It goes without saying thatKingdom HeartsandFinal Fantasyare some of Square Enix’s biggest and most well-known properties. Part of this comes down to the fact thatKingdom HeartsandFinal Fantasyare rather interlinked, and there’s a considerable overlap of fans between both IPs as they’re both large, sprawling RPG franchises.Kingdom Heartshas even offered screen time to a fewFinal Fantasyfan-favorite characters over the years, most notably theFinal Fantasy 7cast.
However,FF7has seen quite a few change-ups sinceKingdom Hearts 3’s release. With the release ofFinal Fantasy 7 Remakein 2020, Square Enix has essentially begun slowly shifting and even fixing what fans expect from the lore ofFF7. For English-speaking fans, the biggest adjustment series loyalists had to get used to is the new voice actor cast, andKingdom Heartsmay end up signaling that they’re here to stay for good.
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The Impact of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion
After 15 years of Zack Fair’s solo title being abandoned on the PSP,Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunionnot only brought the game back from obscurity but updated it to match what was expected of the series after the release ofFinal Fantasy 7 Remake. This included a brand-new UI, replacing older models with more recent ones that matched the style found inRemakebetter, and even included entirely redone localization and English voice acting withthe newFinal Fantasy 7 Remakevoice cast.
While the new voice acting inCCFF7Rhelps tie it closer toRemake, it almost seems like a bit too much effort on Square Enix’s part to keep things cohesive. While the developers ofCrisis Core Reunionsaid it was more than just a remaster, the new translation for the English dialogue changed very little. It’s almost as if Square Enix means to useCrisis Coreto say that this new cast is the definitive voice of these characters from now on.
Kingdom Hearts' Final Fantasy 7 Cameos
If Square Enix truly sees the latest voice actor lineup used in theFinal Fantasy 7 Remakegames as the ones it prefers, then what happened withCrisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunionmay happen to a number ofKingdom Heartsgames in the future. For the past 17 years, up toKingdom Hearts 3, severalFF7characters have appeared in theKHgames. AsAdvent Childrenand even the originalCrisis Coreset the stage for a fullFinal Fantasy 7voice cast around that time, those actors notably reprise their roles inKingdom Hearts.
While theroles thatFinal Fantasycharacters play inKingdom Heartsare small at best and have seemingly faded into obscurity inKHas time passes, their old voices still remain in games such asKingdom Hearts 1and2. This may clash with the image Square Enix aims to present withFF7today, which might mean that compilations likeKingdom Hearts: The Story So Farmay have a few lines redone in the future with theRemakecast.
However, this is only if Square Enix feels like redoing the original contributions to the classicKingdom Heartsgames is worth its time and money. It also depends on if this new cast truly is the one Square Enix wants fans to know more than the old actors. There could be a chance that inCrisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion’s case, it was about keeping things consistent with theRemakeproject rather than theFinal Fantasy 7series at large. Regardless, if Cloud Strife and friends return inKingdom Hearts 4, they’ll likely be played by theirFF7 Remakeactors, which may take some getting used to for those who only playKingdom Heartsgames.
Kingdom Hearts 4is in development.
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