<s>
stylized	O
as	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
χ[chi],	O
is	O
a	O
Japanese	O
role-playing	O
browser	B-Protocol
game	I-Protocol
developed	O
by	O
Square	O
Enix	O
(	O
in	O
collaboration	O
with	O
Disney	O
Interactive	O
Studios	O
)	O
,	O
BitGroove	O
and	O
Success	O
,	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Square	O
Enix	O
for	O
web	B-Application
browsers	I-Application
as	O
the	O
eighth	O
installment	O
in	O
the	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
for	O
mobile	O
devices	O
called	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
Unchained	I-Application
χ	I-Application
was	O
released	O
as	O
the	O
ninth	O
installment	O
of	O
the	O
series	O
in	O
Japan	O
in	O
September	O
2015	O
,	O
and	O
worldwide	O
in	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
rebranded	O
once	O
again	O
in	O
June	O
2020	O
to	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
Union	I-Application
χ	I-Application
Dark	I-Application
Road	I-Application
with	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
standalone	O
game	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
Dark	I-Application
Road	I-Application
,	O
the	O
thirteenth	O
installment	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
announced	O
in	O
February	O
2021	O
that	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
Union	I-Application
χ	I-Application
Dark	I-Application
Road	I-Application
would	O
be	O
shutting	O
down	O
its	O
online	O
features	O
and	O
transitioning	O
into	O
an	O
offline	O
app	O
,	O
starting	O
with	O
Union	O
χ	O
in	O
May	O
2021	O
and	O
Dark	O
Road	O
in	O
August	O
2022	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
χ	I-Application
is	O
a	O
prequel	O
to	O
the	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
series	O
as	O
a	O
whole	O
,	O
taking	O
place	O
centuries	O
prior	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
takes	O
place	O
before	O
the	O
Keyblade	O
War	O
,	O
which	O
established	O
the	O
organization	O
of	O
the	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
universe	O
as	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Union	O
χ	O
acts	O
as	O
a	O
sequel	O
,	O
retelling	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
story	O
of	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
χ	I-Application
before	O
diverging	O
and	O
telling	O
a	O
new	O
story	O
set	O
after	O
its	O
events	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
plot	O
is	O
connected	O
to	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
III	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
Dark	I-Application
Road	I-Application
explores	O
the	O
origins	O
of	O
series	O
antagonist	O
Xehanort	O
and	O
his	O
eventual	O
turn	O
to	O
darkness	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
companion	O
film	O
,	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
χ	I-Application
Back	O
Cover	O
,	O
was	O
released	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
HD	I-Application
2.8	I-Application
Final	I-Application
Chapter	I-Application
Prologue	I-Application
in	O
January	O
2017	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
χ	I-Application
is	O
a	O
role-playing	O
video	O
game	O
set	O
in	O
the	O
universe	O
of	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
which	O
includes	O
original	O
characters	O
and	O
locations	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
ones	O
from	O
Disney	O
and	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
media	O
properties	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
can	O
customize	O
the	O
gender	O
,	O
hair	O
,	O
and	O
clothing	O
,	O
and	O
choose	O
accessories	O
themed	O
after	O
both	O
Square	O
Enix	O
and	O
Disney	O
universes	O
present	O
in	O
the	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
also	O
earns	O
Fragments	O
,	O
cards	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
characters	O
original	O
to	O
the	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
series	O
and	O
those	O
from	O
Disney	O
and	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
franchises	O
:	O
the	O
fragments	O
are	O
imbued	O
with	O
different	O
properties	O
depending	O
on	O
the	O
