Kingdom Hearts 4 is taking Sora, Donald and Goofy into one of Disney and Pixar’s most visually distinctive worlds.

A new trailer unveiled at this year’s D23 event gives fans an extended look at Square Enix’s highly anticipated sequel, including the first major tease of a world inspired by Coco. The footage brings Sora into the Land of the Dead, expanding the crossover between the Kingdom Hearts universe and Disney’s modern animated classics.

Released in 2017, Coco follows Miguel, a young boy who unexpectedly travels to the Land of the Dead during Día de los Muertos. There, he uncovers long-buried family secrets while attempting to return to the world of the living and pursue his passion for music.

The Kingdom Hearts 4 trailer appears to recreate the colorful afterlife from the film, with Miguel also making an appearance. The crossover could introduce a significant new gameplay element, as Sora’s iconic Keyblade is briefly transformed into a guitar, suggesting that music could play a role in the new world.

But Coco is far from the only major setting shown in the footage.

The trailer also returns to Quadratum, the realistic city that resembles modern-day Tokyo and has become one of the most mysterious locations in the upcoming game. Another familiar Disney setting appears as well, with Sora visiting the Underworld from Hercules.

The Underworld scenes may be particularly important to the story. Sora sacrificed himself at the conclusion of Kingdom Hearts 3, and the new footage appears to hint at a storyline involving his return to life.

The latest trailer also reveals a surprising gameplay feature: Mickey Mouse will be playable. The character has appeared throughout the franchise but has rarely been directly playable, making the reveal especially notable for longtime fans. His last playable appearance dates back to Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days.

Since its debut in 2002, Kingdom Hearts has built its identity around an unlikely combination of Disney characters and worlds with Square Enix’s Final Fantasy-inspired style and original characters. The series has expanded across numerous games while maintaining its distinctive blend of action, fantasy and increasingly complicated mythology.

Now, Kingdom Hearts 4 appears ready to push that formula even further.

With Coco, Hercules, Quadratum and playable Mickey all featured in the latest footage, the upcoming installment could be one of the franchise’s most ambitious crossovers yet.

Source: https://www.inverse.com/