The 3rd Birthday

 PSP
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
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  1. DemonWithin
    Jun 5, 2011
    7
    When the game was first announced I was excited for I loved the Parasite Eve series.This game really (as stated in many other reviews) has nothing to do with the previous titles other than Aya and a few other characters making an appearance.I do like the game it's very fun and I think it's one of the best PSP games out there right now.The story.......it's confusing and I don't really careWhen the game was first announced I was excited for I loved the Parasite Eve series.This game really (as stated in many other reviews) has nothing to do with the previous titles other than Aya and a few other characters making an appearance.I do like the game it's very fun and I think it's one of the best PSP games out there right now.The story.......it's confusing and I don't really care for it.The controls work nice,just wish the camera would have been better.The whole jumping from body to body thing too,I think it's a dumb idea, it works, but it's just stupid to me.I give the game a 7/10 it's fun and its worth a play just don't expect it to tie up anything with the other Parasite Eve titles.… Expand
  2. ECB19
    Feb 20, 2019
    7
    Before I played it I really wanted to play, but in the end this game disappointed me, when I saw that it is not faithful to the first games of aya brea, for me the best game of the saga is the second parasite eve, the first game is also very good, and this 3rd is not at that level as history (it is not well explained and it shows that the game still lacked development), soundtrackBefore I played it I really wanted to play, but in the end this game disappointed me, when I saw that it is not faithful to the first games of aya brea, for me the best game of the saga is the second parasite eve, the first game is also very good, and this 3rd is not at that level as history (it is not well explained and it shows that the game still lacked development), soundtrack (recycled the clasics and did not create anything new).
    I arrived to the conclusion that anyone can enjoy the game but it is below the parasite eve of ps1.    … Expand
  3. explodr
    Nov 18, 2011
    8
    I can see why many people like this game, but for once I'm actually going to have to agree with the critics on this one. The graphics are amazing, the gameplay is okay, and the cinematics are mind-blowing. However, it's far from perfect. The mechanics are sort of "clicky" (your character Aya takes a weird step backward before running, and looks kind of awkward while moving in anyI can see why many people like this game, but for once I'm actually going to have to agree with the critics on this one. The graphics are amazing, the gameplay is okay, and the cinematics are mind-blowing. However, it's far from perfect. The mechanics are sort of "clicky" (your character Aya takes a weird step backward before running, and looks kind of awkward while moving in any direction), and the story line is a bit confusing if you haven't played the other Parasite Eve games (like me). As a side note, I played the game for about four hours total before coming to this conclusion, and I'm still not sure why it's rated M...… Expand
  4. webwizo
    Jun 8, 2012
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Aya Brea.. After a logn long time I played The 3rd Birthday and it refreshes my old memory when I used to play Parasite Eve =) Cool moves, very nice story, nice characters.. Full marks by my side and if they could create another game like 4rd birthday ;)

