TGS 2008: The 3rd Birthday Trailer Impressions

TOKYO--During a closed, behind-the-scenes viewing event, we saw a series of trailers in Square Enix's Mega Theater on the floor of the Tokyo Game Show. Few of these blurbs showed actual gameplay, however--and the brief teaser of The 3rd Birthday, a PSP game set in the Parasite Eve universe, was no exception. Details are scant, and the imagery was sketchy, but our appetite has been whet for a new game featuring the plucky Aya and her pals.

The first image we see is that of the Statue of Liberty, an important landmark in the Parasite Eve series. A series of quick montages follow--gnashing fangs, beating hearts--all of them seemingly taken from previous Parasite Eve games. Then, we enter the present, or at least, the present as far as The 3rd Birthday is concerned. We see Aya, battered and exhausted, sitting in the snow. Her breath rises in a cloud in front of her, and she is clearly recovering from a battle, either external or internal. A portal opens in front of her, and we fade to a series of shots of Aya shooting her pistol at enemies unknown, as well as other glimpses of a male character; wishful thinking may indicate that he's none other than Kunihiko Maeda, but that's pure conjecture at this point.

The trailer then returns us to the alley, where Aya is no longer alone: An enormous creature of ice has appeared, yet it doesn't take a single form. Rather, it shape-shifts into various abstract shapes before rushing toward the camera. The trailer thus ends, and text at the bottom of the screen reminds us that The 3rd Birthday, while being developed for mobile platforms, is also headed to the PSP. While we do know that Square Enix considers this game a spin-off and not a true sequel, we hope that more information is forthcoming. In the meantime, check this space periodically for more news on The 3rd Birthday as it develops.