character	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
physical	O
or	O
elemental	O
strikes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
mobile	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
entitled	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
Union	I-Application
χ	I-Application
,	O
shares	O
multiple	O
gameplay	O
features	O
with	O
its	O
browser	B-Application
counterpart	O
:	O
the	O
main	O
exception	O
is	O
that	O
this	O
version	O
is	O
tailored	O
for	O
a	O
touch	O
screen	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cards	O
from	O
the	O
browser	B-Application
version	O
are	O
here	O
replaced	O
by	O
Medals	O
,	O
which	O
are	O
no	O
longer	O
drawn	O
randomly	O
in	O
battle	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
χ	I-Application
is	O
set	O
in	O
a	O
world	O
called	O
Daybreak	O
Town	O
,	O
hundreds	O
of	O
years	O
prior	O
to	O
the	O
other	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
begins	O
before	O
the	O
legendary	O
Keyblade	O
War	O
,	O
a	O
conflict	O
sparked	O
due	O
to	O
disputes	O
between	O
Keyblade	O
wielders	O
over	O
the	O
light	O
that	O
created	O
the	O
world	O
,	O
triggering	O
a	O
calamity	O
that	O
reshaped	O
the	O
world	O
into	O
that	O
seen	O
in	O
the	O
rest	O
of	O
the	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
Union	I-Application
χ	I-Application
takes	O
place	O
shortly	O
after	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
χ	I-Application
in	O
an	O
alternate	O
data	O
worldline	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
player	O
reliving	O
the	O
past	O
to	O
forget	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
the	O
Keyblade	O
War	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
major	O
story	O
events	O
that	O
do	O
not	O
involve	O
the	O
player	O
were	O
delivered	O
via	O
game	O
updates	O
,	O
serving	O
to	O
expand	O
on	O
the	O
story	O
of	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
χ	I-Application
and	O
continue	O
the	O
narrative	O
after	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
the	O
Keyblade	O
War	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
of	O
the	O
worlds	O
from	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
χ	I-Application
reappear	O
,	O
alongside	O
returning	O
worlds	O
Castle	O
of	O
Dreams	O
(	O
Cinderella	O
)	O
and	O
Enchanted	O
Dominion	O
(	O
Sleeping	O
Beauty	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
Dark	I-Application
Road	I-Application
is	O
set	O
many	O
years	O
later	O
,	O
beginning	O
70	O
years	O
prior	O
to	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
Birth	I-Application
By	I-Application
Sleep	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Scala	O
ad	O
Caelum	O
,	O
a	O
world	O
first	O
seen	O
in	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
III	I-Application
,	O
acts	O
as	O
a	O
central	O
hub	O
for	O
the	O
characters	O
in	O
the	O
story	O
,	O
while	O
gameplay	O
takes	O
place	O
in	O
the	O
worlds	O
seen	O
in	O
χ	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Vidar	O
explains	O
that	O
they	O
learned	O
of	O
the	O
thirteen	O
true	O
darknesses	O
from	O
Odin	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
they	O
now	O
seek	O
to	O
purge	O
the	O
world	O
of	O
them	O
by	O
finding	O
the	O
seven	O
pure	O
lights	O
needed	O
to	O
summon	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Baldr	O
reveals	O
he	O
killed	O
the	O
other	O
upperclassmen	O
to	O
trick	O
the	O
survivors	O
into	O
summoning	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
,	O
with	O
which	O
he	O
intends	O
to	O
consume	O
the	O
worlds	O
in	O
darkness	O
;	O
when	O
the	O
upperclassmen	O
abandoned	O
the	O
plan	O
,	O
Baldr	O
killed	O
Urd	O
,	O
Bragi	O
and	O
Hermod	O
,	O
planning	O
to	O
use	O
all	O
their	O
deaths	O
to	O
summon	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
χ	I-Application
was	O
co-directed	O
by	O
Tetsuya	O
Nomura	O
,	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
series	O
 '	O
creators	O
,	O
and	O
Tatsuya	O
Kando	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
previously	O
directed	O
Nintendo	B-Device
DS	I-Device
game	O
The	B-Application
World	I-Application
Ends	I-Application
with	I-Application
