salarta

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It’s nothing like the other two games in the series. AT ALL. There’s so much wrong with third birthday that it’s unbelievable. Of course that’s just MY opinion. Like what even was that horrible excuse for a ‘battle system’? Where was the ‘horror’ aspect of the game? The other two games in the series felt really unique while third birthday was lacking and boring.

There are many, many things about 3rd Birthday that made it terrible, especially as a supposed part of the franchise and characters but even just in general.

Aya Brea as everyone that loves and knows her was a tough, cool badass from the start. In Parasite Eve, in spite of how bizarre and new people bursting into flames and mutant animals was, she remains composed and no-nonsense. She has a duty, she’s going to do it, any she doesn’t hesitate or flinch. That attitude continues in Parasite Eve II, though we do see a softer side to her through Eve.

3rd Birthday “Aya” wasn’t Aya at all. She was terrified, trembling, on the verge of tears over having to fight and risk her life. Even the way she holds the gun is weak and unsure.

And I know “Aya” is Eve in Aya’s body, but the game still made it look like this is supposed to be Aya. This was the first game to star Aya Brea in over 10 years, all of the marketing and promotion said this is Aya Brea, for all intents and purposes the average person was expected to believe 3rd Birthday “Aya” was really the same Aya everyone that played Parasite Eve and Parasite Eve II knows and loves.

And then there was the over-sexualization, which was another problem entirely. When the clothes ripping off mechanic was revealed, the producer tried to defend it as “realism.” This was immediately followed by months of Famitsu, Japan’s most famous video game magazine, putting out previews where whatever new fetish outfit Aya’s wearing was the big centerpiece focus. The shower scene, which the team insisted would not happen in 3rd Birthday, was ultimately added to the game – and its entire presentation is on the verge of softcore porn. There’s also several cases of characters saying things at or bordering on sexual harassment, that “Aya” just accepts.

By contrast, Parasite Eve was always tasteful. The black dress of PE1 was the “worst” it ever really got in terms of costumes, and that was classy. Likewise, art where she was naked or near-naked was framed in classy, artistic forms, and she was never nude in PE itself. The closest she came to nudity was the shower scene in PEII, which given how calm, soft and relaxed it was presented, could be taken as tasteful.

Ultimately, what we got in 3rd Birthday was an “Aya” that was the exact opposite of everything Aya really is. Where Aya is strong, confident and professional, “Aya” is scared, unsure of herself and entirely unprofessional. Where any presentation of Aya’s body is thoughtful and artistic, any presentation of “Aya’s” body is vulgar bordering on pornographic. Aya is a full-fledged woman; “Aya” is a sex object.

If 3rd Birthday was a brand new IP starring entirely brand new characters, I wouldn’t care. It could do whatever it wanted. But as it claimed to star Aya and claimed to continue Parasite Eve, what it did to both the character and the franchise can’t be excused.