Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep - Sony PSP

Good but just a few tech glitches what comes with an old game. Didnt like how long the loading screens took but thats easly fixed if you download it to your sd card. Overall good game tho

If you loved the Kingdom Hearts series you will definitely love this game. It has all the features you would expect from the PS2 versions of the game plus much more. I felt that the first Kingdom Hearts was lacking when it came to game-play, but that all changed with Kingdom Hearts 2. Birth by Sleep only enhances what already worked by adding a more robust level up system and putting the PSP to work with its fast paced action. If you loved the Kingdom Hearts games for the PS2 and are sick of waiting for Kingdom Hearts 3 then this game is more then enough to soothe that pain.

Okay, so I am a huge fan of the Kingdom Hearts franchise. As a result, I was very, very excited for the latest installment, Birth by Sleep. So excited, in fact, that I actually went out and bought a PSP just so I could play it. $170 for the system, $30 for the memory card and $45 to get this game on release date. Was it worth the almost $250 I paid to play it? Absolutely. In case youre not aware, Birth by Sleep is a prequel to the Kingdom Hearts series, taking place roughly ten years before Soras tale kicks off. Does this mean you can just jump in? Well, yes and no. A lot of what is contained in this game is nods and winks for what will come later in the series, so if you havent played KH, Chain of Memories, KH II or 358/2 days yet, you might miss some of these (but I doubt that would be critical). This game, if nothing else, begins the tale by explaining a lot about why a lot of the things that happened in the series did, so its beautiful for continuity. About the storyline of this game specifically: there are three. Thats right, three beautifully interwoven stories. You play as Terra, Ventus and Aqua - three students yearning to become Keyblade Masters. But right at the beginning, their fates take a twist, and you end up separated. You can play as all three characters in any order you desire. (Though Terra, Ventus, then Aqua is the order recommended by the games designer). In my opinion, the story build-up through each *individual* story is kinda sub-standard compared to the rest of the KH series, but putting the stories together makes it just as awesome as its predecessors. As far as gameplay is concerned, I have to say that it is, by far, the best combat system that the Square Enix has come up with yet. The command deck system is a good compromise between the standard battle system of KH and KH II and the Panel system of 358/2 Days. (Thankfully they neglected to add anything of the horrid card system that Chain of Memories sported.) They also added a couple of new features. One, for instance, is the addition of Shot Lock commands. Using this neat feature, you can lock on to a large number of enemies (or just one enemy repeatedly) to unleash multiple attacks simultaneously, even sometimes launching massive combos that can do insane damage. One big difference in this game is that there is virtually no party to help you in combat. Every so often youll get a little help for a boss fight, but its mostly you on your own for the majority of the game. But, to counteract this, they added a D-Link feature. Basically, when you switch D-Link mode on, you can get different command decks based on the character you linked with. You can also get powerups that are shaped like stars as you defeat enemies in D-Link mode that will strengthen the deck, give you a new finish command, and make it more powerful overall. That is something I neglected to mention about combat. There is the addition of Finish commands. As you unleash combos against enemies, you will fill a combo bar. The more damage you do, the faster it fills. Once it fills completely, your character will unleash a finish command, which can evolve into several more powerful versions as the game progresses. Also, if you use deck commands (attacks, magic or both) in the middle of building up a bar, you can sometimes trigger different combat styles. This will allow you to build your combo bar up again, while using far more powerful attack patterns - maybe powered up by lighting your keyblade on fire, or by dealing critical damage with every strike (very similar to Limit Attacks in Days). Oh yes, and to make sure your commands are leveled up as far as they can be, you have several options. One great one is playing on the new Command Board feature. Thats right, the designers at Square Enix added a fully functional board game to the KH game. And trust me, it is really a lot of fun. Plus, as you play, your attacks and commands will get stronger. How cool is that? But if board games just arent your style, you can also go try the Mirage Arena. You can either play multiplayer and try to compete either with or against your friends, or go it alone for some really tough battles. And all the while you can collect loads of XP to make your character strong. Not sure ive missed anything else. So as far as gameplay, its absolutely outstanding, by far the best in the series (and one of the best Ive ever played - and Ive played a lot). When it comes to story, its pretty much par-for-the-course, but trust me, Squares set the bar very high, so even par is very good. No digital version, so youd better by the UMD if you have a PSP and like Kingdom Hearts. Heck, you should buy this even if you *dont* like Kingdom Hearts - yet.

This game is awesome! Explains a lot of the story telling of how characters became who they are and how they relate to the ten years between this game and the first Kingdom Hearts. Ties in really well with everything and get to see characters before they meet Sora, yet kind of do at the same time.

First off, im 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 Cameos & Fun disney worlds and thats no different with Birth By Sleep. i was kinda wary of Worlds like Cinderella & Sleeping beauty when i heard they were in this (Well theyre not exactly action based disney titles) But actually theyre Jolly Good fun. If i had more time id be more descriptive, but im short on time, So, all i Can say, is This game will Grip your Heart, & Take your breath away, its definitely worth the $39.99 (& Ignore the reviewer who rated one Star, theyre biased) My Verdict: 10/10

This is a Christmas gift for my son. I dont know anything about the game yet. Im sure it works fine and my son is going to be excited when he opens it on Christmas Day!

Got this on Christmas of 2012. I didnt have an SD card for my then-new psp at the time, so I actually never got past the first part of the game, which is crazy considering how long this game has been sitting in my room (7 years??) but Ill always remember the excitement I had for it, how nostalgic I felt (and still feel) and how mesmerizing it was to see the graphics. Overall, its an amazing and memorable game that I hope I will finally finish playing one day. I have an SD card now but my PSPs charger has been missing for years, so I guess the wait isnt over yet lol. Great game, great graphics for its time, ingeniously crafted story arch, lovable characters, and a must-play among the series greatest sequels since KH1 & 2.

Its like playing the original Kingdom Hearts 1 or 2 on the PSP. That is when it comes to the graphics. Story-wise, it is much different. You play through the stories of three new characters and travel through the same worlds as in previous games. It is a lot of fun and a must have for any PSP owner.

Was the gift requested

Good game I enjoyed playing it even though I never finished it.