After just over a decade, Aya Brea is once again in the video game spotlight. And while I’m sure many gamers have fond memories of her adventures on the original PlayStation, many things have changed in her absence.
Enter Square Enix and HexaDrive’s The 3rd Birthday for the PlayStation Portable, the third game starring the beautiful Aya Brea, a former NYPD officer and FBI agent whose awakened mitochondria has helped avert disaster on multiple occasions. More of a spin-off than a proper sequel, the game picks up over a decade after Parasite Eve II left off and delivers an intriguing yet somewhat confusing plot with a new, interesting gameplay dynamic.
However, is The 3rd Birthday a worthy follow up to the Parasite Eve series? Well, the answer to that question is a bit complicated.
Story
On Christmas Eve, 2012, 15 years to the day that the entity known as Eve took control of Melissa Pearce and wreaked havoc on New York City, a new grotesque enemy known as the Twisted literally bursts through the streets of New York, spreading terror and mass panic in its wake. Apparently New York just can’t catch a break, even on Christmas.
Within the year the FBI’s Counter Twisted Investigation team, or CTI for short, develops the Overdive System, a machine they believe can counter the threat of the Twisted. The chosen candidate for the system is Aya Brea, who, in the time between Parasite Eve II and The 3rd Birthday, has developed a new ability that allows her to transfer her consciousness from person to person, as well as developed a severe case of amnesia.
The Twisted, it seems, are able to warp the very fabric of Space-Time and, as such, the Overdive System was designed to send Aya’s consciousness to the past in an attempt to stop the Twisted. If you think this is a belated April Fools joke, I am sorry to report that it isn’t, as the plot of The 3rd Birthday literally involves Aya jumping into the past Quantum Leap-style in an attempt to save the present.
The game’s narrative, if it was not made clear already, significantly diverges from what has been established in the original Parasite Eve games, abandoning the scientific backbone that held the plot of those games together in favor of a convoluted and insane plot that favors a metaphysical approach instead. Yet, despite the utter insanity and disregard of the original games, the plot of The 3rd Birthday has this odd charm about it that makes it hard not to enjoy it.
At its core, the story is a bit of a mess, with a few things left either unexplained or left open to interpretation, including one rather large plot point involving a SWAT team. However, even with its oversights, the story manages to come together when it really matters, especially during some emotional and melodramatic scenes.
However, the characterization is where things start to get a bit messy. Returning characters joining Aya in this outing are Kyle Madigan, a government mole Aya met during the Neo-Ark incident in Parasite Eve II and subsequent love interest, her younger sister, Eve Brea, also introduced in Parasite Eve II, and Kunihiko Maeda, a Japanese scientist who played a big role in helping Aya defeat the villainous Eve in the original Parasite Eve. While Madigan and Eve’s portrayal are somewhat consistent with how they were portrayed in Parasite Eve II, Aya and Maeda’s characterizations are not.
With Aya having developed amnesia, as well as having strange abilities, a boss who sees her as a monster and has her essentially locked up and kept her under observation, and the weight of the world on her shoulders, it’s rather easy to see why Aya seems so meek and insecure this time around. Given the justification, Aya’s behavior is perfectly acceptable, and shades of Aya’s original personality break through the surface more and more as the game progresses. However, while it is difficult to fault the characterization given what is shown in the game, the question remains why writer Motomu Toriyama felt the need to portray Aya like this in the first place, rather than the tough and determined character the fans fell in love with.
However, the biggest offender of character derailment in The 3rd Birthday has to be scientist Kunihiko Maeda, whose personality is somewhat of a radical departure from what was seen in Parasite Eve. While Aya’s change in character was at least justified, if unnecessary, Maeda’s change comes completely out of nowhere. Previously portrayed as a nervous, twitchy, but well-meaning scientist, Toriyama has turned him into a perverted lech with no qualms about ogling Aya and making suggestive comments about “studying” her and her abilities. What did they do to you, Maeda? And why? Shades of his original personality are there as well, but the changes to his character are just so jarring and out of place.
Aside from the two of them, the rest of the cast, unfortunately isn’t as well developed, with some members of the cast appearing briefly and then disappearing for a large chunk of the game. However, like the first game, this seems to be Aya’s story for the most part, though at the very least, some decent character development for some of these characters wouldn’t have hurt too much.
