The 3rd Birthday

 PSP
Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 56 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 56
  2. Mixed: 29 out of 56
  3. Negative: 3 out of 56
Buy Now
Buy on
  1. GameShark
    May 9, 2011
    42
    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.
  2. The A.V. Club
    Apr 10, 2011
    42
    Like its protagonist, The 3rd Birthday is a pretty body with nothing inside.
  3. PlayStation LifeStyle
    Apr 4, 2011
    40
    Some of the first magazine advertisements for Parasite Eve, back in the late 90′s, used the tagline, "The Worst Foe Lies Within the Self." How oddly ironic that all these years later, a new Parasite Eve game should come out in which the worst foe truly is not a monster, but flaws within the design of the game itself. That's heavy.

Awards & Rankings

18
#18 Best PSP Game of 2011
1
#1 Most Discussed PSP Game of 2011
3
#3 Most Shared PSP Game of 2011

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 150 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 69 out of 150
  2. Mixed: 37 out of 150
  3. Negative: 44 out of 150
  1. timedevourer
    Apr 6, 2011
    1
    This game is a disaster. The gameplay is horrible (you basically hold L+R to auto-aim and shoot and not much more), the characters are nothingThis game is a disaster. The gameplay is horrible (you basically hold L+R to auto-aim and shoot and not much more), the characters are nothing more than grotesque caricatures, the writing is worse than in any random fanfic you'd stumble upon on the Internet, the plot is horrendous and nonsensical, and what's worse, it completely butchers everything that fans of Parasite Eve have grown to love. Motomu Toriyama is known to be a horrible scenario writer, and this -- well, this is his worst work by far. Square Enix should really take notice and keep him away from their future games.… Full Review »
  2. JDnator
    Apr 2, 2011
    10
    refreshing, polished and i fancy Aya... seriously though its got a wicked style nice controls (for PSP) and the lv up system is very engaging.refreshing, polished and i fancy Aya... seriously though its got a wicked style nice controls (for PSP) and the lv up system is very engaging. this game isn't about aiming, so what.. its about surviving and there are some quite deep tactics involved... very impressed and i HOPE there bringing Aya to the NGP!!.... oh, i forgot to mention the graphics are pretty spot on too.… Full Review »
  3. theshonen8899
    May 12, 2011
    6
    I am a huge, HUGE fan of the Parasite Eve series. That being said, this game is nothing like it, and it does quite a lot to blemish theI am a huge, HUGE fan of the Parasite Eve series. That being said, this game is nothing like it, and it does quite a lot to blemish the series. Let's start off with the problem that pains me the most, Aya Brea. She's not the same Aya Brea you know from Parasite Eve, at all. She's weak and looks like a slut. The strong-willed, badass Aya Brea you know from Parasite Eve is dead, and in her place is a skimpy, frail, teenage-like girl with a gun. It really, REALLY hurts me to see one of the most amazing female characters in gaming become this, and it definitely killed much of the game. To make matters worse, Aya now loses her clothes when she gets hurt. Square said this was a matter of realism, although I have a pretty hard time imagining they would treat a male protagonists the same way. They aren't being subtle here: Aya Bra is a sexual item in this game. Most of the satisfaction you will get from this game is watching her clothes fall off. The next problem would be the story, which makes little sense. If you watched the trailer and wondered why everything was happening the way it was, don't expect this game to explain it to you, because it won't. You are a tiny girl possessing soldiers from the past shooting monsters. That's all you will get from this game's story. Don't expect memorable characters either. They are all shallow and you will forget all their names a week after playing the game. The last parts to address in this game are the graphics and gameplay, which luckily are fantastic. The graphics are probably the best I've seen on a PSP, very similar to that of Crisis Core and Birth by Sleep. Absolutely stunning for this fiveish year old handheld. Gameplay is creative and addicting. You play by taking control of different soldiers and unleashing special attacks when gauges fill up. It's very difficult to describe properly so you'll need to look it up in the videos. You get to lock on to targets which may seem too easy at first but the game itself is not easy at all, as the enemies will be ruthless and have interesting weaknesses you need to discover. Overall while the game suffers from brutally murdering the Parasite Eve image and has a horrible story, the graphics and gameplay make it worth trying on the PSP. If you have never played Parasite Eve, you will want to pick it up. If you are a fan of Parasite Eve pretend The 3rd Birthday has nothing to do with it, because for the most part, it doesn't.… Full Review »
See all user reviews »