It’s been well over a decade since Kingdom Hearts 2 was released. As a matter of fact, it will be 14 years by the time the latest sequel arrives next year. It’s been a long time waiting, and fans that grew up with the game won’t soon forget either! With that said, all that time means memories have lapsed and details here and there forgotten. Knowing this, Square Enix has a plan to remedy that, featuring a series recap for players old and new in Kingdom Hearts 3.

Kingdom Hearts director Tetsuya Nomura spoke with VG247 about the next entry in the franchise. Since the release of KH2, there have been spin-offs and various other plot twists along the way with Birth By Sleep, Dream Drop Distance, and others. Unless players had the means to keep up with every game launched throughout the past decade and a half, it would have been difficult to keep up with the storyline. Thankfully, Square Enix offers a solution. Nomura explained:

We have included several elements in Kingdom Hearts 3 to explain the story and get newcomers up to speed the minimum required level of understanding, including a series of videos to explain the story so far at the start of the game. I would be delighted if people who played Kingdom Hearts 3 took an interest in the series overall and went back to play the previous games as well.”

It’s certainly a smart move by Square Enix as it garners a fresh new wave of Kingdom Hearts enthusiasts and keeps casual fans up to date on all that’s happened in the KH world so far. It works out for everyone. In other related news, developers revealed not long ago that Kingdom Hearts 3 will feature over 80 hours of content and in anticipation of the game’s arrival around the corner, there was a Nendoroid release for Sora and even Pop! figures of Monsters Inc. characters from Funko. Best make room on those shelves!

Passing on a question to you – do you think a series rundown is necessary for a game like Kingdom Hearts 3, or should this be marketed toward hardcore fans? Has it been long enough that it doesn’t matter? Let us know what you think in the comments section below or start a conversation on DFTG Facebook page. To stay up to date on gaming news as it happens, follow us on Twitter! Here’s some of our latest:

• Overwatch Inspired Nike Shoes Showcased At Fan Event
• Microsoft Confirms “Big Exclusive Game” In Development, Could It Be Fable 4?
• Breach: Ex-BioWare Devs’ Action-RPG Announced With Trailer (VIDEO)

Kingdom Hearts 3 arrives January 29th, 2019 for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.