'Kingdom Hearts': Two new games coming in 2020 with Maleficent and rhythm master Demyx in 'Melody of Memory'
Fans of the Square Enix action role-playing game series ‘Kingdom Hearts’ have much to look forward to in 2020. Two brand new titles of the game will be making their debut later, this year. The announcement was made through a five-minute-something trailer featuring a full orchestra playing some of the game series’ iconic soundtrack.
‘Kingdom Hearts’ is a crossover between Square Enix and Disney. Based in a fictional universe, the series centers on the main character, Sora, and his journey and experiences with various Disney, Square Enix, and Pixar characters.
According to reports, the first title is an expansion to the mobile game ‘Kingdom Hearts: Union X’. It will reportedly feature Maleficent from the 2014 American fantasy film of the same name, starring Angelina Jolie. The upcoming title is called ‘Kingdom Hearts: Union Dark Road’. The game will reportedly have the same aesthetics as ‘Kingdom Hearts: Union X’, and the story takes place right after ‘Union X’. Per the trailer, it will be out on June 22 on Android, Apple, and Amazon devices.
The second, and new, title is called ‘Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory’. It’s a rhythm game that will be available on PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. Rhythm games are music-themed video games that challenge a player's sense of rhythm and usually focus on dance or the simulated performance of musical instruments. ‘Dance Dance Revolution’ and ‘Guitar Hero’ are the most famous and successful examples of this kind of game.
‘Melody of Memory’ will reportedly feature Kairi as a central character. It appears to be a sequel to ‘Kingdom Hearts III’, which released in January 2019 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. ‘Kingdom Hearts III’ was a big hit, selling over 5 million copies just two weeks after release.
Fans of the RPG were understandably excited about this new trailer. On social media, many expressed their excitement for the upcoming titles, appreciating that the new game would be a rhythm game. They were also excited about Kairi, the best friend of Sora and Riku, being the protagonist in the upcoming game. Kairi is voiced by Risa Uchida in Japanese and Hayden Panettiere in English.
But what got people really excited about the trailer was the return of one particular character: Demyx.
Demyx is a laid-back member of Organization XIII, a group created by Xehanort in his plan to acquire the “χ-blade”. Demyx, who controls water with his sitar music, was introduced in ‘Kingdom Hearts II’, and appeared in ‘Kingdom Hearts III’. Demyx is voiced by Kenichi Suzumura in Japanese and Ryan O'Donohue in English.
A fan commented in all caps, “Just saying, ‘Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory’ is a rhythm game. Demyx is a f****** musician. Nomura said Demyx is coming. You know what that means!”
Fans were also convinced that this game would vindicate the long-running theory that Demyx is the Master of Masters. One fan wrote, “‘Melody of Memory’ being a game for Master of Masters, which is actually Demyx because he plays that sitar which makes ‘melodies’. In conclusion: Demyx = MoM.”