Back when the original Kingdom Hearts came out, RPG fans knew they had found something special. Devout fans followed the game through its sequels and also into 358/2. The story and gameplay of those three progressed beyond the achievements of their predecessor, and fans of the series should be severely disappointed if they haven’t given Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep on the PSP a go yet. While bringing the game onto the PlayStation Portable may not have been the most ideal iteration of the next Kingdom Hearts game, the little handheld presents a rather astonishing stage for such a brilliant little game.
Game: Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep
Publisher: Square-Enix
Developer: Square-Enix
Genre: RPG
Price: $39.99
Verdict: Fantastic portable RPG Kingdom Hearts fans will love
Pros: Easily the best Kingdom Hearts game of the series, fantastic battle system
Cons: Some cliched story elements
Acquired via Publisher
The story in this latest version of Kingdom Hearts serves as a prequel before Sora became the Keymaster and follows around a trio of would-be heroes. Terra, Ventus and Aqua are controllable as three unique Keymasters who begin the game as the closest of friends. As standard JRPG mantra would have it, one of them unlocks the darkness inside of them as they progress through the story and the player is in control of each to decide the fate of the world. You’ll choose who you want to take through the story and each character delivers a unique experience. Not only are their play styles different, the dialog and interactions in each world is different depending on who you take through. Terra is your typical physical attacker while Aqua is your magic user. Ventus evens out the picks as a well-rounded user that can hit hard or wield magic as needed.
I can’t really complain about the action-RPG oriented controls of the previous Kingdom Hearts games, but Birth by Sleep takes what was already pretty solid and establishes a new level of fun to the battle system. The most notable is the combo system that has been added to the already stout menu-based core battle mechanics. Characters can chain together powerful combos and then unleash a devastating finishing move to dispatch foes. These finishing moves come when successful combo chains are made and your character enters a heightened state that increases damage output. Additionally, you can custom tailor the combo possibilities by altering your character’s combat style to suit a certain strength and create some rather massive damage dealing combinations.
Another unique inclusion is the ability to link up multiplayer with a friend via the PSP ad hoc mode. The downside being you need to have someone within range of directly connecting to you with a PSP and an additional copy of the game. Once you’ve achieved this, you can challenge your friend to a versus mode, battle alongside them in an gladiator styled arena where you face the same enemy co-op style or go head-to-head in a kart racing style mini-game. Although it may be difficult at times to find someone near you to play these multiplayer games with, they are fun enough to seek out partners in which to do just that.
Fans of Kingdom Hearts may have been a bit dissuaded at the fact that the next game was targeted at the PSP and not on the larger consoles, but the production value of such a venture has not suffered in the slightest. Visuals are very appealing whether viewing the cut scenes or in game graphics. The world you’ll be inhabiting during your journey are instantly recognizable as their Disney counterparts and a real pleasure to view, even on the small screen. The same amount of polish and finesse is obviously taken in the sound department as well. Big name voice actors such as Leonard Nimoy and Mark Hamill combine with other experts to create a believable and compelling diction of the game. The score, as well is orchestral and fitting to the Disney theme which is the biggest influence on the game. If you’re looking or listening to Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with how well it does on both fronts.
RPG fans of portable gaming, fans of the Kingdom Hearts franchise, or just RPG fans in general owe it to themselves to see this game in action. While the story does make some subtle queues to the previous games, it is not a requirement to know the Kingdom Hearts story in depth to enjoy this title. Many analysts predict that the PSP is at the end of its life cycle and if that were the case, Kingdom Hearts delivers a paramount experience in which to measure the PSP’s achievements thus far.
GrE Grade: A
Popularity: unranked [?]
