Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth By Sleep is the completely new portion of Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue that has you taking control of Aqua in a two to three hour gameplay experience. While this is short, it is not limited to one style of area, including one that can get a little confusing and we’re here to help guide you through it.
After defeating the Demon Tower and escaping Castle Town, you will make your way into the World Within portion of the game, which is filled with mirrors. By going up to these mirrors, you can press triangle to inspect and be pulled in. However, you need to look for certain ones upon entering to get past this area.
Once you enter the World Within, you will notice a number of mirrors around you, eight to be exact. Some of these are necessary to use to advance, while some others are not. The ones you shouldn’t really worry much about are the ones that lead to what looks like a throne room. One will have a battle and one will have a red treasure chest you can get, but the others are what matter. Starting from the mirror you come out of initially, move forward and going counter clockwise, you will want to enter not the first mirror you see or the second, but the third, which is in the top right corner and appears to have a number of columns in it.
Enter this mirror by pressing triangle and you’ll notice a bunch of columns surrounded by darkness and little light. If you just start walking around, you will eventually reach a fully dark area and reset back. Instead, what you need to look for is a column that has light shining out of what looks like some broken bricks. Hit this until it breaks and leaves and opening for you to enter. You will then be upside down and need to find another column where you can do the same thing to get back right side up. Once again, look for another column with light and do the same thing. Rather than looking for another while upside down, turn right around and you should see a little room you can enter that has a mirror. Do this and you can then interact with the mirror to reach one of the Phantom Aqua battles.
After this first encounter with Phantom Aqua you will be returned to the main hub area of mirrors, with the one you just came out of being cracked now. After this, continue counter clockwise and enter the next mirror that has a long staircase, which is the one that is straight ahead from the initial entrance of the place. As soon as you enter, just continue up the stairs and when you reach a point you can’t move anymore, interact with triangle to the next area. Continue up the stairs again, though this time there are a few enemies to fight. After they are defeated, continue up and interact when you are able to once again. If you turn your camera to the left, you can get a red treasure chest here, but otherwise just climb up the stairs again and interact to continue. As soon as you enter the next screen though, turn immediately around and you’ll find a mirror you can enter to fight Phantom Aqua for a second time.
You will be returned to the main hub again after defeating Phantom Aqua for the second time, so continue counter clockwise in this area, but skip the next mirror in the top left. Instead, you are going to enter the one on the left at 9 o’clock. This area is more puzzle oriented than the others, as you move forward. In this first area go as far as you can and then interact with the mirror there to cause a new platform to form, allowing you to continue. On this next platform, look at the new mirror here, but keep an eye on a moving platform in the reflection. Interact at just the right time to get it at the level to where you can jump on it and reach the next platform as well.
At the end of this area, use the reflection in the mirror once again to look and press triangle when the platforms converge in the middle, providing you with a way to get across. This next area has a few enemies that you can choose to fight or just head down the nearby hill. Interact with the mirror to make the hill you went down go away. Then go to the other side of the mirror and watch for the platform to move to that side and press triangle to get it to appear, allowing you to climb up. From here, it’s as simple as entering the mirror and fighting Phantom Aqua for the third and final time.
After defeating Phantom Aqua for the third time, you will once again return to the hub area. Simply watch back to the original mirror that you came out of for a cutscene. After the cutscene, interact with the mirror and you will advance to the Forest of Thorns in Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8’s 0.2: Birth By Sleep.
