichrist unknowingly to him. Near the end of the game, Noctis would lose control and your perspective would change You'd then have to play as Ardyn to attempt to stop Noctis from causing the apocalypse. I can't remember all the details but it just really drew me in and made me want to see that game so bad.. along with all the concept trailers and art we got for Versus XIII.. it just all seemed so interesting. I don't know how much of that is going to be put into Kh4 but I'm actually excited to finally have at least a part of that story told.

It’s kinda crazy how no one ever noticed that the episode d for final fantasy 15 is basically toy box in kingdom hearts 3. They were testing it all out in front of us

this is literally Nomura's revenge of not getting his versus 13

If the mood will really be dark with a higher graphics throughout the majority of the game, this could really be the game we had in our mind when thinking about Kingdom Hearts 3 when we were kids. My hype is through the roof rn 🔥🔥

Nomura’s ultimate revenge! 🤣 This whole sh8t also reminds me of Walt Disney’s ultimate revenge, when he lost Oswald the Lucky Rabbit way before copyright became a thing. His ultimate revenge was Mickey Mouse. Lots of excitements for Nomura to pull this off when KH4 comes out.

Man. I'll never forget my hype for vs xiii and I'm so glad it's returning within kingdom hearts. I can't wait to see more yozora

At the time I watched the versus 13 trailer probably a million times I just thought it was so cool as a kid. sucks that nomura never got to release it. Kh4 will definitely have versus and I’m here for it!!

I think that the idea of a part of Kingdom Hearts 4 taking place in a world very similar to our own Nomura getting to use the idea he wanted for the original Versus 13 is a cool one, it gives a somewhat new spin to the series. Obviously Disney characters will still appear i mean u can't have Kingdom Hearts without throwing Disney in there it just wouldn't make sense

Unpopular opinion- I absolutely LOVED FF15 and I still play it today. I’m all for Papa Nomura finishing his dream through our favorite game series in Kingdom Hearts. I also loved KH3 but I do hope that KH4 gets more love this time around. I’m so hyped for what’s to come 👑❤️🔑

I liked XV, but to see Versus XIII, I was still excited for it. and to see it in Kingdom Hearts seems to be cool, it seems like Kingdom Hearts is going to embrace more of its Final Fantasy side, and that makes me really excited for it

Great vid, the one thing missed here is the opening music to the KH4 trailer is also the same opening music to nomuras final versus trailer (the reveal 15 trailer) those same sad chords (stella and noctis young in the field) here it is also used in a rural field shot.

What I'd love to see in the future is an art book or compendium where Nomura explains the whole story: what his original vision for VersusXIII was going to be, what changed when it became FF15, and what changed again when he infused his old ideas into Kingdom Hearts.

i remember watching your kh3 videos way back in 2014 and now it’s an all new era. wild times

I'm really like the realistic sora design.

It feels like they are moving towards kingdom hearts being a more darker/ serious series and I’m all for it. Kh3 had less Disney worlds than the other games, sora is getting older, the original fanbase is in their 20s-30s, and Nomura seems to be incorporating versus 13 elements which was supposed to be the darkest final fantasy game. I think they may put goofy and Donald on the back burner for at least 25-50% of the game as they don’t fit the darker tone areas & Disney be trippin. Kingdom hearts lore with original characters are expanding and they are using bigger & less Disney worlds and potentially using more mature Disney worlds such as Star Wars. Honestly I think most fans will be cool with having half Disney worlds and half original worlds. It’s a good chance to please older and new players.

Just imagine yall...Sora hears behind him "its been so long brother" He turns around its Noctis

Personal theory: Due to Sora rewriting the past in Re:Mind, this caused in the reset of the timeline resulting into TWO Soras. The first being the one that actually died in the Keyblad Graveyard. This version reached Quadratum first and is the one we see in the trailer for KH4. This version will also eventually turn into Yozora (hence not being his real self/form). This would also explain why Yozora can take control of the keyblade during his boss fight. The second Sora is the one that came back to reset the events to prevent the defeat in the Keyblade Graveyard. This version is also the one we control in Re:Mind and eventually passed on after abusing the Power of Waking. This Sora eventually meets Yozora in the Final World during night time (meaning time has passed). Yozora immediately shows doubt when the second version introduces himself as Sora. The only reason that I can think of Yozora showing doubt during an introduction is that because he knows that he IS Sora so how can there be another one unless it is an impostor? The end of the battle (either winning or losing) fits this explanation as well. When you lose, Yozora was simply defaeating a remnant of himself caused by him changing the timeline. When you win, the second Sora (the one you have been controlling since the time reset and Re:Mind) would then eventually become Yozora. But in this instance, Yozora KNOWS Luxord (his original self, I'd assume) because only the second Sora talked and defeated him and was also given by Luxord the card that could "change the tides". So for KH4, Sora would either be saving or fighting himself in the most bizarre way. 🙂

so instead of “a fantasy based in reality” Kingdom hearts 4 is going to be a “reality based in fantasy”

Kingdom Hearts 4 looking like “Final Fantasy XV: The Nomura Cut” and I am all for it. I love FF15 but how badly I wish we got the story from the original V13 trailers has me very excited for Kingdom Hearts 4, and I haven’t even gotten into the series yet.