Still, even with the odd character changes and the drastic departure from the original games, the story can be quite engaging, assuming the sheer insanity of it all, along with the radical departure from the series’ roots don’t turn you away first. To some, however, the plot may wind up feeling like a betrayal of the original series and, to be honest, it kind of is, which is unfortunate.
Gameplay
While the original Parasite Eve was an unorthodox role-playing game with survival horror elements, its successor, Parasite Eve II was more of a Resident Evil clone with RPG elements thrown into the mix, somewhat of a reversal of the original game. This time around, Square Enix had decided to go down a different route once again, with The 3rd Birthday taking the form of a tactical third-person shooter with an RPG slant.
The Overdive System, an integral part of The 3rd Birthday‘s plot, also serves as an important element in the game, the ability to jump from soldier to soldier becoming a key gameplay element necessary for survival. As such, the player is expected to use Overdive to their advantage, arranging friendly troops as they see fit in order to gain an advantage over a group of enemies.
Along with simply diving from soldier to soldier, players can also use the Crossfire system to link up with friendly troops in the area and have them focus on a single enemy. However, there are limitations to the system, needing the troops to be hiding behind some form of cover in order to trigger the Crossfire ability.
In addition to Crossfire, Aya has two major abilities that help her take down her enemies: Overdive Kill and Liberation. Overdive Kill has a similar function to the standard Overdive ability, enabling Aya to dive into an enemy and, rather than possess it like in a standard Overdive, she instead destroys it from the inside. However, Overdive Kill only works by weakening an enemy’s defenses first, either through weapons customized to do so or through the use of Crossfire.
In addition to Overdive Kill, there is also Aya’s Liberation ability. While Liberate was Aya’s most powerful attack in the original Parasite Eve, Liberation essentially sends Aya into a super mode, increasing her speed and attack power for a brief period of time. Liberation is only available for use when the meter is full and can be quite helpful when in a bind and is also able to weaken enemy defenses in order to trigger the Overdive Kill ability.
For the most part, the combat itself is rather smooth and fun, with the Overdive ability adding an extra layer of combat tactics into the mix. However, the lack of a second analog nub on the PSP causes a bit of an issue with the camera controls, relegating camera controls to the D-Pad. Given the design of the PSP, with the analog nub positioned right beneath the D-Pad, this can cause some issues with the camera. There is an option to have the camera directly positioned behind Aya at all times, easing the camera issue just a bit. Overall, however, the camera issue is minimal, if a bit annoying at times, and doesn’t stop the combat from being entertaining.
In addition to the standard combat mechanics, a few RPG elements are thrown into the mix, such as a leveling system for Aya, customizable weaponry, and customizable abilities via the DNA Board system. While increasing Aya’s level doesn’t do much aside from increasing her life bar and enhance her Overdive Kill and Liberation abilities, Aya herself becomes more proficient at using certain weapons the more she uses them. As her proficiency with those weapons grows, her customization options increase along with her proficiency level. In order to buy new upgrades, however, the player is expected to collect Bounty Points, the game’s currency, by defeating enemies.
As for customizable abilities, Aya gains DNA chips from both friend and foe through her Overdive and Overdive Kill abilities. These DNA chips can then be added to a 3×3 DNA board, allowing the player to alter the available abilities through mixing and matching the DNA chips on the board. Though there is a wide variety of customizable abilities, the majority are either passive, such as an increase in defense, or are abilities that may or may not activate during certain actions, meaning the activation is usually based on luck, though the higher the ability level, the higher the likelihood it will activate.
Out of all the abilities accessible, the Inferno ability is the only one that can actually be activated by the player, and only during Liberation mode. This does put a bit of a damper on the gameplay, especially when you’re repeatedly Overdiving among friendly troops in an attempt to trigger the healing ability. Given director Hajime Tabata’s work on Crisis Core —Final Fantasy VII-, one has to wonder whether he just really enjoys luck-based ability systems in his games. However, the abilities are rather useful when they work, and passive abilities such as increased defense are definitely necessary over the course of the game.
In addition, in between the game’s six chapters, the player is allowed to explore the CTI facility and, later, Maeda’s warehouse complex, with files and character bios that unlock as the game progresses. In addition, new files are unlocked for playing on a harder difficulty level, adding a bit of depth to the plot. This does mean that the game falls into the same trap as its predecessors in that the player is expected to play through the game multiple times to get the full story. However, this isn’t as bad as the original game in that the game’s true ending is shown no matter what. There IS a secret ending, but being that it is a secret ending, its status as an unlockable prevents me from marking the game down for it.