    Waiting.....    … Expand
  5. LWFYM
    Sep 1, 2013
    8
    The 3rd Birthday is a very enjoyable game, but there are some things holding it back. New York is once again attacked, this time, it's by grotesque characters called "The Twisted". The gameplay is straight forward, like holding L to aim and R to shoot and square to reload. You hold square to open your weapon inventory and navigate with the D-pad you can overdive with triangle(auto-aimThe 3rd Birthday is a very enjoyable game, but there are some things holding it back. New York is once again attacked, this time, it's by grotesque characters called "The Twisted". The gameplay is straight forward, like holding L to aim and R to shoot and square to reload. You hold square to open your weapon inventory and navigate with the D-pad you can overdive with triangle(auto-aim helps for overdive). You can change positions by overdiving into other people, but overdiving into an enemy does not change positions, but counts as an attack. Overdiving is a very helpful thing to have, but use it wisely, when in the heat of battle and trying to get away from an enemy quickly, you may overdive a lot so you can stay alive thus, losing your support team. The story is a good one, but it takes a lot of twists and turns and seems like it does not have the time to explain. I had to finish the game twice to know the story well. What I really don't like is how they portrayed Aya Brea. This game tries to make her some type of sex symbol or a(fan of the original game's) perverted dream and at some points make her seem under-powered and helpless. I hated, hated, HATED that. On the other hand, the graphics surpasses many games in the PS2's library and brings many environments to life. The sound design is also very good and the soundtrack seems like a redux of the original Parasite Eve and that's not a bad thing. Die Hard Parasite Eve fans may not like this game because of the the shooter gameplay or the new Aya Brea, but I think it's a good step up from PE2's Resident Evil-clone gameplay. It's well worth the money.… Expand
  6. elitefour
    Nov 3, 2013
    8
    the 3rd birthday is one the best psp exclusive
    it was a decent sequel of the 2nd game
    the gameplay was amazing,the story was a little bored
    but aya brea was so HOT!! I love it
    it was a fun game
  7. Leontorres7
    Nov 15, 2018
    10
    A Masterpiece, loved everything about this game, it is definitely a must play!
  8. 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 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 herI 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.… Expand
  9. ryuzaki57
    Oct 8, 2011
    8
    Now that was hell of a game! Action is immersive, varied and quite tactical as well, so you can hardly stop playing even if beaten up by the insane creatures and bosses. The 3rd Birthday is a tad difficult as well, which is not a bad thing those days. The scenario is extremely rich and I found myself spending a lot of time reading the reports. Character and weapon design is near perfectNow that was hell of a game! Action is immersive, varied and quite tactical as well, so you can hardly stop playing even if beaten up by the insane creatures and bosses. The 3rd Birthday is a tad difficult as well, which is not a bad thing those days. The scenario is extremely rich and I found myself spending a lot of time reading the reports. Character and weapon design is near perfect and the RPG part isn't just for show. Best TPS of 2011.… Expand
  10. infinityqs
    Oct 22, 2011
    8
    The 3rd Birthday is fun mash up of third person shooting and rpg stuff, which makes a really good combination (unlike Lord of Arcana.)

    The Story: Well the story is confusing, first of all it didn't explain why the FBI attacked the wedding of Aya and Kyle. Second is that to really understand the story behind the twisted and the high ones. Combine all to and you get a weird    The 3rd Birthday is fun mash up of third person shooting and rpg stuff, which makes a really good combination (unlike Lord of Arcana.)

    The Story:
    Well the story is confusing, first of all it didn't explain why the FBI attacked the wedding of Aya and Kyle. Second is that to really understand the story behind the twisted and the high ones. Combine all to and you get a weird Daytime-Soap-Opera Shows.

    Gameplay:
    Unlike the it's predecessor it's not a horror game, it's more of a Resident Evil except with out the horror or intense scenes. Instead it's an Awesome TPS where you can do this "Overdive" thing where you can take the place from one ally to another by using overdive. Weapons are good, changing DNA is cool and Getting to Have different costumes like Lighning's Costume is AWESOME!!!!

    Graphics:
    As usual the graphics are fantastic!!!!! If you say it sucks then go play your GBA, I bet it has lots of COOL games in it special the AWESOME graphics it has.

    Sound:
    Solid Voice Soundtrack but the voice acting is at the mercy of the script.

    Replay:
    If you wanna get everything then be my guest cause one of the main replay value is the story cause you won't get any thing out of the story if you just played it once.



    see the full review: http://asia.gamespot.com/psp/action/the-3rd-birthday/player_review.html?id=751144&tag=contributions%3Breview20    … Expand
  11. Alluminn
    Jun 25, 2011
    7
    The game, I enjoyed. The overdive system makes for a very interesting form of play, where you really have no regard for your health bar. I honestly felt bad that, when the guy I was possessing was about to die, I would just hop into someone else and let him die. There were a few parts that made me pull my hair out, namely near the end of the game. On a scale of one-to-rape, some parts ofThe game, I enjoyed. The overdive system makes for a very interesting form of play, where you really have no regard for your health bar. I honestly felt bad that, when the guy I was possessing was about to die, I would just hop into someone else and let him die. There were a few parts that made me pull my hair out, namely near the end of the game. On a scale of one-to-rape, some parts of this game are so high on the scale that you should be chopped up and in a freezer. Even on normal mode.

    The story, now, was a gigantic train wreck. If you're a long-time fan of PE, then seriously don't play this game. It will ruin the series for you. The story is so convoluted and nonsensical, the lead writer should honestly be fired. Immediately.

