The 3rd Birthday

Those who have been longing for years for a Parasite Eve sequel could get slightly dissapointed by The 3rd Birthday, which continues the story, but not the gameplay, becoming a more linear and repetitive game, focused almost only on combat. But it is a great action game, with lots of customization options and a good control scheme.

This is the calibre of game that you would expect to be coming out for the PSP at this point in time. With unique features, nail biting battle and an interesting story concept The Third Birthday is more than worth the purchase.

A great game, no question. It has depth, great production values throughout (despite the disappointing script) and the raw mechanics give PSP gamers a mostly satisfying RPG-shooter despite the system's inherent flaws.

If you can get past the difficulty swings, The 3rd Birthday is a surprisingly fun experience. It's pretty; it's easy to dive into (a pun!); and the story is told in such a way that it's easy to follow… especially for a Square-Enix game!

Not a game that's best suited to the PSP but, if you can look past its refusal to adapt itself to a handheld console, The 3rd Birthday is a rich, engaging experience.

The movies are eye-candy, the plot is okay and some role-play elements have found their way into the game. Unbelievable what Square Enix is able to do with the PSP nowadays.

The 3rd Birthday is still one of my favorite PSP titles, and playing it again on the Vita just re-enforced my love of the series. Once PSOne titles start working on the Vita I can finally have my Aya Brea trilogy in one place to play at my leisure, and while this new game is a radical departure as far as gameplay is concerned, it still fits right in with the theme of the series as a whole.

The combat seems deceptively simple, but it becomes pretty hectic and involved as you progress through the missions. The Overdive ability is pretty unique, and jumping from soldier to soldier to flank an enemy works really well. The controls are easy to use on the PSP, and like most Square Enix titles on PSP, the game looks amazing. It's definitely worth checking out for PSP owners who are hungry for new games on their handheld. I absolutely suggest checking it out, even if you have no prior experience with the Parasite Eve series. The gameplay is what really sells this game, though, so don't come into this title expecting to be wowed by the future exploits of Aya Brea.

The 3rd Birthday may not be what fans wanted, however, it is still a good game.

Mostly, though, Birthday is about shooting the hell out of big gruesome monsters. This might be all the meaning most of us require. [May 2011, p.82]

Aya Brea puts its origins to rest in order to provide a third person action title full of thrills, quite dynamic, and appealing. There's also blame to be passed, on the light and not really consistent story for example, a camera system that's not beyond reproach, and a short lifespan, but overall, it does succeed in providing excellent action.

The 3rd Birthday is not a true Parasite Eve sequel: it does not continue the original story of the saga, and it also has a gameplay different from the predecessors. But the same is a great action game, with lots of customization options, a good control system and some good RPG elements that enhance the game.

Polished. [May 2011, p.94]

It's likely that most of the old time followers of the series will be put off by the extremely shooter-driven gameplay - but despite having the structure of something very standard, the game has a deceptively creative centre.

The 3rd Birthday is different from its elder brothers, being an action-based adventure with few RPG elements. Although the visuals are stunning, the gameplay suffers from a few glitches, along with the metaphysical storyline, that has nothing to do with the original Parasite Eve titles. This said, it's a great buy if you're looking for an interesting game with a beautiful empty-minded protagonist.

One of the PSP's most original titles. [Issue#203, p.88]

The 3rd Birthday has a lot going for it, but it falls short of being a top-notch production due to significant control issues, a high level of frustration, and a main character that looks and sounds great, but doesn't contribute much.

The 3rd Birthday is fun, if not quite Parasite Eve. You may have to dig for its value at times, though the tough gameplay is eventually rewarding.

The 3rd Birthday is one of the PSP's better games and it's just a shame they had to muck things up with its ridiculous plot and juvenile fan-service.

With its impressive visuals and compelling storytelling, The 3rd Birthday is an exciting new chapter in the Parasite Eve series. Too bad the game is marred by stiff controls, frustrating gameplay and cheap bosses. If you can get past these hiccups you'll discover another worthwhile PSP game!

The story of The 3rd Birthday is extremely complicated, but the game has a lot of great elements. The feature 'overdiven' works perfect, the game is challenging and got epic boss fights. But there are also less good points, like the AI, the crappy voice-acting and the gameplay can be frustrating. A good game to check out, aside from the negative aspects.

An otherwise ordinary shooter redeemed with that game-changing Overdive idea. [May 2011, p.90]

Quality issues aside, it's a fun 3D shoot-'em-up, and the PSP could use a few more of those.

Is Aya Brea's third adventure worth it? If you like shooters and past Parasite Eve titles, probably. If you want a Square Enix title with a more RPG slant, then steer clear. I had fun with the game beginning to end, but I have a sneaking suspicion I could be one of the few that will.

The 3rd Birthday is a satisfying RPG-shooter with great production values.

