Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep: Difference between revisions

Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep
North American cover art for Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep featuring (clockwise from top): Terra, Aqua, Ventus, and Mickey.
Developer(s)	Square Enix PDD 5[2]
Publisher(s)	Square Enix
Designer(s)	Tetsuya Nomura (game director) Tai Yasue (co-director) Shinji Hashimoto (executive producer) Patrick Chen (game producer) Yoichi Yoshimoto (co-producer)[3]
Writer(s)	Masaru Oka
Composer(s)	Yoko Shimomura Tsuyoshi Sekito Takeharu Ishimoto
Series	Kingdom Hearts
Platform(s)	PlayStation Portable[3]
Genre(s)	Action roleplaying game
Mode(s)	Single-player, Multiplayer

Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep (キングダム ハーツ バース バイ スリープ, Kingudamu Hātsu Bāsu bai Surīpu) is an action roleplaying game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable. The game was released in Japan on January 9, 2010,^[4] and it is planned to be released in North America on September 7, 2010 and in Europe on September 10, 2010^[5] Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep was also released with a limited edition PSP-3000 as a bundle in Japan featuring designs from the Kingdom Hearts series on its back.^[6] Nomura has referred to the game as "Episode 0"^[7] saying that the game is on the same scale and plays as big an importance as Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II.^[8]

The game is a prequel to the original Kingdom Hearts, taking place ten years before, and features many previously unseen characters and unexplained plot elements from the series. The game centers on the journeys of Terra, Aqua, and Ventus, characters briefly featured in Kingdom Hearts II, in their quest to locate the missing Master Xehanort. The game also utilizes an overhauled battle system different from previous games in the series with new elements such as the Command Board, Command System and Dimension Links added in.

Birth by Sleep is an action roleplaying game. This game allows players to customize their "deck" by choosing which techniques and abilities to display.^[10][11]

Another new gameplay aspect is the Command System; when the command gauge is filled and requirements have been fulfilled, the Command Style of the character will change. When the gauge fills up and the requirements have been fulfilled for the second time, the character will change to an even higher level Command Style.^[12]

A new feature of the game is the Command Board, which appears whenever the player completes a world, and can be accessed from save points and the world map once unlocked. Each world has its own unique Command Board with its own tricks and mechanisms. The Command Board plays like a regular board game where a die is thrown and the player moves, each space having its own unique effect on the player. Various Disney characters from throughout the game also appear on their respective Command Board to either aid or hinder the player. Special panels in the board game can trigger "special events" when landed on by the player.

The game does not utilize a Magic Points (MP) system for spell or magic casting, unlike in previous games in the series. Instead it uses a new system known as "Focus" which is displayed in a gauge on the interface, involving targeting spells using what is known as the "Shoot Lock Mode". It also involves the characters casting spells in a first person mode, where each character is able to cast their own unique magic attacks.^[13]

Another new aspect of the game is the Dimension Link (D-Link) which can be used to summon allies to lend their power to aid the player from different worlds. Companions such as Experiment 626 who have been left behind in previous worlds can be called upon once again to temporarily aid the player in his or her, by providing player with an entirely new range of new attacks in their command decks replacing the usual ones. At the end, a new powerful finishing move is activated to take out enemies. Each ally used will have a unique set of attacks and finishing move. Each finishing move has two levels which can render a finishing move more powerful than before, similar to that of the Command System. The D-Link can be activated by pressing right on the directional pad to access the D-Link menu, followed by selecting the chosen ally namely Experiment 626, Aqua, Ventus, Terra and several others.^[12]

The game is divided into three separate scenarios, with each scenario surrounding an individual of the three main characters: Terra, Aqua, and Ventus. The gameplay of each scenario differs based on the personalities and abilities of each character such as power, speed and magic. Players are able to choose which of the three scenarios to begin with and are able to switch to another scenario, midway through playing a scenario.^[3] The scenario's recommended order of play by Nomura is Terra, followed by Ventus, and lastly Aqua, allowing the player to best understand the story.^[8] In addition, the three scenarios are very different and only share the same story-line for the first ten minutes of the story.^[8]

