Kingdom Hearts Dark Road has officially launched. Tetsuya Nomura has written a rather amusing message to commemorate the launch of this game. Thanks to Goldpanner, you can read his message below.
KINGDOM HEARTS Dark Road goes live today.
I know what you're probably thinking: the Dark Seeker Saga, which depicted the battle against Xehanort, finished with KINGDOM HEARTS III, didn't it? Well, it's a grey area, but I wouldn't call this title part of the Dark Seeker Saga. Why? Because this isn't about battling against Xehanort—it's about the battles of Xehanort.
And maybe you're thinking that's a bit of a reach, but… okay, maybe it's a bit of a reach. However, I had the concept in my head for many years. It got shelved because it never really fitted what our team wanted. But around then, I heard from the Union X team that they'd like to do a parallel title with a new protagonist. And, since it seemed there was an unexpected number of Xehanort fans out there, it all came together like it was destined to be. I do tend to believe in destiny.
On one hand, the in-progress KINGDOM HEARTS Union X has been running as the X Series for 7 years, including the browser version. You can think of the link between the X Series games as the way they all depict an ancient time without Sora - including this game. I have seen a few people say: Dark Seeker Saga or not, wasn't KINGDOM HEARTS supposed to end with the KHIII? To that I say, that has never been said by any official sources, so I hope you please check your information again.
Now, young Xehanorts have already appeared in the KH series before. Dark Road depicts his boyhood: the protagonist of Dark Road is the Xehanort who we see playing a board game in KH3. Starting from episode one, there was quite a stack of pages - the staff turned green when they saw it. I wasn't surprised: it was only the other day that the team who make the Ux cutscenes in Flash finally increased to two people. We needed extra hands on deck now that the Ux project has become a double feature. This is sudden, but we are taking applications from job seekers who are proficient in Flash. This went a bit off the rails. What kinds of people does he come into contact with? What does he think? Where is he headed? ...Well, he's headed for darkness. But I hope you all will come and walk with him and see what path he takes to get there.
Also, as KINGDOM HEARTS Union X is to continue in tandem, I hope you enjoy that game too. To those who are starting with Dark Road, and to those who have been taking a break from KINGDOM HEARTS Union X: I have given the team a new plan to make it even easier to play, so please wait a little until we get it implemented.
I have so many other things to talk about—the mysterious "DP" from the early concept stage of Dark Road, stories about what went on behind the scenes with the title decision—but I am pretty busy today. I am writing this on my smartphone while on the way somewhere else, and my battery is running out, so I'll save it for another time.
Well then, I hope you all enjoy KINGDOM HEARTS Dark Road.
Huge thanks to goldpanner for her hard work in translating! If you'd like to say thanks, please consider buying her a coffee!
Follow Kingdom Hearts Insider on Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates on The World Ends With You, the rumored Kingdom Hearts Disney Plus series, Kingdom Hearts Union χ [Cross], Kingdom Hearts Dark Road, Kingdom Hearts 3, Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory and all things Kingdom Hearts!