    So yeah, if you're looking for an enjoyable gameplay experience, I'd definitely refer this. If you want a good story, then get the heck away from this game and never look back.    … Expand
  12. g0r37s
    Jan 18, 2018
    0
    Неиграбельное, гумозное, кривое японское говно. Неудивительно что PSP загнулась - с такими то эксклюзивами!
  13. Zeag
    Aug 7, 2012
    9
    I am frankly surprised at the below average scores this game is getting. Sure it's not exactly like Parasite Eve 1 and 2, but the game truly makes the most out of the PSP and offers tight gameplay despite the lack of second analog stick. The story is serviceable, and there's a good resume of the previous games in the menu's notes if you're a newcomer.

    All in all, this game is one of the    I am frankly surprised at the below average scores this game is getting. Sure it's not exactly like Parasite Eve 1 and 2, but the game truly makes the most out of the PSP and offers tight gameplay despite the lack of second analog stick. The story is serviceable, and there's a good resume of the previous games in the menu's notes if you're a newcomer.

    All in all, this game is one of the swansongs of the PSP and I'm quite saddened it didn't get much love from the press. It feels like a blend of all the positive aspects of Dirge of Cerberus and Crisis Core mashed together, and the now-discounted price of $20, you have the best third person shooter on the platform. Not too bad!    … Expand
  14. murut87
    Jan 22, 2012
    9
    Even through some people who hate this game because of camera,or something,but my bro and i like this game,it was best and they trying to make this game as great as they do on PSP even through its limited.The Story is ok,just sometimes weird plot happens at anytime.The Graphics are the best on PSP,very great....The voice acting was awful,english voice actor seems annoying.The gameplay isEven through some people who hate this game because of camera,or something,but my bro and i like this game,it was best and they trying to make this game as great as they do on PSP even through its limited.The Story is ok,just sometimes weird plot happens at anytime.The Graphics are the best on PSP,very great....The voice acting was awful,english voice actor seems annoying.The gameplay is great,shoot to kill,overdrive to another ppl or corrupt monsters,ride helicopter and tanks,even through the controller feels bad till i forget those things.And last thing i gonna say about this game.....it was bloody fun but tough controller and awful voice actor.… Expand
  15. iamtrent424
    Apr 16, 2011
    8
    This game is really fun to play . A lot of action the story line to the movie was really good. Awesome graphics. I suggest this game to everyone. Its a very nice Action roleplaying game. This game isnt a horror game like the other two but its worth playing . One of psp best game of the year so far.
  16. Drain
    Aug 18, 2014
    5
    Being a huge fan of the original Parasite Eve games... I couldn't have been more excited to finally play another one. They were some of my favorite PS 1 games, and some of the best survival horrors ever made. Sadly, what we are given here is a game that has nothing to do with those, despite having the name. It's a "Parasite Eve" game in name quotes only, as if the first 2 games didn'tBeing a huge fan of the original Parasite Eve games... I couldn't have been more excited to finally play another one. They were some of my favorite PS 1 games, and some of the best survival horrors ever made. Sadly, what we are given here is a game that has nothing to do with those, despite having the name. It's a "Parasite Eve" game in name quotes only, as if the first 2 games didn't happen at all. There is absolutely no reference or connection to the previous games. It's not played anything like those were. It's instead a straight up arcade shooter, and little else. Aya Brea, like the title, is in name only, as she has nothing to do with the Aya Brea from the previous games. This is very disappointing, as it's obvious that they just took a shooter, and adapted it into Parasite Eve to better sell it. If this wasn't Parasite Eve, I probably never would have played it. If they weren't going to bother to connect this to the other games, I wish they wouldn't have mooched off the title. They basically bait and switched us, meaning any fan of the original games will be rather upset.

    So what is this game about then? It's basically about an invasion of monsters which the game calls the twisted. They are taking over the entire world very quickly, and you try to stop them, being the only person(for some reason) that can do anything about it. Other marines/swat/etc do try to help every level, but they are little more than fodder for you to use with an expendable throw away attitude. The twisted somewhat resemble the mutants you'd expect from Parasite Eve, but they aren't alterations of normal creatures like what you'd see from the original games; they are instead just new original designs. You see, in the original games, the monsters were all mutations of normal creatures, such as giant rats, deformed monkeys, a huge 3 headed dog; there's none of that here. This is yet another thing that has no relativity to the original games despite leeching their name.