The game supports up to six players at a time^[14] in four new multiplayer modes namely, Versus, Arena, Command Board and Rumble Racing. Players control one of the three main characters suited in armor in a world known as the Mirage Arena. In Versus, players fight against each other in a deathmatch style game within a world known as Mirage Arena. While in Arena players fight co-operatively in a "Survival Mode" style of gameplay against wave after wave of Unversed. In Rumble Racing, players race against each other competitively on their Keyblade vehicles which can also be used to attack rivals. In Command Board, players play a board game on the in-game Command Board mechanic to reach the end first like in traditional board games.^[15] Setting records in the Mirage Arena earns players medals which can be exchanged for rare items in-game.^[16] Only Ad-Hoc wireless multiplayer is allowed.^[17]

Birth by Sleep is a prequel to the first Kingdom Hearts game, taking place ten years prior.^[18][19] Like the other games in the series, the player progresses through a collection of various worlds, based on various locales from the Disney animated features canon: Dwarf Woodlands from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs; Enchanted Dominion from Sleeping Beauty; Castle of Dreams from Cinderella; Olympus Coliseum from Hercules; Deep Space from Lilo & Stitch; Neverland from Peter Pan (featuring for the first time most of the main island setting new to the series rather than Captain Hook's pirate ship and Big Ben from the first game and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days); and Mysterious Tower from Fantasia.^[14] The game also features various new worlds specially created for the series by Square Enix such as the Land of Departure and Radiant Garden.^[20] Disney Town, which is the town that surrounds the castle grounds of Disney Castle, serves as the game's minigame world. Worlds such as Destiny Islands and Castle Oblivion also appear in the form of cutscenes, while the 100 Acre Wood from the Winnie the Pooh franchise, which had appeared in most other games of the series, only appears as a Command Board in Birth by Sleep.

The three main characters are Terra, Aqua, and Ventus, a trio of close friends and apprentice Keyblade-wielders under Master Eraqus who aspire to become Masters themselves. Another Keyblade Master, Xehanort, and his mysterious apprentice, Vanitas, serve as the game's antagonists. Other characters from the previous games return, such as Sora, Riku, and Kairi, though they are younger than their original incarnations and given less prominent roles. A number of characters who later come to form Organization XIII also appear, particularly the first five apprentices of Ansem the Wise (Braig, Dilan, Even, Aeleus, and Ienzo) as well as Lea and Isa.^[21] As with the Heartless in Kingdom Hearts and the Nobodies in Kingdom Hearts II, Birth by Sleep introduces a new type of enemy: the Unversed, beings who oppose human life and feed off of negative emotions, created from those who are not well-versed in their own existences.

As with the other games in the series, Birth by Sleep features an extensive cast of Disney characters.^[11] The most prominent of these characters is King Mickey,^[10] who serves as a student under Yen Sid at this point in the series chronology. Donald Duck and Goofy, who served the main protagonist Sora in most other games, appear in smaller roles. Most other Disney characters remain in their respective worlds regardless of their overall importance to the story in previous installments, such as Maleficent and Pete, who served as major antagonists between Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II, and a number of the Princesses of Heart. Some characters (such as Experiment 626, Prince Phillip, and even King Mickey) occasionally fight alongside the player characters in battles as partners similar to the other games, providing assistance and performing combos to help the player proceed. However, they do not follow the player around constantly like Donald and Goofy in the other games. Unlike the other major installments, which also featured casts of various characters throughout the Final Fantasy series, Birth by Sleep only features two of these characters: Zack Fair from Final Fantasy VII, and Moogles, from several of the Final Fantasy games.^[22] As Birth by Sleep is a prequel of the first Kingdom Hearts title, the staff decided to add Zack to the title as he is protagonist from the Final Fantasy VII prequel, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII.^[23]

