Tetsuya Nomura, the director of Final Fantasy VII Remake and the Kingdom Hearts series, is considering retirement but plans to conclude the Kingdom Hearts story before he does. The upcoming Kingdom Hearts 4 will kick off an “epic new storyline” called the Lost Master Arc, according to Square Enix.
Speaking to YoungJump about his career and future, Tetsuya Nomura reflected on his past working in the gaming industry as well as his work on the Kingdom Hearts franchise the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy. “I only have a few years left until I retire, I have to decide whether to retire first or finish the series first,” said Nomura, responding to a question asking about his plans for the future of the Kingdom Hearts series. “I’m making Kingdom Hearts 4 now with the intention of it being a story that I will complete.”
Since Kingdom Hearts 4 marks the beginning of a new adventure in the franchise, it contradicts Nomura’s statement about it being a story that he aims to complete. This suggests that Nomura might retire after his work is done on the fourth game, with new creative heads potentially taking over. There’s also the question of the ongoing Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy, which he is heavily involved in. Nomura might complete the third and final entry in the remake trilogy as well before his proposed retirement.
Kingdom Hearts 4 will be set in a large metropolis called Quadratum. described as “a large, expansive city set in a gorgeous, realistic world unlike anything ever seen before in the Kingdom Hearts series.”
Nomura later commented on the new setting, stating:
“I like worlds that are slightly different from ‘possible’ reality, rather than ones that are too false. It’s the same with movies, but if the world is too fantasy based I can’t really get into it. So I like settings that are like based in Shibuya but not the real Shibuya. Rather than complete fantasy, I think that ‘unrealistic within reality’ fits the fantasy view well.”
Source: YoungJump
