Review by Sky_Luigi

"If this is sleeping, don't wake me up"

Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep is the latest in the Kingdom Hearts franchise. Starting in the early 2000s, Kingdom Hearts is the series that stole more than hearts from innocent people, the hearts of millions of people worldwide. Kingdom Hearts stars Sora, a boy who's been chosen by the mysterious weapon, the keyblade, Sora seeks out to reunite himself with his friends and discover who's behind his enemies, the Heartless. Birth by Sleep is the prequel to the original Kingdom Hearts and stars Aqua, Terra and Ven, keyblade wielders before Sora entered the picture. Birth by Sleep rotates the stories of these heroes and explores the challenges and lessons they've learned by exploring different worlds and discovering their potential.

Birth by Sleep follows the hack and slash formula that Kingdom Hearts is known for. You have physical attacks and magic throughout everyones paths. New to Birth by Sleep is a system that uses no mp for techs/magics but instead has a cooldown time depending on the power of the tech. Birth by Sleep also features the D-Link system, a link that enables the character to borrow powers from in-game and outside links (such as your friends Birth by Sleep character) to use to your advantage. Birth by Sleep also has a drive type of system which gives you a powerup depending on the tech you use. In order to use these techs, you may adjust them inside a "deck" which essentially gives you an infinite number of possible outcomes. Its fun and it works.

Without a doubt the best graphics I've seen on the PSP. I've compared it to the original Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II on the PS2 and I can barely notice a difference. Simply amazing for its system and limitations. 10/10 The sound is also well made and has plenty of memorable and some nostalgic tracks. Crisp, sounds good and shows what the composer can do. 9/10

The story revolves around the different paths of three protagonists, Aqua, Terra and Ven. Each discover what is best to believe and all is eventually stringed together. Each of the three friends protect and trust each other throughout the game even though they are separated and looking for each other. Terra is looking for someone else though.

Final Thoughts
Highly recommended to anyone interested in this series and even if you are new to it. Birth by Sleep is a solid and well made game exceeding what I've expected from it.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10 | Originally Posted: 04/12/11

Game Release: Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep (US, 09/07/10)

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