    But soon enough, the story becomes a huge over convoluted mess about time travel and "High Ones" that makes absolutely no logical sense. I don't think I've ever said the words, "Why?", "How?", "And?" so many times when suffering through this kind of nonsensical crap. I think the writer honestly must have been smoking a bong, that or they just threw this slop together in a weekend then started working on all the cutscenes for it. Long story short, the story is garbage. It's so garbage that it's comparable to Starcraft 2, and it's as confusing as Bioshock Infinite. Ya, it looks great... the cutscenes are so pretty, congratulations... but none of makes any sense, so it's all a big waste. Should I give you a point for doing all these nice cutscenes and take it right back for them being completely pointless and nonsensical? It's like sitting through the RE 6 cutscenes. They look nice. But they're still all garbage because the writing is garbage. I'm not a baby that claps his hands at the sight of pretty pictures.

    All that said, I did actually enjoy playing the game. The graphics(in combat) are rather nice for the PSP, probably being one of the best looking games on the system. The combat plays almost entirely like a shooter, except giving you the ability to switch between soldiers, which you possess and use to fight. I didn't like this constant switching around between expendable fodder soldiers, but it was alright once I stopped viewing this as a Parasite Eve game.(This is yet another feature that has no relevance to the series or her original powers) The shooting handles nicely, for the most part, but I did sometimes have trouble getting "Aya" to target the correct things.

    After finishing the game, you realize that you've barely unlocked anything in it, as they built the game around replayability. All I had by the end was 1 sweater and a few guns to purchase. Seriously? This repetitive arcade shooter is built around being repeatedly run in order to unlock most of the stuff in the game? No thanks. The game does have a gun slot system with upgrades and a DNA slot system, but they're very shallow and barely affects the game. As I said, you barely even get most of the guns in your first run through, and DNA barely feels like it does anything at all. Do you really want to sludge through that whole game again just to use some more toys and put "Aya" in a few more outfits?

    Overall, it's hard to recommend this game. As a Parasite Eve title, it's complete garbage. As an arcade shooter of its own, you may get some fun out of it. It looks nice, the controls are good for the most part(can't correct Y axis aiming, /sigh), and it is fun to play. It's just very disappointing to have a game making a mockery of the name it's using, while at the same time having no replayability despite apparently being designed with it in mind. At the end of the day, it just makes me wish we had gotten HD remakes of the original titles instead.(Like the Final Fantasy games)
    -Drain (Steam)    … Expand
  17. DasBaronne
    Jan 28, 2013
    6
    So. Have you ever wondered what Mindjack would look like on the PSP? Have you ever wondered what Mindjack would look like if it was melded into a third person horror game like Parasite Eve or Silent Hill?
    Well...you would get THIS game. The graphics are great, game-play is ...uhm "difficult" (due to poor design).
    The story line is just...horrendous (and you won't understand it unless    So. Have you ever wondered what Mindjack would look like on the PSP? Have you ever wondered what Mindjack would look like if it was melded into a third person horror game like Parasite Eve or Silent Hill?
    Well...you would get THIS game. The graphics are great, game-play is ...uhm "difficult" (due to poor design).
    The story line is just...horrendous (and you won't understand it unless you're either obsessed with the series, hyper-intelligent aka a plot-detective, or really bored and with access to wikipedia).
    Its fun if you're really bored and in need of some highspeed gameplay , but I wouldn't put my hopes up TOO much.
    I actually bought this right around the time it came out. It IS fun to an extent, but it isn't perfect. Or "GREAT".    … Expand
  18. 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 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 toThis 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.… Expand
  19. 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. 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.
  20. Nathaniel
    Apr 9, 2011
    8
    After an 11 year absence Aya Brea of the Playstationâ
  21. HazukiRyo
    Apr 18, 2011
    6
    Yuck, this game left a bad taste in my mouth and overall filled with disappointments. The things I hated the most about it is a very repetitious and confusing as hell story. The game play doesn't vary at all throughout the whole experience - keep shooting same boring shapeless nasty creatures over and over! The enemies have way too much HP and you have to empty many clips of ammo justYuck, this game left a bad taste in my mouth and overall filled with disappointments. The things I hated the most about it is a very repetitious and confusing as hell story. The game play doesn't vary at all throughout the whole experience - keep shooting same boring shapeless nasty creatures over and over! The enemies have way too much HP and you have to empty many clips of ammo just to bring them down. In game cinematics, although quite beautifully rendered, don't explain the story very well and leave you more confused. I would recommend staying far away from this game and checking out Syphon Filter games or Resistance Retribution instead.… Expand
  22. Mattaclysm
    Apr 10, 2011
    7
    3rd Birthday is supposed to be the 3rd Parasite Eve but aside from the main character it doesn't really feel like it. It's become more of a shooter but there are still the RPG elements and gun customization features. First off let me state my major complaint. The controls on the PSP. They're terrible. Why was this game made for the PSP? The analog is so stiff it makes playing a game like3rd Birthday is supposed to be the 3rd Parasite Eve but aside from the main character it doesn't really feel like it. It's become more of a shooter but there are still the RPG elements and gun customization features. First off let me state my major complaint. The controls on the PSP. They're terrible. Why was this game made for the PSP? The analog is so stiff it makes playing a game like this much more difficult. It's the same problem I had with MGS: PW. Even an option to use the d-pad for movement would have been better. There really is no sense talking about the graphics they really are as good as they possibly could be on the PSP. The music is pretty good. In episode 2 hearing a new version of the Parasite Eve 1 battle music was cool and definitely brought me back to classic gaming on the PS1. The story has been hard to grasp I don't understand this overdrive time warp thing. What's going on here? When did this whole Aya time travel thing happen? The gameplay is really fun. I am a huge fan of RPG's and shooters so the mix is a perfect match. I just wish this game could have been made for consoles. For me the reason why this game loses points is mainly the controls on the PSP. Otherwise it'd be a nearly perfect game.… Expand
  23. Lord_Black
    May 14, 2011
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The 3rd Birthday is an excellent game for the PSP, with some quality graphics, with many details (although it falls in the soldiers a little), and certainly among the best of the console (personally, I think is the best PSP, but that is a matter of taste. Square Enix also reminds us that without doubt the best time to make the cutscene (movie scene) in video games. Finally, I found the story was good, a whole tribute to Parasite Eve, and that proves to be completely faithful to the spirit of this saga, but do not forget, this The 3rd Birthday is not a direct continuation of the previous games Ps1 (with more than 10 years was impossible without recourse to a remake), but rather a way to Square Enix to recover one of the great classics that saw the original Playstation. No doubt a highly recommendable game.

