Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep

 PSP
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 551 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 452 out of 551
  2. Mixed: 49 out of 551
  3. Negative: 50 out of 551
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  1. KnuffleBunny180
    Sep 10, 2023
    8
    This review contains NO SPOILERS:

    This game was truly something special. This is exactly how a prequel is done right in terms of storytelling, and since it's a Kingdom Hearts 1 prequel, it brings back some elements of that game while bringing such a unique and interesting/fun combat system that has not been done before in any game. Such a remarkable experience I had with this game.    This review contains NO SPOILERS:

    This game was truly something special. This is exactly how a prequel is done right in terms of storytelling, and since it's a Kingdom Hearts 1 prequel, it brings back some elements of that game while bringing such a unique and interesting/fun combat system that has not been done before in any game. Such a remarkable experience I had with this game. Since there are 3 characters to play AND a final story, the game ends up being just a tiny bit longer than Kingdom Hearts II, which is pretty big. I do feel that the repeating cutscenes and how you watch similar things play out gets a bit tedious, it also makes you see those scenes in a new light and context than you did with another character. By the time you get to your third playthrough, the gameplay loop might start to tire you, and therefore I took a bit of a break from the game which could be a tiny issue. Overall, this game gets an 8/10. Go play it.    … Expand
  2. galanteo94
    Aug 30, 2023
    9
    Excelentes gráficos, buena historia, fluidez absoluta, no está a la altura del II pero le mira de tú a tú al primero.
  3. MacArron23
    Jul 24, 2023
    7
    Interesting story and a good twist from the original saga. I liked the combat system, the world get quite repetitive though
  4. zasaz13
    May 18, 2023
    8
    The story is interesting as it explains the origins of some characters. The playability is similar than the PS games. The lvl of the different worlds can be annoying
  5. geo333
    Apr 26, 2023
    8
    This game has probably the most fun command system in the franchise as I spend hours melding and upgrading the characters that did not feel like a chore, as the story is great at times better than the main games. I played the Final Mix, not the PSP version so for me this is a great game to play and rewarding as well.
  6. aaronnmp96
    Jan 31, 2023
    9
    The story is 10/10, the Gameplay is more regular especially with Terra, But it is very original that there are three characters with their pros and cons.
  7. hector_bcn98
    Oct 31, 2022
    9
    Mi primer Kingdom Hearts y uno de los juegos más completos de la videoconsola. Algún mundo de Disney más icónico habría redondeado el resultado final.
  8. ZangBang
    Oct 30, 2022
    5
    53/100
    Birth By Sleep, story-wise, is arguably the best game in the series thus far. A somber, poignant tragedy of a troubled but affectionate group of friends as it struggles against forces bigger than all of them, with events packed with superbly directed scenes brimming with pathos and exceptional character drama. Sadly, the story fails to express the full potential of the script due    53/100
    Birth By Sleep, story-wise, is arguably the best game in the series thus far. A somber, poignant tragedy of a troubled but affectionate group of friends as it struggles against forces bigger than all of them, with events packed with superbly directed scenes brimming with pathos and exceptional character drama. Sadly, the story fails to express the full potential of the script due to the bond uniting the main cast, cornerstone of the entire plot, feeling somewhat underdeveloped. Gameplay-wise, attack and jump animations have been slowed to an unreasonable degree, resulting in base combos that now feel quite clunky and unplesantly sluggish. Even so, gameplay still manages to be undeniably fun thanks to new great mechanics such as Deck Abilities, giving players a plethora of different attacks and techniques to experiment with, select and upgrade, providing huge strategical variety, elevated by the fact that the three playable characters have significantly different combat styles, although repeating the same world can be tedious. In the same way, Shotlock and D-Links also add a new layer of depth to battles. All of this combines to create a quite rich array of options. The beauty of this wealthy system is slightly compromised by some balancing issues, as a few late game Abilities are way too overpowered and can trivialize some of the final fights. Level Design slighlty improves from KH2 with more vertical developments and platforming, but is still far from the deep heights of KH1.    … Expand
