The 3rd Birthday confirmed for Europe

By Robert Purchese Published 5 July, 2010

Parasite Eve spin-off on PSP.

Square Enix has told Eurogamer that PSP game The 3rd Birthday is coming to Europe.

Previously the game had been confirmed only for the US.

When The 3rd Birthday will arrive here, however, remains unknown.

The 3rd Birthday is the third game in the Parasite Eve series. It doesn't share the canonical name because 3rd Birthday is a spin-off.

So, whereas Parasite Eve was a survival-horror, The 3rd Birthday prefers being a shooter.

The idea appears to be shooting monsters while jumping from body to body, a bit like Agent Smith in The Matrix. The E3 video for The 3rd Birthday below demonstrates this.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (17) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Sir_TimAlot #1 2 years ago

    Release Parasite Eve 2 on PSN!!! do it now!!!

  • X3Entente #2 2 years ago

    what next an fps spin off of ff7

  • Kami #3 2 years ago

    Parasite Eve... ahh, I remember you well. I still have PE2. So this is great news - a little sad at the changes, but to be expected. It looks great otherwise, and I can't wait to see Aya Brea again... if there's one thing worse than pissing off a super-powered woman, it's pissing her off on her wedding day...

  • X3Entente #4 2 years ago

    im sorry for showing dismay at a niche genre being further trappled over by fps'

  • bdc #5 2 years ago

    It's not an FPS you complete overreacting moron

  • Slipstream #6 2 years ago

    Parasite Eve: Prototype WAG (WAG = with a girl)

  • Ranger_Ryu #7 2 years ago

    Cool,can't wait though i notice there's no date so probably be a while

  • toy_brain #8 2 years ago

    Get in!
    And.. err.. that's all I really have to say on the matter.
    Don't mind what genre the game ends up as, it's just good to have more of those super-polished SE games for the PSP.

  • Scopeh #9 2 years ago

    @X3Entente. I see what you did there.

  • SpaceMonkey77 #10 2 years ago

    Awesome news.

    You want to know the whole irony with PE, it that overall, the story was really good. I'm lucky enough to still own the first PE on PS1 (had to bag a U.S import), which was released in the U.K in a limited form. Totally agree that PE and PE2 should have hit PSN by now, but this is Sony we are talking about. I still love the awesomely macabre CG monster transformations from both games, to this very day.

    The biggest shame of all, is that this game isn't going to grace a home console, where it deserves to be. This is also a series that has largerly been sidelined for years by Square, in favour of countless FF games.

  • ManBeast #11 2 years ago

    Would gladly welcome a proper sequel to Parasite Eve II, great game.

  • alcides #12 2 years ago

    @X3Entente
    @Scopeh

    I saw it too! Genius, although nitpickingly it was 'third' person shooter.

    @bdc

    "Complete overreacting moron" , ORLY? :D

  • alcides #13 2 years ago

    The 3rd Birthday is the third game in the Parasite Eve series. It doesn't share the canonical name because 3rd Birthday is a spin-off.

    Or because they can sweep it under the carpet and still hold on to their precious unaltered IP if the game's a bit crap? Wait, that wouldn't stop them, I meant if it doesn't sell well.

    Is it me or did they actually brand it Parasite Eve : 3rd Birthday then dropped the title as release date came closer?

    This is looking good

  • Kami #14 2 years ago

    "The biggest shame of all, is that this game isn't going to grace a home console, where it deserves to be. This is also a series that has largerly been sidelined for years by Square, in favour of countless FF games."

    I so hear you on that. Parasite Eve 2 was more than an alternative to the usual survival horror fare - it was a standout sublime experience that deserved so, so much more success than it invariably ended up getting. Every part of PE2 was fantastic - the combat, the plot, the graphics at the time... elephant? What, there's no elephant in the room OHHHHH you mean the naked Aya shower scene, well yeah, that was nice too as well *cough*.

    If anything, I'd almost say Parasite Eve 2 could use a little... y'know... touching up. As a game, technically the market as it stands needs some more diversity in the horror genre. It's started to stagnate a little and the reek isn't that pleasant. Slick it up with some HD visuals but don't change a damn thing about the game - that'd work. Although you could also argue the series peaked there and any other installments would have been seen as jumping on that...

    But yeah, it's a shame they got so fixated on Final Fantasy - especially the abuse they've endured on FF7. It's sad when a company has resorted to trying to keep one game in a franchise as diverse as Final Fantasy going, but I suppose the fans have really got them in a corner, demanding they keep retelling the story. It's sometimes nice to remind them that if you want the story of FF7, why not replay it? Why keep forcing them to make spinoffs that have only done damage to the sanctity of a great original, warped and twisted the plot beyond recognition and added layers that probably shouldn't be there. FF7 has too many clothes on now, and it's starting to look a little stupid.

    But, the best way to see Parasite Eve back on a console again? Buy The 3rd Birthday. Rave about Parasite Eve 2 (find a copy if need be, it's still a great game). This is a franchise I'd love to see get a few more installments, so you can be sure that I'm going to buy The 3rd Birthday. Absolutely no question. If they can keep some of the interesting mitochondrial powers and not overcomplicate the slight sprinkling of RPG elements, then alls the better and I can relax knowing that they're not going to completely screw my nostalgia over...

  • alcides #15 2 years ago

    @Kami

    You just stated that sequels to FF7 were damaging for the sanctity of the original, yet you encourage people to buy "a spin-off" with hope that that will bring a game on par with PE2's quality standards?

    Don't you see they are cashing on your nostalgia here too?

  • Steroyd #16 2 years ago

    Yes and no.

    With FFVII we've had.

    FFVII: Dirge of Cerberus
    FFVII: Advent Children
    FFVII re-release on PSN
    FFVII: Crisis Core

    Meanwhile with PE since 2 we've had.

    Bugger all.

    So it gains more appreciation from capitilising on my nostalgia. :)

  • Kami #17 2 years ago

    3rd Birthday is more of a sequel. And that's fine. I accept franchises move on and change and evolve. I don't always have to like it, but it's important if you bring something like this back after nearly a decade of resting in the shadows you try something new.

    I also have nothing AGAINST spinoffs, just when you have a franchise where every game is self-contained, that they milk the one game fans pester them over and ignore other games in their back catalogue that probably deserve some attention is actually rather sad. FF7 is and was a great game, as long as you ignore all the spin-offs and side threads that have rather missed the point and probably ended up in a situation where yeah, a remake may be necessary because they have to bloody rewrite the whole fucking story again!

    If 3rd Birthday sucks, then I will have to accept that PE2 may have been the peak. Some games are just like that, they do peak and as much as you want them carried on - nothing can ever reach those giddy heights again. Project Zero 2: Crimson Butterfly springs immediately to mind there. But do I want them to try? Sure, I'll give them a shot at bringing Aya Brea back from the grave. If it's great, more please - if not, then perhaps nostalgia is where it belongs.