Physical Version of Kingdom Hearts III Discounted on PS4

In May 2017, online retailer Amazon discounted pre-orders for the physical PlayStation 4 version of Square Enix’s Kingdom Hearts III. The standard discount was 13% off the list price, while Amazon Prime members received a 20% discount as part of a then-current promotional program for new games. This offer appeared despite the fact that, at the time, the highly anticipated action RPG had no official release date.

For a standard $59.99 game, the 13% price reduction brought the cost down to approximately $52.19, and the 20% Prime discount lowered it to $47.99. This kind of pre-release sale was not uncommon, but it was notable for a title with such a prolonged and mysterious development cycle.

A Long-Awaited Sequel

The wait for Kingdom Hearts III was a significant story in the gaming community. The previous numbered entry, Kingdom Hearts II, was released for the PlayStation 2 in 2005 in Japan and 2006 in North America. In the decade that followed, Square Enix released numerous intermediary titles on handheld consoles, which were later bundled into HD collections for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. These collections, like Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix and HD 2.5 Remix, helped new players catch up on the series’ complex story.

By early 2017, the most recent release was Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, which included a short playable episode setting the stage for the third main game. The long gap between numbered installments built immense anticipation, leading many fans to place pre-orders years in advance to lock in a copy of the game, often at a discount.

Development and Revealed Worlds

Kingdom Hearts III was officially announced at E3 in 2013. Its development was handled by Square Enix’s 1st Production Department in Osaka, the same team responsible for several previous titles in the series. A major technical detail that emerged during development was the switch from Square Enix’s internal Luminous Studio engine to Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 4. Director Tetsuya Nomura explained this decision was made to streamline development and utilize external support and tools.

By the time of this pre-order discount, a few details about the game’s content had been shared. Square Enix had confirmed the inclusion of new Disney worlds, including the Kingdom of Corona from Tangled and San Fransokyo from Big Hero 6. Gameplay trailers had also teased new mechanics, such as Keyblade transformations that alter Sora’s combat style and the “Attraction Flow” system, which summoned attacks based on Disney theme park attractions.

The Pre-Order Commitment

Placing a pre-order for Kingdom Hearts III in May 2017 was an act of faith for fans. Square Enix had yet to announce a release year, let alone a specific date. The game’s presence at industry events was inconsistent, leaving followers to speculate based on brief trailers and interviews. The Amazon discount represented an opportunity for patient fans to secure their copy at a lower price.

The game would not be released for nearly two more years. Kingdom Hearts III eventually launched in January 2019, concluding a story arc that began with the original game in 2002. The pre-order offer from 2017 stands as a small milestone in its long journey to release.