  9. Domdom21br
    Aug 7, 2022
    8
    Zerei apenas a campanha do Ventus e estou jogando a da aqua,
    esse jogo é espetacular, mesmo que eu não goste muito de RPG, esse jogo me faz não me importar com o estilo, embora tenha seus momentos hardcore eu curti demais.
  10. ShinishiKudo
    Aug 4, 2022
    9
    Great Kingdom Hearts
    Birth by sleep tells three diffrent but connected storys wich works super well. Its also my favourite from the Gameplay.
  11. OmegaChase1002
    May 28, 2022
    7
    Good game and all, but it's very unbalanced and broken so it can be frustrating to play sometimes.
    Play this one in short bursts, and don't be afraid of using moves that are "overpowered".
    Because some bosses are straight up immune to certain Commands and Shotlocks, so the player doesn't always have a lot of freedom in how they approach some situations. What's the point of giving the    Good game and all, but it's very unbalanced and broken so it can be frustrating to play sometimes.
    Play this one in short bursts, and don't be afraid of using moves that are "overpowered".
    Because some bosses are straight up immune to certain Commands and Shotlocks, so the player doesn't always have a lot of freedom in how they approach some situations.
    What's the point of giving the player so many options if the majority of those options are just flat-out wrong?
    Also the final level being locked behind getting all the Xehanort Reports is kinda dumb...    … Expand
  12. Pandasonnd
    Mar 26, 2022
    9
    Enjoyed it a lot. Storywise one of the best games in the series. I don't care too much about combat so I can't comment on that.
  13. DarkwingSchmuck
    Mar 20, 2022
    9
    Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep is a surprisingly well designed 3D action game for a handheld. Instead of one 30-hour campaign, Birth by Sleep is split between three separate 10-hour campaigns. While each campaign is fairly similar, you are given three separate characters with unique playstyles as well as their own story-line. The narrative of Birth by Sleep is thankfully not quite asKingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep is a surprisingly well designed 3D action game for a handheld. Instead of one 30-hour campaign, Birth by Sleep is split between three separate 10-hour campaigns. While each campaign is fairly similar, you are given three separate characters with unique playstyles as well as their own story-line. The narrative of Birth by Sleep is thankfully not quite as pretentious as other entries in the series, and the three protagonists are generally likable. Couple this with fun and challenging gameplay, and you have one of the best installments in the Kingdom Hearts franchise -- handheld or not.… Expand
  14. Frosstype
    Oct 28, 2021
    6
    This is my 4th in the list of KH games that I like cause I'm not a big fan of the Command System but its the better one out of DDD and Days. The best fight that visualizes the gameplay of this game and why i don't like it at all is the secret boss fight from the Final Mix versions which are in the 2.5 remix. Essentially what you would do is just use the commands all the time while spammingThis is my 4th in the list of KH games that I like cause I'm not a big fan of the Command System but its the better one out of DDD and Days. The best fight that visualizes the gameplay of this game and why i don't like it at all is the secret boss fight from the Final Mix versions which are in the 2.5 remix. Essentially what you would do is just use the commands all the time while spamming dodge thats it. If you get hit even once you are dead. One thing that makes this game better than DDD and Days
    is the Command Styles those are atleast enjoyable making your normal attacks actually do dmg with nice looking effects, animation and fun.    … Expand
  15. BeeSting1
    Jan 1, 2021
    9
    A must get, if you like action-adventure games. If you're a KH fan, then no questions asked! Amazing gameplay and story!