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    The 3rd Birthday es un excelente juego para la PSP, con unos graficos de buena calidad, con muchos detalles (aunque cae en los solados un poco), y sin duda entre lo mejor de la consola (personalmente, creo que es lo mejor de la PSP, pero eso ya es cuestion de gustos. Square Enix ademas, nos recuerda que sin duda son los mejores a la hora de hacer los cutscene (escena de pelicula) en los videojuegos. Finalmente, la historia me parecio que era buena, todo un homenaje a Parasite Eve, y que demuestra que es totalmente fiel al espiritu de esta saga, pero no olviden, este The 3rd Birthday no es una continuacion directa de los juegos anteriores de Ps1 (con mas de 10 años era imposible hacerlo sin recurrir a un remake), sino mas bien una manera de Square Enix de recuperar uno de los grandes clasicos que la Playstation Original vio. Sin duda un juego totalmente recomendable.    … Expand
  24. Kenmei
    Jan 2, 2012
    3
    This could have been a really good game but it's plagued by alot of terrible ideas and just things that didn't need to be included into the game at all. I used to be a fan of the original Parasite Eve games, the games this was based off of, back when they were on the PS1. This game however was very disappointing and the fact that they basically turned what was a decent Action/RPG into anThis could have been a really good game but it's plagued by alot of terrible ideas and just things that didn't need to be included into the game at all. I used to be a fan of the original Parasite Eve games, the games this was based off of, back when they were on the PS1. This game however was very disappointing and the fact that they basically turned what was a decent Action/RPG into an overly sexually charged disappointment. The biggest problem for me was the main character. I do not remember Aya Brea, the main character, being such a coward. They turned her into what amounts to a sniveling whiner who can't hold a conversation with any of the other characters without muttering to herself or sighing in defeat. The fact that she, for some reason, loses her clothes as she gets damaged also has no reason to be in the game, only to show a scantily clad girl running around killing things. The gameplay is alright, except your fulling reliant on the never ending stream of guys to possess. So basically you can't die, except in the level where you have a limited number of guys to possess and it becomes very difficult to beat. However the story will have people scratching their heads pretty much the entire way through, especially at the end when you realize something about the half-naked girl you've been following around that'll make you cringe. Again, this game could have been good, but it seems like all it tries to accomplish is trying to get enough sexually charged things past the censors. I was highly disappointed with this game and I won't be so quick to play another title in this series in the future if this is going to be the standard going forward.… Expand
  25. likeitsillegal
    Apr 19, 2011
    3
    Just plain did NOT like this game. They ripped the storyline on Parasite Eve and Parasite Eve 2 a new **** and pretty much retconned everything Parasite Eve fans know. The gameplay itself was just awful. I don't think I know ONE person who didn't get massive finger pain and cramps from holding down both L and R at the same time. The ending was also a mess, in that it barely made any sense.Just plain did NOT like this game. They ripped the storyline on Parasite Eve and Parasite Eve 2 a new **** and pretty much retconned everything Parasite Eve fans know. The gameplay itself was just awful. I don't think I know ONE person who didn't get massive finger pain and cramps from holding down both L and R at the same time. The ending was also a mess, in that it barely made any sense. Square Enix needs to stop bringing back old titles, and stop trying to be "so deep", if this is what they intend to do. A huge disappointment. The only saving grace was the music.… Expand
  26. Diatretarius
    Apr 13, 2011
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I really, really wanted to like this game. But the game is very bad. The Story is not interesting. Geypley primitive. Nothing about this game is good, I returned it.… Expand
  27. gasperk
    Dec 6, 2011
    1
    The gameplay is horrible.... So bad... The story and graphics are great... but they are totally destroyed by this crap level design and gameplay.
    Please save your money and dont buy this game, it will just get you closer to a suicide or to a mental hospital due to a frustrating gameplay.
