• Posted February 25th, 2014 at 15:27 EDT by Michael Harradence

Square Enix’s Kingdom Hearts III is equivocally one of the most-anticipated sequels of the past decade or so, and with good reason. Not only is it arriving on the back of two massively-successful console RPGs - not to mention a series of great spin-offs to boot - but the game has been a long time coming. It’s been nearly a decade since Kingdom Hearts II arrived on the scene, and fans of the Disney-Square-RPG hybrid have been clamoring for a full-fledged follow-up ever since.

Fortunately, our prayers were answered during Sony’s E3 press conference last June, where Square unveiled KH3 for the first time to a rapturous reception. While the title is still some way off, PSU.com decided to compile a list of every known juicy tidbit on the game to date for your consumption.

With that said, tuck in to all the gossip below.

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--Kingdom Hearts III’s Tetsuya Nomura has admitted that Square Enix announced the game ‘too early’ during a chat with Famitsu. However, he did acknowledge that fans have been craving a successor to Kingdom Hearts II ever since the game’s release nearly a decade ago.

--As expected, Kingdom Hearts 3 will be a full-fledged sequel into the franchise. However, Square Enix offered further clarification to this, confirming the Disney RPG will be a follow-up to Dream Drop Distance.

-- Speaking in the same interview as above, Nomura-san said that KH3 will be the Dark Seeker saga’s curtain call.

--Nomura-san confirmed that Kingdom Hearts 3 will boast highly ‘intricate AI.’

--Nomura-san has flirted with the idea of incorporating Star Wars characters into KH, but nothing is set in stone. He also outlined various logistical issues for such a move, during a chat with Finaland at last year’s Japan Expo in Paris.

--While it is obvious from earlier comments, Nomura-san nonetheless pointed out that KH3 is NOT the final title in the franchise. During a chat with the LA Times last summer, the developer revelaed that Square Enix does indeed want to continue the series.

--Nomura-san divulged during a special ‘Conversations with Creators’ interview that he is keen on maintaining the basic flow of the first two games for KH3, while hand-picking some of the more unique gameplay attributes found in the spin-offs.

--KH3 will feature more ‘free run’ action, and Sora is far more mobile in the game than his final incarnation in KH2.

--PS4’s power allows the developers to handle a diverse range of actions spread across wide areas, while enemies will also come in larger crowds. Nomura-san gave an example of scaling a cliff, which causes the surface to crumble and stones to fall with it.

--Goofy and Donald’s AI will be enhanced so that they ‘act more like themselves.’

--KH3 visuals are targeting a ‘photo realistic representation’ while incorporating the unique tone of each Disney realm.

--The game will include a host of new worlds due to the fact there has been a lot of Disney titles that have yet to be covered by the series.

--DualShock 4 integration (such as the touchpad) has yet to be decided.

--Likewise, PlayStation Vita/tablet functionality is still up in the air, with Nomura-san still ‘considering external devices.’

--Square Enix’s latest release schedule lists KH3 for a 2014 release, although this has yet to be confirmed and it is widely believe to be an error.

With more info expected on KH3 soon, fans should have plenty to dip into, so keep your eyes peeled.

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