Gather here all ye KH fanboys and girls, for today new information has been revealed for both the Birth By Sleep and 358/2 Days handheld versions. As some of you may know, Square Enix loves to expand a franchise as much as possible to please us gamers as well as their wallets.
SE plans on releasing a DS version and a PSP version of Kingdom Hearts games that will revolve around the main KH universe that was portrayed in the PS2 games. But which one will be the best? As of now we know that the DS version 358/2 Days follows the short life of Roxas and his buddies, while the PSP version Birth by Sleep will be a direct "prequel".
Birth By Sleep
According to translated scans from a French gaming magazine, Birth by Sleep is being co-directed/produced by Tai Yasue and developed by the same team who did Chain of Memories. Technically speaking this game looks "astounding, and seems as well animated as Kingdom Hearts II." The worlds you will be able to traverse include Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and Cinderella as well as a few new and surprising worlds. Since the story is a prequel to the first adventures of Sora, some of the world will take into account the time discrepency; "for example, we can watch teen Hercules in the Coloseum".
There are three different characters confirmed so far for this game: Terra, Ven and Aqua. The gameplay will differ depending on which character you choose to play. For example, Terra is the strongest and Ven is the fastest. Some of the changes in the battle system include a new "Command" ability and extra techniques. "Terra can enter ‘Fatal Mode’ and unleash an extra-devastating combo finisher." Some other changes include how the level up system works, and the lack of MP. Instead of MP, magic uses a charge time system in which it can only be cast when that certain magic has fully charged.
"This somber and complex adventure will be divided into three chapters that you can play in any order. We will follow the journey of three characters; the fighter Terra, Roxas’ "double" Ven, and Aqua, a young girl with blue hair. It’ll take place before KH1 when Sora, Riku and Kairi were still kids. The main antagonist seems to be a strange old guy named Master Xehanort, and Mickey will make his own appearance: we see him protecting Ven or accompanying Yen Sid, Donald and Dingo. This chapter will lift the veil on the War of the Keyblades, the power of their possesors, and without a doubt on the origins of the amnesiac disciple of Ansem the Wise."
358/2 Days
Made by Studio Hand (Chocobo Tales) and co-directed by Tomohiro Hasegawa (FF8, Kingdom Hearts), Nomura obviously helms all the projects linked to the series. 358/2 Days benefits from a detailed totally 3D presentation with fluid animation. The L and R buttons let you re-orient the camera to better see the enemies and exploring the levels, which are carefully recreated from their game and movie predecessors. Explore Illusiopolis, Twilight Town, Agrabah, and Wonderland–there will be NO NEW UNIVERSES.
"The DS game will have a totally new multiplayer mode where you direct the members of Organization XIII. Their missions will have variable objects, independent of the major plot, and each character will have his or her own strengths and weaknesses. The bottom screen will have a map, but a chat system could also be included. No touch controls. In the solo mode, Roxas fights the Heartless in many environments and then returns to Illusiopolis. The normal menu and combat system is recreated, including jumping, gliding, defending… Nomura promises that the customization and level-up systems will give us great freedom."
In terms of the story, it will be "…written by Daisuke Watanabe. Like the PSP version, the story of 358/2 Days takes place during Roxas’ life, from his introduction to Organization XIII to his duel with Riku. These events are shrouded in mystery, and fans demanded impatiently to know more about Roxas and his relations to Org. XIII. Also, we’ll discover what Mickey is doing and the identity of the 14th Nobody… who obviously didn’t change the name of the Organization. The game will be filled with revelations about the most important characters of the series."
Stayed tuned for more new and make sure to visit our forum posts dedicated to these two games with pictures and discussions here and here.
[via Clubskill]
