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The 3rd Birthday PSP
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Metascore
71 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 56 Critics What's this?

User Score
5.5 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 46 Ratings

Your Score
10 out of 10
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  • Summary: (Also known as "Parasite Eve: The 3rd Birthday") Hideous creatures descend on Manhattan. Ground reports from the squad tasked with containing the pandemonium refer to these life forms as the Twisted. An investigatory team known as the CTI is formed within the year. The Overdive system emerges as a means of opposition, but only one viable candidate exists –Aya Brea. A gift as she awakens from a lost past on this, the occasion of her third birth.… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 56
  2. Mixed: 29 out of 56
  3. Negative: 3 out of 56
  1. 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.
  2. Gamers' Temple
    Apr 17, 2011
    74
    Is Aya Brea's third adventure worth it? If you like shooters and past Parasite Eve titles, probably. If you want a Square Enix title with a more RPG slant, then steer clear. I had fun with the game beginning to end, but I have a sneaking suspicion I could be one of the few that will.
  3. GameShark
    May 9, 2011
    42
    In the end, 3rd Birthday disappoints Parasite Eve fans and provides a rather mediocre experience for new players. It would be hard to suggest this game as an entry point to the series, or really suggest it at all.

See all 56 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 20
  3. Negative: 6 out of 20
  1. ryuzaki57
    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 perfect and the RPG part isn't just for show. Best TPS of 2011.… Expand
    • 2 of 2 users said yes
  2. theshonen8899
    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 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
    • 6 of 6 users said yes
  3. timedevourer
    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 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
    • 9 of 18 users said yes

See all 20 User Reviews

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