  28. Stealthgear
    Mar 13, 2015
    6
    Enter a psp action "shooter" with really polished graphics for PSP. The actual gameplay is lock-on and holding L to empty your ammo. You switch bodies to continue, use barriers as cover, and find a few powerups. The special moves are a little confusing and dodging attacks is quite difficult. Playing the long boring corridor levels will leave your thumbs hurting. It is a harder difficultyEnter a psp action "shooter" with really polished graphics for PSP. The actual gameplay is lock-on and holding L to empty your ammo. You switch bodies to continue, use barriers as cover, and find a few powerups. The special moves are a little confusing and dodging attacks is quite difficult. Playing the long boring corridor levels will leave your thumbs hurting. It is a harder difficulty which is probably what makes it slightly fun. The levels are a little dark. This is a game that would probably benefit from a bigger screen and actual controller. This game feels like a B grade PS2 game. The character of Aya is really nice to have, but there is not much going on here. Some type of portal aliens enter the city and you must stop them. The levels are just too long and the enemies are repetitive. The save menus and upgrades are very confusing. There are too many down sides to make this a great game.… Expand
  29. Decemuladores
    Nov 28, 2011
    5
    As a individual game, would be something more decent, if the character were that weak but not Aya Brea and others, the game would be decent. But as a sequel to those two titles of the PSX is a huge fail because not enough heels or the great achievements that gave these titles.
  30. SomaKitsune
    Jan 28, 2012
    2
    What can be said? Gameplay is enjoyable, if repetitive and needlessly hard to deal with at times. However, the real butchery starts with the story and characters. This game has nearly no relation to the series it belongs to; characters from previous games show up, along with one or two references (literally), but the premise of the plot is completely different to its roots. The storyWhat can be said? Gameplay is enjoyable, if repetitive and needlessly hard to deal with at times. However, the real butchery starts with the story and characters. This game has nearly no relation to the series it belongs to; characters from previous games show up, along with one or two references (literally), but the premise of the plot is completely different to its roots. The story focusing on time travel and Aya possessing people is based on the supernatural rather than the scientific, and fits into the series like a triangular peg in a square hole.
    Indeed, while the characters do return, they are not completely saved either. Aya turns from the tough, confident woman we all know to, in comparison, a gibbering mess. While theplot tries to give reason to this, it is no excuse and does not fit the character at all. Whilst playing, I had to wonder whether the person writing the script had even heard of the past two games.
    However, as I focus on the bad, there is some good, like little gems shining out of a sewage dump. The graphics are excellent, with crisp textures and good animation. The gameplay is fun-ish, and can make for a good play if needed, with variety and brilliant cutscene integration. And it is oddly satisfying as well, and ventilating a Twisted feels good, especially with the bigger guns. Though, cold hard fact is inescapable. For fans of the series, this game is total butchery. If you have never heard of Parasite Eve before, or you haven't layed the past two games, by all means, buy this game and enjoy it. But if you have... avoid it. You won't regret not playing it.    … Expand
  31. Tushar
    Jan 30, 2013
    1
    This is one Game with bucketloads of **** are nice. Story is Cliche but the Gameplay is more like a Mental Torture..Even with all Customisation & Hp, I almost had to put in 2 hours to take down the 2nd level Boss which has an almost Infinite Hp which never Ends..Its so Frustrating...Avoid this Over-rated Game or you may lose your Sanity playing this one.
  32. Kai82
    Sep 8, 2014
    3
    What did you do with Parasite Eve? The first game was a masterpiece and the second one was really good but this is not even a Parasite Eve game. The story makes no sense, the characters are wasted and the fan service is shameful (Deteriorating clothing = sex sells). Square Enix lost its superiority in the rpg sector.
  33. Manto
    Sep 14, 2015
    3
    I really like Parasite Eve 1 and 2. Much. So, this "third" thing...

