Kingdom Hearts: Waking From Reality

by Ryan Clements - IGN.com | 06 August 2010 12:00
 
A detailed look at the next chapter in the world-hopping series.
 
When I play the Kingdom Hearts games, it always feels as though I've entered a surreal dreamscape, where emotions and morals are more tangible and the simple themes of friendship and love become paramount. This could have something to do with the franchise's signature usage of sleep as a transitional device to move between scenes or times. It could also come from the hero's whimsical journey from one world to the next.
 
The latest in the Kingdom Hearts series seems to take this dream motif very seriously as it incorporates such ideas into the actual title. Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep is a PSP exclusive due out next month, and I've had the pleasure of playing the opening hours of the English version to see what sort of experience awaits the eager dreamers/gamers that have fallen for the exploits of the Keyblade wielders. For those of you that have long since imported the Japanese version, this information might not be new, but those of you that have been out of the loop might be happy to hear that Birth by Sleep is one of the most promising Kingdom Hearts games yet.
 

Watch the Announcement Trailer

The Kingdom Hearts series originally revolved around a young boy named Sora who was separated from his friends Riku and Kairi. With the ability to summon a powerful weapon called a Keyblade, Sora slipped from one world to the next (worlds inspired by classic Disney properties) in order to stop the spread of the insatiable Heartless -- creatures born from the darkness in peoples' hearts.
 
Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep is a prequel to the original game, though it should be noted that it's still surprisingly hard to follow if you're unfamiliar with the other games and the spin-offs. All you really need to know at the game's beginning is that three friends, Ventus, Terra and Aqua, are training to become Keyblade Masters under the tutelage of Master Eraqus. During Terra and Aqua's examination to become Keyblade Masters, something goes awry and Terra departs from the world, causing Ventus to follow suit.
 
One of the things that makes Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep so special is that you can play the game from the perspective of three different characters: Ventus, Terra and Aqua. These games each take a separate save file and can be played in any order, though it seems as if Square Enix nudges users into picking Terra first, as he is displayed first during character selection. But because Ventus looks like recurring character Roxas (who in turn is connected to Sora), I decided to go with him first in order to find out his story.
 

From left to right: Terra, Ventus and Aqua.

Like the other Kingdom Hearts games, Birth by Sleep tasks players with jumping from world to world in order to accomplish a series of objectives. At the start of the game, players will be fighting against creatures called the "Unversed," which -- I must admit -- sport some incredible designs. Although there is a very small amount of exploring to be found, most of the gameplay in Birth by Sleep is fighting against the Unversed.
 
Combat in Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep is where things get really exciting. From what I've seen so far, this has one of the best battle systems in the entire series, as it combines the traditional action RPG mechanics from the original games and mixes in some elaborate customization options like the ones found in Chain of Memories.
 
Birth by Sleep is all about commands. Everything that you can do is dictated by these commands, including item usage and magic. During regular combat, players hit X to execute a normal attack. This is one of the rare techniques that does not require any customization. Everything else in the character's repertoire can be controlled and organized by the player. For example, let's say you purchase the "Fire" command (a standard fire spell) and the "Strike Raid" command (a long-range attack). From the main menu, you must edit your deck of commands to include these two attacks so that they can be accessed during battle.
 
When in a battle, you hit up or down on the d-pad in order to select a command from the deck, which is located on the lower left corner of the screen. Pressing left on the d-pad will quickly select whatever command you have set as your shortcut, which is handy if you need a fast cure spell. Hitting Triangle will execute whatever command is currently selected, be it a spell, attack or even an item. Then, the command enters a cool-down period where it cannot be used for a set amount of time. This regulates a player's usage of commands but also simplifies the system overall, as players don't need to monitor magic points.
 
But don't think for a second that the Birth by Sleep battle system is too simple! There are several other sub-systems in place to give our heroes an edge in combat. The first is connected to the command gauge, which sits right on top of the command deck. This gauge fills up as you attack enemies. Fill it up completely and the normal attack you do with X changes to a special finishing move, which can evolve over time as your character grows. If, however, you fill the command gauge by performing certain commands, your hero might enter a special "command style" -- which depends on what kind of commands were used to fill the gauge.
 

So far, this battle system rocks.

If, for example, you happen to mix in a blizzard spell with all the normal attacks, your character will enter the Diamond Dust command style temporarily, which gives him the power of ice and adds some sweet area attacks to his standard combo. These command styles end with a flashy final attack that can often turn the tide of battle in your favor.
 
There are two other important systems to keep track of as you face the Unversed. The first is the Shotlock technique, which brings up a reticle on screen that you can aim at enemies and lock on to multiple targets at once. Hitting the X button after all possible locks have been made will unleash a flurry of attacks that are excellent against large groups.
 
Lastly, the Dimension Link system (or D-Link, for short) gives the hero the ability to connect with other characters and borrow their powers. Ventus, for example, can D-Link with Terra and Aqua at the beginning of the game. By D-Linking with Aqua, Ventus' command deck is changed to Aqua's commands, which are more magic oriented. As you progress through the story, more D-Links will become available.
 

Bound by friendship.

This might sound like a lot to handle, but there's actually even more to learn as you go. Most commands, for example can be independently leveled up, which strengthens them and enables them to be melded with other commands, resulting in entirely new commands to use. With so much to unlock, level up and customize, it's hard for me to imagine the battles in Birth by Sleep getting old.
 
At the game's beginning, Ventus travels to a variety of different Disney locales, including the worlds of Snow White, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. But this classic world hopping isn't the only thing you can do in Birth by Sleep. The Mirage Arena is a seemingly optional world where players can either compete against other players or team up to fight waves of the Unversed together. There's also a racing mini-game (Which I didn't unlock yet -- fiddlesticks!) and another mini-game that features dice rolls to get tokens across a board. Clearly there's a lot to do during your adventure.
 
Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep already looks to be one of the most robust titles in the series, and that's especially impressive considering it's a portable game. While the load times are troubling and some of the environments so far have been sparse, Birth by Sleep has serious potential to be one of the best in the franchise.
 
Keep it locked on IGN.com for more on Birth by Sleep in the coming weeks.
 
Supplied by IGN.com