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. tghm1801
    Sep 7, 2010
    10
    Easily the best game in the series - so far.
    The battle system is great, the graphics are fantastic for the PSP, and it rarely has any slowdown.
    If you install data onto a memory card, load times are not a problem. This game is just amazing in general. If you're looking for something to keep you occupied for a while or are already familiar with the Kingdom Hearts franchise then stop    Easily the best game in the series - so far.
    The battle system is great, the graphics are fantastic for the PSP, and it rarely has any slowdown.
    If you install data onto a memory card, load times are not a problem.
    This game is just amazing in general.
    If you're looking for something to keep you occupied for a while or are already familiar with the Kingdom Hearts franchise then stop reading this and go and buy it.
    Now.    … Expand
  2. treyk93
    Sep 8, 2010
    10
    Definitely the best game in the entire series, and possibly one of the best ganes for the PSP EVER! The graphics are amazing for a PSP game, and the game has one of the best stories ever told in the entire franchise! Definitely a game you shouldn't pass on.
  3. Saix7
    Sep 12, 2010
    10
    Square Enix does a great job with this Kingdom Hearts title. Birth By Sleep has improved its battle system and did a great job to create something new. Soundtrack - - The music is excellent as usual with the talents of Yoko Shimomura reprising her role. Graphics - - For a PSP title you can't really complain about the graphics as it does look great for a portable title. Gameplay - -Square Enix does a great job with this Kingdom Hearts title. Birth By Sleep has improved its battle system and did a great job to create something new. Soundtrack - - The music is excellent as usual with the talents of Yoko Shimomura reprising her role. Graphics - - For a PSP title you can't really complain about the graphics as it does look great for a portable title. Gameplay - - Gameplay is fun and exciting with probably the best battle scheme in the series, along with a few fun mini-games and multi-player options.
    Story - - An interesting past about characters from before the events of the first game and how it all started makes you want to more about what is happening as you progress (Unless you have read spoilers)

    Overall this game is one of the best PSP titles and one of the more Interesting KH titles.
    If you haven't played the series before this is probably a great start as it is a prequel to the original.
    If you're a Kingdom Hearts fan then you will definitely love this one.    … Expand
  4. gm101
    Dec 3, 2010
    10
    I love all the Kingdom Hearts games, but this game is my personal favorite. Awesome gameplay, engaging plot, and amazing graphics for a PSP game. Can't wait to see what happens next in this beautiful saga!
  5. mrm11
    Dec 7, 2010
    10
    Love this game so much!!!!!!!!!
  6. directguy
    Dec 29, 2010
    10
    My first three hours with this game were disappointing. The first three worlds were tiny and empty. And the boss battles were with faceless, nameless creations that just popped up. And where beating them felt completely empty emotionally. I was already going through my checklist of everything this title was doing wrong. And then just like that, the worlds got bigger. The levelMy first three hours with this game were disappointing. The first three worlds were tiny and empty. And the boss battles were with faceless, nameless creations that just popped up. And where beating them felt completely empty emotionally. I was already going through my checklist of everything this title was doing wrong. And then just like that, the worlds got bigger. The level design better. The combat more interesting. And I started fighting villains that were actual characters. Truly, the combat is much better than Kingdom Hearts 1 & 2. The story pulled me in much more. And some of the level design (not all, but enough) was truly standout, with a special mention for the level of verticality - something this series has never really had much of before. On that note, you won't want to miss Pete's secret lair in Disney Town. It's a bit of a puzzle to open it, but once I did, I just marveled at what the PSP was capable of. I wouldn't normally give a game that started off this slow a 10, but really, I have to agree that overall, this is the best Kingdom Hearts I've played. And it's a long game to, easily clocking in at 30 hours for me. And it made me excited to see what they can do with the processing power of the PS3, and the Pixar and, hopefully, Marvel licenses as well.… Expand
  7. cooldude187
    Feb 11, 2011
    10
    Now I never played any Kingdom Hearts game before, but when I heard this was a prequel, I thought I'd give it a try. And I gotta say, I LOVED IT! Now I regret never playing any of the other games before!
  8. kjshsh
    Feb 12, 2011
    10
    Very good game! Answered many questions, and has me pumped for the next chapter in the series, Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance.
  9. loony98
    Apr 9, 2011
    10
    Anyone who says this game is just some Kingdom Hearts spinoff is so wrong! This game is probably the most important of the Kingdom Hearts games, as it ties the whole saga, and gives us a hint of what Sora needs to do in the future!
