One of the highlights of the most recent Nintendo Direct Mini was the official trailer for Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory, which showed cutscenes and gameplay footage. In addition to showing a Switch-exclusive Free-For-All Mode for up to eight players, the trailer also teased a brand-new chapter in Kingdom Hearts' long-running story that seemingly puts Kairi front and center. But when does this new chapter take place within the Kingdom Hearts timeline?
Boasting over 140 songs from the series and more than 20 playable characters, Melody of Memory is a rhythm game similar to the Theatrhythm Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest games, which combines Guitar Hero-esque rhythm mechanics with RPG-style combat. Although the combat seems to once again focus on Sora, Donald, and Goofy, Kairi is shown several times in cutscenes and even takes center stage on Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory's official cover art.
Although the mainline games are typical action RPGs, Kingdom Hearts has always been experimental with the combat of its spin-off games, from the card mechanics of Chain of Memories to the Pokemon-like gameplay of recruiting Spirit Dream Eaters in Dream Drop Distance. In addition to experimental combat mechanics, the games feature popular original music as well as iconic Disney tunes, so a rhythm game like Melody of Memory makes perfect sense. Still, the sometimes convoluted storyline of Kingdom Hearts may leave some fans confused as to when exactly this new game takes place.
How Melody Of Memory Connects To Other Kingdom Hearts Games
Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is set after the events of Kingdom Hearts 3 and the Re:Mind DLC, which means it will be the newest story content thus far in the decades-spanning storyline. From the looks of things, it may be similar in story to Chain of Memories or Re: Coded, both of which involved revisiting old worlds and old characters for the sake of restoring one's memories.
After the "Limit Cut Episode" and various endings in Re: Mind, Kairi has entered a form of stasis in an attempt to help Ansem the Wise find Sora, who's vanished. Based on the trailer for Melody of Memory, the plot will center on Kairi's time in stasis, perhaps experiencing these worlds through Sora's (or someone else's) memories.
The various plot threads of Kingdom Hearts games aren't always easy to follow, especially for fans of the series who may skip the occasional spin-off or two. Players will have to wait and see if Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory actually adds much to the overall story or not. The game releases on November 13th for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.