Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep is an action role-playing game released in 2010 for the PlayStation Portable. It was developed and published by Square Enix with help from Disney Interactive Studios. The game is the sixth in the Kingdom Hearts series. A version called Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix was released in Japan in January 2011. This version included updates from other international editions. A direct sequel, Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage, was released in January 2017 as part of a collection called Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue.
The game has a new battle system that differs from earlier games in the series. It is a prequel to the original Kingdom Hearts, set ten years before its events. The story follows Ventus, Terra, and Aqua, characters who appeared briefly in Kingdom Hearts II. These characters search for Master Xehanort, who is missing, and work to protect worlds from creatures called the Unversed. Players can experience different parts of the story through each character’s perspective.
Development began in June 2005. Some parts of Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix hinted at the story of Birth by Sleep. The game was directed by Tetsuya Nomura and co-directed by Tai Yasue. Nomura called the game "Episode 0" and later "Episode 0.1" after the release of Kingdom Hearts χ. He said the game is as important to the series as the original Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II.
The game sold 1.27 million copies worldwide by November 2010. It received praise from critics for its gameplay, graphics, music, and storyline, though some criticized the level design and characters. A high-definition version of the Final Mix edition was released for the PlayStation 3 in 2014, PlayStation 4 in 2017, Xbox One in 2020, Windows in 2021, and Nintendo Switch as part of the Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix collection.
Gameplay
Birth by Sleep is an action role-playing game that includes elements of combat and exploration. A new feature in the game is the Command System, which lets players create a Command Deck filled with special techniques and abilities called Deck Commands. When players attack enemies or use Deck Commands, a gauge above the Command Deck fills up. When the gauge is full and certain conditions are met, the player’s basic attack changes to the "Surge" Command, which allows powerful combo attacks based on the active Command Style. Filling the gauge a second time replaces "Surge" with the stronger "Storm" Command.
Unlike earlier games in the series, Birth by Sleep does not use Magic Points (MP) for spells. Instead, it uses a system called Focus, shown in an orange gauge on the screen. Players can use Focus to perform a technique called Shotlock, which lets them switch to a first-person view to attack enemies with homing spells that vary by character and technique. Using Shotlock drains the Focus gauge based on the number of enemies targeted. The gauge slowly refills as players attack enemies or use Deck Commands.
Another new feature is the Dimension Link (D-Link), shown in a blue gauge. This system lets players borrow power from companions met during the game, such as Experiment 626. When activated, the D-Link temporarily replaces the player’s custom Command Deck with a set of pre-determined commands unique to each D-Link. Filling the gauge while using a D-Link triggers a powerful finishing move with two levels of strength. The D-Link can only be used when its gauge is full and is activated by pressing the right direction on the controller to access the D-Link menu and selecting an ally.
The game includes a feature called the Command Board, which appears after completing a world and can be accessed from save points or the world map once unlocked. Each world has its own unique Command Board with different challenges and effects. The Command Board works like a simplified version of a board game, where players roll a die to move and land on spaces with special effects. Disney characters from the game appear on their respective Command Boards, either helping or hindering the player. Some spaces trigger "special events" when landed on.
The game has three separate storylines, each focusing on one of the main characters: Terra, Aqua, and Ventus. The first ten minutes of the story are the same for all characters, but the events that follow differ. Each storyline runs parallel to the others and intersects at different points. Gameplay varies based on each character’s abilities: Terra deals the most physical damage, Ventus is the fastest, and Aqua specializes in magic. Players can choose which storyline to begin with. The recommended order, as suggested by the game’s creator, is Terra, Ventus, and then Aqua, to better understand the story. Completing all three storylines unlocks the final chapter of the game.
The game supports up to six players in four multiplayer modes set in a world called the Mirage Arena. In each mode, players control one of the three main characters. In "Versus," players compete against each other in a deathmatch-style game. In "Arena," players team up to fight waves of enemies in a survival-style challenge. "Rumble Racing" lets players race competitively on Keyblade vehicles that can also attack rivals. "Command Board" is a multiplayer version of the in-game board game, where players race to reach the end first. Earning high scores in the Mirage Arena gives players medals that can be traded for rare in-game items. Only Ad-Hoc wireless multiplayer is supported, which requires all players to be physically close to each other.
Plot
Birth by Sleep is a game that takes place ten years before the first Kingdom Hearts game. Like other games in the series, players explore different worlds inspired by famous Disney stories, such as Dwarf Woodlands from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Enchanted Dominion from Sleeping Beauty, Castle of Dreams from Cinderella, Olympus Coliseum from Hercules, Deep Space from Lilo & Stitch, Neverland from Peter Pan, and Mysterious Tower from Fantasia. The game also includes new worlds created specifically for the series, such as the Land of Departure and Radiant Garden. Disney Town, a town near Disney Castle, is where players complete mini-games. Other locations, like Destiny Islands and Castle Oblivion, appear in story scenes, while the Hundred Acre Wood from Winnie the Pooh is used as a Command Board. The game’s creators chose these worlds based on the story’s needs, with some included to add variety. For example, Neverland and Deep Space were added to provide different settings, and Olympus Coliseum was chosen because the game takes place earlier in the timeline than the original Kingdom Hearts.