So happy. Versus XIII, I enjoyed XV, but still want Versus. This game, waiting for this game, has kept me in video games..

I think the more serious tone will be perfect for kingdom hearts, but im not sure how I feel about the real world setting. I'm sure they'll do a good job with it, but one of the most amazing parts of kingdom hearts was travelling the cosmos and visiting all kinds of wild different places

Mark my words MoM will remove his hood and it will be Nomuras face

nomura can finally realize his vision for 13 through sora. so happy for that man.

I really hope yozora is playable in KH4 I really enjoyed his introduction in KH3

I'm all for KH transitioning into a more FF type of game. Nomura may sprinkle some stuff from Versus XIII but in the end, Disney are gonna be really picky. I wanted so much that KH seperates from Disney in this new act. Most of the players that played the old KH games are now older and want the same experience but with a mature setting and Disney isn't going to give it to them. Just remember that Disney said in KH3 that the bosses couldn't be the main Disney villains. Really hope Nomura can get a true Versus XIII someday.

Nomura didnt step down he was kicked off

Since we're talking about Final Fantasy i hope Nomura add more Final Fantasy character in KH4

That is so crazy, as soon as I saw the ending clip after you beat Yozora I was wondering why he was reminding me so much of Noctis. I looked it up and sure enough, the scenes are almost identical. Hopefully we get to see Nomuras real vision for versus 13.

Enjoying all these KH4 videos my man, keep them up!

man, you are so committed lol i appreciated all the versus citations

Honestly, as hyped as I am for KHIV I'd rather see Nomura bring to life Versus XIII as a game on its own. If the FF7 remake could stray so far away from the original then Versus XIII can be made and sold as a remake/retelling of XV a few years from now. Could even call it Versus XV.

I don't know a ton of inside lore about the story of The World Ends With You, but the concept of "7 Days", the "afterworld", and the city being full of life despite implications that Sora and Strelitzia are dead, all seem to point at connections to concepts used in TWEWY. 1) Where KH3 / ReMind left off - Going off the secret ending of KH3 where Sora wakes up in a pool of water, I'm now assuming the bad ending of ReMind is canon. Main reason is because it introduced the crystallization concept into KH, and there has to be a reason for him to freeze (a Focus) if they're gonna introduce it like that. I can see that being explained to him in KH4. Right now, it seems a bit meta, but I think Sora's Focus was to give new life to Yozora. By losing to Yozora, Sora completes his Focus as Yozora is given the opportunity to fulfill his own purpose. 2) "7 Days ago" - this comment can't be a coincidence. While it is currently a mystery why he was found but still asleep for 7 days, that comment directly connects it to TWEWY. The Reapers' Game lasts 7 days and involves the "dead" fighters going through challenges each day to fight for reincarnation or transcendence to a higher state of being. As part of whatever he is going through, Sora may have been fighting for the past 7 days and losing his memory each day. He's now on Day 7, the final day. 3) The "afterworld" - Sora and Strelitzia are dead in some capacity. However, Strelitzia does comment that the city is filled with life. This suggests that the two of them may be on a different plane than those living in everyday life. This dual-plane concept is also present in TWEWY. TLDR: The trailer doesn't make sense to a lot of people, but it seems like Square is using their own previous concepts to set up an extremely interesting story for Sora in KH4. He is alone and has no friends to back him up this time, and he will have to fight his way out to earn his right to exist again. This sounds SO MUCH like TWEWY.

I also think I am a bit radical but Disney is dragging KH down. I was thinking how the secret reports in KH3 were so dark. Imagine if this could be shown in cutscenes. With KH4 having a more serious tone this could be the best thing to ever happen in KH

Nomura to Final Fantasy XV: "Look how they massacred my boy..."

Man you just got me hyped about Kingdom Hearts again. I really hope this is accurate and versus 13 shines through in KH4 because I still REALLY want that original game...

Noctis is the one inside the chest. He's going to play a key role in KH

Personally I think KH needs to embrace a more realistic tone for the saga, even Nomura wants it!