Square Enix and HexaDrive sought to introduce fresh mechanics to set The 3rd Birthday apart from its peers, but they forgot to center a cohesive game around their collection of neat ideas. Much like its protagonist, too often The 3rd Birthday is caught with its pants down.

The story is at times highly confusing, the the challenge is at times a bit too hard, but you'll still have fun jumping between bodies as you fight your way through nasty creatures from the great beyond.

Has pleasingly strong gunplay. [June 2011, p.112]

To consider The 3rd Birthday as a real sequel of Parasite Eve is a bad mistake: it is just a pretty good TPS spin-off that has its ups and downs... Now, dear Square Enix, we want a real third chapter of this glorious series!

The 3rd Birthday should have been brilliant, but is merely decent.

A case of style over substance. Despite an abysmal scenario and some flaws regarding the core gameplay, The 3rd Birthday remains a technically solid game and an enjoyable experience overall.

The story may turn off fans of the first two Parasite Eve games, but if you can get past the inane plot and characterizations, there's still a solid action-RPG underneath.

Ideal for portable gaming - handy, with it being a PSP game - and its mix of action, RPG elements, a challenging (though sometimes unfair) level of difficulty and a few nifty tricks to keep things strategic make it another solid title in the PSP's catalogue. [Issue#107, p.108]

The 3rd Birthday remains a strong proposition, marrying eastern and western design sensibilities to produce a strong and relevant update to a latent, outmoded series. [Apr 2011, p.92]

Parasite Eve fans may find themselves turned off by the frenzied action-oriented approach of The 3rd Birthday, and the execution certainly has its ups and downs. Even though The 3rd Birthday may not be one worth celebrating, we're hoping Square Enix can get it right if it decides to someday bring the franchise back to its console roots.

The 3rd Birthday's emphasis on fast-paced combat and the Overdive mechanic help the game overcome its more abstract flaws (despite some occasional repetition). Still, for old fans of Parasite Eve, the game's treatment of its heroine and legacy is frustrating.

The 3rd Birthday is disappointing; it brings back a series and a character that fans adore, and destroys what fans held as a paragon. The narrative is filled with holes and problems, the tough Aya people were hoping for is absent, the gameplay is a mess, and the story tries harder to throw you into cheap plot twists rather than to be enjoyable.

An uninteresting story combined with repetitive gameplay give the player little else to grab on to.

With 3rd Birthday Parasite Eve's franchise collapses, losing many attributes that granted it success in the past, proposing story, characters and enemies without personality, and a brand new action-oriented gameplay system, although too afflicted by several issues.

The 3rd Birthday is a fun and reasonably well-made game that, unfortunately, attempts to do too many things to do any of them terribly well.

The 3rd Birthday is a good attempt at reviving an old franchise, but the content doesn't quite fit the format. Controls are clunky and dependant on your view, and there is some questionable content in the game. However, the interesting combat, story and gorgeous cut-scenes do make for a good thrill ride.

If you were expecting a unique experience, equal to that of the PlayStation era games, you will be very disappointed. On the other hand, as a plain third person shooter, The 3rd Birthday is capable of delivering some quality gaming hours.

While not thoroughly original, it's at least consistently enjoyable during its short ride.

The problem is, it's hard to ever truly engage with it when so many of the The 3rd Birthday's key encounters are fundamentally spiteful. If you're really determined to eke some enjoyment from the rubble of frustration, there are a few moments that might make you feel like it's worth it. Sadly those occasions don't come along nearly enough to justify all the joyless attrition en route.

It can conjure moments of brilliance, but ultimately The 3rd Birthday is bogged down by indecisive design choices.

The 3rd Birthday tries to ride the success of the Parasite Eve franchise, but doesn't manage to impress despite its stunning visuals. The clunky camera, over-average story and sloppy controls really undermine what would otherwise be a surprising, challenging and varied game.

All in all, this is one birthday party you shouldn't regret skipping.

Frequently frustrating combat and an annoying central character prevent The 3rd Birthday from making the most of its unusual mechanics.

Parasite Eve this is not. The 3rd Birthday squanders some clever concepts with clumsy execution, and the end result is just another mediocre shooter that has very little in common the PlayStation classics that preceded it. This is one birthday that is not worth celebrating.

It's important, however, that one doesn't expect Parasite Eve III when popping this into their PSP, as that would surely result in acute disappointment.

Few PSP games look as good, but this is still a hugely disappointing return for Parasite Eve and the ruination of a once intriguing heroine.

The 3rd Birthday is a difficult game to recommend. There are aspects of it that really shine and make it an enjoyable experience, but others features, particularly the game's tortuous story, will surely disappoint those who were expecting the game to be in the vein of the previous Parasite Eve titles.

In the end, 3rd Birthday disappoints Parasite Eve fans and provides a rather mediocre experience for new players. It would be hard to suggest this game as an entry point to the series, or really suggest it at all.

Like its protagonist, The 3rd Birthday is a pretty body with nothing inside.