Kingdom Hearts IV shows off it's gameplay in a new trailer

After years of mysterious trailers, cryptic interviews and enough unanswered questions to fill a Keyblade-shaped filing cabinet, Kingdom Hearts IV has finally decided to show us what it actually looks like to play. The latest extended trailer offers a much meatier look at the long-awaited sequel, with plenty of gameplay footage and, perhaps most importantly, confirmation that several of Disney's biggest icons will be stepping into the spotlight. Yes, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy are playable.

Your favourite Disney heroes are back

That could be a pretty significant change for the series. While the legendary Disney trio have been Sora's companions, allies and occasional rescuers throughout the Kingdom Hearts saga, players have traditionally spent their time controlling Sora. Kingdom Hearts IV appears ready to hand the controls over to the Disney crew and it does so in some wonderfully bizarre ways.

Mickey's gameplay segment is easily the strangest of the bunch. Rather than simply swinging a Keyblade around, the Disney mascot finds himself in an unusual storybook-like environment where he can transform into different paper-inspired forms. It looks almost like Paper Mario wandered into the Kingdom Hearts universe and decided to stay for tea. Donald and Goofy also get their own gameplay sequences, suggesting that their roles in the new adventure will be considerably more substantial than simply following Sora around and shouting his name every five minutes. The trailer shows the pair embarking on their own journey as they search for their missing friend. And because this is Kingdom Hearts, things naturally become much stranger from there.

The footage also provides another glimpse at the game's previously announced Coco-inspired world, bringing Sora into the colourful and supernatural Land of the Dead. It is a particularly fitting addition to a franchise that has never been afraid to throw Disney characters, Final Fantasy-style drama and increasingly complicated metaphysics into the same blender. Meanwhile, Sora's side of the adventure continues to take place in Quadratum, the modern city that looks radically different from the worlds featured in earlier games. The new gameplay footage shows him battling enemies, navigating the environment and making use of the game's more acrobatic traversal mechanics.

The trailer also features Riku, giving fans another glimpse at the character's role in the next chapter. Naturally, Square Enix is still keeping many of the story's biggest mysteries firmly locked away. After all, this is Kingdom Hearts. Explaining everything clearly would probably violate some ancient law of the franchise. 

Perhaps the most welcome piece of information, however, concerns the game's release window. Director Tetsuya Nomura has once again pushed back against fears that Kingdom Hearts IV could disappear into the Square Enix wilderness for several more years. The game is still targeting 2027, with the current plan pointing toward a release later that year.

After its original announcement, Kingdom Hearts IV has spent a considerable amount of time behaving like a particularly elusive Disney character: technically present, but rarely seen. This new trailer changes that considerably. Now we just need Square Enix to explain what is happening. Preferably before Kingdom Hearts V is announced. Meanwhile, feel free to keep track of the best deals to pre-order Kingdom Hearts IV with our comparator when they are available.