    This game is a prequel to Kingdom Hearts 1. It talks about three keyblade wielders (Terra, Aqua, and Ventus) that fight the darkness. You go through the story once with each character, while each character encounters different events. It is important that you unlock    A must get, if you like action-adventure games. If you're a KH fan, then no questions asked! Amazing gameplay and story!

    This game is a prequel to Kingdom Hearts 1. It talks about three keyblade wielders (Terra, Aqua, and Ventus) that fight the darkness. You go through the story once with each character, while each character encounters different events. It is important that you unlock or find some other way to watch the secret ending and final episode because it explains A LOT of the story and how it will carry on to KH1 and it also gives closure to Birth by sleep.

    Throughout KH1 and KH2, I think that Square has been improving the battling system. In birth by sleep, there is no MP cost for magic commands. Instead every command requires time to recharge after one use. There are crystals you can utilize that can help lessen the reload time on commands.

    There are attack commands and magic commands. Some of which will affect the status of the enemies, such as sleep, poison, confusion, slow, and stop. Against certain enemies, using the right one can put you at the upper hand.

    There is a command melding function, which allows you to combine two different types of attack command or magic command, from then which creates a stronger or unique command. Melding the same kind of magic will often lead to a stronger version of the same one such as cure + cura = curaga. The best part is that everytime you meld commands you may add a crystal. Crystals are items that give you character special abilities. They include, more exp, more munny, faster command reload times, HP boost, combo plus, magic damage boost, attack damage boost, etc. The more of the same ability you aquire everytime you meld commands, the more powerful the ability becomes. HP boost is definitely very useful for boss battles, and tough enemy encounters because some of them have very powerful combos, which can 1-hit-KO you if you do not have high HP.

    One of the more satisfying aspects of the battling system is the ability to unleash a special attack. There is a meter that increase everytime you hit an enemy. When that meter is filled, your character will go into a certain type of berserk mode where he/she gets an element implemented on her attacks and combos based on which magic/attack command you have used to attack the enemy. However, if you filled the meter using just a normal attack(sword swings), then you just get a normal finish command which is a powerful swing of the sword usually lasting one or two hits.

    There is one down side to the battle system. Not enough shortcuts to commands. By default the game requires you to scroll through your commands to execute them. The game does help you, by letting you put the most wanted command to a hot key. However, later in the game when you acquire more space to input commands, I think at least 2 shortcuts are needed. For aqua's story I had equiped two curagas for the boss, but when I use one curaga, and I'm waiting for it to reload, I have to run away and scroll through my list of commands to find the other curaga. If there was a second shortcut then I wouldn't have to risk being attacked.

    The graphics for this game is very nice for a psp game. The different worlds have a variety of settings, which doesn't make the scenery repetative.

    There is a decent amount of replay value in this game. You have an arena which you can face off with your friends. In combat or in mini games, such as racing. There are also plenty of things to go back and collect if you haven't done so. Such as the Xehanort reports which enables you to unlock the final episode.

    Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed my review please add me and track me. I will write more.    … Expand
  16. einom09
    Oct 11, 2020
    9
    Awesome plot. Gameplay was good. I don't know what else I can say 'bout this...
  17. Endory
    Oct 10, 2020
    10
    The game expands the Kingdom Hearts lore a lot and contextualise a lot of aspects which was mentioned in the games before.

    The game is split between 3 new playable characters and their journey through one quest. I tells a great story and builds the foundation to what will come in the future. The gameplay, while not as flashy as Kingdom Hearts 2, is enjoyable for what it is. You craft    The game expands the Kingdom Hearts lore a lot and contextualise a lot of aspects which was mentioned in the games before.

    The game is split between 3 new playable characters and their journey through one quest. I tells a great story and builds the foundation to what will come in the future.

    The gameplay, while not as flashy as Kingdom Hearts 2, is enjoyable for what it is. You craft skills and build your own "skill deck" and use them during fights. It has also a lot of side content.

    All in all, I really enjoyed this game. :-)