The main characters are Terra, Aqua, and Ventus, three apprentices who train to become Keyblade Masters under Eraqus. Xehanort, another Keyblade Master, and his apprentice, Vanitas, are the game’s villains. Characters from earlier games, such as younger versions of Sora, Riku, and Kairi, also appear but have smaller roles. Some characters who later join Organization XIII, like Braig, Dilan, Even, Aeleus, and Ienzo, are shown as apprentices to Ansem the Wise. The game introduces a new type of enemy called the Unversed, which are "new emotions that are not fully developed" and feed on negativity, similar to Heartless in Kingdom Hearts and Nobodies in Kingdom Hearts II.
The game includes many Disney characters. Mickey Mouse, who is the king of Disney Castle, is shown as a Keyblade apprentice under Yen Sid. Donald Duck and Goofy, who help Sora in other games, have smaller roles. Other Disney characters, like Maleficent and Pete, appear in their own worlds, even though they were major villains in earlier games. Some characters, such as Experiment 626, Prince Phillip, and Mickey, fight alongside the player in battles, but they do not follow the player constantly. Unlike other games in the series, which feature many characters from Final Fantasy, Birth by Sleep includes only two: Zack Fair from Final Fantasy VII and Moogles, who sell items to players. Zack was included because he is the main character in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, a prequel to Final Fantasy VII.
Master Xehanort takes Ventus, who is in a coma after his heart is damaged, to the Destiny Islands. A newborn heart senses Ventus’s heart and helps save him. Later, Terra and Aqua take an exam to become Keyblade Masters. Xehanort manipulates the exam so Terra fails and Aqua passes, reducing Terra’s control over the darkness in his heart. Soon after, Xehanort disappears, and Unversed appear in many worlds. Eraqus sends Terra and Aqua to destroy the Unversed and find Xehanort. Meanwhile, Vanitas convinces Ventus to follow Terra against Eraqus’s wishes, while Eraqus tells Aqua to watch Terra’s darkness and find Ventus.
As Terra, Aqua, and Ventus travel through different worlds, villains offer Terra information about Xehanort in exchange for help. Terra eventually finds Xehanort, who tells him to use his inner darkness for power and to destroy Vanitas, the source of the Unversed. The three friends briefly reunite in Radiant Garden, but they argue, causing a disagreement.
Ventus meets Xehanort, who plans to merge Ventus and Vanitas’s hearts to create a powerful Keyblade called the χ-blade. Xehanort sends Ventus to the Land of Departure to confront Eraqus, who tries to stop him. Terra saves Ventus and fights Eraqus. After Eraqus is defeated, Xehanort takes over his body and covers the Land of Departure in darkness, telling Terra to go to the Keyblade Graveyard. Ventus and Aqua are also told to go there by Vanitas and Yen Sid, respectively.
At the Keyblade Graveyard, Xehanort and Vanitas reveal their plan to use the χ-blade to unlock Kingdom Hearts and start a Keyblade War, a destructive event from the past. Terra’s heart is consumed by darkness, and Xehanort takes over his body. However, Terra’s mind remains in his armor, which becomes the Lingering Will and defeats Xehanort. Ventus fuses with Vanitas to create the χ-blade. Aqua and Mickey fight the possessed Ventus, destroy the χ-blade, and Ventus defeats Vanitas in a battle within his mind. Ventus loses his heart and becomes unresponsive.
Aqua places Ventus’s body in stasis at the Land of Departure, which she changes into Castle Oblivion. At Radiant Garden, Aqua fights the possessed Terra. When Terra struggles to control his body, Xehanort kills himself with his Keyblade, sinking into darkness. Aqua rescues Terra but becomes trapped in the darkness. Ansem the Wise finds Xehanort, who has no memory, still possessing Terra’s body. Ventus’s heart merges with a young Sora, who had previously saved Ventus on the islands.
In the game’s secret ending, Aqua meets Ansem in the realm of darkness and learns about Sora, who has the power to save those connected to his heart. Sora, who learned about Terra, Ventus, and Aqua’s fates from a letter sent by Mickey, begins a new quest to save them.