The story begins in the Land of Departure, where a trio of friends and Keyblade wielders—Terra, Aqua, and Ventus (Ven for short)—train under the Keyblade Master Eraqus to become Keyblade Masters themselves. Terra and Aqua take an exam to achieve the Mark of Mastery, but while Aqua passes, Terra fails due to the abundant darkness in his heart. Shortly after the test, another Keyblade Master, Xehanort, disappears, and a hoard of mysterious creatures called the Unversed begin to appear throughout the worlds. Eraqus sends Terra to destroy the Unversed and find Xehanort. Ven is goaded into following Terra by Vanitas, Xehanort's enigmatic apprentice, against Eraqus's wishes. To watch over Terra and bring Ven back to the Land of Departure, Aqua is sent out to track her friends down.

Upon arriving in several worlds, Terra, Aqua, and Ven encounter various Disney characters, fighting off hoards of Unversed along the way. Among the characters they meet is Mickey Mouse, the apprentice of the sorcerer Yen Sid, who is also on a mission to destroy the Unversed. Terra ends up attracting the attention of several Disney villains, who offer him the whereabouts of Xehanort in exchange for assistance in their own dark agendas. Terra reasons that Xehanort is after the seven Princesses of Heart—maidens who lack darkness in their hearts—and encourages Aqua to help them strengthen the light in their hearts, hoping it will draw Xehanort out. However, Aqua and Ven grow increasingly concerned for Terra when they hear rumors of him committing sinister deeds throughout other worlds. The three briefly reunite at Radiant Garden, where Aqua meets Kairi, a young girl containing a strong and pure light in the heart of her royal blood, and helps strengthen her light. Aqua and Ven also confront Terra, who distances himself from them to keep them out of the way of his increasingly dangerous dark powers. Terra and Aqua try to convince Ven to return to the Land of Departure, but he refuses until he is certain Terra will not fall into darkness.

Terra and Aqua eventually find themselves at Destiny Islands where they encounter two young boys, Sora and Riku. Terra sees potential within Riku and deems him worthy of one day wielding the Keyblade, while Aqua senses strong ties with Sora and Riku to Ven and Terra, respectively. Ven, meanwhile, comes across Xehanort, who reveals his intentions to use Ven's heart to create a final Keyblade known as the Χ-Blade, something Xehanort says Master Eraqus had known all along. Ven returns to the Land of Departure to confront Eraqus, who tries to erase Ven to prevent Xehanort's plans from succeeding. However, Terra, who had been sent there by Xehanort, attacks Eraqus and teleports Ven to safety to protect him. Upon his defeat, Eraqus is vanquished by Xehanort, who tells Terra to go to the Keyblade Graveyard and leaves the Land of Departure to be consumed by darkness. At Destiny Islands, Ven once again encounters Vanitas and learns of his past: Ven was once Xehanort's apprentice, but his heart was deemed too weak for Xehanort to use him as he intended, so he extracted the darkness in Ven's heart and used it to create Vanitas. As with Terra before him, Ven is instructed by Vanitas to go to the Keyblade Graveyard. Aqua, in the meantime, learns of Eraqus's defeat from Yen Sid, who tells her to go to the Keyblade Graveyard as well.

Terra, Aqua, and Ventus gather at the Keyblade Graveyard, where the remains of the mysterious Keyblade War are found. Xehanort appears with Vanitas and reveals his plan to use the Χ-Blade to unlock Kingdom Hearts and unleash the forbidden secrets of the Keyblade War onto the various worlds, as well as to use Terra's body as a new vessel for his own heart so that he may survive long enough to see his plans come to fruition. In the ensuing battle, the enraged Terra unleashes the darkness in his heart and is possessed by Xehanort, but his strong will remains within his discarded suit of armor, which comes to life as the Lingering Sentiment and defeats Xehanort, knocking him unconscious. Meanwhile, Vanitas fuses with Ven to create the Χ-Blade and battles Aqua alongside Mickey while Ven fights him from within. Aqua shatters the Χ-Blade as Ven destroys Vanitas, though Ven's heart is lost in the process. The destroyed Χ-Blade unleashes a burst of light, which consumes everyone present and scatters them to the corridors of space, save for the Lingering Sentiment, which remains in the Keyblade Graveyard.

