Two Countries. Two Magazines. One Game.
The UK’s Review
Upon arriving in the United Kingdom, Birth by Sleep was promptly…shuffled to the second to last page of the review section of the UK’s Official Playstation Magazine. But do not fret, fans. Despite this, the Brits gave it their thumbs up, so to speak.
Here’s an overview:
- Birth by Sleep is about three friends who go in a quest to find – Wait a minute…we’re seriously going through this again?
- Apparently, the game’s gameplay is filled with plenty of great new moves, but (sadly) the article failed to mention any of the technical names of the moves.
- The game will include missions that are everything from exciting (such as fending off some malevolent woodland inhabitants) to rather unexciting (such as gathering pieces of fabric for Cinderella’s ball gown).
- The long loading times and irritating, continuously spawning Unversed bring the game down a bit.
- Overall Verdict: 8 out of 10, with 8 meaning “Very Good. Mostly excellent, but held back by one or two flaws minor flaws” (according to the magazine’s rating key).
+
The US’s Review
Yes, I am aware this has already been covered, but I would like to share some actual scans. No offence to the person who took the pictures of this same article.
Anyways, it pretty clear that Kingdom Hearts is more popular in America than the UK based on the fact that game got a three page spread and was mentioned on the cover of the US’s magazine. The references to the past Kingdom Hearts games found throughout article impressed me, and it made me feel like the game was being reviewed by a fellow KH fan. I’m not quite sure what was said in the thread this review was originally announced in, but just in case…
Here’s an overview:
· Kingdom Hearts once again works its magic by bringing worlds from classic Disney movies to life in the same way it enhanced Tron’s world. It also includes areas that Disney only touched on in the actual movies (such as the Indian village found in Neverland).
· Terra, Aqua, and Ven all possess their own skill set, objectives, and 15-plus hour long story. They meet all sorts of different situations and characters outside of each other, but cross paths every now and then. The biggest motivation to finish all the stories is the opportunity to unlock a playable secret ending.
· It is through the D-link system, the game’s equivalent of summoning, that the player is able to access powers of allies he meets in the game. The game also has a customizable command deck where you can create stunning combos. Don’t forget about your classic magic (Fire, Blizzard, etc.), new powers using the lock-on, and special abilities.
· Lengthy loads, confusing and annoying camera system, and slow pacing due to the long load times – all of these are Birth by Sleep’s letdowns.
· Overall Verdict: 4 out of 5, with 4 meaning “Great. A Finely crafted, thoroughly enjoyable experience. Worth the time and the money” (according to the magazine’s rating system).
· Terra, Aqua, and Ven all possess their own skill set, objectives, and 15-plus hour long story. They meet all sorts of different situations and characters outside of each other, but cross paths every now and then. The biggest motivation to finish all the stories is the opportunity to unlock a playable secret ending.
· It is through the D-link system, the game’s equivalent of summoning, that the player is able to access powers of allies he meets in the game. The game also has a customizable command deck where you can create stunning combos. Don’t forget about your classic magic (Fire, Blizzard, etc.), new powers using the lock-on, and special abilities.
· Lengthy loads, confusing and annoying camera system, and slow pacing due to the long load times – all of these are Birth by Sleep’s letdowns.
· Overall Verdict: 4 out of 5, with 4 meaning “Great. A Finely crafted, thoroughly enjoyable experience. Worth the time and the money” (according to the magazine’s rating system).
Both of these articles were found in the October issue of both magazines.
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