Developers at Square Enix announced Kingdom Hearts 3 over a decade ago. While they never intended to release it immediately after that first announcement, they probably did not intend to wait 10 years either. However, due to many complicated factors, Kingdom Hearts 3 will not be available until next January. The last few months of waiting are often the hardest, though. Luckily, there is a game that fans can play to ease their anticipation until then. That game is Kingdom Hearts Union X, available on mobile.
Kingdom Hearts Union X Launch Trailer
Released in 2016, Kingdom Hearts Union X is not a new game by any means. It is an offspring of two different forms of mobile games. On one side, a spinoff with a dense design full of microtransaction. On the other, an original experience with a deep story. Despite its look, it is a real Kingdom Hearts game. It's just that the game has been trimmed down for the mobile device, and hidden in a format where the majority of fans are not even aware that it is there.
In term of story, Kingdom Hearts Union X is basically the origin of the Kingdon Hearts universe. It takes place many years before the first games, with the purpose of explaining the main conflict of the entire franchise: The Keyblade War between light and darkness that sundered the world. The main character is a Keyblade owner, master of a weapon that has the power to literally change the fate of the entire world. It sounds big, but of course, you will still be doing what you do in other Kingdom Hearts games: Explore the different stories of Disney and interact with several of their characters.
The gameplay is pretty straightforward. The combat is turn-based, and throughout the game, you will explore the world and complete missions. However, that is not to say it is not interesting. As you play, you will collect “Medals”, which you can equip. These medals allow you to borrow the power of various characters in this universe to defeat your enemies.
However, that is also one of the biggest shortcomings of the game. The process of collecting stuff can be very tedious, and tons of microtransactions are there to entice you to spend money in order to save yourself the trouble.
Then again, this is completely optional. If you can resist the temptation, you will find that Kingdom Hearts Union X has plenty to offer. Its common motif of conflict between light and darkness quickly evolves into a complicated story about the nature of the universe, with a touch of existentialism. This story might have some significance for the events of Kingdom Hearts 3. Even if it doesn’t, it is an interesting story by itself.
If you are a hardcore fan of Kingdom Hearts, you probably have already completed Kingdom Hearts Union X. It is still being supported by Square Enix though, so if you haven’t played it and waiting for Kingdom Hearts 3, this could be a good way to kill time. The menu screens might be a bit annoying at first, so give it some time.