  10. BasilZero
    Nov 18, 2011
    10
    Squareenix creates another instant classic with Kingdom hearts Birth By Sleep. Fans will now know more of the origin of the series' storyline in this game. The game features 3 playable characters any of which storyline can be played at any time. In the end it leads to one ultimate storyline and conclusion. Players will be sent through different worlds far different from any Kingdom HeartsSquareenix creates another instant classic with Kingdom hearts Birth By Sleep. Fans will now know more of the origin of the series' storyline in this game. The game features 3 playable characters any of which storyline can be played at any time. In the end it leads to one ultimate storyline and conclusion. Players will be sent through different worlds far different from any Kingdom Hearts game, the storyline is a bit more darker, along with that, many fans who like Star Wars might love this game as the storyline has the same direction. Considering the fact its a prequel, one can say this game is the best game to start the series with, but it doesnt matter as it answers questions for those who played the previous games and creates questions which will be answered if they play the sequels. Regardless, possibly the best game in the series to be released since Kingdom Hearts 2.… Expand
  11. Brickzz
    Nov 18, 2011
    10
    This game is pronominal. it brings gamers the answers and more of an understanding of the kingdom hearts story things missed in games before it was cleared up and it came together perfectly with perfect explanations.
    I personally enjoyed the attacks and being able to fuse them together to create an even stronger attack
    This game is amazing and I can't wait for the next one.
  12. LancerDancer
    Mar 24, 2012
    10
    Birth By Sleep has a reputation among the fanbase for being the game that "saved the series." While I find the idea that Kingdom Hearts would go away any time soon a bit silly, it is true that by all gameplay standards that Birth By Sleep is the best entry in the series. It addresses a ton of issues with the prior entries in the series and innovates at the same time. Also, it has the mostBirth By Sleep has a reputation among the fanbase for being the game that "saved the series." While I find the idea that Kingdom Hearts would go away any time soon a bit silly, it is true that by all gameplay standards that Birth By Sleep is the best entry in the series. It addresses a ton of issues with the prior entries in the series and innovates at the same time. Also, it has the most replay value out of any game in the series, and is the first to have multiplayer. If you have a PSP, you should have this game.… Expand
  13. 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
  14. NoonebutMark
    Nov 3, 2014
    10
    Three different characters, one destiny. This prequel has stunning graphics, long story, wonderful gameplay and memorable cast of characters. Inside a handheld that's pretty amazing.

    45+ hours, optional superbosses, lots and lots of skills and techniques to collect that will make you come back for more (they're also fast and colorful), mini games, and many more.
  15. 22446688Bb
    Dec 3, 2018
    10
    One of the most beautiful games in terms of the story and the way to play and even drawings to Jaya Disney, but I congratulate Square and Disney on this project
  16. 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
  17. 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.
  18. 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
  19. 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.
  20. 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
  21. iamtrent424
    Feb 10, 2011
    9
    another successful role playing game for the psp. The graphics is just right and so is the gameplay. I played one kingdom hearts game prior to this one. If you never played kingdom hearts before play this one. This is the beginning of everything. In played the one for ds and i have to say this one is much better. One of psp best game. Kingdom hearts birth by sleep has an awesome story. Ianother successful role playing game for the psp. The graphics is just right and so is the gameplay. I played one kingdom hearts game prior to this one. If you never played kingdom hearts before play this one. This is the beginning of everything. In played the one for ds and i have to say this one is much better. One of psp best game. Kingdom hearts birth by sleep has an awesome story. I think this is a must have for your psp console.… Expand
  22. Sixstring
    Feb 11, 2011
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is definitely the best kh as far as combat gameplay goes,but other than that the whole kh series story blows real bad.The characters are all pretty stupid and the story never really feels like it's going anywhere good,way too much anime/manga gayness makes the game feel meaningless it doesn't feel like FF or Disney.Square needs to go back and find out what people like about each FF the worst thing they did was to go back and change a bunch of characters everyone already liked and put them all in one world where all these cool epic stories never happened.It would have been totally awesome to go to each FF world and have the kh characters involved in the story changing certain events.The combat feels much more fluid and like it finally matters which buttons you push like an action/RPG/fighting game but for a game like this I was expecting huge open worlds with alot of hidden stuff.Disney should get some of the writers from pixar or even warner bros not the characters just the writers they could help make the game alot more memorable.I still don't know why the nightmare before christmas is even in this game at all the movie is way lame and misleadingly dark I like pirates of the carribean way more as long as they don't let it get out of hand characters like mickey mouse seem bent around the story their entire purpose is to come in every once in awhile and explain a story that doesn't make any friggin sense because of it's anime **** which try and force you to care about and believe stuff they made up rather than just have a basic story that you can pay attention to.Read some charles dickens,H.G.Wells,J.D.Salinger books and look into some Ghandi for christ's sake.FF 7 was way more realistic being set in a 1984-style world mired in despotism.It never feels like the enemies/bosses are trying to wipe me out.The reaction commands should be plentiful and frantic and you should have to reduce a boss's HP to zero before you can use a reaction command and kill it.I actually wouldn't mind if they went back and changed entire things about the story.So that's it fix the story mix the command deck and recoded's sphere matrix leveling up system and with some control tweaks kh3 might be a pretty great game.… Expand