The melody of Somnus, the theme for Versus XIII is used not only in the Yozora secret ending but also in the KH4 trailer

Gotta give you props for the jump cut between the red car braking in KH4 to the Behemoth in Versus XIII, that was smooth

I feel like the whip/grapple hook shown in the trailer will be something like point warping in vs13 and ff15

I love we’re this is going love these ideas and series!

never been too much of a kh fan but a big versus13 enthusiast so seeing it somewhat reborn kh4 + the now more serious/realistic art direction its seemingly gonna have do make me excited

I need a whole documentary about what happened with versus XIII. I don't know why we couldn't get the whole vision and not bits and pieces in FF XV and KH4

Fans: Versus XIII!? KH4: No, *I am to become Versus XIII!*

Hey Jared love the content as always man. Just letting ya know the link to your merch doesn't work. Appreciate ya, love from your fellow KH nerd in Aus.

Noctis always seemed like that child that was being fought for parental custody rights 😅

Initially my mind went straight to The World Ends With You when I saw Sora on the scramble crossing with the 104 building in the background. Didn’t even realize the parallels to Versus XIII.

Nomura is still salty for the whole FfXV-VersusXIII shit that happened. I do not have any proof but also any doubts. And I love him using the animations and style from versusXIII.

More specifically, it's going to use the finished assets and mechanics from the cancelled Versus XIII, since Nomura already put alot of work into them and might as well use them. Kind of like how they used Culex in Super Mario RPG, but just more elaborate.

I’ve always was intrigued by versus 13 when I first found out about it. Very happy we will get to see some elements of it this new game.

I think when Nomura said before the release of KH 3 that in the "final World everything could happen" and that it is something he wanted to do for a long time, he meant Quadratum because we just shifted realitys and literally everything could happen in KH4 plus its basically Versus XIII, what he wanted to do for a long time.

Bro I remember when I saw the secret episode I was at my grandparents place and let me tell I was having a stroke when I saw that shot for shot scene of the car 😭

Yo Jared I know it probably sounds cheesy but I wanted to say I appreciate you man and it's really good to have you back on a regular base. After KH3 I thought maybe I was getting to old for this shit, not saying I didn't love the game I adore it, but you know I felt that maybe this was where I would jump off. However, seeing you on the daily spewing your passion for this franchise really has relit my love for KH. That and the fucking KH4 trailer because man that shit was so damn sick, even if it gives me the feeling that we might be in for a very long wait.

What if Yozora is Noctis’s Nobody? I mean this is a game that does include final fantasy characters in the past. I don’t remember exactly, but he does say something in dlc about it not being his real or original body/form? This could still be a reach, but the thought excites me. I can’t wait to find out what’s really going on.

the office yozora is sitting on looks like the final fantasy 15 castle . where noctis lived with hes father

i personally say he should be able to make versus 13 a reality, as it will still sell very well and i’d bet it wouldn’t be the same hell to develop now as it was before. nomura obv hasn’t been able to let go of his vision of what could have been so maybe there is a chance that after kh4 and possible verum rex if it’s made, we get versus. i hope we all see that one day.

I am so glad it was not just me that thought the same. When I saw the city location it reminded me right away of the early days of FF Versus 13 and that city battle they showed. It definitely looks like they are going to be taking a more serious route and do a soft reboot of the series. Something like God of War 4.

Kh4: I thought you were dead! Versus 13: My death was...greatly...exaggerated

I hope it sticks to this tone. It’s like the series is growing up with us. I wouldn’t mind a few world changes but I really want a this new style for the whole game

I am actually replaying final fantasy XV right now, and I still love it. Altough I love FFXV, I really want to see some of the original ideas of versus XIII come to life, I am really excited for this nex Kingdom Hearts Game.

I feel like unreality is where all the ff characters in kh possibly came from or something like that, there’s never really been an explanation to how they ended up in kh

Also check the meaning of Yozora. If I'm not mistaken, it also means night sky. Just like Noctis Caelum.

Something that really reminded of vers13 or ffxv in the kh4 trailer was the music, actually. Once it shows the waterfall, the nature, and Sora waking up, I could have sworn they played an interpretation of somnus' theme. The melody is almost exactly the same with just a few differences, but the chords and ascending/descending notes are the same almost 1:1. And with Yoko Shimomura being the composer of the somnus theme it must have been a conscious choice, otherwise such strong similarities cant be explained

So I'm thinking it would be amazing if they brought back that segment from Omnis Lacrima that wasn't in the final version of XV, into KH IV. (The part at the beginning of this video)

just imagine the latest kh series is just tetsuya nomuras way of setting up a verum rex universe by reestablish some of its foundation by hinting some elements and premise of versus 13 inside kh, what a genius

I love FF15, it's one of my favourite games. I think this is because it was my first Final Fantasy. I started looking into FFV13 after I finished 15 and I do want to see Nomura's vision for V13. I'm glad that he's getting the chance to showcase this in some way.

That indirect reference versus XIII (13) Organization 13 😳 no wonder Nomura is using that game

i remember when i was most excited about this. i couldnt wait for it when it was supposed to come out than i got so mad. whats better than to see him remake the game but through kingfdom hearts!!! i couldnt have seen this in a better place than right now.

