Kingdom Hearts 3 has been a massive, massive, massive hit

Image Credit: Square Enix

Take a guess what the best selling game of the year so far is? No, it's not the big budget shooters Anthem or The Division 2. It's not even the critically acclaimed revamp hit that is Resident Evil 2.

Nope. It's the charming, colorful Kingdom Hearts 3.

Square Enix's Disney-meets-Final Fantasy role playing sequel is the US's top seller for 2019, not only outselling regular chart fixture Red Dead Redemption 2, but even its much-loved original game in the series. 

While Kingdom Hearts 3's overall tally will be hard to precisely track due to platform holders keeping digital sales a closely guarded secret, it managed to ship five million copies in its first week alone.

A worldwide hit

It's been equally successful around the globe. In Japan it's managed to hit 800,000 units sold, making it the best selling game of the year in the country, with it also topping the European charts.

In our four star Kingdom Hearts 3 review, we called the game "a charming and action-packed adventure, marrying the fantastical nature of Final Fantasy with the magical familiarity of Disney in worlds that are almost indistinguishable from the films they depict."

However, we also felt that "the convoluted story and slow-burning intro could be enough to deter new players from giving the series a chance."

The sales milestone accompanies the news that Kingdom Hearts 3 is also getting a new tough-as-nails Critical Mode DLC update, rolling out now. 

Will the game retain its lofty position? It's set to be a tough year – we're still waiting on the release of a new FIFA 20 game, Pokemon Sword and Shield and a big-budget Star Wars game in the shape of Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order. But it's off to a flying start.

Gerald Lynch

Gerald is Editor-in-Chief of iMore.com. Previously he was the Executive Editor for TechRadar, taking care of the site's home cinema, gaming, smart home, entertainment and audio output. He loves gaming, but don't expect him to play with you unless your console is hooked up to a 4K HDR screen and a 7.1 surround system. Before TechRadar, Gerald was Editor of Gizmodo UK. He is also the author of 'Get Technology: Upgrade Your Future', published by Aurum Press.