Kingdom Heats 4 is set to take the series to the brand-new world of Quadratum, located on a separate plane of existence from the rest of the Disney-themed realms in the franchise. The Kingdom Hearts series has a history of introducing new gameplay mechanics to fit within the worlds of each game, and with the unprecedented implications the world of Quadratum has for Kingdom Hearts 4, it's a perfect time to revisit one of the series' most controversial gameplay elements. While Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance's Dream Eaters had their flaws, a similar mechanic could fit right into the upcoming entry.
Although the little information revealed about Kingdom Hearts4 thus far leaves the door open for a lot of speculation, what has been shown about the world of Quadratum suggests a drastic departure from the typical world design the series is known for. Rather than fitting with the usual Disney-meets-Final-Fantasy aesthetic, Quadratum is modeled after the real-world Shibuya and has a more realistic style to it as a result. This stylistic shift is the perfect chance to give Quadratum its own unique creature collecting mechanic, much like the Dream Eaters of Kingdom Hearts 3D.
Kingdom Hearts 4 Could Fix the Flaws with Dream Drop Distance's Dream Eaters
Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance introduced Dream Eaters as both enemies in the form of Nightmares and allies in the form of Spirits. Both Sora and Riku can fight alongside these creatures, who can enhance their combat abilities and play a crucial role in formulating the ideal battle strategies over the course of the game. These creatures replace the typical allies of Donald and Goofy, but offer a wider variety of play styles due to the large number of Spirits available for players to obtain.
However, while this mechanic sounds like a great way to diversify Kingdom Hearts' combat in theory, in practice it ends up being more of a slog that ultimately drags down gameplay. To acquire new Spirits, players have to use recipes to combine materials in order to create a new Spirit, and some of the necessary materials only drop from Nightmares and Link Portal challenges, making obtaining the most powerful Spirits somewhat of a grind. Additionally, to power-up Spirits players need to level up their connection with them by feeding them or petting them with the stylus on the 3DS, making it a gimmicky chore to try and max out a Spirit's power.
This mechanic isn't wholly unsalvageable, and without Goofy or Donald in Quadratum, Sora could use some collectible creature companions to aid him in battle. Kingdom Hearts 4 could streamline this mechanic by trimming some of the fat of the crafting and bonding elements and adopting a collection system similar to those found in Yokai Watch or Shin Megami Tensei. Since Quadratum is based on real-life Shibuya, having creatures based on yokai for players to collect would make a lot of sense, and they could be obtained giving them items or compliments to befriend them rather than having to create them using materials.
While many players liked the collecting aspect of Spirits in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, the grind to get them powerful enough to be useful later in the game ended up disrupting the game's pacing. Trimming down some of the unnecessary aspects of the mechanic and translating it to fit Kingdom Hearts 4's Quadratum would give this mechanic another chance to succeed without dragging down the rest of the gameplay. A system like this deserves a second chance since it could help distinguish the gameplay of Kingdom Hearts 4 from other entries in the series if done correctly.
Kingdom Hearts 4 is in development.