I've done a lot of research and I think Verum Rex is supposed to be some kind of Underworld/Kingdom of the Dead in KH. So it isn't Versus XIII, Nomura has taken elements of Versus like themes/visuals and he's integrated them into the lore of the Kingdom Hearts universe. The concept for Verum Rex is heavily inspired by Versus XIII which was a part of Fabula Nova Crystallis. Kazushige Nojima, the writer that came up with the core FNC mythology stated his greatest inspiration for it was Greek mythology, a favorite of his. So Verum Rex itself seems to be inspired by Greek mythology.
All hints in previous Kingdom Hearts games seem to allude to this:
>In Dream Drop Distance we learn of an abyss that one can end up falling into if you fall into a deep enough sleep, and in KH3 we learn you will be condemned to that same abyss if you abuse the power of waking, which is what causes Sora to vanish at the end.
>The Lich in KH3 is reminiscent of the Grim Reaper or Charon, ferrying souls/hearts deep into the watery sleeping abyss that leads to the Underworld/Tartarus.
>This abyss can be seen when Sora is dreaming at the station of awakening (sleep and death overlap/touch), it also visible above water from the beach in the realm of darkness.
>At the bottom of the watery abyss is the realm of Verum Rex, where those who have abused the power of waking or "sinned" are sent to be punished, which is why Sora is there.
>The Gigas in Verum Rex are named after the Giants in Greek mythology, they challenged the Gods and were banished to Tartarus or forced to live underground. Gigas is Latin for Giant/Gigantes.
>Yozora has a skull and Keyblades on his jacket, hinting at ties to death.
Onto the Greek mythology that supports this:
In religion, an abyss is a bottomless pit, or also a chasm that may lead to the underworld or hell.
In the Septuagint, or Greek version of the Hebrew Bible, the word represents both the original unfinished creation (Genesis 1:2) and the Hebrew tehom ("a surging water-deep"), which is used also in apocalyptic and kabbalistic literature and in the New Testament for hell; the place of punishment; in the Revised version of the Bible "abyss" is generally used for this idea.
Primarily in the Septuagint cosmography the word is applied both to the waters under the earth which originally covered it, and from which the springs and rivers are supplied and to the waters of the firmament which were regarded as closely connected with those below.
Tartarus (pronounced:/ˈtɑrtərəs/; Greek: Τάρταρος Tartaros)[1] is the deep abyss that is used as a dungeon of torment and suffering for the wicked and as the prison for the Titans. Tartarus is the place where, according to Plato in Gorgias (c. 400 BCE), souls were judged after death and where the wicked received divine punishment.
The part about the "original unfinished creation" is very interesting. Not only is it symbolic of Versus XIII being cancelled but it also suggests that the world of Verum Rex existed before the world of Kingdom Hearts in-universe. And the Verum Rex cover art shows Yozora's swords sinking into the water, a possible clue Nomura left for us. As for Yozora, I think he is either an embodiment of sleep/death like the Greek/Roman God Somnus /Mors, which would explain why he is a subconscious blend of Sora and Riku. Or he is a real person, and the original concept for Sora and Riku, but he was left on the cutting room floor of the universe, cast into the abyss before he could even get a chance to exist.
There could definitely be some things hidden in there about Nomura's feelings about Versus, but it's important to note that Verum Rex isn't Versus XIII as I've said, it's definitely something different, and it would seem it's going to be heavily connected to the Master of Masters plans, the whereabouts of the Foretellers and other happenings in the KH saga. Picture below is what I believe to be the Master of Masters and his Apprentices wearing protective black coats in Shinjuku, standing atop a skyscraper as Nomura confirms those are figures in the Ultimania. So expect whatever is happening in Verum Rex to tie into what is happening with the mobile game KHUX, if this is where the Foretellers have vanished to, it could be considered a continuation of that story too.
Hope some of my ramblings were insightful, I think that's the general idea of what Nomura's going for. Verum Rex is going to play the role of an Underworld type of place for KH, and set the stage for the start of the new arc with the Master of Masters.
All hints in previous Kingdom Hearts games seem to allude to this:
>In Dream Drop Distance we learn of an abyss that one can end up falling into if you fall into a deep enough sleep, and in KH3 we learn you will be condemned to that same abyss if you abuse the power of waking, which is what causes Sora to vanish at the end.
>The Lich in KH3 is reminiscent of the Grim Reaper or Charon, ferrying souls/hearts deep into the watery sleeping abyss that leads to the Underworld/Tartarus.
>This abyss can be seen when Sora is dreaming at the station of awakening (sleep and death overlap/touch), it also visible above water from the beach in the realm of darkness.
>At the bottom of the watery abyss is the realm of Verum Rex, where those who have abused the power of waking or "sinned" are sent to be punished, which is why Sora is there.
>The Gigas in Verum Rex are named after the Giants in Greek mythology, they challenged the Gods and were banished to Tartarus or forced to live underground. Gigas is Latin for Giant/Gigantes.
>Yozora has a skull and Keyblades on his jacket, hinting at ties to death.
Onto the Greek mythology that supports this:
In religion, an abyss is a bottomless pit, or also a chasm that may lead to the underworld or hell.
In the Septuagint, or Greek version of the Hebrew Bible, the word represents both the original unfinished creation (Genesis 1:2) and the Hebrew tehom ("a surging water-deep"), which is used also in apocalyptic and kabbalistic literature and in the New Testament for hell; the place of punishment; in the Revised version of the Bible "abyss" is generally used for this idea.
Primarily in the Septuagint cosmography the word is applied both to the waters under the earth which originally covered it, and from which the springs and rivers are supplied and to the waters of the firmament which were regarded as closely connected with those below.
Tartarus (pronounced:/ˈtɑrtərəs/; Greek: Τάρταρος Tartaros)[1] is the deep abyss that is used as a dungeon of torment and suffering for the wicked and as the prison for the Titans. Tartarus is the place where, according to Plato in Gorgias (c. 400 BCE), souls were judged after death and where the wicked received divine punishment.
The part about the "original unfinished creation" is very interesting. Not only is it symbolic of Versus XIII being cancelled but it also suggests that the world of Verum Rex existed before the world of Kingdom Hearts in-universe. And the Verum Rex cover art shows Yozora's swords sinking into the water, a possible clue Nomura left for us. As for Yozora, I think he is either an embodiment of sleep/death like the Greek/Roman God Somnus /Mors, which would explain why he is a subconscious blend of Sora and Riku. Or he is a real person, and the original concept for Sora and Riku, but he was left on the cutting room floor of the universe, cast into the abyss before he could even get a chance to exist.
There could definitely be some things hidden in there about Nomura's feelings about Versus, but it's important to note that Verum Rex isn't Versus XIII as I've said, it's definitely something different, and it would seem it's going to be heavily connected to the Master of Masters plans, the whereabouts of the Foretellers and other happenings in the KH saga. Picture below is what I believe to be the Master of Masters and his Apprentices wearing protective black coats in Shinjuku, standing atop a skyscraper as Nomura confirms those are figures in the Ultimania. So expect whatever is happening in Verum Rex to tie into what is happening with the mobile game KHUX, if this is where the Foretellers have vanished to, it could be considered a continuation of that story too.
Hope some of my ramblings were insightful, I think that's the general idea of what Nomura's going for. Verum Rex is going to play the role of an Underworld type of place for KH, and set the stage for the start of the new arc with the Master of Masters.