Quick Retro Reviews: Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep

Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep Review: A prequel worth your time!!

Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep is a prequel to the popular Kingdom Hearts series, originally released for the PlayStation Portable in 2010 then later on PS3 & 4 as apart of the 2.5 Final Mix. The game follows three protagonists, Terra, Aqua, and Ventus, as they embark on an intertwining journey to uncover the threat of the unversed & thwart the evil plans of Xehanort.

Birth By Sleep features takes players across 3 separate protagonist stories each with a unique play style and abilities in real-time combat. The game also introduces the Command Deck system, which allows players to customise their character's moveset by equipping different commands ranging from Magic & Attacks.

The story is compelling as the 3 stories each build upon each other and provides a deeper understanding of the series' lore, with various cameos from familiar characters. I appreciate how each of our protagonists will experience slightly different scenarios in the worlds travelled reducing the feel of retread, this was a fantastic choice from the developers.

Total playtime is likely to vary from player to player but I found Birth By Sleep was on the easier side of the scale with each characters scenario taking approx 8 hours to complete, however for the dedicated completionists out there the game will likely take 50+ hours as there are many collectables & mini-games to keep you occupied 

Overall, Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep is a fantastic addition to the Kingdom Hearts series, providing a unique perspective on the events leading up to the first game. Fans of the series will enjoy the game's story, characters, and gameplay mechanics.

Score:
8/10