Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep (2010)

Developer: Square Enix Product Development Division 5
Publisher: Square Enix, Disney Interactive Studios
Platforms: PlayStation Portable
Genres: Role-playing (RPG)
Rating: 4.3 of 5, 160 player ratings
Main story: about 23 hours
Completionist: about 30 hours
Where to get it: Website

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A flashy, system-heavy action RPG where chaining commands and styles keeps combat feeling fluid and adventurous.

action-rpgcustomization-heavycombo-drivenfast-pacedfantasticaladventurous

About

Birth by Sleep is an action roleplaying game that introduces a gameplay aspect called the Command System, which allows players to customize a Command Deck with techniques and abilities that they can perform at will, called Deck Commands. Performing ordinary attacks and Commands fills a gauge displayed above the command deck that, when certain requirements are fulfilled, activates a Command Style that changes the player's basic attack command with the "Surge" command, which racks up powerful combos depending on what Command Style is activated. Filling the gauge with certain requirements a second time causes the character to change into an even higher level Command Style, which replaces the "Surge" command with the more powerful "Storm" command.

Screenshots

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep screenshot 1

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep screenshot 2

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep screenshot 3

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep screenshot 4

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep screenshot 5

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep screenshot 6

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This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.