There are unlockables, such as extra costumes, cheat codes that make the game both easier and more challenging, as well as unlockable difficulty modes, and a shower scene that is completely unnecessary and only serves as fanservice. As a result, the game, while only averaging around 10-12 hours, has a ton of replay value and the ability to start a new game with your stats and gear from the previous game carrying over is definitely a big plus.
Overall, minus a few camera issues and the inability to actively trigger the majority of DNA Board abilities, the game is a real treat to play and handles quite well most of the time. Just be ready for a challenge as the game is rather difficult, even on the normal difficulty setting.
Sound
Missing from Parasite Eve II was Yoko Shimomura, who served as composer for the original game’s score and delivered several memorable tracks, including the opening theme, Primal Eyes, and several pulse pounding battle themes. After sitting the last game out, I am happy to report that Shimomura is back at the helm once again, providing several memorable tracks alongside composers Tsuyoshi Sekito and Mitsuto Suzuki.
With an incredible and emotional score, along with a few remixes of tracks from previous games, including a new version of Primal Eyes and Parasite Eve‘s original battle theme, Arise Within You, the game’s musical score packs quite a punch, with a few exceptions. It isn’t perfect, but more often than not, the music really drives home the emotion and tension, including during a few key moments made absolutely heart-wrenching thanks to the music.
As for the voice acting, this is the first time any characters from Parasite Eve have ever been voiced, with the small exception of a few sound bites inserted into Parasite Eve II. And, as with any series transitioning from silent protagonists to a voiced cast, I was apprehensive about The 3rd Birthday‘s voice talent, especially after hearing the English trailer. Thankfully, however, the voice cast wasn’t too bad, with most of the issues stemming more from bad dialog than bad acting.
Yvonne Strahovski as Aya Brea and Jensen Ackles as Kyle Madigan actually worked much better than I thought they would, based on initial impressions, and, not counting a few bad bits here and there, their voice work was pretty well done. However, while the remaining cast members were mostly adequate in their roles, Melinda Hill as Gabrielle Monsigny just sounded bored and out of place.
Overall, however, the voice work is well done, if a bit subpar compared to other recent Square Enix releases.
Visuals
As I said in my review of DISSIDIA 012, Square Enix is known for its visual eye candy, and The 3rd Birthday is a prime example of what I meant, with beautifully rendered cutscenes and equally impressive in-game visuals, especially on the PSP. The game really pushes the graphical capabilities of the PSP to the limit, easily making it one of the best looking games on Sony’s handheld system.
A notable visual feature is quite apparent in-game, with Aya’s clothing wearing away the more damage she takes. While it may seem like it is a fanservice feature, and it definitely is, it also has a gameplay function in that the more damaged Aya’s clothes are, the lower her defenses become, encouraging the player to repair the damage when necessary. As such, her clothes wearing away becomes a visual indicator of their condition and the level of detail is rather impressive.
As good as the visuals, some of the environments do tend to get a bit boring from time to time. However, overall, the visuals are rather superb.
Overall
Though its departure from the series’ roots may wind up irking fans of the original games, for those that can get past all that, The 3rd Birthday is an enjoyable and engaging experience, despite the utter insanity of it all. If you’re expecting a story similar to the original Parasite Eve, you’re going to find yourself sorely disappointed. Some themes are still present, such as a New York facing a horrific threat and the idea of evolution, but The 3rd Birthday’s plot abandons most of the scientific backbone of the original in favor of something much more fantastic and metaphysical.
It may not be the follow up to the Parasite Eve series that many fans were hoping for, but if you can stomach the unnecessary shift from science to metaphysics, as well as some questionable plot choices, the return of Aya Brea still manages to be a welcome one with interesting gameplay mechanics that make the game a treat even if the story doesn’t interest you. Still, I can’t help but wonder why Square Enix felt the need for The 3rd Birthday to be such a departure from the original series.
Given the exclusion of Parasite Eve from the title, it’s obvious that, whether it be licensing issues with the original PE novel or fear that the Parasite Eve 3 title would alienate newcomers to the series, The 3rd Birthday is supposed to be more of a spin-off than a true sequel. While I am eager to see where this new direction will end up taking the series, a true sequel to the original series would be a much more deserving adventure for Aya Brea.
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The 3rd Birthday is available for the Sony PlayStation Portable and PSPgo. A copy of the game was provided for free by Square Enix for review purposes.