Quick update on Kingdom Hearts 3 development from game director Tetsuya Nomura

Kingdom Hearts director Tetsuya Nomura has given us an update on the state of Kingdom Hearts 3 in the latest installment of Dengeki PlayStation! 

While we (im)patiently wait for Kingdom Hearts 3 to make its long awaited released, Square Enix announced that Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMix and 2.5 ReMix were heading to the PlayStation 4 in March 2017. The developers probably hoped this news would pacify impatient fans, and while it did, it also brought a fear that Kingdom Hearts 3 would see a delay because of the remasters.

Luckily, Nomura has confirmed that Kingdom Hearts 3 development is on track, despite the remasters taking up some resources. In addition to that, Square is reworking character models, quick time events (QTE/Situation Commands), and lighting.

From what Nomura said, it looks like there are going to be plenty of quick time events in Kingdom Hearts 3.

Here is a brief summary of the interview, at least the portions that were about Kingdom Hearts 3, provided by blog.hokanko-alt.com (via KHInsider):

• In light of the remastered versions, it does not affect the progress of KINGDOM HEARTS III and the amount of staff falls into a good number.

• In KH3’s development, they are reworking all of the models but please be relieved to know it is progressing forward as well as the timing for the announcement of new information.

• Even though some parts of the system may be fundamentally different in 0.2 and KH3, it’s become possible to experience a 'PS4 quality KH'.

• As for the lighting right now, we’ve wanted to present it without hurting the atmosphere, and we are receiving guidance from Visual Works and experimenting through trial and error. I think further improvements will be made in the future.

• There were trial and errors about the ‘Situation Command’ and how to display them so it doesn’t look like a simple QTE, etc.

• ‘Situation Commands’ are an evolution of KH2’s ‘Reaction Commands’ and they’ve become an integral part of KH3.