A new image of Kairi suggests that she will be a playable character in the upcoming Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory game. If true, she joins almost every playable character from across the franchise as an active combatant in the new rhythm game.
The story of Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory focuses on Kairi's search for Sora following the events of Kingdom Hearts 3 and its mind-bending DLC epilogue, Re:Mind. Having exhausted all other options, Kairi gets the chance to explore her memories, each represented with a song from the franchise's history. Although Melody of Memory is primarily a rhythm game, it includes light role-playing elements, such as party members getting stronger through leveling up.
In the lead-up to the game's release, Square Enix has released new renders of King Mickey and Kairi, along with some other gameplay images. Kairi's render is notable because it features her Kingdom Hearts 3 outfit in the graphical style of the series' PlayStation 2 games. As the gameplay seems to re-use assets from the PlayStation 2 games, this suggests Kairi has been given a new model to fit in with the aesthetic. Plus, the new update reveals King Mickey to be playable, aligning with a leaked list of Melody of Memory trophies. This also points to the possibility of Kairi being playable.
One reason why Kairi would be a good playable character in Melody of Memory is that the game is intended to serve as a recap of the Kingdom Hearts story so far. Kairi has been an important character throughout the franchise, having appeared in almost every game in some form. Although most of her appearances do not make her playable, that is no reason not to start now. Including her as a playable character will make it easier for Square Enix to integrate her into the playable cast of future series installments.
Still, fans who are hoping for Kairi to feature heavily in Melody of Memory may be disappointed. Although the frame narrative features Kairi, it has little to do with the gameplay. In fact, Melody of Memory only added Kairi's narration late in development. This suggests that the game may only include Kairi as an afterthought. Although fans will likely be pleased to see Kairi get more focus, this may not be how they wanted it to happen.
To be fair, whether or not Kairi is actually playable, fans will likely enjoy the game. Melody of Memory's well-received demo shows that the game is a clever mix of timing-based button presses and the series' signature real-time battles. Additionally, the game includes a large number of difficulty modes and customization options, allowing each player to find a playstyle that challenges them without overwhelming them.
Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is set to release for PS4, Switch, and Xbox One on November 11 in Japan and November 13 worldwide.
Source: Nintendo Wire