For a game that has updates few and far between, the Kingdom Hearts 3 1.04 update is bound to draw some interest from even the most casual of Disney (and Square) fans. With good reason, too. We already knew that Critical Mode was part of the Kingdom Hearts 3 update today, April 23-24 (more on that confusing release time in a moment), but there’s plenty else to pore over, including some much-needed quality-of-life changes. It’s all here in the Kingdom Hearts 3 1.04 update patch notes.
Kingdom Hearts 3 1.04 Update | Release time
First up, here’s where things are a little confusing. Depending on where you are in the world, the Kingdom Hearts 3 1.04 update release time is either on April 23 or April 24.
- US: 7 PM Pacific (April 23)
- US: 10 PM Eastern (April 23)
- UK: 3 AM BST (April 24)
Kingdom Hearts 3 1.04 Update
Critical Mode
You may have read about the upcoming inclusion of the Kingdom Hearts 3 Critical Mode, but you might need some idea as to what it’ll actually change. In effect, it’s a super-hard mode for those who were perhaps yawning over Kingdom Hearts 3‘s perceived easy difficulty. We don’t have details on what exactly Critical Mode will change but, judging by previous entries, we can expect.
Sora should be taking double damage, but also hit slightly harder. Enemies will also be tougher to stagger, but that will all be balanced out by the game’s Secret Ending almost definitely being unlocked just by completing Critical Mode and not ticking off any other pre-requisites.
Moogle shop changes
Synthesis can be a head-scratcher at times in Kingdom Hearts 3 but, mercifully, Square has made the process a lot more streamlined but now showing in clear detail which materials you have and haven’t got in the Moogle shop menu. You can put your pen and paper away, now.
Enemy buffs and nerfs
Again, while we only have translated patch notes to go on, we don’t know a great deal about the specifics about Kingdom Hearts 3 1.04, but we do know that the dev team has “adjusted the behavior of some enemy characters.”
Kingdom Hearts 3 1.04 Update Patch Notes
[From the Square Enix JP site, via Chrome Translate]
- “Critical mode” has been added to the game mode, and new abilities can be used.
- Adjusted the behavior of some enemy characters.
- Acquisition of mini-game “Frozen Slider” The treasure can now be checked from the results screen and the mobile portal.
- A check mark is now displayed on composited items in the item composition of Moogle shop.
- We added messages such as game help.
- Fixed various problems.
- When this version is installed, new save data is created.
