Parasite Eve: The 3rd Birthday

[Max Payne]

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE let this game do well, because if it does:
THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE A SEQUEL ON A CONSOLE SYSTEM!!!


Also- More costumes, and apparently the Shower Scene is something that has to be unlocked.


X

Haw, what a shameless way to boost sales.

If they wanted me to buy their game they shouldn't have made it for a handheld.

 

[Splintered]

Haw, what a shameless way to boost sales.

If they wanted me to buy their game they shouldn't have made it for a handheld.

Aw, I find their desperate shamelessness charming.

Like those hobos on the side of a street, who claim to be collecting money for charity but you know is going to use it for booze and drugs as soon as they get it.

 

[Max Payne]

Fuck me there are so many bad impressions coming from japan and importers:

Spoiler

No one else talking about the game so I might as well post my semi-final impressions.

I finished the game in about 11 hours. There are 6 episodes in total, and it's about a general length for a short action game. I liked the boss fights a lot, and the game in general is fun. It's more of a Japanese action game than a real full fledged shooter, and the camera does get in the way sometimes. The game is most certainly not a RPG. There's really nothing RPG about it. Definitely a pure action game which happens to have RPG-like elements in the mechanics.

I started a NG+ on Hard, and basically everything in the game carries over. You level, your DNA Boards, your weapons, all your BP, etc. In fact, the first time through the game, there are no costumes at all. The only equipment available will be the black leather and the white jacket. When you beat the game you get costumes unlocked depending on the difficulty you beat, and you can get more outfits by interacting with stuff in the HQ area between missions. You can also get a costume from the S-E Members thing.

For those getting it in English, you might want to consider a rental instead, because honestly the game is short enough to beat in 2 days, and I don't really know what long term play value a PSP shooter would have. It's also not a RPG, and the story sucks donkey balls. The ending is so stupid that I don't even want to think about the plot in the game at all. This is also not a Parasite Eve game. It's just some wacky stupid S-E action shooter which happens to star Aya Brea.

Production values are great, action is fun, bosses are great, there are some pretty nice set pieces in the stages, and the music is amazing. I'm going to try and unlock as many outfits as I can, and probably try and score all the achievements to get my money's worth out of the game. But, coming from the expectation of them actually delivering a half-decent Parasite Eve experience, I would say the game completely disappoints. It's like watching a new movie being made of some TV series I used to love, except the new director/writers fuck it all up. Kinda like Mission Impossible. :/

Son I am so disappoint I don't want to live anymore

spoiled the ending for myself by accident, but it turns out it's so bad that I don't care

 

[Super Mario]

FUCK YOU SQUARE ENIX. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!!!!!!


:FFFUUU:

 

[Tetsujin]

This is also not a Parasite Eve game.

I would have never guessed from them actually dropping the Parasite Eve title.

I mean seriously, this one should've been fairly obvious by now.

 

[Max Payne]

Lol japanese folks are saying Aya looks and acts a lot like Sakamoto herself. I hadn't noticed, but I suppose they'd know better than I.

 

[X-SOLDIER]

Fuck me there are so many bad impressions coming from japan and importers:

Son I am so disappoint I don't want to live anymore

spoiled the ending for myself by accident, but it turns out it's so bad that I don't care

/gutted. I was so hoping for something excellent.

Any news as to what the hell they justified the Shower Scene as, or if it was just blatant fanservice?


Still, I'm hoping that they release PE 1&2 on NA & EU PSN. At least some good can still come of this...


X

 

[Max Payne]

Apparently it's just fanservice bro.

 

[X-SOLDIER]

I am disappoint but not at all surprised. Thanks dude.


X

 

[Max Payne]

Fucking SE what the fuck is wrong with you

The game is at least a decent shooter they say, so I guess that's something

 

[X-SOLDIER]

Yeah, but if it's a decent shooter, that's all we can hope to get a console sequel to if they manage to pull that off. I'll leave the final verdict to actually trying it at some point, but it doesn't at all seem like it's what I was hoping for. At least it's not a total failure though.


X

 

[Max Payne]

Yeah, but I expect more from the successor to PE.

Being just another shooter that just happens to be inspired by one of my absolute favorite RPGs is balls.

 

[X-SOLDIER]

I can't possibly state my feelings about this any better than you just did.


X

 

[Animexcel]

( ≖‿&#8790 mmmm.

 

[Hisako]

For a moment I thought it was a figurine.

 

[X-SOLDIER]

...sigh...


X

 

[ForceStealer]

Oh lulz. And people say Tifa is Square's whore?

