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First announced on May 12, 2015, KINGDOM HEARTS Unchained χ tells a fairy-tale adaptation of the legendary Keyblade War that wrought the land long before Sora's adventure began. Players take the role of a fledgling Keyblade wielder placed in one of five Unions, and are tasked with collecting light and must fight to defeat the darkness that threatens the worlds.
Unchained χ was released in Japan on September 3, 2015, and though it was confirmed for the North American audience during E3 2015, there has been little to no word about this release since then. Fans waited eagerly for a shred of new information, when suddenly Square Enix announces that the game will be arriving on western shores on April 7, 2016.
So, starting right now, Unchained χ is available to download on the North American iTunes and Google Play Store! Not only that, but Series Director Tetsuya Nomura has also recorded a special message for fans, which you can view below along with the launch trailer:
A MESSAGE FROM KINGDOM HEARTS SERIES DIRECTOR—TETSUYA NOMURA
We wanted to thank all the KINGDOM HEARTS fans for patiently waiting for the launch of KINGDOM HEARTS Unchained χ in North America. Ever since the launch of the Japanese version, we’ve received many inquiries about when the North America version would become available. Because this is the first KINGDOM HEARTS title that we are providing operation support for outside of Japan, I’m afraid the preparations took longer than expected; but at last, we are ready to begin services for the North American version of KINGDOM HEARTS Unchained χ.
KINGDOM HEARTS Unchained χ falls into the earliest part of the KINGDOM HEARTS series chronology, and it is also the story of new beginnings. The main story may progress slowly, but part of the narrative experience is to take the time to tangibly feel other players existing in the same world as you do. By unraveling the mystery behind the era of “fairytales”, and experiencing the truth leading up to the Keyblade War, we believe players will be able to enjoy KINGDOM HEARTS II.8 even more, which is expected to launch this year. And it goes without saying that it will link not only to KINGDOM HEARTS III, but also to what lies beyond.
The gameplay will be much different from what you may be used to in previous KINGDOM HEARTS titles; in this game, the players would aim for a “one-turn triumph” which focuses on providing players with an exhilarating gameplay experience in a short amount of time on a smartphone. The battle mechanics were designed by the main programmer of The World Ends With You and the Co-director of KINGDOM HEARTS Unchained χ, Hiroyuki Ito, so if you’ve ever played The World Ends With You, you can expect a similar kind of enjoyment there as well. While we have various elements included, such as collecting and strengthening medals, avatars with a broad range of customization, communication between party members, a ranking system and much more, it is also a game that feels right at home within the KINGDOM HEARTS franchise.
We hope KINGDOM HEARTS fans can dive into the world of KINGDOM HEARTS not only through this title, but through the upcoming titles, KINGDOM HEARTS HD II.8 Final Chapter Prologue and KINGDOM HEARTS III. At the same time, as an origins story, there are many elements in the game that new players can enjoy, and the game can also be easily picked up and played, so players in Japan are enjoying the game even if they’ve never experienced the KINGDOM HEARTS series before. So, it would be great if fans new and old take the opportunity to play the game!
Tetsuya NomuraKINGDOM HEARTS Series Director
iOS: [Download]
Android: [Download]
Source: Square Enix Blog
