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76 of 80 found the following review helpful:
 Amazing Sep 07, 2010
By Radames
This is a brilliant prequel to what will be one of most well known video game crossovers of all time.
Beautiful graphics, the PSP shines like the PS2. True sceneries could be played with more but for the PSP Im massively impressed.
The story is absolutely heartbreaking, and incredibly dramatic. A perfect tie in to Kingdom Hearts, while also setting up potential storylines for KH3(whenever that decides to be announced).
I despised 356/2 days, absolutely loathed it this is such a breathe of fresh air. True its a hack and slash but there are so many minigames and story to tell its just a fantastic experience.
The gameplay like any Kingdom Hearts game is the typical God of War hack and slash with reaction commands every now and then. I like how they added D links and I LOVE the new combat system, its very enjoyable.
The one problem with the gameplay is the camera mode, they fixed the problem in KH2 but it came back in this one, granted it does not really effect the game play but when your trying to fight the boss and it locks on to a crate it can kind of make or break you.
Which now leads me to difficulty, this game is HARD. It is very challenging especially on Proud Mode, I underestimated the level of difficulty. It seems all those fans that complained about how easy KH 2 was can breathe a fresh air because BBS especially on proud mode is HARD. I think I died 6 times in the Sleeping Beauty world, very difficult.
This game is well worth the money, well worth the wait and an incredible experience.
5/5 easily, I hope I helped. The 1 star review for this amazing game is just a huge hell no.
25 of 25 found the following review helpful:
A refreshing departure from button mashing Sep 08, 2010
By Unkhato
"UnkhatoK"
I've followed the Kingdom Hearts series from the beginning and this one is the one I would consider the best out of all. Many have complained that the prior KH games were just button mashing. It's nice to be able to say that that is no longer the case. This game requires strategy in battle to beat the bosses (assuming you're playing at a difficult higher than easy). The battles are flashy and fun and the graphics are very nice. I have had no issues with the loading times using Data Install. The graphics are some of the nicest I've seen on the PSP and the voice acting is top notch. You might notice that Mark Hamill (Star Wars, Avatar the Last Airbender) and Leonard Nimoy (Star Trek)do voice acting as well as many of the VA from previous games. Some newcomers to KH may find the cutscenes a bit long but there is a skip scene option. Birth By Sleep is a great place to start for those who have never played a KH game before and for those who are already quite familiar with the story. With three scenarios and a fourth secret scenario as well as several fun minigames and a theatre mode that allows you to watch cutscenes after you complete the game, BBS will give you your money's worth.
21 of 21 found the following review helpful:
A Worthy Addition to the Kingdom Hearts saga! Sep 23, 2010
By Prinny_dood
Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep does not disappoint.
STORY:
If you're unfamiliar with the series, the general idea is that you play a hero who wields a weapon known as the Keyblade and you visit various Disney worlds (Aladdin, Hercules, The Lion King, Sleeping Beauty, etc.) to fight the forces of evil. This is a gross simplification of the story, but that's the general idea.
This game takes place about 10 years before the events of the first game. Instead of usual lead Sora, the story revolves around three friends: Terra, Ventus, and Aqua, who are in training to become Keyblade Masters. Early in the game, the heroes get sent on a mission to defeat monsters called "Unversed" that have appeared in the various worlds. In addition, they are tasked with locating the mysterious Master Xehanort, who has vanished under strange circumstances.
Since this is a prequel, we know that things can't end well for our heroes -- otherwise Sora would have nothing to do in the other games. As such, BBS has a much darker story than any of the previous games. The ending in particular is rather heart-wrenching, but I won't spoil any of the details. Despite saying all this, don't expect it to be as dark or depressing as something like the Matrix or Battlestar Galactica -- this is still a Disney game and you will definitely find yourself smiling and/or chuckling to yourself at many points throughout the game.
The story has been very well crafted and all the new characters have a great deal of depth to them. Aqua in particular I found to be a very good hero; I like her as much as, if not more than Sora. The main villain of the game is easily the most cunning and insidious villain to appear in the series. In fact, I would argue that he is one of the best villains to come out of Square-Enix in a very long time.
Do you need to play the other games to appreciate this story? No, but you will appreciate certain events more if you have played the other games (in particular, Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts 2). Even if you're new to the series, I'd still suggest picking it up.
Story: 10/10
GRAPHICS:
This game is beautiful. It is likely one of the best looking games on the PSP. It easily surpasses the graphics of Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days, and is probably about as good or slightly better than RE:Chain of Memories or Kingdom Hearts 2. In particular, I found myself admiring the detail of the expressions on the characters' faces during cutscenes.
Graphics: 10/10
SOUND:
Voice acting is, as usual for the series, stellar. Perhaps not the best voice acting ever (the Metal Gear series is probably better), but nevertheless quite good. Disney characters tend to sound just like in the movies (in some cases, voiced by the actual Disney voice actor!) and the original characters are voiced well. Of the three leads, Terra is probably the weakest for voice acting, but it's not intolerable. Special mention goes to Leonard Nimoy for his role as Master Xehanort -- he is outstanding at voicing the character.
Sound: 9/10
GAMEPLAY:
If you enjoyed the gameplay of Kingdom Hearts 2, you will likely enjoy playing BBS. The combat is fast paced and there are a variety of attacks to use, from standard keyblade strikes to casting spells to using shotlock attacks to hit groups. You can customize your character's arsenal of attacks by selecting different types of attacks and moves, allowing you to tailor the gameplay to your own preferences.
