The 3rd Birthday

[Bells]

So, this is supposed to come out in English this year, it's already out in Japan right now, and it's kinda of a major titel, so i felt like making a thread about it.

Now, right out of the bat, let me give you the eye candy.

Gameplay Footgage (first 15 Minutes of the game)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGllzWVwQLg

Oficial Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEERafnfwqs

Opening
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8XaEKloaf4

First Scenematic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeCZsPzvR14&feature=related

So, ok, now a Quick and very short summary of the 3 games (some taken from Wikipedia, Some Taken from memory)

Parasite Eve


Aya is a rookie cop on NYC, while a mad scientist tries to cultivate his Wife (Maya Brea, Aya's Sister) cells after car accident and the mitochondria in her body took over, After Maya's death, her organs were preserved, which allowed for one of her corneas to be transplanted into Aya, in 1986. At the same time, one of Maya's kidneys was transplanted into a young girl named Melissa Pearce. Unknown to any of the doctors, Maya's malevolent mitochondria began changing Aya and Melissa's genetic structure, Creating EVE.

Who then goes out to steal some sperm made by a doctor who was at first helping Aya (Twiiiiist!) so that she could create the ultimate Being. Aya however is resistant to Eve's power to turn people into Organic Goo at sight. Aya defeats everything, the Statue of Liberty is destroyed (so is the the Chrysler Building) and everybody goes home.

Aya's Power reduce greatly in Level after the Final Battle in this game

The Game is essentially an RPG with some Action elements.

Parasite Eve 2


In early September 2000, Aya (now with the FBI) was following a lead to a tiny town called Dryfield in the Mojave Desert where she met a 29-year-old P.I. from Texas called Kyle Madigan (who she formed a partnership with). With Kyle's co-operation, Aya soon discovered a strange shadow government facility called Neo-Ark where scientists were using Aya's DNA to breed a race of Artificial Neo-Mitochondrial Creatures. To control the ANMCs, the Neo-Ark directors brainwashed a young girl named Eve, a clone of Aya. After discovering that Eve, as well as the ANMCs were all made from her, she felt obligated to "finish what she started" and once again, save humanity from an ominous fate which was ultimately the cause of her own physical existence.

In the End, Aya's Boss is a Mole for Neo-Ark and goes to jail (Twiiiiist) Kyle is also a less-than-good-guy but reforms himself in the end (Double Twiiiiist!) and Aya Adopts Eve as a Mother/Sister/Clone/This is a japanese RPG thing.

Also is posed that Aya lost her Powers (again, for good this time) and memories in the Aftermath of the Final Battle in this game.

It's Still an RPG Game, but with more Emphasis in the Action department

The 3rd Birthday


Despite being in her late thirties, Aya appears to be the age of 25 due to her advanced mitochondria. Because of this, she is also the only applicable candidate viable for the Overdive System. She has lost her memories as a result of unknown circumstances, which has led to a drastic change in personality since the first two Parasite Eve games: She is shown to be more vulnerable and fighting for unknown reasons. She has the ability to travel through time via the Overdive system, and also gained the new ability to body swap. She is the secret weapon for the human race in the fight against the Twisted. In certain trailers, she is shown wearing what might be a wedding ring.

Apparently, before loosing her memories, she was Married to Kyle from PE2, who is now gone Missing, together with her "sister-clone-daughter" Eve. Both seem to be heavily connected to the Twisted tentacle monsters that are attacking this time.

Now it's a Action game with RPG Elements.

And there you have it. The Chronicles of 37 year old Aya Brea (who looks 25 Because her Genetic Code thinks it's just dandy this way), and how the 3 Games try to Connect. Will it fail? Will it Succed?

ALso, just to point out, PE1 and PE2 are avaliable in the Playstation Network

[Kim]

I hate this game, I hate Motomu Toriyama, and I hate this game and Motomu Toriyama. To be fair, the other people on the team are to blame for my problems with it as well, and the sheer DERP when they tried to justify the fanservice was pretty awful.

But I've already talked the fanservice into the ground... (http://borderhouseblog.com/?p=3635)

[Flarecobra]

And here. (http://www.nuklearforums.com/showthread.php?t=38747)

[Bells]

i don't disagree with you. I really don't. But you did, however missed a couple of points.

