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. g0r37s
    Jan 18, 2018
    0
    Неиграбельное, гумозное, кривое японское говно. Неудивительно что PSP загнулась - с такими то эксклюзивами!
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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.
  7. 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
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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
  11. 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
  12. 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

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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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