WithKingdom Hearts 4in development, there’s still much under wraps in regard to its narrative and playable characters beyond Sora. Given the features of the series' last mainline iteration, however, the title could benefit from two belovedBirth by Sleepcharactersseeing a resurgence in playability.
Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleepwas first released in 2010 for the PSP, though it’s more accessible now thanks toKingdom Hearts' numerous collection packages for PlayStation and PC platforms. Featured in the title were three main characters – Aqua, Terra, and Ventus – whose routes demonstrated unique perspectives while traveling worlds beyond their own, offering distinct play styles that tied into their strengths and personalities. The trio played a part inKingdom Hearts 3’s final story beats where they were reunited once more, though only one got the playable treatment.
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Kingdom Hearts 4 Could Benefit from Letting Terra and Ventus Shine
One of the most compelling parts ofKingdom Hearts 3and its ReMind DLC came from the ability to play as beloved characters from past titles; Riku, Roxas, Aqua, and Kairi were among this list, though they were only controllable via a few scripted boss encounters. Others, like Ventus and Lea, played a part in battle from a less direct perspective as AI companions. The fact that efforts were made for a playable supporting cast could suggest thatKingdom Hearts 4seeks to utilize similar features in its characters' search for Sora. Through this,KH’s next mainline iteration could make proper use of Terra and Ven, building upon their character developments and combat capabilities.
Of theBirth by Sleeptrio, Aqua has received the most attention in terms of controllability. Players assumed her role throughKingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue,where her solitary journey through darkness felt all the more harrowing due to unrelenting waves of heartless. Aqua’s combat mechanics were reutilized inKingdom Hearts 3where she served as both a boss and playable character; her agileness in battle and focus on spell casting cementing her as a powerful character amongKH’s supporting cast. Though Terra and Ven share similar abilities in regard to Keyblade and magic use, they could provide notable counters to her play style in the series' next mainline iteration.
While the three share similar foundations in the commands they can inherit inBirth by Sleep,Kingdom Hearts 4could focus on a more limited moveset that accentuates each characters' primary focus. Terra’s heavy weighted Keyblade strikes and slower, methodical movements could mean an emphasis on physical attacking,making his combat style less floaty than Sora or Aqua’s. Ventus could strike a balance between the two, dealing devastating Aero magic while using his Keyblade in moves like Strike Raid. Reaction commands could be further emphasized as well, similar toKingdom Hearts 3’s use of ‘Icy Slider,’ where Ven glides on his frozen Keyblade by way of Aqua’s Blizzaga cast. Through this, Terra and Ven can feel distinct while leaning each other’s strengths.
It’s unclear how much ofKingdom Hearts 4will take place through Sora’s perspective only, though its ever-present emphasis on friendship means it’s almost certain that players haven’t seen the last of its supporting cast. It could be safe to assume that theBirth by Sleeptrio will be thrown into the mix to help inDonald and Goofy’s search for Sora, opening up the possibility of their being directly controlled by the player. Given the amount of characters the title will have to keep up with, it might not be plausible to have Terra and Ven utilize the full range of skills that were at their disposal inBirth by Sleep.However, a more restrained combat style could still be a compelling and nostalgic addition toKingdom Hearts 4.