Development
The development of the game began in June 2005 and was originally planned for the PlayStation 2, with Sora as the main character in early plans. Birth by Sleep was created by Square Enix's fifth Product Development Division, located in Osaka, the same team that worked on Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories. The game used the same graphical engine as Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII and Dissidia Final Fantasy. During the development of Kingdom Hearts II, the team in Osaka asked to be involved in a spin-off if one was made. Development started before the release of Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+. The story was completed, but work stopped six months later because the team was busy with Re:Chain of Memories. When development began again, the team changed the platform to the PlayStation Portable to use features like cooperative and competitive multiplayer. The game's title, Birth by Sleep, comes from a secret ending in Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix. Director Tetsuya Nomura chose the name to include the word "by" and to use an English title like earlier games. Nomura called the game "Episode 0," saying it is as important as Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II.
Early in development, Nomura planned scenes like Terra and Riku's conversation to explain Riku's abilities in the original games. Some story parts were changed to make the game more lighthearted, such as Eraqus' death, Aqua's ending, and the relationship between Ventus and Sora. Two new main characters, Ventus and Terra, were based on other characters in the franchise, while Aqua's design had no direct inspiration. However, all three characters wear outfits that show the teacher-student bond in the game. Disney worlds were chosen to expand the characters of the Princesses of Light and Maleficent, who are connected to the first Kingdom Hearts game. Worlds like Neverland and Deep Space were added for variety, and Olympus Coliseum was chosen to reflect the game's earlier setting compared to Kingdom Hearts. A world based on The Jungle Book was planned but removed during development.
Birth by Sleep was directed by Nomura and co-directed by Tai Yasue. It was announced with Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days and Kingdom Hearts Coded at the Tokyo Game Show on September 20, 2007, where a trailer was shown in a theater without photos. New trailers were shown at the 2008 Jump Festa and an invite-only event called DKΣ3713 Private Party in August 2008. A playable demo was available at DKΣ3713. In June 2009, an interview with Nomura in Famitsu said the game was at the voice recording stage. Nomura also confirmed that Birth by Sleep would include a secret ending like previous games, which would link it to the next main game in the series. He stated that a playable demo would be available at the 2009 Tokyo Game Show with a new trailer. In early October 2009, Nomura shared that the idea for the Command Board came from his childhood fascination with board games.
In late October 2009, Nomura revealed he was designing the game's cover art and editing the staff credits to include the three main characters. He also mentioned editing the game's opening movie. Like Kingdom Hearts and Re:Chain of Memories, the game's music was composed by Yoko Shimomura, with other composers contributing additional tracks. The game uses Hikaru Utada's song "Hikari" for the Japanese version and "Simple and Clean" for other releases.
The game's final public showing before its Japanese release was at Jump Festa 2010 on December 19, 2009, where a playable demo and new footage were shown. Like earlier console games in the series, Birth by Sleep includes a secret movie at the end, described as a "true ending" rather than a teaser for future games. Development of the movie began in October, and Nomura noted in a blog that the game would include a teaser for the next major Kingdom Hearts game, similar to previous games in the series.
Reception
The game sold well during its first two days of release, with more than 500,000 copies sold in Japan. By February 14, about a month later, the game had sold a total of 800,551 copies. Sales in North America and Europe were also strong, with the game achieving high rankings in several categories. After its release in the United States, it was listed as the sixth best-selling video game there in September 2010 by the NPD Group. By November 2010, the game had sold 1.27 million copies worldwide, with 310,000 from North America and 190,000 from Europe. The remaining copies were sold in Japan. In November 2011, Sony announced that Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep would receive the "Gold Prize" for selling more than 500,000 copies in Japan.
Before its release, IGN expressed excitement about the game after playing a demo version in 2010. 1UP.com shared similar praise, highlighting the game’s visuals and stating it "plays better" than earlier Kingdom Hearts games. They noted some issues with the demo, such as frequent jumping by the character Ventus, but still believed the demo showed how the game would feel and predicted it would improve the series. 1UP.com included the game on their list of "Top 10 PSP Games of 2010," while Gamasutra featured it in articles about "Most Anticipated Games of 2010" and "Most-Awaited Games of 2009: PlayStation Portable." IGN nominated it for the 2010 "Best of E3 Award" in the Best PSP Games category. GameTrailers also praised the game and nominated it for Best PSP Game of E3 2010.
Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep received positive reviews from gaming critics. It has an average score of 82 out of 100 on Metacritic, making it the fourth highest-rated Kingdom Hearts game, behind Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts II, and Kingdom Hearts III. Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu gave it scores of 10/9/9/9, totaling 37 out of 40, the third-highest score in the series after Dream Drop Distance and Kingdom Hearts II. The magazine praised the game’s graphics, music, and the variety of customization options for players due to the three playable characters. It also praised the design of boss battles, calling them "lively and exciting." English websites like GameZone called it "an amazing title that every KH fan must play," calling it the best portable game in the series. RPGamer noted the game’s "evolution" in gameplay since the series began. PlayStation: The Official Magazine (PSM) praised the fighting system as "one of the deepest, most rewarding" on the PSP. IGN called the battle system "unique" and the best in the series, noting it had a campaign story. 1UP and PSM both praised the differences in the protagonists’ fighting styles, comparing them to different classes of RPG characters. Some reviewers criticized the game’s long loading times, which depended on the PlayStation Portable’s memory. Others said the game’s worlds felt "hollow" due to limited interaction and criticized the camera, which sometimes made fights confusing. Visuals were praised for resembling those of PlayStation 2 games, though some noted a lack of detail.
