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]