Whether it be movies, television, comic books, or even straight up literature, the crossover is a tried-and-true method of bringing together two disparate fanbases, and video games are certainly no exception. Who can dispute the popularity of the Marvel vs Capcom series, or the Super Smash Bros. franchise? And even when a crossover game doesn’t reach the heights of those examples, they’re still remembered just based on the sheer novelty of the idea — think of Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe or the Mario and Sonic at the Olympics games.Of course, it’s kind of impossible to talk about the success of crossover games and not talk about one of the most singular, bewildering, and long-lived modern franchises in gaming: Kingdom Hearts. Created back in 2002 for the PlayStation 2, Square Enix’s distinctive fusion of animated Disney worlds with characters and aesthetics from the Final Fantasy series was an instant critical and commercial success, winning numerous awards and becoming one of the best-selling PlayStation games and the best-selling Disney game of all-time. Fourteen games later (with only 3 numbered mainline entries and numerous spinoffs), the Kingdom Hearts series is returning with next year’s Kingdom Hearts 4, and a new trailer for the project teases a world based on one of Disney’s most recent overnight sensations.At this year’s D23 event, fans were treated to an extended trailer for Kingdom Hearts 4, one that opens by revisiting the Land of the Dead from 2017’s critically acclaimed Coco. The Disney/Pixar joint production follows a young boy from Mexico named Miguel who accidentally ends up trapped in the Land of the Dead on the Día de los Muertos holiday, and must reconcile deep familial wounds in order to return to the world of the living, while also healing his family’s resentment towards his musical aspirations. The Kingdom Hearts 4 trailer teases a playable world based on the Land of the Dead, and also hints at a new musical component to the gameplay, with Sora’s iconic keyblade being transformed into a guitar.Alongside the reveal of the Land of the Dead and Miguel, the trailer also shows off a new location in the game: Quadratum, a realistic city modeled after Tokyo, as well as the Underworld as depicted by Disney’s animated Hercules. (The scenes seem to hint at an extended plot to bring Sora back to life after he sacrificed himself at the end of Kingdom Hearts 3.)Also revealed were playable Mickey Mouse sections, which marks the first time since Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days that Disney’s iconic mascot has been playable in-game. The Kingdom Hearts games have amassed a massive fanbase, partly made up of Final Fantasy fans and partly made up of Disney fans, and our newest look at Kingdom Hearts 4 once again shows off the idiosyncratic combination of two styles that has kept it as one of Square Enix’s biggest franchises for over two decades now.Kingdom Hearts 4 releases in late 2027.