First of all... Technology. If Squeenix could render Aya like they did in PE3 back in PE2 and PE1, they would. It was just not doable. It's not about the same View point that was used for Lara Croft in the PS1 though, in it the entire point of Lara's Sexiness were large Polygon breasts and Short & tight clothing.

That didn't serve the purpose of what PE1 was trying to do, so they went with NYPD Basic look. But just compare some cutscenes from PE1 and PE2, you can see that they work around Technical limitations. They can render a monstrosity like Even in beautiful detail, but Aya is quite bland on those CG's... On the other hand, all press material for both games point out to some Flirty looks and overall sensual presentation without being gratuitous.

Hey, they try to explain via plot why Aya looks 25 when should be nearing 40's ... it's boneless excuse for "MILFing" her up... but that's also Japanese culture for ya. And let's face it... it's also quite a bit of International Culture more than anything else.

You could make a case for the constant nod towards some nudity being actually related to the mythology of the game itself, by being about Eve, Evolution, Birth, conception, Purity and all those other themes that in a way co-relate to a feminine aspect, to childbirth, to a "Motherhood" sub-theme, and all that...

You can make that connection. It's there. But then you can also see Squeenix taking that connection and putting it in Fishnet stockings because their market research team concluded that it will help sell another 400k copies... afterall, it is still a game made by a company to sell and make money.

As for the Cutscene in PE2, i actually think you got it wrong... although not by much. I never saw it as being suggestive, nor even about Fanservice... to me it felt more connected to the "survival Horror" feeling the game was trying to pull, as it was a "breather" in the middle of all the Chaos Aya was going through, a "Human" moment if you will. Much so that it ends with the ending to that same peace, when Aya notices something big (and probably nasty) is coming. She is in her most vulnerable momment, in reflection, nude in the shower, as we all would be, and then comes another threat... it was atmospheric to me.

[Krylo]

i don't disagree with you. I really don't. But you did, however missed a couple of points.

First of all... Technology. If Squeenix could render Aya like they did in PE3 back in PE2 and PE1, they would. It was just not doable. It's not about the same View point that was used for Lara Croft in the PS1 though, in it the entire point of Lara's Sexiness were large Polygon breasts and Short & tight clothing. Doesn't hold water. Aya Brea, promotional material aside, was anything but a sex symbol. Sure, she was attractive, but she was attractive while wearing a leather coat, a t-shirt, some jeans, and tossing around SMGs, Pistols, Shotguns, and Rocket Launchers.

Her clothes never came off. There wasn't a shower scene. There was only her, one cop, trying to stop the creature that was Eve, and finding out about her connections to it. Her gender was never an issue, beyond the feminine/matriarchal tones of the mitochondria in the game.

I didn't play two, or even follow it, so I won't comment on that, but in three you have the same character's personality being changed to make her more 'vulnerable', which--while a rather vague term--is most certainly something that should set off warning bells in anyone who has at all followed modern media vis a vis women and their personalities.

Then you have her clothes coming off, which happens far too completely to be realistic. I mean there were some energy blasts, fires, etc, that one could use to kinda sorta justify this (even with her body being relatively uninjured), but unless every enemy she fights fires mitochondrial energy or whatever from every limb it doesn't come close to excusing it. And even if they DID there's no reason for all her clothes to fall away like that. Singed holes, blacked tears, etc. could all work. THIS doesn't.

There's just a lot here, from gameplay, to cinematics, to the way they talk about writing the character that says, "we were tired of having a strong female protagonist, and figured Slutty McMissVulnerable would sell better." It's really indefensible.

[Aerozord]

commenting on a Japanese game for objectifying women is like calling out a conservative for being overly religious.


Now I never played any of the games but I tend to just write off fanservice as an acceptable groan moment if the rest of the content is good, and if its bad I just dont bother in the first place. Its not something that ever makes or breaks a game for me

[Ryong]

2011: Lara Croft is now Aya Brea, Aya Brea is now Lara Croft.

commenting on a Japanese game for objectifying women is like calling out a conservative for being overly religious.


Now I never played any of the games but I tend to just write off fanservice as an acceptable groan moment if the rest of the content is good, and if its bad I just dont bother in the first place. Its not something that ever makes or breaks a game for me

Same here.