Mickey saves Aqua and Ventus and brings them to Yen Sid's tower, where Aqua learns that Ven has lost his heart and will not be revived until his heart returns. Aqua brings Ven back to the ruins of the Land of Departure, where she unlocks the Chamber of Waking and creates Castle Oblivion from the ruins using Master Eraqus's Keyblade. After leaving Ven within the chamber, Aqua goes to Radiant Garden where she encounters and defeats Xehanort, who has lost his memories but still possesses Terra's body. Terra then attempts to stop Xehanort from within by sending himself into the Realm of Darkness, but Aqua dives into the darkness and saves Terra from disappearing with her armor and Keyblade. She ends up getting trapped in the Realm of Darkness and beginning a journey to return to her friends. Xehanort is discovered and taken in by Ansem the Wise, ruler of Radiant Garden, as his apprentice. Ven's heart of light then finds its way to Sora is able to merge with his heart.

After the events of Kingdom Hearts II, Aqua comes across Ansem in the Realm of Darkness with only a few of his memories remaining. He tells Aqua all about his encounters with Sora and that Sora is now the only one who can stop the worlds from being engulfed in darkness and save those connected to his heart, including Terra and Ven. Sora, having now read the letter from King Mickey, bids farewell to Kairi as he prepares to depart on another journey to save everyone who is connected to him.

Development of the game began in June 2005 and was originally intended for the PlayStation 2 with Sora as the prototype protagonist of the game.^[24] Birth by Sleep was developed by Square Enix's fifth Product Development Division, based in Osaka,^[2] the same team behind Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories, and uses the same graphical engine as Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII.^[25] During development of Kingdom Hearts II, the Osaka-based team had requested to be involved in a spin-off if one were to be made.^[2] Development of the game began before the release of Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+. The plot was completed, but development was halted six months after it began due to development of Re:Chain of Memories. The development team changed the platform to the PlayStation Portable so as to make use of the PSP's functions such as co-operative and competitive multiplayer gameplay.^[23] The title of the game is based on Final Mix+'s secret ending, "Birth by Sleep", title which Nomura developed as he wanted a phrase having "by" as well as to use an English titles like previous games.^[23]

Birth by Sleep was directed by Tetsuya Nomura and co-directed by Tai Yasue.^[3] In 2007, Nomura mentioned a desire to create a spin-off Kingdom Hearts game on a mobile platform and for it to feature gameplay slightly different than other titles in the series.^[26] It was announced alongside Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days and Kingdom Hearts coded at the Tokyo Game Show on September 20, 2007, where a trailer was shown in a photo-prohibited theater.^[27] New trailers were shown at the 2008 Jump Festa in December 2007 and the DKΣ3713 Private party in August 2008—a playable demo was also available at DKΣ3713.^[28][29]

The June 5, 2009 issue of Famitsu covered an interview with Tetsuya Nomura, where he said that the game was, at the time, at the voice recording stage. It also speculated that the game would be showcased at Tokyo Game Show 2009.^[30]

In August 2009, new Famitsu scans revealed a revamped User Interface (having been revamped twice before) as well as new worlds after a lack of news for close to a year. It was also revealed that the official names for the new enemies were the Unversed. Nomura also confirmed in an interview that Birth by Sleep would contain a secret ending like in Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II for the next game in the Kingdom Hearts series which he confirmed a main game and the one which Nomura stated would link up Birth by Sleep, 358/2 Days and Coded. He also confirmed that a Birth by Sleep demo would indeed be playable at the 2009 Tokyo Games Show together with a new trailer.^[4]

