The Third Birthday PSP Preview

Kris Erickson • Sep 25, 2010 • Comments ()

We got our first substantial look at the new game at this year's Tokyo Game Show earlier in September. You can view official gameplay video footage from the event below. Featuring the same protagonist from the previous two games, Aya Brea, The Third Birthday pits players against a mysterious alien presence called The Twisted. The Twisted have invaded Manhattan, and this is where a lot of the action will take place.

The first thing that strikes us about the game is how awesome the visual presentation is. This truly looks like a current-gen shooter, just on a smaller screen. From convincing urban streetscapes to alien-looking organic structures, the environments are immersive and highly detailed. Secondly, the gameplay feels very current, too. The ability to take cover behind specially-designated red objects lends a degree of strategy to what otherwise would have been a straight-up shooter. Comparing this game to early attempts at the FPS genre on the PSP demonstrates just how far the platform has come in its 6-year lifespan.

Interestingly, this game diverges from recent shooters by not giving the player the ability to manually aim. Presumably as a means to overcome the clumsy input limitations of the PSP and its one analog stick, the deisgners opted for a system where you can lock onto enemies by holding down the R button. Locking onto an enemy but not firing charges up a special power meter, which can be used to pump them full of bullets in a special rapid-fire attack.

By using her other unique skill, 'Overdrive', Aya can switch bodies with any friendly team members in the immediate area (think agent Smith from The Matrix). This adds an element of strategy to battles, as it allows you to confuse attacking bosses and find better positions from which to attack. It can also get you out of a tight spot when things are looking bad. Alternatively, this technique can be used to save computer-controlled allies if they get themselves into a pickle. You can even take over the bodies of wounded enemies, causing them to explode in gory chunks from within. In case you hadn't yet figured it out, this is definitely not a game for young kids.

Overall, it's clear that Square Enix has opted to focus on strategic aspects of battle, rather than the twitch-happy aspects of aiming and shooting. There is still a lot of action on offer in The Third Birthday, its just done in a slightly different way than many Western gamers are used to. Despite the changes, we think that the high production values and innovative gameplay will make it a huge hit when it lands Stateside early next year.

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The Parasite Eve series has already been an RPG, a survival horror game, and now will try to re-invent itself as a shooter. When the long-awaited PSP sequel debuts in North America early in 2011, it will look and feel a lot more like Gears of War than Silent Hill. But that isn't necessarily a bad thing. When we first heard that The Third Birthday would be a third-person shooter, we were both intrigued and skeptical. But hard work and careful design choices by Square Enix have definitely paid off.\n\nWe got our first substantial look at the new game at this year's Tokyo Game Show earlier in September. You can view official gameplay video footage from the event below. Featuring the same protagonist from the previous two games, Aya Brea, The Third Birthday pits players against a mysterious alien presence called The Twisted. The Twisted have invaded Manhattan, and this is where a lot of the action will take place.\n\nThe first thing that strikes us about the game is how awesome the visual presentation is. This truly looks like a current-gen shooter, just on a smaller screen. From convincing urban streetscapes to alien-looking organic structures, the environments are immersive and highly detailed. Secondly, the gameplay feels very current, too. The ability to take cover behind specially-designated red objects lends a degree of strategy to what otherwise would have been a straight-up shooter. Comparing this game to early attempts at the FPS genre on the PSP demonstrates just how far the platform has come in its 6-year lifespan.\n\n\n

\n\n\nInterestingly, this game diverges from recent shooters by not giving the player the ability to manually aim. Presumably as a means to overcome the clumsy input limitations of the PSP and its one analog stick, the deisgners opted for a system where you can lock onto enemies by holding down the R button. Locking onto an enemy but not firing charges up a special power meter, which can be used to pump them full of bullets in a special rapid-fire attack. \n\nBy using her other unique skill, 'Overdrive', Aya can switch bodies with any friendly team members in the immediate area (think agent Smith from The Matrix). This adds an element of strategy to battles, as it allows you to confuse attacking bosses and find better positions from which to attack. It can also get you out of a tight spot when things are looking bad. Alternatively, this technique can be used to save computer-controlled allies if they get themselves into a pickle. You can even take over the bodies of wounded enemies, causing them to explode in gory chunks from within. In case you hadn't yet figured it out, this is definitely not a game for young kids.\n\nOverall, it's clear that Square Enix has opted to focus on strategic aspects of battle, rather than the twitch-happy aspects of aiming and shooting. There is still a lot of action on offer in The Third Birthday, its just done in a slightly different way than many Western gamers are used to. Despite the changes, we think that the high production values and innovative gameplay will make it a huge hit when it lands Stateside early next year. \n\n\n
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