    Let's start with the average score: 5 +1 It has nice graphics. And I mean it. +1 The music is good, really good. +1 The world and struggle feels somewhat real. When you have to face those strange Twisted, you feel the desperation. It feels like those things can and will end the world. +1 The controls are simple    I really like Parasite Eve 1 and 2. Much. So, this "third" thing...

    Let's start with the average score: 5

    +1 It has nice graphics. And I mean it.
    +1 The music is good, really good.
    +1 The world and struggle feels somewhat real. When you have to face those strange Twisted, you feel the desperation. It feels like those things can and will end the world.
    +1 The controls are simple and easy to grasp.

    The Pros made a 9.
    Now for the Cons...

    -1 Butcher of what Parasite Eve is. A slap in the face to the fans. Disrespectful.
    -1 Forgettable characters. Changed and destroyed the ones we know and love.
    -1 Plot holes and a story that makes no sense.
    -1 Sexualized Aya Brea. Disrespectful to the character.
    -1 The targeting systems doesn't always work as intended. The camera doesn't help either.
    -1 Frustrating fights. Sometimes its just unfair. Try the second boss (the wasp thing) for proof.

    At the end, The 3rd birthday gets a fair 3.    … Expand
  34. mikehettfield
    Apr 12, 2016
    9
    Simlpy beautiful, great mechanics, one of the best psp games and an example on how to make Shooting-RPG mixures, great story, great music, and a needed 3rd part for the franchise
  35. FreeRPGer
    Oct 29, 2020
    6
    Simply put, the 1st Parasite Eve = 2 thumbs up. (great tale & innovative gameplay).
    Parasite Eve 2 = 1 thumb up. (good tale & OK gameplay - RE clone with a bit of RPGness).
    The 3rd Birthday = 1 thumb down. (convoluted tale & not-so-good gameplay, IMO). Highly disappointed in Aya's 3rd tale (& gameplay). Couldn't even finish this. Yeah, it was different -- WAY different from the 1st    Simply put, the 1st Parasite Eve = 2 thumbs up. (great tale & innovative gameplay).
    Parasite Eve 2 = 1 thumb up. (good tale & OK gameplay - RE clone with a bit of RPGness).
    The 3rd Birthday = 1 thumb down. (convoluted tale & not-so-good gameplay, IMO).
    Highly disappointed in Aya's 3rd tale (& gameplay).
    Couldn't even finish this. Yeah, it was different -- WAY different from the 1st two, but NOT in a way that kept me engaged. IMO, I believe Square should've built upon the RPG mechanics of the 1st game, maybe implemented a wee bit of the 2nd game's survival horror mechanics.
    The only thing that kept me playing for as long as I did, is Aya is good to look at (from any angle), and some of the music is captivating.
    Other than that, I didn't want to waste my PSP's lens/drive - saved it for much better games.    … Expand
  36. Lyserg1260
    Aug 23, 2015
    10
    Best one in series. It's not horror game anymore, but it's my favourite in PE series. It has really interesting plot and amazing gameplay with huge replay value. Bosses are very interesting, fights are dynamic, everything is just great in this game. Aya looks awesome. I didn't expected it to be horror game and i wasn't dissapointed. I still love PE1 and PE2, but i prefer this game.
  37. Guestalot
    May 26, 2016
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. First of all, I'm a HUGE Parasite Eve fan. I LOVE PE1 and 2! I must have played them both a dozen of times apiece. In fact, Parasite Eve was the first game that I ever bought for my PlayStation. It made me fall in love with video games that no game at that time had. I love the characters, the story, the world and the gameplay. It was a masterpiece for my fourteen year old mind back in 1998 and to this day it holds a very special place in my heart.