In early October 2009, Square Enix released their Tokyo Game Show 2009 trailer to the public on the official website. Nomura revealed that the concept of the Command Board originated from when he was in elementary school as at that time he was very fascinated with board games and even made his own; hence he wanted to incorporate a fun board game into the game. He also revealed that the name Eraqus came from an anagram of Square, and said that both Master Eraqus and Vanitas would be voiced by voice actors who are very difficult to hire. He also reveals that they are still currently working on Aqua's outfit which has been revamped three times so as to find a balance between too conservative or revealing. The official release date was also confirmed as being January 9, 2010.^[17]

In late October 2009, Nomura updated the official Kingdom Hearts blog, "Message from the Kingdom", with a status report about Birth by Sleep. He revealed that he was currently designing the cover art for Birth by Sleep as well as editing the staff rolls due to there being three main characters in Birth by Sleep. He also revealed that they were editing the new opening movie for the game, though he did not mention if a new opening song would be used or a previous one would be re-used like with 358/2 Days. He also noted that they were also editing the promotional video and commercials for the game at the time.^[31]

In December 2009, the game made its final public appearance before its Japanese release at Jump Festa 2010 on December 19, 2009 where a playable demo as well as new footage from the game were present and shown.^[32] The trailer shown during the event was finally unveiled to the public on December 28, 2009 as part of an update to the official site. Like previous console titles in the series, the game contains a secret movie at the end, which had been described as being more like a "true ending" rather than a teaser for the future like previous ones. It is also a departure from previous movies, which had been concepts for the next game they conveyed, whereas this one plays an integral role in the story of the series. The teaser is approximately thirteen minutes long, and is not pre-rendered like the previous movies. The movie features dialogue and shows characters that are present only during the movie.^[8] Development of the movie began in October where Nomura noted in the blog that the game would contain a teaser to the next major Kingdom Hearts game similar to the teasers Deep Dive and Birth by Sleep.^[31]

On March 16, 2010 Square Enix announced the English version of Birth By Sleep, which is to be released on September 7, 2010 in North America, and September 10, 2010 in Europe.^[15] The overseas version of the game is expected to contain some adjustments from the original versions, such as a new difficulty mode and additional songs for the Rhythmic Ice Cream minigame.^[23] The game will also see an all-star voice-acting cast of returning members such as Jesse McCartney and James Woods as well as numerous new actors such as Willa Holland, Leonard Nimoy and Mark Hamill.^[33]

The game sold very well during its first two days of release with over 500,000 copies of the game sold in Japan.^[34] As of February 14, 2010 the game has sold a total of 800,551 copies of the game solely in Japan.^[35]

The playable demonstration (demo) of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep was well received at the DKΣ3713 Private party. After playing the demo, IGN expressed their excitement at the release of the game in 2010.^[28] 1UP.com echoed similar statements, praising the visuals and stating it "plays better" than the previous Kingdom Hearts games. They had some complaints regarding to Ven's demo due to constant jumping. They further stated that Ven's demo gave them an idea of "how the game is going to feel", and predicted the game would improve the series.^[13] 1UP also put it on their article "Top 10 PSP Games of 2010",^[36] IGN featured it as nominated of 2010's "Best of E3 Award" in the category Best PSP Games.^[37]

The game has been highly praised by Japanese gaming magazine, Famitsu, which gave a score of 10/9/9/9 for a total of 37 out of 40. It praised the game's graphics and music, calling them "superb", as well as praising the wide variety of customization available to the players due to the three unique playable characters. It also praised the design of boss battles, calling them "lively and exciting".^[38]

• List of Disney video games by genre

• Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep North American site
• Kingdom: Hearts Birth by Sleep Japanese site Template:Ja icon
• Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep European site
• Official Kingdom Hearts Blog Message from the KINGDOM Template:Ja icon
• Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep at IMDb