SoulReaper
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Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep is an upcoming action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable. It is an installment in the Kingdom Hearts series that focuses on Terra, Ventus, and Aqua, characters briefly featured in Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+. Birth by Sleep is a prequel to the first Kingdom Hearts game and features many previously unexplained plot elements from the original Kingdom Hearts trilogy. The game was announced at the 2007 Tokyo Game Show. It seems it will appear stateside, although currently the title is only confirmed for a Japanese release.
Gameplay
Birth by Sleep is a single-player action role-playing game which features melee combat. The game features gameplay similar to the style of the previous games in the series, particularly to Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories in that card decks will be used. Birth by Sleep will be divided into three scenarios, with each scenario having different styles of gameplay based on the personalities and abilities of the three main characters: Terra, Ventus and Aqua. Game director Tetsuya Nomura has mentioned players can play from any of the three scenarios and possibly stop mid-way through one scenario to begin another. The developers plan to add multiplayer components and a new character growth system. Other new features include a special, first person targeting mode called "Focus" mode and each character having special attack modes that allow them to perform different magic-based attacks.
Plot
Birth by Sleep is a prequel to the first Kingdom Hearts game, taking place ten years prior, and focusing on the story of knights that wield Keyblades (key-shaped weapons with the power to unlock doors and combat darkness) before the series' main protagonist Sora. Nomura has stated that, though there are three scenarios?one for each of the main characters, Terra, Ventus and Aqua?there is not one singularly important scenario or character, but the main theme is Ventus' identity. The story was speculated early on to be connected to the unlockable trailers at the end of Kingdom Hearts II and Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix. Nomura has since confirmed a connection to the trailers.
The game will take place in various Disney-themed worlds both new and old, and will reflect the time difference between this game and the previous Kingdom Hearts games; for example, a younger Hercules at the Olympus Coliseum. The story revolves around three Keyblade apprentices in search of a missing Keyblade master, Master Xehanort, and his apprentice. Maleficent is believed to be the main antagonist; she causes a great disaster involving the Heartless which results in Master Xehanort and his apprentice's disappearance.
Characters
Like previous Kingdom Hearts titles, Birth by Sleep will feature numerous Disney characters. In addition to original characters Terra, Ventus and Aqua, confirmed characters include King Mickey, Donald Duck, Goofy, young Sora and Riku, and Master Xehanort and his apprentice. Also appearing are Maleficent and, so far, three of the Princesses of Heart, namely Snow White, Cinderella, and Princess Aurora. The game will introduce a new type of enemy different from a Heartless and a Nobody, known as an Unbirth.
Gameplay pictures
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Terra fighting Unbirth
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Ventus fighting Unbirth
