The 3rd Birthday is worth playing even if your not a fan of the PE series. It is enjoyable.
The 3rd Birthday is the successor to the Parasite Eve Franchise. Of course you play as the very foxy 40-year-old in a 25-year-old body, Aya Brea. Aya apparently has lost all of her memories since the last two PE games. This may be explained later in the game (I've not gotten that far yet). Despite having a huge case of amnesia she jumps into the void to fight the Twisted menace that are crippling New York and the rest of the US. The visuals are awesome and show a very grim post-apocalyptic world. That's about all the story I'm willing to give away. I will say if your a fan of Square's story-telling don't expect much from this game.
So now down to business. Aya has a unique ability to where she can dive into peoples minds in the past by using a machine. This is called "Overdive" and it makes the strategy and gameplay very interesting. You'll spend most time mowing enemies down and switching between people. However when you weaken enemies you can also dive into twisted doing major damage. This game plays very well. I didn't experience any clunky controls at all. If you do, you can change your button layout via the option menu by pressing the start button. With that said, this is a game that plays like the original Syphon Filter games. You can aim weapons to an extent and some weapons you will aim to a full extent, but for the most part you will be using the auto-lock-on. Now this, does knock some fun out of it. But gun play is intense and refreshing every time you encounter an enemy. It is just fun.
There has been controversy to Aya being a sex symbol in this game. Well, in a male dominant business, this is very common. Just look at the Soul Calibur games and DOAD games. To me, there is some sex appeal, but not enough that it hinders the game's overall purpose (which is to have fun!). Some also say that Aya is weak. I don't believe this. For her to go into battle without knowing who she really is and facing overwhelming odds, really says alot about her character.
The bottom line is this: It's worth playing. Even if your not a PE fan you should give this game a shot.
I hope this review helps you in deciding about buying this game. It is actually a pretty good deal at $29.99. So check it out at your local video game store.