[Pip Boy]

Dangit. Thread title made me think somebody's child was turning 3. I had my Hughes macros ready and everything. What a let-down.

[Kim]

but unless every enemy she fights fires mitochondrial energy or whatever from every limb it doesn't come close to excusing it

IIRC the game's enemies aren't mitochondria this time around anyways.

[Azisien]

I think we can all agree pretty well that the clothing thing is so we can get close to seeing a video game character's tits and ass without actually seeing tits and ass. This isn't so much a point of discussion as a point of potential disgust and boycotting/moving on.

[Bells]

Doesn't hold water. Aya Brea, promotional material aside, was anything but a sex symbol. Sure, she was attractive, but she was attractive while wearing a leather coat, a t-shirt, some jeans, and tossing around SMGs, Pistols, Shotguns, and Rocket Launchers.

Her clothes never came off. There wasn't a shower scene. There was only her, one cop, trying to stop the creature that was Eve, and finding out about her connections to it. Her gender was never an issue, beyond the feminine/matriarchal tones of the mitochondria in the game.

I didn't play two, or even follow it, so I won't comment on that, but in three you have the same character's personality being changed to make her more 'vulnerable', which--while a rather vague term--is most certainly something that should set off warning bells in anyone who has at all followed modern media vis a vis women and their personalities.

Ah! There really is a link you are missing for not knowing about the changes from 1 to 2, Although it's absolutely nothing major. Just fine print stuff. Actually, there is nothing a quick Wikipedia search or even Just Watching the FMVs in youtube can't tell ya. But overall, i can see what you're saying

Then you have her clothes coming off, which happens far too completely to be realistic. I mean there were some energy blasts, fires, etc, that one could use to kinda sorta justify this (even with her body being relatively uninjured), but unless every enemy she fights fires mitochondrial energy or whatever from every limb it doesn't come close to excusing it. And even if they DID there's no reason for all her clothes to fall away like that. Singed holes, blacked tears, etc. could all work. THIS doesn't.

I can actually make your case stronger for you, but this is from a "haven't played yet" perspective.

If, in the game Aya takes control over the mind of characters around her, and we see Aya just to give the player a "visual anchor" to connect to the main character, then, it just doesn't justify the cloth Damage, because it's not Aya's Clothing that is being ripped apart.

If she is not not mind controlling, but actually Metaphorming into anybody she chooses, then after Each dive she should repair her clothing, just like her HP Heals up when she changes bodies.

So, Squeenix Argument is undermined by their own Game Mechanics.

There's just a lot here, from gameplay, to cinematics, to the way they talk about writing the character that says, "we were tired of having a strong female protagonist, and figured Slutty McMissVulnerable would sell better." It's really indefensible.

Bayonetta was predictable, Other M was an Oddball, 3rd Birthday is a curious case, if one more game like this comes out ill say we have a Syndrome...

[Magus]

Didn't Parasite Eve 2 have an Aya Brea shower scene that was also pointless fanservice and didn't eveybody have a conniption fit then too? Talk about a worn out topic of contention.

The fanservice is pointless, game will probably have okay gameplay, can we move on to more important topics--like just exactly how much are we going to see and is there a vibration mode and/or auto-cleaning controller for various, er, fluid spills in the works?

EDIT: Full disclosure--I never finished the first Parasite Eve game because that goddamn cerberus was too goddamn hard to beat goddamnit.

[Bells]

Ok... now i think i should post these so often mentioned scene...

I really don't see anything wrong at all with it though, honestly...

PE2 Shower Scene (in context - as in, it shows the before and after shower scenes too)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFnvmi9Pq2o

And here it is, an actual comparison shop between the PE2 Shower scene and the PE3 Shower scene for some goddamn reason

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjVYNrJB14I

EDIT: The Ending is already on Youtube, with subtitles. If you have ANY hope to this game, don't watch it. Don't spoil yourself... It's actually a good, decent ending that explain a few of the things we've been talking about here... it's not wonderfull, but i'll tell you this.. Aya is Aya.

EDIT 2: Although to be honest, it's a 20 min ending with some ... weird twists. Worth beating the game for it, i would say.