    The game is also remastered on current gen and can be played in 4k and smooth 60 fps on ps4 pro and xbox one x.    … Expand
  18. frederik1478
    Sep 7, 2020
    6
    For me this is a game I played to watch TV anime in the background , Because it's more about grinding and exploits combat system In learning enemy movements and getting better at it , The characters didn't engaged kind of dole if it wasn't for the music telling me what to feel I would have felt nothing for the characters, But I cannot say I hated It kind of liked it it has a lot of flawsFor me this is a game I played to watch TV anime in the background , Because it's more about grinding and exploits combat system In learning enemy movements and getting better at it , The characters didn't engaged kind of dole if it wasn't for the music telling me what to feel I would have felt nothing for the characters, But I cannot say I hated It kind of liked it it has a lot of flaws but I like it still Even if I don't really care about the story… Expand
  19. ZeroBacon
    Sep 3, 2020
    9
    Combat’s fun, and story’s great, yet the world’s aren’t very good, and are often bland. The butler said that “The guests were starting to enjoy themselves.” When there’s NO ONE THERE. Even in Olympus Colosseum, someone was cheering, yet the stands were empty. Also there’s a huge lack of Final Fantasy characters, just Zack. Although it’s flawed, I still like BBS
  20. Raado-san
    Jul 26, 2020
    10
    I give it 10 as in my opinion it have the best game play mechanic and i enjoyed the new characters in this game.
  21. SWFan523
    Jun 21, 2020
    9
    Such a strong KH narrative from three different perspectives. Might be my favorite Kingdom Hearts game.
  22. ThePSButton
    May 27, 2020
    8
    Uno de los mejores juegos de la franquicia. Tal vez mi jugabilidad favorita, la cual era perfecta para un juego portátil. Lo que más le duele es que en lugar de tres historias no tan largas, hubiera preferido una de mayor duración.
  23. tukumalu
    May 15, 2020
    7
    The gameplay mechanic keeps the stale and confusing storyline afloat. There is not much else other than the snappy visual and good soundtrack.
  24. Kai82
    Feb 27, 2020
    10
    The best game in the franchise tied with Kingdom Hearts 2.It was amazing what they did on the PSP. The graphics and the soundtrack were impressive. The characters and stories are a welcome addition to the franchise. We have Terra, Ventus and Aqua. Each one has an individual story arc which are connected and a final arc where all three met. You chose in which order you play the adventures.The best game in the franchise tied with Kingdom Hearts 2.It was amazing what they did on the PSP. The graphics and the soundtrack were impressive. The characters and stories are a welcome addition to the franchise. We have Terra, Ventus and Aqua. Each one has an individual story arc which are connected and a final arc where all three met. You chose in which order you play the adventures. Recommendation was Terra, Ventus and Aqua (Would stay with it because of spoilers because some parts are connected). Terra is the strongest and most durable but also a bit slower. Ventus is the fastest but not as strong / durable as Terra or Aqua. Aqua is in the middle and has the best (magic) abilities. They changed the battle style and gave us the Command Deck. You chose / equip abilities you then can use in battles (Start with 3 and can be increased up to 8). You get new abilities during your adventure and can create new ones by fusion. I like this a lot. You can always experiment with new abilities or are exited about new ones. There are of cause special abilities and some only a single character can use (or 2 of 3). Then we have the Command Style. It is basically the foundation were your deck is placed. When the style gauge is filled you get increased stats and abilities for its duration including strong finishers. Again there are special ones and unique ones for each character. Same goes for Shot-locks. You enter a first person mode and aim for enemies until the gauge is empty. Now you fire energy projectiles at them. The battle system is quite interesting and rewarding. For the world and stories: We get new worlds and interlinked arcs which I cant spoil. There are many good and creative ideas in this game. The friendship between the characters is truly remarkable and a virtue of the story. The story itself is a tale of self discovery, friendship, exploration and shows some of the events that became important for the later games (It is the first game in the timeline approx 10 years before Kingdom Hearts 1). Of cause there are a lot of cameos. It does a very good job in foreshadowing some events. Then there are the mini games. Instead of the Colosseum Arena which was not finished back then you get the Mirage Arena with a lot of challenges. You have the excellent Command board game. It was so good that I skipped to it a lot of times. There is a racing game were you see the differences in the characters (Terra is clunky). There is the Ice-creme beat (I hate that game) and the Fruitball Beach-volleyball game which is enjoyable funny. Overall this was surprisingly good and is considered one of the best games on the PSP and in the Kingdom Hearts franchise.… Expand
  25. pynk00
    Jan 23, 2020
    10
    hi this game is so **** good terra is one of my favourite character, the dualism of ventus and vanitas is so much good and the story of aqua is one of the best narration in the history of the action rpg
  26. AlvaroK95
    Jan 2, 2020
    9
    Increíble, uno de los imprescindibles de psp y de los mejores de la saga KH.
  27. Geek4LGBTQ
    Oct 16, 2019
    10
    Best game of the series. Great gameplay, very good story, a little repetitive in the worlds, and fhey aren't the best worlds in the series, but good, very good final boss fights, very good characters.
  28. FreedomFighters
    Feb 18, 2019
    8