 

[Tifabelle]

what the hell. we can't have a main female protagonist unless there are panty shots and bunny costumes and shower scenes :/

i dont even know what to say

 

[ForceStealer]

Well of course we can, they just did it with XIII didn't they? Seems to be something about Aya apparently.

 

[Tifabelle]

Yeah, but even Lightning had her short skirt. Not that I mind. I quite enjoy scantily clad, kick-ass women. But I'm not quite sure what they are doing to Aya.

Or why.


EDIT: Honestly, I feel it's more insulting to the male audience than the female audience. Do you?

 

[Strangelove]

The art for PE 1 and 2 does kind of play up the 'sexy' angle at times, but some of 3rd Birthday's costumes just push it. The black dress from PE1 was more attractive than that bunny thing, which is just kind of tacky. The China Dress could have been nice if it had looked like Ada Wong's, but even that looks cheap.

Her basic outfits, the jeans and black top and the white jacket, look nice. Or the Lightning one. But the rest, I can live without.

EDIT: Honestly, I feel it's more insulting to the male audience than the female audience. Do you?

I think men insult themselves by making these things in the first place

 

[X-SOLDIER]

PE1 Aya was believably attractive. I can totally buy that she'd show up to a date at an opera in an attractive black dress and heels. I also buy that she'd bust around in jeans and a shirt, that're still attractive, AND I buy that she's got sex appeal. I'd b

T3B Aya is exploitation attractive, like "onechanbara" is. Yes, I suppose that girl wearing a bikini killing zombies is "attractive" but I'm not really compelled by her character at all, and thus my level of actually considering her attractive plummets. Same thing with Bayonetta, I honestly couldn't take the extreme "sex appeal" of her character, and never really got me interested in her character.

How your character is portrayed should MATCH the element of the game. PE1 is serious, and Aya's sex appeal matches that. Onechanbara isn't a serious game in the same way, and is very much aware of the over-the-top sexuality of their characters, and that it's rather ridiculous. I don't know much about Bayonetta, but it seems to be the same way.

T3B, however seems like it's trying to be serious like PE1, but add in this sort of ridiculous exploitation that sort of ruins the element for me. It's like if Dom in Gear of War was given the option to run aroun in board short, a Tuxedo, Chippendales outfit, a suit of armor, and in a wife beater and jeans.

I'm not TOTALLY against costumes, for example, Dante's Disco Inferno outfit was funny for about a level, because it was obviously added as a gag, and wasn't meant to take it seriously, but with the sheer number of costumes, Aya's got a couple realistic ones, and a LOT of completely impractical ones. When her fucking clothes are going to shred off ANYWAY, why do they need to be unbelivable, super-exposing costumes?

UGH.

/rant



X

 

[Tifabelle]

I think men insult themselves by making these things in the first place

I feel like it's implying that all gamers are horny little 14 year olds that just want to see naked women and giggle and jerk off. Male gamers (and females as well) want a character to be more than that. I find it insulting to the male intelligence. (Well, what little there is of it )

I feel like the stuff they are doing to Aya is over the top, and it cheapens her character. I mean, a couple of sexy outfits (that fit in with the theme) wouldn't be so bad. But combined with all the other crap, it's unnecessary.

So then what? Do they do this with every video game in the future? It's annoying.

 

[Super Mario]

...sigh...


X

I really thought the bunny was just a sh00p... Good god why... :' (

They really went overboard with the bunny and other crap best suited for Bayonetta or DoA Xtreme...SE you really need a change in new management. Seriously, if this is the best you can do for a once great story made by you then I fear for your company's future.

I really wished they'd just use the costumes from PE1 and PE2 as unlockables + secretary and other costumes RELATED to the story rather than waste space with crap best suited for fanservicy games of a greater level. How can we enjoy the story (if there is one, I fear for this department also) if she's running around in strange clothing? Is it trying to appeal to action gamers? or fan service? or just plain outright thinking we're foolish enough to purchase it? It feels like MGS but on a level I can't seem to relate unlike MGS which was engaging and fun. I'm sorry Aya...I'm so sorry.

Let's hope the plot of the game is AT LEAST decent. Too cute to waste. And I've waited for its arrival. I'll pirate or rent it.



DEDICATED AYA FANBOY, GAME DEVIL WILL NOT RELENT!!!!!

 

[ForceStealer]

I have a question, I know nothing about Parasite Eve, but would all these silly costumes be easier to stomach if they were only accessible AFTER beating the game once? Or would it not change anything?

*shrug* Just curious.