3rd Birthday planned for PSP March 29

It's been over a decade since the Parasite Eve franchise last infected new release shelves, but Square Enix is ready to expose gamers to the series once more. The publisher today announced a March 29 launch for The 3rd Birthday on PSP.

Although it doesn't carry the Parasite Eve name, The 3rd Birthday stars franchise protagonist Aya Brea, who once again is put in the position of saving mankind from a monstrous biological menace. Set in Manhattan in 2012, the game sees the city beset by the monstrous creatures known as The Twisted, and Aya is once again tasked with saving the day.

The 3rd Birthday introduces a number of new gameplay wrinkles to the series, starting with an emphasis on cover-based shooting. Aya also has the ability to possess other people's bodies in the game, jumping from person to person at will to escape danger or get her hands on beefier weaponry. In addition to jumping into teammate's bodies in order to continue the fight, Aya will be able to use the power to damage some enemies with a well-timed button press.

Square Enix also announced the game's English-language voice cast, headlined by Yvonne Strahovski (Chuck, Miranda Lawson in Mass Effect 2) in the role of Aya. Strahovski isn't the only celebrity to sign on to the project, as Jensen Ackles (Supernatural, My Bloody Valentine) will also contribute voice work to the game.

For more on the series, check out GameSpot's reviews of Parasite Eve and Parasite Eve 2, as well as previous coverage of The 3rd Birthday.