Disney and Square Enix Unveil New 'Kingdom Hearts 2.8 HD' Trailer at TGS 2016

While it is true that fans need to wait longer for the release of "Kingdom Hearts 3," both Disney and Square Enix dropped by at this year's Tokyo Game Show event to unveil a new trailer for "Kingdom Hearts 2.8. HD."

Unlike previous remastered collections of "Kingdom Hearts," "2.8. HD" aims to abridge the events that occur between the 3DS game "Dream Drop Distance" and the next numbered entry in the franchise. In addition, it will also feature a remaster of the said handheld game.

It will also include a new, cinematic entry titled "Kingdom Hearts x Back Cover." Rendered using Unreal Engine, "Back Cover" is a non-interactive movie, which will tell the story of the five Union Foretellers, and their involvement in the franchise's main conflict, the Keyblade War. In addition, the movie is set to run in an hour's length, and will sport voice work in both Japanese and English.

It was also revealed that Aqua, one of the protagonists from "Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep," will become a playable character for the game.

Despite the impending arrival of "2.8," some fans are still perplexed regarding "Kingdom Hearts 3's" release. In recollection, talks for the game's conception were made as early as 2006, days after the release of "Kingdom Hearts 2: Final Mix." However, it was not confirmed until Square Enix' announcement back in E3 2013. Much of the game's gameplay and storyline remained vague, until the reveal of a new trailer in 2015, showcasing the enhanced visuals made through the use of Unreal Engine 4. The company still kept mum, nevertheless, when asked about its final release date.

Game director Tetsuya Nomura spoke to the press regarding the delay, and commented that one of the attributing factors to the aforementioned concern is the scope of the story.

"It's not that I've spread the story out, perhaps it's more that I've separated the parts that would have ruined KH3's tempo if they were told then. In fact, it is overwhelmingly big."

He also mused that fans need not to be disappointed, as the game is set to be visually better than previous entries of the franchise.

"Kingdom Hearts 2.8. HD" is set to be released in January 2017. You may view the full trailer below.