A fantastic looking game for the PSP, but not suitable for all
Presentation:
Right off the bat, classic fans and newbies to the Parasite Eve series will agree with at least this; The 3rd Birthday is a fantastic looking game for the PSP. From the beginning until the end the gameplay looks and runs at a good pace with little visual issues arising. The frame rate never seems to drop at any point during gameplay, there are little visual glitches with the exception of some washed out colours in the background, which can be forgiven with the hardware the game has to work with. The character models also look good as well, Aya being the best as when she is hurt, she loses clothes. While it's supposed to represent how much protection she has from the enemies she faces, you can be forgiven for thinking it's an attempt to make her seem more sexual, but fans of old won't fall for this.
Story:
The story will have series fans and new players divided as the game progresses because the game tries to bite off more than it can chew in terms of story. You'll play as Aya Brea from the original Parasite Eve games, now with new abilities and the stereotypical amnesiac background to go with it. Apart from that, the story revolves around the invasion of strange creatures called the Twisted, weird alien tentacle Christmas tree... Things who have taken over New York City and who are trying to take over the world. Aya happens to be the only person who can fight these creatures using the Overdive System, which I'll explain later on, but basically it allows her to travel to the past to fight in crucial battles against the Twisted.
Aya's reason for her amnesia and joining the CTI (Counter Twisted Investigation) team are never thoroughly explained, instead just a couple of lines of dialogue are used. To be honest, it's a bit of a jumbled mess, but you'll forget about it when you reach the end of the story, as it ends on a very strong note and actually manages to tie most of the loose ends of the story together. The ending is very powerful in how it is executed, and is one of the most emotional endings I have seen in a game. Yes, the story overall is a mess, but the ending does such a good job that you can forgive it easily.
Gameplay (We have a fair bit to cover, so get comfortable):
The 3rd Birthday tries to execute 3rd Person Shooters, Role Playing games and Strategy into one, and it does this well. More on that in a moment.
The controls are what you would expect from a shooter on the PSP. The shoulder buttons are used for aiming and firing, directional buttons are used to control the camera, the analogue nub is used to move Aya around and the icon buttons represent reloading your weapon with square, action button with X, throw grenades with circle and use Overdive with triangle. There aren't any real issues with the controls, the only issue being how they are placed on the PSP, but they work well and are responsive.
As a 3rd Person Shooter, it doesn't feel as free and easy to play compared to others; In fact, it can be argued that in some ways the entire thing is a little bit controlled and restricted. Normal 3rd person shooters often have better movement and are smooth in their operation, something that The 3rd Birthday tries to do but fails at.
You will, however, have a lot of different weapons that you will use throughout the game's story, including a variety of Handguns, Grenade Launchers, Machine Guns and so on, all of which can be customised to increase accuracy, power, bullet impact and amount of bullets in a magazine. It's not a bad selection of weapons and attachments, but I often found myself sticking to the Assault Rifles that I upgraded as overall they had the most ammunition and best damage. There are sections that require specific weapons, but these are provided to you so you don't need to worry about dying and then equipping the correct gun.
The Role Playing in this game feels much the same way. There is some minor role playing customisation which you can use to alter Aya's DNA, such as the ability to recover health when she is in a state for the selected abilities to kick in. But once again, it feels a bit too controlled, which may turn off people from making any reasonable attempts to make the most out of its customisation options. The DNA can gain levels and can change when combined with new forms of DNA, some for better and some for worse, but overall feels like it wasn't thought through.
In gameplay, the DNA changes can help during firefights when you need to turn the tide of battle such as recovering fellow soldier's health but still feel minimal. Its only when the game pushes you that you will be feeling the changes to your DNA.
Okay, now for the unique aspect of the gameplay. Aya has the ability to Overdive, or take control of soldiers in the field to attack the enemy. Basically in gameplay sections, her soul can teleport into different soldiers, where they change into Aya and she gains control. The soldier has their own health, and if the health bar empties, the soldier dies and so does Aya. However, if the soldier is part of a group, Aya can jump from the dying soldier into another and continues fighting. Basically if the soldier dies while Aya is in control and cannot jump into another, she dies.
Aya can also use her Overdive ability to deal massive damage to the Twisted, which is indicated when a triangle appears over an enemy. Most boss fights end using this ability, and will most of the time be your ability to use when in a bind.
This opens up the strategy in The 3rd Birthday and it works well when you want to control the battlefield. The Overdive ability allows the player to strategically place soldiers around an area to attack the Twisted, something that you will be using in large scale battles and boss fights. Soldiers are your main source of life, so placing them well and keeping them in good health is crucial to your success in The 3rd Birthday.
When these three different genres come together in a fight, it is a rather spectacular sight and works brilliantly. Jumping from soldier to soldier while gunning down the Twisted is actually very simple when put into practice, but also difficult when you have to strategise Soldier movement. The game also gives you special abilities such as Crossfire, where you can link with other soldiers to deal damage to one specific enemy.
Overall, the gameplay feels restricted in movement and quality, but still looks spectacular in motion and easy to use. There is a large choice of guns available for use, the customisation for both guns and DNA is restricted but flexible, and the Overdive ability is inspired. The 3rd Birthday does all of this well, and depending on the person will be a confusing mess of a game or a joyful mix of strategy and shooting.
Value:
Don't expect to get much from The 3rd Birthday. Apart from a scaling difficulty and unlockable costumes there isn't a lot on offer here. The story goes for approx. 15 to 20 hours and once completed on the difficulty you gain a costume. There are also Cheat Codes available that alter gameplay, but there is not a lot on offer. The Twisted Edition offers more for a few more dollars, but no real changes to the game are offered.
If you choose to buy the Twisted Edition, you'll also gain two Lithograph art prints and 'CTI Confidential' – Essentially an art book. It spreads however from The 3rd Birthday to the latest Dissidia: Final Fantasy as well, with The 3rd Birthday coming with a code to get an unlockable Aya Brea costume for Lightning. It also comes with a code that allows for 50% off of Final Fantasy II on Playstation Network. If you purchase The 3rd Birthday from EB games, you'll also receive a poster.
Final Thoughts:
The 3rd Birthday is overall a solid game that works well on the PSP and provides a decent story on the Parasite Eve series after the second instalment. The gameplay is awesome, the presentation is fantastic and gives new players the chance to understand the cult favourite series. The main issue here is that this game is going to split fans of old that enjoyed the original Playstation games, mainly in terms of story. It is at least a rental for everyone with a PSP, but overall it's enjoyable, and while the asking price may sting because of the lack of value, I found it solid and recommend it for a run, at least to close out the series.