I make no secret that Birth By Sleep is my least favorite game in the series (although DDD certainly makes a push for the title), given that it takes most of the things that I loved about Kingdom Hearts and turns it bass ackwards. However, I don't think it's true that there is nothing altogether that I liked in the game, and managed to find a few things which I do appreciate.
1. Haley as Vanitas.
This is a bit of a strange one, considering that Vanitas is my least favorite character ever, but even so, listening to Haley do his voice is kind of neat, because it sounds like he's just having fun with the character. It sounds like he's allowed to go to a different place in his repertoire, and brings that energy with him to the scenes that he's in.
2. Braig.
Braig's probably one of the most solid characters in the series, with a distinct, unique, and scene stealing personality, and the fact that he actually seems to be one of the few proactive people on Team Xehanort. Even with the mantra of Xehanort being to troll and do little as possible, Braig still manages to make his moments pulling the line as energetic and entertaining as they can be. He was a cool character in KH2, but with precious little screen time, and to bring him back into a more solid and important role in the overall plot was a good move. Not to mention that he's one of the few people who are willing to call Xehanort out on his bullshit, which I appreciate a great deal.
3. Even.
Mostly because Vexen is my favorite Organization member, it was kind of cool to see Even wandering around, even if its for an incredibly brief cameo that doesn't lend itself to much. Still, though, we get one moment out of his screen time, in which he gets to comment on the peculiarity of Ven's heart, which kind of sets him up as important to the future.
4. Young Herc.
This was probably the only real use of the prequel status of the game that was handled well, in my opinion. Hercules is one of the mainstay characters of Kingdom Hearts, making an appearance in most of the games, and getting to see how he started out was actually very heartwarming. Seeing him start out bumbling and awkward, but still managing to do the brave thing when it counts is what makes him an endearing and lovable character, and, in a way, retroactively sets up his arc for the entire series, showing us where he's come from and where he's going.
5. Being Tiny in Cinderella's House
This was certainly the most imaginative use of the worlds at their disposal. Cinderella makes it clear that the mice have their own little system of operations, and getting to see things from their perspective was fun. Not to mention that I wholly enjoyed the fight with Lucifer, given that the cat is one of those villains from the movie who you just want to smack.
I make no secret that Birth By Sleep is my least favorite game in the series (although DDD certainly makes a push for the title), given that it takes most of the things that I loved about Kingdom Hearts and turns it bass ackwards. However, I don't think it's true that there is nothing altogether that I liked in the game, and managed to find a few things which I do appreciate.
1. Haley as Vanitas.
This is a bit of a strange one, considering that Vanitas is my least favorite character ever, but even so, listening to Haley do his voice is kind of neat, because it sounds like he's just having fun with the character. It sounds like he's allowed to go to a different place in his repertoire, and brings that energy with him to the scenes that he's in.
2. Braig.
Braig's probably one of the most solid characters in the series, with a distinct, unique, and scene stealing personality, and the fact that he actually seems to be one of the few proactive people on Team Xehanort. Even with the mantra of Xehanort being to troll and do little as possible, Braig still manages to make his moments pulling the line as energetic and entertaining as they can be. He was a cool character in KH2, but with precious little screen time, and to bring him back into a more solid and important role in the overall plot was a good move. Not to mention that he's one of the few people who are willing to call Xehanort out on his bullshit, which I appreciate a great deal.
3. Even.
Mostly because Vexen is my favorite Organization member, it was kind of cool to see Even wandering around, even if its for an incredibly brief cameo that doesn't lend itself to much. Still, though, we get one moment out of his screen time, in which he gets to comment on the peculiarity of Ven's heart, which kind of sets him up as important to the future.
4. Young Herc.
This was probably the only real use of the prequel status of the game that was handled well, in my opinion. Hercules is one of the mainstay characters of Kingdom Hearts, making an appearance in most of the games, and getting to see how he started out was actually very heartwarming. Seeing him start out bumbling and awkward, but still managing to do the brave thing when it counts is what makes him an endearing and lovable character, and, in a way, retroactively sets up his arc for the entire series, showing us where he's come from and where he's going.
5. Being Tiny in Cinderella's House
This was certainly the most imaginative use of the worlds at their disposal. Cinderella makes it clear that the mice have their own little system of operations, and getting to see things from their perspective was fun. Not to mention that I wholly enjoyed the fight with Lucifer, given that the cat is one of those villains from the movie who you just want to smack.