You	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Square	O
Enix	O
originally	O
handled	O
the	O
planning	O
and	O
design	O
itself	O
,	O
but	O
due	O
to	O
their	O
developers	O
 '	O
inexperience	O
with	O
creating	O
browser	B-Protocol
games	I-Protocol
,	O
development	O
was	O
transferred	O
to	O
the	O
Success	O
Corporation	O
,	O
who	O
were	O
familiar	O
with	O
the	O
process	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Due	O
to	O
difficulties	O
that	O
arose	O
adapting	O
the	O
core	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
experience	O
into	O
a	O
browser	B-Protocol
game	I-Protocol
,	O
the	O
presentation	O
was	O
designed	O
similar	O
style	O
of	O
fantasy	O
classics	O
of	O
the	O
locations	O
encountered	O
previously	O
by	O
series	O
protagonists	O
Sora	O
and	O
Riku	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
an	O
interview	O
,	O
Nomura	O
stated	O
that	O
the	O
work	O
on	O
developing	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
χ	I-Application
was	O
paused	O
for	O
a	O
time	O
so	O
developers	O
could	O
work	O
on	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
III	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
stories	O
of	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
χ	I-Application
and	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
III	I-Application
were	O
both	O
written	O
at	O
the	O
same	O
time	O
,	O
and	O
thus	O
share	O
a	O
strong	O
connection	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
title	O
refers	O
to	O
the	O
χ-blade	O
(	O
chi-blade	O
)	O
,	O
the	O
original	O
Keyblade	O
and	O
a	O
weapon	O
central	O
to	O
the	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
storyline	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
creation	O
of	O
a	O
mobile	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
decided	O
upon	O
while	O
the	O
browser	B-Application
version	O
was	O
still	O
being	O
developed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
as	O
development	O
went	O
on	O
,	O
the	O
team	O
's	O
efforts	O
became	O
focused	O
on	O
finishing	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
χ	I-Application
,	O
and	O
development	O
on	O
Unchained	O
was	O
halted	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
original	O
plan	O
was	O
to	O
make	O
the	O
game	O
a	O
simpler	O
version	O
of	O
its	O
browser	B-Application
counterpart	O
,	O
but	O
with	O
the	O
increasing	O
specs	O
of	O
mobile	O
devices	O
,	O
the	O
workload	O
increased	O
,	O
contributing	O
to	O
the	O
halt	O
to	O
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
mobile	O
devices	O
employ	O
a	O
different	O
control	O
set-up	O
to	O
web	B-Application
browsers	I-Application
,	O
Unchained	O
could	O
not	O
work	O
simply	O
as	O
a	O
port	O
of	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
χ	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
title	O
"	O
Unchained	O
"	O
signified	O
the	O
gameplay	O
and	O
story	O
of	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
χ	I-Application
being	O
released	O
into	O
a	O
mobile	O
format	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
of	O
the	O
changes	O
instituted	O
during	O
the	O
games	O
mobile	O
remake	O
was	O
to	O
make	O
the	O
gameplay	O
more	O
"	O
casual	O
"	O
than	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
χ	I-Application
,	O
with	O
battles	O
being	O
shorter	O
and	O
potentially	O
easier	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
September	O
2018	O
,	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
special	O
"	O
Classic	O
Kingdom	O
"	O
minigames	O
was	O
added	O
to	O
Union	O
χ	O
;	O
by	O
completing	O
certain	O
objectives	O
in	O
these	O
minigames	O
,	O
players	O
were	O
able	O
to	O
get	O
early	O
access	O
to	O
the	O
"	O
Starlight	O
"	O
Keyblade	O
in	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
III	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
2020	O
,	O
a	O
new	O
mobile	O
game	O
called	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
Dark	I-Application
Road	I-Application
was	O
revealed	O
,	O
being	O
developed	O
by	O
the	O
same	O
team	O
working	O
on	O
Union	O
χ	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
later	O
clarified	O
that	O
Dark	O
Road	O
would	O
be	O
a	O
standalone	O