    "Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep" was a game in the "Kingdom Hearts" series that I was very much looking forward to playing. Yes, I knew that the game would not be quite as good as "Kingdom Hearts II," the last game I'd played in the series, and one of my favorite video games, but I'd heard a number of people say that, of all the "Kingdom Hearts" games that are not numerical, "Birth by"Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep" was a game in the "Kingdom Hearts" series that I was very much looking forward to playing. Yes, I knew that the game would not be quite as good as "Kingdom Hearts II," the last game I'd played in the series, and one of my favorite video games, but I'd heard a number of people say that, of all the "Kingdom Hearts" games that are not numerical, "Birth by Sleep" is high up there as one of the best in the series (and as evidence by the fact that it even received a "Final Mix" version, it seems pretty popular). And, yeah, I can agree with that!
    "Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep" is yet another beefy adventure in the "Kingdom Hearts" series that feels and plays extremely smoothly: the combat is enticing and fun, it adds some nice features and subtle changes to what's been established in the first two entries, and doesn't feel like "change for the sake of change" like we saw with the card-based mechanics in "Chain of Memories." The new characters introduced in the game, Ventus, Terra and Aqua, are all charming in their own ways, and they do bring different things to the table from a gameplay standpoint. The story is very detailed, in how it tackles three different perspectives at once, and aesthetically, the game is stellar; the visuals are gorgeous especially when being played on the PlayStation 4 where the HD facelift really brings out the colorful environments, and the music is as stellar as you expect out of the "Kingdom Hearts" series.
    Now, unfortunately, I did have some gripes with this particular game: chief among them, repetition. Even though the game allows you to play as three different characters, at the very end of the day, these characters do all travel to the same exacts worlds, which all have mostly the same designs, objective points, and structures to them, so you are essentially playing the same game two more times than you need to, and the character differences don't take away from the general repetition. If you play in the game's recommended order of characters (Terra, Ventus, Aqua), by the time you get to Aqua the game will already start feeling rather stale, and admittedly, I find that Aqua is the least fun character to play of the three, so by the time you get to that last story, don't be shocked if you find yourself hoping for the game to end quicker.
    Still, for all that it does right, "Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep" is an enticing prequel to the series that certainly does better than you'd expect for a non-numbered entry in the "Kingdom Hearts" series. Even if you're a newcomer to the series, don't be afraid to give this game a whirl. And if you're a "Kingdom Hearts" fan that hasn't experienced this yet, it's certainly well worth your time.
    Final rating: 8 out of 10 "Great"    … Expand
  29. SamComedian
    Feb 10, 2019
    10
    Mi puntación a Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep es de 10, me explico;
    En cuanto a duración el juego rondaría las 30 horas ( hablamos del final mix, en el cuál hay un mundo extra en el post game ). La trama está dividida en tres partes, tres visiones de los tres protagonistas, Aqua, Terra y Ventus. En cada parte veremos el punto de vista de cada personaje y zonas nuevas que explorar con cada    Mi puntación a Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep es de 10, me explico;
    En cuanto a duración el juego rondaría las 30 horas ( hablamos del final mix, en el cuál hay un mundo extra en el post game ). La trama está dividida en tres partes, tres visiones de los tres protagonistas, Aqua, Terra y Ventus. En cada parte veremos el punto de vista de cada personaje y zonas nuevas que explorar con cada uno de ellos. La história se centra en detener a los Nescientes un nuevo tipo de enemigo que está amenazando los mundos. La banda sonora es de 10 como es habitual en la saga. Visualmente, aunque estemos hablando de un juego de PSP es una barbaridad, como se ve, los gráficos, su nitidez, etc. Estamos ante posiblemente el mejor juego de ésta plataforma. Le doy un 10 sobre 10 ( comparándolo con juegos de su plataforma, PSP ). Mi quinceava crítica u/o review.    … Expand
  30. RadReviewer
    Feb 8, 2019
    8
    The story touches back to the ground with 3 new Keyblade wielders that you can connect with just as well as our main heros/. The theme of friendship and heart runs strong again without the mention of Data or diluted storytelling. The one major negative is once again, the floaty combat. Make combos feel pre-destined and non impactful. Overall a very fun experience and a must play in the series.
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Awards & Rankings

5
#5 Best PSP Game of 2010
4
#4 Most Discussed PSP Game of 2010
6
#6 Most Shared PSP Game of 2010

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 62 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 56 out of 62
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 62
  3. Negative: 0 out of 62
  1. Gamer Limit
    Jan 13, 2011
    85
    Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep isn't just a spin-off; it's an evolution of the series that makes helpful tweaks to combat and introduces interesting new worlds.
    Read full review
  2. Games Master UK
    Jan 13, 2011
    75
    "Quotation Forthcoming"
  3. Gaming Nexus
    Jan 13, 2011
    75
    Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep is a fun game that was almost brought down by questionable control issues and a repetitive story. If players can get past a few minor problems, they'll discover that this prequel offers a surprising amount of great content, beautiful graphics and even some fun multiplayer modes!
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »