Recent footage from Kingdom Hearts 4 has reignited the debate about the latest games' combat feeling “sublime”, an argument that every fan is more than tired of.
While the long-awaited second trailer for Kingdom Hearts 4 didn't reveal the Disney world as we all hoped it might (though it did tease one) and once again focused on Quadratum, it still gave us a great new look at the game. Most importantly, it finally showed us some actual in-game combat, instead of the clearly pre-rendered gameplay concept of the first trailer.
The footage we have of Kingdom Hearts 4 shows that it will play very similarly to KH3, albeit with a brand new Build system that looks to bring out the best of Keyblade Transformations and Reaction Commands. While fans seemed to be mostly very happy with the refined combat, others started calling it “floating” and giving the community horrible flashbacks.
Kingdom Hearts 4 is called “Floaty”, like the rest of the games developed in Osaka
However, as fans have proven, floating is just a mindset
If you've been a fan of Kingdom Hearts long enough, then you no doubt know why the term “hovering” is so divisive in the community. Since Osaka Team took over development of the series after Kingdom Hearts 2 (which many rightly consider the pinnacle of the series), the combat has changed significantly, with a greater emphasis on aerial combos, special moves, and less grounded attacks.
This, combined with Sora taking longer to return to the ground and attacks generally having more lag, has resulted in the word “floy” being commonly used to describe all recent Kingdom Hearts games. While Birth by Sleep and Dream Drop Distance are very hard to defend, most feel that Kingdom Hearts 3, while a bit floaty, isn't nearly as bad and actually has a great combat system.
Most have accepted that this fighting style is exactly how Kingdom Hearts plays, but the KH4 footage we've been given has somehow reignited the debate. The quote retweets Twitter user Okami13_'s post about the gameplay, which is full of complaints about the battle system, with many again saying how smooth it looks.
Some have pretty reasonable points about how most enemies are placed on the ground while Sora thrives in the air, while others jump to conclusions about some of Sora's moves. Kingdom Hearts fans jumped right back into the fray, with many sharing top-notch clips from Kingdom Hearts 3 proving that it really is as uplifting as you make it, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.
Indeed, while I understand floating being used to describe modern Kingdom Hearts combat, it's too early to tell how Kingdom Hearts 4 will be based on a minute of footage. Be that as it may, perhaps it's time to accept that Kingdom Hearts 2's fighting style isn't something the series will repeat, and that there's just as much joy to be found in a more freewheeling, cinematic style.
Don't worry, Square Enix hasn't forgotten about Kingdom Hearts
I can't handle it, just getting a new high score.
