TheKingdom Heartsseries is no strangerto releasing enhanced editions of its games, featuring brand-new additional content that greatly expands on the experience. This tradition started with the first two numbered titles, and it happened once again with the popular prequel game,Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep.
Birth by SleepFinal Mixlaunched a year after the original game. It remained exclusive to Japan for a few years, until the eventual release ofKingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX, meaning that the entire world can now experience its practical changes and interesting additions. But how different was the original version ofBirth by Sleepwhen compared to this critically acclaimedFinal Mixversion? These are some of the few key differences.
8Recolored Enemies
The Unversed Have A New Coat Of Paint
The recoloring of the Heartless enemies is a tradition of theFinal Mixversions in this franchise, and already happened with the iconic enemies of the first two numbered games.Birth by Sleepintroduced a different enemy species, theUnversed.Their color schemes were also altered in the enhanced version.
What’s especially interesting is that, unlike the Heartless, every single type of Unversed had their colors changed inBirth by Sleep Final Mix.From the weak enemies like Floods, to the imposing Unversed bosses like Symphony Master or Trinity Armor, everyone got a new look. Luckily, these recolors were better received by dedicated fans than the Heartless recolors from previous games.
7A New Difficulty Level
The Return Of Critical Mode
Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleeporiginally had three difficulty levels; Beginner, Standard and Proud. And since the three playable characters have completely different play styles, each player could decide how to take on this big adventure. Despite all these options,a lot of veteran fans believe that this game is not that hard, mostly due to the overpowering nature of the Commands.
Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mixintroduced the hardest yet most rewarding difficulty level:Critical Mode.This mode returned inBirth by Sleep Final Mix. Players who desire a real challenge can choose this mode, in which they receive more damage but also start off with more command slots and even gain experience faster. Not to mention that theBlank Pointssecret ending is easier to unlock now.
6Expanded Combat System
New Commands & Command Styles Were Welcome Additions
Birth by Sleepintroduced a new combat system for theKingdom Heartsfranchise, which centered aroundCommands and Command Styles. This mechanic let all three playable characters unleash the most powerful attacks and upgrade their combos with the press of a button.
It’s a fun and satisfying combat system, so it makes sense that theFinal Mixversion added new tools to each character’s arsenal. Terra, Aqua and Ventus can now obtain and use new commands like Unison Rush, Voltage Stack, Aerial Recovery. They can also change their move set withRhythm Mixer, which is one of the most fun and powerful Command Styles in the game.
5Introduced Special Unversed
The Unversed Missions Are A Fun New Distraction
Following in another longtime tradition of theFinal Mixversions, a brand-new group of enemies debuted inBirth by Sleep Final Mix. Nine special Unversed can be found in each world. They present the player with a specialUnversed Missionthat, when completed, will reward them with a special command.
Likethe Mushroom XIII before them, these special Unversed offer mini-games that don’t rely on mindless combat, so they can be quite unique and entertaining. But the best part is their rewards. Terra, Aqua, and Ventus can obtain differentIllusioncommands that let them transform into an Unversed and attack other enemies with their respective move sets.
4The Old Secret Bosses Drop New Keyblades
Vanitas Remnant & Mysterious Figure Offer Worthwhile Rewards
MostKingdom Heartsgames feature optional bosses who are infamous for being extremely challenging, andBirth by Sleepwas no exception. The original release had two:Vanitas Remnantand theMysterious Figure. However, players who were able to defeat them didn’t receive any real rewards, which most people felt was unfair.
Birth by Sleep Final Mixchanged this by adding two new powerful Keyblades that each super boss drops after their defeat. Vanitas Remnant will give playersVoid Gear, which is a copy of its already good-looking Keyblade. Meanwhile, the Mysterious Figure dropsNo Name.Interestingly, No Namelooks very similar to Young Xehanort’s Keyblade, which would be introduced inDream Drop Distancea year later, further confirming the true identity of this puzzling secret boss.
3Three New Secret Bosses
Players Can Now Face Eraqus, Xehanort, & Monstro
If those pre-existing challenging bosses were not already enough, Square Enix added three more in theFinal Mixversion of the game. Players can encounter these enemies in the Mirage Arena world. The most shocking one isMonstro, the giant whale fromPinocchiowho was already an entire world inKingdom Hearts 1.Getting to fight him one-to-one is an epic endeavor.
The other two battles are more important in terms of story relevancy.Armor of EraqusandNo Heartarearmored replicas of Master Eraqus and Master Xehanort respectively. They are incredibly tough to beat, because they can use some impressive and deadly techniques. These battles seem to be reflections of how powerful these two old Keyblade Masters used to be during their prime.
2The Sticker Album Completely Changed
A Cute Collectible Became A Crucial Part Of The Experience
Similar to the Puzzle Pieces inKingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix, the international version ofBirth by Sleepadded theSticker Album, which can be completed with the cute Disney stickers that are found throughout the different worlds. However, theFinal Mixversion completely changed how these collectibles work, giving them a much more important use.
The aforementioned Rhythm Mixer Command Style can only be obtained by completing the Sticker Album, alongside many other new rewards for this mode that were introduced inBirth by Sleep Final Mix. It also plays a key role in unlocking the brand-new Secret Episode of the game. Players who want to experience this new episode mustcomplete the three Sticker Albums of the three playable characters(unless they’re playing in Critical Mode).
1A Playable Secret Episode
Play As Aqua In The Realm Of Darkness
The ending ofKingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleepis quite tragic. Terra’s body is possessed by Xehanort, Ventus’ heart shatters into pieces, and Aqua gets trapped inside the Realm of Darkness. As a result, most fans were left wondering what happened to these beloved characters between the events of this prequel andKingdom Hearts 1. TheFinal Mixversion would further expand on these heroes’ fates by including an incredible new Secret Episode titled “A Fragmentary Passage.”
In it, players can play as Aqua once again and navigate the haunting Realm of Darkness. There, she fights countlesshordes of Heartless enemies (and even a brand-new Heartless boss) while wielding Master Eraqus’ Keyblade. This was an extremely important piece of the story that not only kept further developing Aqua’s character, but would also serve as the main inspiration forKingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep -A fragmentary passage-.