  23. Rule2006
    Oct 23, 2011
    9
    KH:BBS is a great game. The combat in the game is great and for the PSP, the graphics are really good. The loading screens are a bit long (especially when you haven't installed some of the game data to the PSP), but I didn't mind at all. The story was a bit lost on me with all of the hearts stuff and all of the "I'll do this for my friends" talk, but overall with the great combat, fun miniKH:BBS is a great game. The combat in the game is great and for the PSP, the graphics are really good. The loading screens are a bit long (especially when you haven't installed some of the game data to the PSP), but I didn't mind at all. The story was a bit lost on me with all of the hearts stuff and all of the "I'll do this for my friends" talk, but overall with the great combat, fun mini games and able to play 3 different characters and 3 different story lines, I had a lot of fun.… Expand
  24. Johng4
    Sep 20, 2012
    9
    This game is amazing. I personally love kingdom hearts,even the **** ones like re:coded,yea i actually enjoyed that game. In this game you play as three characters Ventus,Terra,and Aqua. Three kids who long to be keyblade masters. You could compare these characters to Sora,Riku,and Kairi but the truth is they have absoulutley nothing in common. I go to say that ventus has moreThis game is amazing. I personally love kingdom hearts,even the **** ones like re:coded,yea i actually enjoyed that game. In this game you play as three characters Ventus,Terra,and Aqua. Three kids who long to be keyblade masters. You could compare these characters to Sora,Riku,and Kairi but the truth is they have absoulutley nothing in common. I go to say that ventus has more simmilarities to Roxas because of how much they look alike. In this game you choose whose eyes you want to see the through,and to actually beat the game u have to do all three,which isnt a problem because each story line is different its like your playing three different kingdom hearts titles in one. I played as Ventus first because he looks more like a roxas or sora. The combat is a bit different now you can equip what magic you want to use and do it in real time. If you pull off enough one of one kind of spell you go into this sort of command style like if you cast a few fire spells you'll go into fire storm which lets you pull off a sweet ass finisher. Over all this game is very good with tons to do and hours upon hours of fun. Buy it… Expand
  25. Welterweight426
    Jun 18, 2012
    9
    Though playing as all 3 characters is basically just playing through the same game 3 times, its fun. The characters themselves are each unique and fun to play as. However, I felt that Aqua was a challenge to play as due to her constant magic use. The story is good and the game looks great. The multiplayer additions seem pretty good except for the Kart racing game. Still, Birth by Sleep isThough playing as all 3 characters is basically just playing through the same game 3 times, its fun. The characters themselves are each unique and fun to play as. However, I felt that Aqua was a challenge to play as due to her constant magic use. The story is good and the game looks great. The multiplayer additions seem pretty good except for the Kart racing game. Still, Birth by Sleep is one of the best PSP games.… Expand
  26. erosfortones
    Aug 30, 2013
    9
    Still, the best Kingdom Hearts handheld game to date. While it can be tedious to play through three different stories, it remains the ideal Kingdom Hearts game on the go. The gameplay is solid, and the story adds a very compelling back story to the franchise.
  27. Chammy
    Feb 2, 2013
    9
    Really awesome graphics, twisted plot (but we're used to that) and soundtrack. Being a psp title, it's the installment that resembles the most the first two games in terms of gameplay, and that is a good thing. Great choice of attacks and abilities and the opportunity to play 3 different characters and 3 different stories. I particularly hate the rumble racing minigame, but that's just me.
  28. mikehettfield
    Apr 12, 2016
    9
    The best Story on all the 9 kingdom hearts games, technically, it was amazing on psp, gameplay is very action driven, 3 campaign from different perspectives, and really defining towards KH3
  29. Starkiller27
    Sep 24, 2017
    9
    Clearly i can say that Kingdom hearts birth by sleep is the best game saga of kingdom hearts in every sense They are the best game mechanics of the saga are very visible that the developers have given all the effort and the music is the best to make yoko shimomura is the best game ever repeats the songs are always different and the artistic sense is beautiful is a good RPG but it is notClearly i can say that Kingdom hearts birth by sleep is the best game saga of kingdom hearts in every sense They are the best game mechanics of the saga are very visible that the developers have given all the effort and the music is the best to make yoko shimomura is the best game ever repeats the songs are always different and the artistic sense is beautiful is a good RPG but it is not for everyone but there is no perfect game so I give it score 9.0… Expand
  30. AKthaBeast
    Sep 2, 2018
    9
    A must play to understand what is going on in the world of KH especially when these characters play a role with Sora in the future...game mechanics were good however with it being on a handheld, it wasn't as polished as the console games....
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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.
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  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
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