Square Enix Hoping to Make The 3rd Birthday into a Series
Could a console version be on the way? The development staff gives some big hints.
June 25, 2010
The 3rd Birthday was originally planned as an episodic cell phone game before Square Enix switched development to a self-contained PSP game. But PSP may just be the start for the Parasite Eve revival.
Responding to an interview with Famitsu, The 3rd Birthday development staff hinted that they hope to turn the game into a series. Producer Yoshinori Kitase (also producer of Final Fantasy XIII) said to the magazine, "We ask for your support so that this title can be the starting point for a new series."
Future entries may expand beyond portables and into full-blown console releases. Director Hajime Tabata (also director of Final Fantasy Agito XIII) said that the development team hopes to make a console entry if the PSP version is well received by fans.
Square Enix seems to be doing more than just "considering" when it comes to a console version, though. The PSP version actually has some test features that are designed for a possible console release.
One of the visual oddities you might have noticed in the 3rd Birthday artwork Square Enix has released thus far is that main character Aya Brea's clothing is tattered, like she just got out of a wrestling match with a tiger. This isn't character designer Tetsuya Nomura (yes, this game has an impressive staff list) trying to make a fashion statement (if that were the case, Aya would probably have lots of zippers). Nomura actually suggested to the development staff that if 3rd Birthday were brought to a home console, one interesting gameplay component might be to have Aya's clothes get torn up as a visual reflection of damage incurred during battle.
The staff decided to implement this system in the PSP title as a test. Aya's clothing works like equipment. From what we gather, you can equip her with different clothing. Some of the clothing is skimpier than others and will tear up more easily. For instance, if you make Aya go into battle in a sleeveless garment, the clothing will tear up faster and reveal more of Aya's skin.
This is great if seeing semi-nude PSP character models is your thing. But there are some disadvantages to having Aya reveal herself. As more of her body shows, she takes greater damage. If staying alive is your goal, you'll want to equip her with fuller, stronger clothing. It won't be as sexy, and it won't tear as quickly, but it will protect her.
The torn clothing is part of the gameplay. Really!If you've been keeping up with The 3rd Birthday, you'll have probably spotted something terribly wrong with this clothing system. One of the main components of The 3rd Birthday's gameplay a system called "Overdive." Overdive is a special power that is humanity's only hope for defeating the Twisted, strange creatures that invade Manhattan at the start of the game. Aya is the only person capable of using Overdive.
Using this skill, Aya sends out her consciousness to control the bodies of soldiers who have been placed around Manhattan. When you dive into a soldier's body, you take full control of the soldier and have access to its weapons. You're free to dive into the bodies of any soldier you see on the battle field, and can do so with no penalty or limit.
You'll need to use this system to strategically combat the Twisted, who are so powerful that they can pretty quickly take out single soldiers. One basic gameplay strategy is to have Aya dive into one soldier, draw a Twisted creature towards the soldier, then dive into a soldier behind the Twisted, allowing you to blast the creature from the back.
When you've dived into a soldier, the game swaps out the soldier's graphics with Aya, so it looks like you're controlling Aya at all times. However, this is just for convenience, said Tabata as he explained the system to Famitsu. Aya's body isn't actually there -- just her consciousness. Throughout the whole of the game, Aya's physical self remains inside C.T.I (that's Counter Twisted Intelligence) headquarters.
Which brings up the question... how exactly are her clothes being torn if she's not really on the battle field?
We're not really worried too much about this little peculiarity. In fact, we have a feeling we'll appreciate the tattered clothing if Aya's next outing should end up being on an HD console.
As suggested in the Famitsu interview, the chances of that are tied to The 3rd Birthday's success. We'll get a hint at that success when The 3rd Birthday hits Japan this Winter and the rest of the world hopefully not too far after that.
http://psp.ign.com/articles/110/1102015p1.html
