PaigeFTW: Disney’s True King
It may seem strange in a conference otherwise dominated by Marvel, Frozen and Star Wars, but the title that attracted the loudest cheers at the Level Up! Video Game Showcase of Disney’s D23 Expo 2017 was Kingdom Hearts III.
In fact, you’d be forgiven for believing that was the only game that Disney deigned to mention at its teaser conference. But here’s a recap of what you need to know from the land of Disney.
- No, this is not a false alarm: Kingdom Hearts III has a release date — 2018. It seems insane, crazy, the stuff of dreams — and yet, that humble number flashed at the end of its splashy D23 trailer. No one really believes it’ll happen, but we all secretly hope. Also, there’s going to be a Toy Story world, marking Pixar’s debut in the 15-year-old franchise. The trailer looked incredible (Sora rode mechs! Woody and Buzz are both party members! We actually head outside of Andy’s bedroom!), and it’s a welcome addition to the already announced inclusions of Tangled and Big Hero 6.
- Star Wars: Battlefront 2 made an appearance, with further emphasis on its original storyline centered on an Imperial soldier post-Return of the Jedi. It continues to look like a very cool, very realistic Star Wars shooter, and honestly, that’s all it needs to be. It’s still on track for a Nov. 17 release.
- Insomniac’s Spider-Man game had no new footage that I could find, but a lot of people talked about how important the story was going to be, how it was based on Ultimate Spider-Man, how skyscrapers are important, etc. I may be glossing over this, but let’s be honest: the E3 trailer said all that without words.
- A lot of AR and VR titles are in Disney’s future, with pillar franchises in Star Wars and Marvel backing it up. Star Wars is taking on augmented reality with holo chess (for reals) and a tease that sure looks like lightsaber duels in Star Wars: Jedi Challenges. Marvel’s title is a Oculus Rift brawler called Marvel Powers United VR, and will be discussed more in depth at San Diego Comic Con.
