In Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, the player controls three different characters as opposed to its predecessors; Terra, Aqua and Ventus. The main plot revolves around Terra, Aqua and Ventus’s journey to locate the missing Master Xehanort, who is a friend of their teacher, Master Eraqus (a pun on the word Square). This quest takes place 10 years prior to the setting of Kingdom Hearts 1. The main problem faced by most sequels and prequels for games, is that players wonder where these newly introduced characters were in the previous games, but Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep avoids that issue by storytelling and how each of the main characters in the game met their tragic end and thus giving proof of their absence in the games that follow the timeline chronologically.

As mentioned before, Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep is an action role-playing game and thus requires a combat system that would complement real time action. Since the first Kingdom Hearts game, the combat system has been updated with each game and contains major differences in technique from the former. Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep uses the Command Deck system, which allows the player to customize the various battle strategies that can be used to defeat particular enemies. Using these Command Decks fills up a gauge which allows the player to use Command Styles, which is a completely new concept to the franchise. Filling the gauge with certain Commands allows the player to use different combinations of Command styles.This game, unlike the previous games, also introduce s the use of Focus and Dimension Link. D-link is used for calling upon help from characters similar to Summons in Kingdom Hearts 2. Focus on the other hand is a replacement for Magic Points in previous games. This allows the player to use a very powerful finisher exclusive to each different character. Players can also provide themselves a challenge by not using Command Styles or Command Decks. Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep was praised for its combat system because it was the most developed and aesthetically appealing one out of the series.

The basic of interface is through coding, by allowing the player to press certain buttons to obtain certain results or combination of results. In Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, the player uses the X button to attack normally while using the Triangle button to use Command Decks. The X button can also be used to interact with different objects and people while the Circle button is used for jumping. The Square button is used to guard or defend while the analogue stick is used to move the character around. This system would allow every player to have the same dynamic in the game, but the Command Deck allows each player to have a different style of play.

The Command Deck menu acts as the main interface between the character and the player. This allows the player to make their own deck suited to what element or what style they prefer fighting with; whether it is offense or defense or if it is physical attacks or magic attacks.

Along with the main Command Deck menu, there are several other menus in the game that allow the player to interact with the game for example, the Start menu, the Shop Menu or the Battle Design. Using these menus the player can control every aspect of their character, ranging from what
attacks they can use to items that can be purchased and more.

While Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep does not offer much diversity and different outcomes in terms of story, it does offer the player a chance to choose which character’s scenario they wish to play first. Terra, Aqua and Ventus all have different storylines based on the same universe and therefore have different end results and different takes on what is moral and immoral. There is no chronological order to play but it is preferred to be played in the order of Terra > Ventus > Aqua, because the former’s story ends earlier in timeline than the latter’s.

Also, as stated before, a player can choose which form of attack mode each character will use; whether they are more profound in attack, defense or magic. By default, Terra specializes in attack, Aqua in magic while Ventus uses both. This could also be a determining factor for the player to choose which character to play as first. Furthermore, the player can also decide which worlds to visit first. For example, both the Dwarf Woodlands from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Enchanted Dominion from The Sleeping Beauty are available to visit when the player starts the game. The story is then adjusted to the choice of the player depending on which world is visited first.

Prior to the release of Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, Jump Magazine and Famitsu provided spoilers that were released on a monthly basis on approval of Square Enix. These spoilers provided the game recognition to readers of the magazine. Along with physical advertisements, digital advertisements were far more effective. The game was, as stated before, referenced in Kingdom Hearts 2 and so the public was already looking forward to another installment in the Kingdom Hearts franchise. The game was officially announced at the Tokyo Game Show in 2007, which led to the release of a series of trailers and gameplay videos leading up to the release of the game. The final appearance of the game before the actual release was at Jump Festa 2009, where a demo of the game was released, allowing renowned game reviewers to provide feedback on the game.

Overall, the game was well received by critics and gamers alike, selling over 500,000 copies. By the end of 2010, it was listed as the sixth best-selling video game in the United States. Websites like Gamespot, IGN and Gamezone provided their own feedback on the game. Gamespot gave the game a review of 7.5/10, stating that while the combat system and story in Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep might have some repetitions, “vibrant visuals and snazzy, evolving combat will likely charm fans and newcomers alike into forgiving most of the flaws” (Gamespot). IGN, however, provided a more positive review than Gamespot giving the game an 8.5/10, stating that Birth by Sleep is worth the money and the wait and that the battle system is the best in the series (IGN).

Being a fan of traditional turned base JRPGs, I started playing Kingdom Hearts solely because of the presence of Final Fantasy characters like Cloud Strife. I did not play the games in chronological order, as I started with Kingdom Hearts 2, which was a pleasant surprise and led me to become a fan of franchise, picking up all the related games in order to keep up with the story. This is what led me to play Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep. I bought the PSP solely for this game and Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core.

What intrigued me most about this game was the combat system. Unlike the previous games, this combat system was flashier and more aesthetically gorgeous. Admittedly, Sora in the previous games had just started out as a Keyblade Wielder, which is why it would make sense that he did not have as much experience with tactics and fancy commands. The fresh experience of controlling a female character was also a perk of this game. While the previous games had the potential to explore controlling Kairi, it was never done and so controlling Aqua and being able to focus more on magic as opposed to the attack norm was also a great advantage of the game. Personally, this is my favorite game of the franchise, because this game separates itself from the main happy-go-lucky theme of the Kingdom Hearts franchise. This game has a somber and depressing tone to it, because the player can figure out the fates of each character, and the game, by the end, invokes pity from the player towards the characters that do not exist in real life. While this may not be the most realistic game, the theme of darkness versus light (good versus evil) is a very common topic in real life. Unlike previous games, the mini games in Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep were very enjoyable, especially the Command Board Mini game, which had a similarity to monopoly.

The cons of this game, however minor they are, are still a little bit painful to watch. Some of the voice acting, particularly Terra’s, sounded clichéd, forced and not realistic at all. Certain retcons were present in the game which made it confusing for some players. For example, when Donald and Goofy visit Mysterious Tower in Kingdom Hearts 2, they do not recognize it, however, in this game, which takes place 10 years prior, Donald and Goofy are stationed at Mysterious Tower to help King Mickey and Yen Sid. The retcon was passed as Yen Sid “redecorating” the tower and that is why Donald and Goofy did not recognize it.

Overall, I would say this game has lead the Kingdom Hearts franchise into a great direction, opening up possibilities of multiplayer, beautiful combat system and great new characters that are older and wiser than the ones we are used to playing as. The story has also become more rich and interesting than it was before with the idea that at the end of the franchise Sora is the key and he has the power to save the characters of this game from their tragic fate.