‘Kingdom Hearts III’ Image Features Shield-Wielding Sora

After the long wait, fans are finally treated to a new screenshot for "Kingdom Hearts III". Shown at the Monaco Anime Game International Conference (or MAGIC) 2017, the new image accompanied pictures for the much-awaited remake of "Final Fantasy VII".

Facing a mace-wielding giant Heartless, the "Kingdom Hearts III" screenshot shows a definitely older-looking Sora holding what seems to be a shield, with his trademark Keyblade nowhere in sight. According to Gematsu, "Kingdom Hearts III" director Tetsuya Nomura explained that in the game, the Keyblade can take on different forms, with the aforementioned shield being one of them. Nomura also teased the possibility of the Keyblade to become a chariot, which is referred to as a 'Power Form'.

The image, which the director states to be set in Thebes, a nod to the movie "Hercules", is the only one available for "Kingdom Hearts III" thus far. Nomura doubles it up, however, by revealing two images for the "Final Fantasy VII" remake.

IGN shared the images, with one featuring the main protagonist Cloud Strife taking cover from enemy fire behind a box. With Nomura stating that the combat system will happen without interruption, it seems to be adapting the system used in recent games in the "Final Fantasy" series, like "Final Fantasy XIII" and "Final Fantasy XV". The "Kingdom Hearts III" head also adds that some parts of the scenery are destructible, using the other image with Cloud and Barret facing the Guard Scorpion as the game's classic first boss as reference.

It took Square Enix some time for the new "Kingdom Hearts III" and the "Final Fantasy VII" remake images to be released, with the last footage for "Kingdom Hearts III" was back in November 2015. Originally announced on 2013's E3, the game took its time in the back burner, as Nomura and his team focused on "Final Fantasy XV". No word yet as to the official release date of "Kingdom Hearts III", which serves as the conclusion of the 'Dark Seeker' saga.

While waiting, "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue" was just released for the PlayStation 4 on January 2017.