game	O
accessed	O
within	O
Union	O
χ	O
and	O
that	O
the	O
app	O
would	O
be	O
rebranded	O
as	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
Union	I-Application
χ	I-Application
Dark	I-Application
Road	I-Application
upon	O
Dark	O
Roads	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
first	O
announced	O
at	O
the	O
Tokyo	O
Game	O
Show	O
on	O
September	O
20	O
,	O
2012	O
alongside	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
HD	I-Application
1.5	I-Application
Remix	I-Application
under	O
the	O
tentative	O
title	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
for	O
PC	O
Browsers	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
promote	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
codes	O
for	O
special	O
items	O
and	O
in-game	O
currency	O
were	O
included	O
with	O
first-print	O
copies	O
of	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
HD	I-Application
1.5	I-Application
Remix	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2016	O
,	O
Square	O
Enix	O
announced	O
that	O
the	O
browser	B-Protocol
game	I-Protocol
would	O
be	O
discontinued	O
in	O
September	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
western	O
localization	O
was	O
revealed	O
to	O
the	O
public	O
with	O
the	O
title	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
Unchained	I-Application
X	O
at	O
the	O
2015	O
Electronic	O
Entertainment	O
Expo	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
Dark	I-Application
Road	I-Application
was	O
available	O
worldwide	O
on	O
June	O
22	O
,	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Square	O
Enix	O
also	O
announced	O
a	O
subsequent	O
update	O
that	O
would	O
complete	O
the	O
story	O
of	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
Dark	I-Application
Road	I-Application
and	O
allow	O
players	O
to	O
play	O
it	O
in	O
its	O
entirety	O
offline	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
later	O
released	O
on	O
August	O
26	O
,	O
2022	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
September	O
2015	O
,	O
Square	O
Enix	O
announced	O
a	O
new	O
game	O
titled	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
HD	I-Application
2.8	I-Application
Final	I-Application
Chapter	I-Application
Prologue	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
collection	O
features	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
χ	I-Application
Back	O
Cover	O
,	O
a	O
60-minute	O
cinematic	O
film	O
that	O
focuses	O
on	O
the	O
Foretellers	O
,	O
elaborating	O
on	O
their	O
actions	O
during	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
and	O
their	O
attempts	O
to	O
determine	O
who	O
is	O
the	O
traitor	O
among	O
them	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
the	O
2013	O
WebMoney	O
Awards	O
,	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
χ	I-Application
was	O
among	O
the	O
games	O
voted	O
into	O
the	O
"	O
Best	O
Rookie	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
Good	O
Games	O
"	O
category	O
,	O
with	O
most	O
voters	O
praising	O
the	O
game	O
for	O
being	O
accessible	O
to	O
series	O
newcomers	O
,	O
and	O
fun	O
to	O
play	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Richard	O
Eisenbeis	O
of	O
Kotaku	O
was	O
generally	O
positive	O
,	O
saying	O
that	O
despite	O
it	O
being	O
similar	O
to	O
other	O
Japanese	O
browser	B-Protocol
games	I-Protocol
and	O
using	O
a	O
micro-transaction	O
system	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
"	O
an	O
enjoyable	O
little	O
time	O
waster.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
AV	O
Club	O
praised	O
the	O
game	O
for	O
being	O
a	O
true	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
title	O
despite	O
its	O
free	O
to	O
play	O
format	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gamezebo	O
called	O
the	O
title	O
"	O
better	O
than	O
expected	O
"	O
,	O
citing	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
fun	O
but	O
simple	O
combat	O
and	O
extensive	O
character	O
customization	O
but	O
critiquing	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
dialogue	O
for	O
being	O
cheesy	O
and	O
the	O
story	O
for	O
being	O
weaker	O
than	O
the	O
console	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
titles	O
.	O
</s>