    That being said I thought I was going to die from excitement when I heard they were making a 3rd installment in the series! I so pumped! I went out and I bought the game a few months after launch. After playing it.....I was left very angry and disappointed.

    The controls for this game were horrible. They felt stiff and were hard to manage. The camera was something else that got on my nerves cause it was a pain in the ass to get it in the right direction at times.

    The gameplay had some interesting ideas. I thought moving Aya's soul from person to person was a cool idea. It was one of the few constructive ideas. The skills for Aya and customization for the guns were kinda of fun...or at least I think they were. You know, I really don't remember a lot of this game cause it didn't leave much of an impression in the gameplay department to be honest. As far as replay value, they added some god awful slutty outfits to have poor Aya wear like a cheap hooker.

    And since we're talking about Aya being a hoe bag in this game, what purpose was Aya's clothes falling off in the game? Nothing! That's what! All it was was disgusting fan service and give cheap thrills to lonely nerds. How Aya was torn down into a cheap, whiny, unintelligent, wimpy, and sleazy hoe was one of the saddest and most infuriating things I've ever seen! It was heartbreaking to see Aya go from the sexy, smart, and badass character to exact opposite.

    What's almost worse than that was the horribly god awful train wreck of a story! This story and characters had nothing to do with the other two installments in the series! Eve wasn't mentioned nor where the events that happened in New York and same can be said about Nevada! None of the characters from either two games make appearance from the game expect the Eve, Kyle, and the Japanese scientist, Madea. Poor Madea was turned into some creepy deranged prevert that just creeped me out most of the time. What happened to him being likeable, awesome, and super smart? Kyle just went around spouting stupid **** and running at the mouth about the things that didn't make sense.

    The other characters I can't even remember their faces or names cause they weren't even that interesting and had nothing to really add the story except for dying. The story so ridiculous and far fetched I swear to go that a five year old wrote it with crayons! There are so many that's that don't make sense and are never explained, like why did Aya get gunned down in her own wedding by swat members!?! The high ones and them being made cause Eve and Aya switched bodies and Eve being able to go through time and some crap! How can Eve go through time and better yet how can she put her conscience in another person's?! Never explained! It's more stupid than this games title. The storyline left me with a severe headache from trying to piece the story together. The voice acting is abysmal and all the characters were extremely drama induced and I feel like was watching a horrible soap opera.

    I don't rate games a two very often and I usually save them from games that are completely broken, but honestly I could never recommend this game to any Parasite Eve fan. They butchered Aya, the characters, and the story. Words cannot express how much I truly hate this game.    … Expand
  38. lesiuML
    Jan 8, 2022
    5
    Game have a really boring story... At the beginning a lot of this are actually really fun and good but after fev hours everything stating to be repetitive and just boring. Graphics are one of the best on psp and just for graphics it's nice to play this.
  39. LuisBelly
    Nov 25, 2020
    10
    literally, the best game on psp. it have the best lore and the best plot. controls are simple, not hard or bad, you get used to it fast. the graphics are what you expect from a psp game. mechanics are what a TPS need. thanks HexaDrive and SquareEnix for making this mestrepeça.
  40. tonberry_ftw
    Jun 24, 2023
    3
    Perfect example of how to obliterate a franchise and a character. They should've never made this.

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
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
  1. ZTGD
    Mar 22, 2012
    80
    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.
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  2. Game Chronicles
    Jun 27, 2011
    87
    Expect 15-20 hours of gameplay just to get through the game and that's not including any replays for secrets, alternate paths, or checking out any of the secrets or unlocks. The 3rd Birthday rivals a lot of console action-RPG's these days, and while it probably would have played better and received a wider audience on the PS3, I have to commend Square Enix for publishing a fantastic sequel and an exceptional gameplay experience on the PSP that any fan of the genre or the series should definitely check out.
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  3. Worth Playing
    May 23, 2011
    80
    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.
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