How Long Is it? – Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage
Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage is a brand new entry to the Kingdom Hearts franchise, and is one of the three experiences available in the brand new 2.8 compilation. It’s a sequel of sorts to 2010’s Birth by Sleep, that bridges the gap between the original entry’s opening, Dream Drop Distance (also available in Kingdom Hearts 2.8), and the upcoming final chapter, Kingdom Hearts III.
It’s not a full experience, though. There is no traveling from world to world by use of a ship or a stylish drop (such as in Dream Drop Distance), there are only a few items available, none of which offer a new weapon, and customization is limited to your outfit, as leveling up simply raises stats to keep the title quick and easy to get through.
Before its release, it was said that Kingdom Hearts 0.2 would last about the length of your average Kingdom Hearts world. The actual run-time on normal is about 1 1/2 hours, 2 hours if you don’t skip cutscenes. You can, of course, expand that time if you want to max out Aqua’s level or complete all of the challenges. Your skill level may alter the time as well.
The game isn’t broken down into chapters or separate planets either, like was the case in previous Kingdom Hearts entries. Instead, the entire game is set in the Darkness Realm. However, the realm is broken up into several areas, which we’ll cover on the next page.
We must warn you that the areas are spoilery, so read ahead only if you don’t care about certain story points being revealed.
FINAL WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD!
Kindgom Hearts 0.2 is broken down into five areas that you’ll be able to explore as Aqua. With the exception of the very last area, you can freely explore every new area to uncover more secrets as well as complete challenges you may have missed.
The areas are:
Castle Town – A dark, twisted version of the town near Cinderella’s castle. Since time stops in the Darkness Realm, everything is frozen in place as you move through the location.
The World Within – This is a room full of mirrors to Aqua’s heart. It is here that she must face her fears and insecurities.
Forest of Thorns – An evil forest full of… well, thorns. Parts of Ventus and Terra, two other Keyblade masters and close friends of Aqua, are trapped here as well.
Depths of Darkness – A series of caves full of powerful enemies bent on snuffing out light.
Destiny Islands – This is more of a mirror of Destiny Islands than the real thing. It’s a copy that exists in the Darkness Realm and is linked to the one where Sora can be found.
These are the areas that you’ll explore in Kingdom Hearts 0.2 as you link the loose threads of the franchise in preparation for Kingdom Hearts III.
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