In addition to just finding new commands/spells as the game progresses, you can also fuse 2 spells together to make a new, more powerful one. In addition, you can choose to add a crystal to give the spell extra powers/abilities. It is like a simpler (albeit less addicting) version of the fusions that occur in the Shin Megami Tensei games.
Summons and Drive Forms from KH2 return as D-Links and Command Styles. D-links allow you to inherit special powers from a friend that you've met in the storyline (like Mickey or Snow White). Command Styles alter your basic attacks. By using various attacks and spells, you charge up the command gauge, and once it is filled, you may enter a Command Style. This greatly improves the effectiveness of your standard Keyblade attacks, just like entering the Drive Forms in KH2. By charging the command gauge with different types of attacks, you may enter different Command Styles.
You play through the story 3 times: once as Terra, once as Ventus, and once as Aqua. At first, you might expect this game to suffer from a lot of repetitiveness, but it never feels like that. While you visit the same worlds, you have different interactions with the characters and see a different part of the storyline. You may not even visit the same parts of a particular world. For example, in the Cinderella world, the Ventus part takes place completely within Cinderella's home, while Terra never even goes inside.
After playing through all 3 stories, if you have achieved a certain condition, then you get to play though one final story as Aqua. While it's pretty short, it gives you an extra boss fight and provides closure to the story.
As usual, there are plenty of fun minigames to play, and a couple not-so-fun minigames. But they add a nice sense of variety to the standard gameplay. Multiplayer is hypothetically fun, but only if you know someone else with a PSP. As I do not, I can't comment on that.
There are 4 difficulties to the game, as opposed to the usual 3 for Kingdom Hearts games. The newly added "Critical Mode" makes the game a serious challenge. Unless you do a lot of level grinding, expect the boss fights to be on par with Devil May Cry or Ninja Gaiden for difficulty. So if you're inexperienced, do not choose Critical. If you're up for the challenge though, it is a very fun and rewarding experience.
Gameplay: 10/10
At the end of the day, this is my favorite KH game. No question about it. If you're a fan of the series, then you're probably going to pick this up regardless of what I say. If you're unsure, I'd say go for it.
One last note: If you buy the game, I STRONGLY encourage you to do the full 600 MB data install. Unlike some other games, this one really benefits from it. Also, if you only have a PSPGo, you may be out of luck; at time of writing this game is not available for download from the PlayStation Store.
11 of 13 found the following review helpful:
It's a portable, but it's way better than 358/2 days. Sep 09, 2010
By C. Tusi
Amazing game!
It is a portable, but WAY better than 358/2 days.
*Some unknown facts about the game*
It was in production before KH2 Final Mix, so it was originally designed as a PS2 game which is why it shines so much better than 358/2 days, and why they worked harder on it. The game features the 3 heroes, however, in Final Mix +, they are all wearing capes (gone now) and when you fight Terra's lingering segment, he doesn't have the chain on his keyblade as he does in this game. now on to the review...
*Characters*
It starts with Ventus through the tutorial and lets you control the other two during it to show how they all play. Then you can choose who you want first and Once you beat it with one person, you move on to the next. But I will strongly suggest using Aqua last, as her story goes deeper and further than the others, way past the ends of their stories. (Which is where the secret US exclusive hooded unknown battle comes in.)
*Gameplay*
The Gameplay is flawless! It may be frustrating at times, but you really have to level up the abilities. you can mend abilities together for example, fire and some strike ability, and you get fire strike. once you level up certain spells such as Cure, if you have 2 of them at max level, you mend them together to upgrade to Cura, then to Curaga (as with other spells.) And the gameplay is very fun! Also with mending, you add certain crystals to get abilities such as combo plus or HP plus, and leveling the ability at MAX gives you the ability for other use. I started the game on Proud mode, so I got really frustrated until i figured out how to use the things.
*Command Board*
It's like Mario Party on drugs. You play the game just like Mario Party but you level up your abilities at the same time, or if you win.
Storyline
It takes place before the first Kingdom Hearts, everything is explained in a beautiful way, feels like a PS2 game, definitely.
All in all, I rate the game 5 stars. And don't go thinking just because it is a portable game it would be as watered down as 358/2 days. That game was decent, but not the best in the series and not even close to Birth By Sleep.
***Spoliers Below***
One of the cooler cutscenes is Terra appearing at Destiny Islands. He lets (young) Riku touch the Keyblade and tells him if he looks inside his heart, someday he will be the next Keyblade Master and can travel freely (as Riku wants to leave the island). Sora is their too, and its funny because after Riku talks to Terra, Sora says
"come on riku, tell me who he is! I'm the best at keeping secrets!"
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
A Totally Breathtaking and Enjoyable Adventure. Sep 08, 2010
By Matt .H
First off, i'm a Huge Disney, Final Fantasy & Square Enix Fan.
The presentation is amazing, it looks smooth, Runs Smooth (and thats without using the Extra 16-32 bit & Color palette options) The Kingdom hearts game series has increasingly great Final Fantasy Cameo's & Fun disney worlds and that's no different with Birth By Sleep.
i was kinda wary of Worlds like Cinderella & Sleeping beauty when i heard they were in this (Well they're not exactly action based disney titles) But actually they're Jolly Good fun.
If i had more time i'd be more descriptive, but i'm short on time, So, all i Can say, is This game will Grip your Heart, & Take your breath away, it's definitely worth the $39.99 (& Ignore the reviewer who rated one Star, they're biased)
My Verdict: 10/10
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