- Re Mind is similar to past Final Mix releases, but without changes to the main game.
- There are currently no plans for a physical release of Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind
- There were plans for an additional world in Re Mind, but those have been scrapped.
- There are now four teams involved with Kingdom Hearts III. One of those teams will have their project come soon.
Q1: What is the difference between Re Mind and FINAL MIX, which had been released for the previous mainline KINGDOM HEARTS titles?[edit | edit source]
The FINAL MIX versions were released in order to adjust the overall game balance, as well as add new content to the base games. On the other hand, Re Mind is comprised of content that is somewhat separate from the base game and designed to be enjoyed after completing it.
That said, FINAL MIX staple add-ons such as the option for English VO in the Japanese version and limit cut bosses will be included in Re Mind, so it can be considered as not so different from a FINAL MIX, with the one exception that no major tweaks have been made to the main game.
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We consider KINGDOM HEARTS III and Re Mind as different content. As such, we perceive the content of the free version update as part of KINGDOM HEARTS III itself, whereas the content from Re Mind will add new elements that take place after the main game.
As I mentioned before, we will be including some elements that would have previously been made available in a separate FINAL MIX package, as part of Re Mind. However, some of the content that would usually go in a FINAL MIX edition, such as new Keyblades and extra abilities, have been provided in the free update, as something to aim for when completing the main story.
Q3: Is there not a possibility of a KINGDOM HEARTS III FINAL MIX release in the future? Additionally, might there be a physical version release?[edit | edit source]
There are no specific plans at the moment. We may take that into consideration if new platforms enter the market, but we haven't given thought as to whether it would be released under the FINAL MIX name even if it gets to that.
Q4: Where does the additional storyline of Re Mind fall on the story timeline, and what will we get to see in it?[edit | edit source]
It jumps around the timeline in places, but the main series of events for Sora depicts what took place in the unrevealed time between the final battle of KINGDOM HEARTS III and the ending when Kairi was rescued. The player will have a more all-encompassing view of events than Sora himself does, so in Re Mind Sora gets to follow the story from a detached and overarching perspective, unlike in the main game.
It is a bit tricky to explain, but KINGDOM HEARTS III is a complete, self-contained story in its own right and the link through to the ending of Re Mind is only made possible because of the ending the main game has.
Q5: Are there any impact or changes to the original storyline of KINGDOM HEARTS III?[edit | edit source]
There are no changes to the original storyline of KINGDOM HEARTS III, and no impact on the player either, as they will start playing through Re Mind after they complete the base game.
That said, there are several areas where I have made some amendments, because I had abandoned a certain visual approach for various reasons, but really wanted to make the scene as it was originally intended, and these will be implemented with the ver. 1.07 update. Some specific examples of these would be such things as illustrating when a character incurs damage during a cut scene or some of the skyscape vistas.
Q6: Why didn't any FINAL FANTASY franchise characters make an appearance in the base game? What is the aim in having them make an appearance in Re Mind?[edit | edit source]
We decided not to include them in the base game since there is no need to visit the Radiant Garden from a storyline perspective. There were also some development related issues. In Re Mind, we felt that we needed to have FINAL FANTASY characters appear from a storyline perspective and decided to give them roles, albeit minor ones, in response to the passionate desire from the fans. We want players to feel that the FINAL FANTASY characters are part of the KINGDOM HEARTS III lore.
Q7: What is the highlight of the Limit Cut bosses? Which character would you want players to keep an eye out for?[edit | edit source]
I had already decided that the Limit Cut boss lineup would be comprised of the members of Real Organization XIII, but as the development progressed, I started to feel conflicted as whether to keep Xion as one of the bosses or not.
However, by the time I mentioned my intentions of possibly removing Xion to Mr. Yasue, she was already in development. With this background in mind, I'd like the players to experience their own inner turmoil when they take on Xion. She's quite a tough boss to beat!
Q8: You initially mentioned adding in the equivalent of another world into the game, but there seems to have been a change in direction?[edit | edit source]
There was actually a new world we wanted to add, that we worked on planning and designing, but I personally could not square the logic of cutting out just that world and adding it on later. I felt that it would ultimately be better to have it as a candidate for inclusion from the start in the next game. For Re Mind, I decided to go with adding in multiple new elements, which add up to a volume of new content that is actually greater than a single new world would be. Creating this many bosses was particularly hard work!
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I put my ideas of how the Secret Boss and Episode will lead the way for the next installment into it, although it is probably not possible to work out what that will be from the details that have already been released, even though it might just look like you can. Additionally, some of the battle construction itself was quite different to what I ordered. I was surprised, and so decided to go down this route this time around.
Q10: The dialogue from the beginning of the first KINGDOM HEARTS game is in the Final Trailer. Can you tell us about this?[edit | edit source]
It was a piece of dialogue that I wanted to revisit and address if the opportunity to do so ever came around. It probably doesn't make any sense, but at the time, the world of KINGDOM HEARTS was approved as a result of including that line. The mystery doesn't fully unravel with this, but I feel it brings us to the gateway.
Q11: Are you planning further updates and DLCs in the future?[edit | edit source]
There are no expected updates planned as of now, but if something arises in the future, I believe we would work to address it. As far as DLC for KINGDOM HEARTS III goes, Re Mind will be the first and last. We have already moved on to the next project.
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We will need some more time to make another traditional, main-series style KINGDOM HEARTS game, but there was a surprising announcement from the KINGDOM HEARTS Union χ[Cross] team last week. On top of that, we also have two new teams working on different projects separate from Re Mind and Union χ[Cross], and one of those games is coming out earlier than you would think. The title screen for Re Mind lays some of the groundwork for it.
Q13: Finally, is there anything you'd like to say to the fans?[edit | edit source]
After work on KINGDOM HEARTS III finished, several things happened and there was some internal restructuring, so I am very sorry to have kept everyone waiting longer than initially expected.
In Re Mind we have been proactive in adding in new elements that give players enjoyment from playing around and exercising their creativity. It is easy to be drawn to the story, but most of the time spent developing this expansion was actually focused on adding the new battles and mechanics changes.
We hope players really enjoy these kinds of merciless challenges that you can only really do as DLC. We also greatly expanded the sharing features of KINGDOM HEARTS III, unlocking pretty much everything. Yasue has been saying that he wants to see everyone's secret battle videos, so we have opened that up as far as we can too. See if you can take these fearsome foes down!