Dream Drop Distance "prologue" to Kingdom Hearts series finale

Kingdom Hearts series director Tetsuya Nomura has said the recently detailed 3DS title Dream Drop Distance will be the "prologue for the final battle" now that the franchise's plot is "moving towards the last phase of the story."

Siliconera has its hands on the official press release, in which Nomura directly addressed fans and hinted at drastic gameplay overhauls.

"As with other titles many surprises await," he said. "A completely new system is being prepared, which will let you gaze at the vision of the future of Kingdom Hearts. I believe it will be bold and have even more exhilarating action."

During Square Enix's First Production Event yesterday a video of the game in action was shown, and 3D-specific jumping, falling and flying mechanics were detailed.

The Kingdom Hearts series debuted in 2002 and has spawned nine games, a collectible card game, a manga series, and several Japanese novels.