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| Liz Maas |
Yes, it's out in Japan. What's your point?
12.25.10 - 4:18 AM
The 3rd Birthday may have come out in Japan, er, three days ago, but that hasn't stopped Square Enix from talking about their major PSP title, releasing more media or updating its site. Talking about the game on the devblog and in various magazines, director Hajime Tabata again iterated his desire to develop a fourth Parasite Eve installment if The 3rd Birthday winds up being a popular title. He also mentioned that first playthroughs are about 15 hours long, placing emphasis on replayability, seeing as there is a New Game+ type feature where you'll be able to carry over data into a new playthrough.
Tabata also mentioned players being able to unlock something similar to cheat codes in The 3rd Birthday as they replay the game more - although most of them will actually make the game more difficult, while just a few (like infinite ammo) will make it easier. He also elaborated on 'Liberation', saying that Aya doesn't transform like in the old games - it's more of a burst-attack mode which you can take advantage of once the Liberation gauge is full.
It was noted that while Aya's voice is different in the Japanese version depending on the costume she's wearing, this won't be the case in the overseas version that we'll see in a few months. As well, if the Over Energy system (where you pick and choose Aya's abilities by dropping OE chips into her DNA grid) isn't quite your thing, you won't have to worry about it very much if you play on Easy mode.
Just for fun, here's a cutscene from the game's first episode. It doesn't look spoilery at all (to me, anyway), but worth seeing nonetheless.
For even more fun, just how much are they advertising the game in Japan? This much, in a metro station in Shinjuku:
When do we ever see giant ads like this for games in New York, Toronto or Vancouver? If you find the wedding dress is missing a little colour, you're right - the version in our art section is the exact same but a lot more bloodied.
We've added a few more screens and some both new and updated art, including costumes. Yes, you finally get to see that Santa one just in time for Christmas Day, and there's a china dress costume too. The shower scene hasn't quite made the official website yet, but there are some slightly odd videos under the Special section.
The 3rd Birthday does not yet have a specific release date out west.