Critics also praised the game’s story for being accessible as a prequel, avoiding confusing elements from previous games. They appreciated how the story was told from three perspectives, offering different viewpoints and extending gameplay. However, some criticized the similarity between the protagonists and earlier characters. Eurogamer noted that the three main characters had little impact on the Disney worlds’ storyline, but 1UP.com praised Terra’s role for moving away from earlier scenarios. Opinions were mixed about the absence of Final Fantasy characters, with PSM saying it helped explore Disney worlds more fully, while GameZone found Jason Dohring’s portrayal of Terra suitable. The English voice acting received positive feedback, with GameTrailers calling it "one of the few good English dubs in recent memory," especially praising Leonard Nimoy’s performance. GameSpot praised Jesse McCartney and Willa Holland’s performances as Ventus and Aqua but criticized Jason Dohring’s portrayal of Terra.
IGN featured the game in their "Game of the Month" series for September 2010 in the PSP category. It was listed as one of the best PlayStation Portable titles, with GamesRadar ranking it sixth and IGN placing it eighteenth. In an ASCII Media Works poll, it was listed as the tenth best game of 2010. It won the "Best Portable Console Videogame" category at France’s 2011 Japan Expo.
Versions and merchandise
Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep was released in Japan as a special bundle with a limited edition PSP-3000. The PSP-3000 had designs from the Kingdom Hearts series on its back. On March 16, 2010, Square Enix announced the English version of the game. It was released in North America on September 7, 2010, and in PAL regions on September 10, 2010. The English version included changes from the original, such as a new difficulty setting called Critical Mode and extra songs for the Ice Cream Beat minigame. A new boss named the Unknown and a new gameplay feature called "Crown Stickers" were added to the overseas versions. Crown Stickers work similarly to Puzzle Pieces from Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix. The game also featured returning voice actors like Jesse McCartney and James Woods, as well as new actors such as Willa Holland, Jason Dohring, Leonard Nimoy, and Mark Hamill. An Ultimania guidebook was released on March 25, 2010. A light novel titled "Something Strange" was written by Tomoko Kanemaki and illustrated by Shiro Amano. It was published by Square Enix on December 24, 2010. The second volume, "Best Friends," came out on February 24, 2011, and the third and final volume, "To the Future," was released on May 26, 2011. A three-disc album containing the game’s soundtrack, as well as tracks from 358/2 Days and coded, was also released.
In early 2010, Nomura was asked if Square Enix would release an international Final Mix version of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. He said he would like to, but noted that the popularity of the Final Mix version of Kingdom Hearts II was partly due to its release alongside a PlayStation 2 remake of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. He and his team would consider the idea further. On September 20, 2010, Square Enix announced that Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix would be released in Japan on January 20, 2011. This version combined English audio with Japanese text and subtitles. It included all features from the Western version, plus new content such as a secret episode for Aqua that takes place after the game’s final chapter. New cutscenes with dialogue from Aqua’s voice actress, Megumi Toyoguchi, were later dubbed by Willa Holland for the HD 2.5 Remix release. The secret episode connected to the later release of A Fragmentary Passage. Final Mix also included a code for downloadable content for Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy, featuring the character Cloud Strife’s costume from the original Kingdom Hearts. Final Mix sold 77,317 units in its first week and reached 106,276 units sold by February 2011. It was first released outside Japan as part of Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix.
Clips from Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix appeared in the credits of Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix, suggesting its inclusion in another collection. On October 14, 2013, Square Enix announced Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix, a second PlayStation 3 collection after HD 1.5 Remix. It included Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix and Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix in HD with trophy support. The collection also featured HD cinematic scenes from Kingdom Hearts Re:coded. It was released in Japan on October 2, 2014, North America on December 2, 2014, Australia on December 4, 2014, and Europe on December 5, 2014.
In September 2015, Square Enix announced Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue. This collection included Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep -A fragmentary passage-, a new game set after the original Birth by Sleep, told from Aqua’s perspective. It also featured an HD remaster of Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance and Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover, a cinematic retelling of Kingdom Hearts χ that added new parts of the series’ history. The collection was released in Japan on January 12, 2017, and in other countries on January 24, 2017.