That's good news for me. I remembered being hyped for Final Fantasy Versus XIII.

This possible big tone shift reminds me of the switch between Jak and daxter and Jak 2

This doesn’t have much significance but one of the dlc for final fantasy 15 was a weapon called “Ragnarok” it is a weapon that looks very similar to yozoras weapon and it also turns your warpstrike red

I find Final Fantasy 15 to be a incredible fucking game and sadly we will never see what Nomura fully wanted with Versus 13 since all we had were moments and ideas rather than a straight solid game. I remember seeing this in 2006 when i was starting college and fell in love with this epic Noctis character who had a final fantasy telekinetic ability that was part of a royal blood line. The fact that SE never gave him a proper team and they had to spend time learning new engines is a bummer. Tabata watered down his idea sadly, also so many changes existed even within Tabata but i still enjoyed loved FF 15 like you @thegamersjoint. Sure, watered down but what we got was so amazing. Combat and the music and concepts and lore with Noctis being a messiah avatar chosen one jesus hybrid. His powers etc. Looking at Yazura we can conclude that it is a varient concept from Noctis and Nomura has every right to feel salty over his idea and baby being tossed to a team that literally butched his vision.

If there’s another Yozora boss fight, it’d be wicked if Somnus was the battle theme.

Yuzora is literally an alternate version of Noctis wirh Sora filling in for Promto XD

Dude Nomura literally said at the start of the event that he chose to make KH4 instead of verum rex cause he along with many people were worried about sora as we all wanted too see what's happening next so he first chose to make KH4 and Tai Yasue (co director of KH franchise) also said that making 'Two separate big projects' were difficult to make so we instead KH4 first. And yes I agree that we'll be getting some versus ideas in KH4 but imo verum rex will be the game where we'll see more versus. And I don't why people including @thegamerjoint, @HMK and many others are saying that Nomura chose to 'rename' verum rex as KH4 and I think it's probably because of Audrey's false translation and even she clarified at end that she said that while looking over Aibo's tweet she corrected it and so just thinking about how Verum rex is a real thing and in future might become a reality and might become it's own thing blows my mind so yeah I don't want rant endlessly but I just wanna correct this important piece of info:)

It gives me the same vibes from when I saw the secret endings to KH1 and 2. The realism is beautiful.

finally! someone makes a comparison between 2006 versus XIII tráiler and kingdom hearts 4.. Noctis of that 2006 tráiler were more like the new Sora that Nomura is showing us right now

Wow there were a lot of versus xiii trailers I've never seen before. I didn't know there were that many.

Eyes that see the light of expiring souls. Haley Joel Osment in the Sixth Sense: "I see dead people."

Nomura, you can only pick one. Noctis or Yozora. Nomura: Yes. N-No, one of the other? Nomura: Correct.

Noctis: Hey Kid, I entered a crystal and now I'm here. What about you? Sora: Oh, I bent the rules of life and reality and died.

I always felt Kingdom Hearts it's a series expressing very personal feelings for Nomura, even if it's been very difficult to parse exactly what those feelings are. If the plot embraces more of these meta relents we're seeing in connection to Versus XIII, we might actually, for once, get a clear idea of the man's intentions. Very curious to see if the Versus XIII/XV characters will make a cameo? I overall liked XV, especially the first 2/3 of it. I think Tabata picked up the pieces as best he could in the circumstances. He wasn't really able to get the plot together but got me interested in the main characters' journeys well enough (actually that's something once cities say is also very true of much of the KH series). I'm almost wondering if KH4 might through some shade at anyone people at S-E. I wonder if he'd have the balls? I mean he certainly did with how he chose to handle the FFVII Remake.

I really like VERSUS XIII noctis i even got a poster of his OG design back in 2010.

And much in the same vain as Noctis Caelum, Yozora’s name is derived from 夜 (yoru) meaning night and 空 (sora) meaning sky 🌌

I really hope they bring in some of the Twewy cast!

I highly doubt KINGDOM HEARTS is going to truly do what Versus was. As long as Donald and Goofy exists, itll be hard to make it like Versus was supposed to be considering the level of death and destruction Noctis was handing out.

If Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic universes make an appearance in Kingdom Hearts IV, then this upcoming entry would possibly be rated T for teen in the future, which I think would fit with the crossover of various cameos of the Final Fantasy series in the style of Opera Omnia, but in their regular form than the SD, that I have seen in the mobile game.

A really good explenation for Sora's change of apperance, and looking more realistic. Could be because he's on that world. Some worlds cause different appereances. From Disney World's to Pixar Worlds. Honestly I want more Final Fantasy in Kingdom Heart's... I even want Final Fantasy to team up with Fire Emblem and Hideo Kojima to create a whole new game series.

I’m glad he’s finally getting to create his vision again through kingdom hearts , this next game is gonna be insane.