This is the only screencap I managed to pull from the stream. Sure they'll be loads more over the next few days:
This is the only screencap I managed to pull from the stream. Sure they'll be loads more over the next few days:
» msn : cosmicdeathray@hotmail.com //
» gfx : x // » ffvii black ops. : x //
» blog : x // » pm me : x //
» psn : Ben2289 //
![]()
Spoiler: PSNSpoiler: rEtrO_oSpoiler: etc.
Can't stop loving those graphics. She's so sad though. It sparks a lot of story theories when chaining that fact to the wedding gown scenes.
Who would leave someone like Aya at the alter ;_;
![]()
![]()
~And in the Hand was clutched a Crystal~
Game Info
Hideous creatures descend on Manhattan. Ground reports from the squad tasked with containing the pandemonium refer to these life forms as "the Twisted." An investigatory team known as the CTI is formed within the year.
The Overdive system emerges as a means of opposition, but only one viable candidate exists Aya Brea. A gift as she awakens from a lost past on this, the occasion of her third birthSource
^ Follow the link for a video too, and yes that's "Overdive", no R - lol...
» msn : cosmicdeathray@hotmail.com //
» gfx : x // » ffvii black ops. : x //
» blog : x // » pm me : x //
» psn : Ben2289 //
![]()
Spoiler: PSNSpoiler: rEtrO_oSpoiler: etc.
I think I just came 3 times in a row. 1 for each birthday
But seriously, just look at it. Alone the detail of her face in the first screen. I've rarely felt as straight as now, lol. And the blood in the trailer is wow too. I'm loving the animated realism (does that make sense?). Gawd, gotta exit the thread before I round the 4th time on the thread walls
Finally an official public trailer <3
EDIT: Just came back to note that the music in the trailer sounded awesome. It's been a while since I heard Shimomura music that wasn't FF/KH related. You can easily tell it's her but it's still in the PE style <3. But my initial intention of coming here to post about that was shortly interrupted when I saw the screens again and went hyper licking the screen (okay I didn't do that but I could have).
![]()
![]()
~And in the Hand was clutched a Crystal~
A teaser site has opened.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ3j-hxro_4"]YouTube- Parasite Eve 3 3rd Birthday Gameplay E3 2010 Trailer 1080p HD[/ame]The site lists Yoshinori Kitase as producer, Hajime Tabata as director, Tetsuya Nomura as creative producer and concept design, Motomu Toriyama as scenario director, Isamu Kamikokuryou as art director and Yoko Shimomura as composer.
While the site lists date as TBA, Sony showed a trailer for the game during its E3 press conference today under a sequence of titles that it said were due for release later this year.
Gameplay sounds interesting, though the fact that it's staff is made up of the former FFXIII team makes me even more concerned over Versus XIII's development.
We've been waiting almost two years for official gameplay footage of The 3rd Birthday. That footage arrived today during Sony's E3 press conference.
But Square Enix went beyond just a trailer. It also opened up the game's development staff to interviews. Here's a bit of what director Hajime Tabata and art director Isamu Kamikokuryou had to say about the game when quizzed by Famitsu.com.
The interview started with the basics. The site asked Tabata if The 3rd Birthday is a sequel in the Parasite Eve series. Tabata's answer may be surprising. "It carries over some elements from the Parasite Eve and Parasite Eve 2 game settings, but it's not a sequel. We'd like you to think of it as a new title that features Aya Brea."
Tabata made note of some similarities to past Parasite Eve titles, though. Asked to describe the game content of The 3rd Birthday, he said "Parasite Eve is a game where you use guns, so this is game where you also use guns, and at the same time you can enjoy true action. It's not the type of shooting where you aim a targeting reticule at the enemy, but lock-on action where you lock on to the enemy with a lock-on button."
Action is a major element of the game, explained Tabata. This lead him to a discussion of the game's new "Overdive" system, which he said is intertwined throughout the entirety of game.
As detailed by Tabata, Overdive is an ability that lets you take over the consciousness of others. Using the skill, you can freely control other people. The basics of The 3rd Birthday's gameplay has you change your currently controlled character in realtime, intermixed with your combat actions.
Kamikokuryou fielded some questions about the game's world view and visual elements. The game is set in New York and has such visual elements as "expression of destruction" and "fantasy elements." Visually, one effect the art staff is using is increased contrast.
"We're aiming for the highest level of PSP graphics," he said.
Regarding Aya Brea, Famitsu noted that the character has a sexy image going all the way back to Parasite Eve, which showed her in a shower scene. The staff is paying a lot of attention to the character's sexy image, said Kamikokuryou. They hope to better convey her reality and charm thanks to the more advanced technology they have at their disposal.
Tabata had some bad news here, though: "At present, there's no shower scene in the scenario." Famitsu did plead with them to consider adding one.
The 3rd Birthday may be a portable game, but it looks like we can expect a console class experience from it. "We're not really keeping in mind that it's for the PSP," said Tabata. "The game setting is at the level where it could be played on a console. It's the feeling of we've somehow managed to fit that onto PSP."
Kamikokuryou noted that Final Fantasy XIII staff members became core members of The 3rd Birthday's development staff once the RPG's development ended. "The creation of resources is PS3 class," he said. "On this point, we feel we may be able to offer something that crosses a barrier."
Closing off, Tabata said, "We're making a game that won't be defeated by foreign games. Please be on the lookout for it." Kamikokuryou said, "We're putting our full efforts in the graphics as well. We're confident it's a game that will pierce your heart, so please look forward to it."Source
» msn : cosmicdeathray@hotmail.com //
» gfx : x // » ffvii black ops. : x //
» blog : x // » pm me : x //
» psn : Ben2289 //
![]()
Spoiler: PSNSpoiler: rEtrO_oSpoiler: etc.
Controlling other people's minds? MindJack? :P.
I'm rooting for a shower scene too, lol. Always had an extra thing for that scene in PE2. Alone the animation in it was incredible for a PS1 game (and incredible in common, imo).
It all looks and seems like it'll be much bigger than the initial impression 2 years ago.
![]()
![]()
~And in the Hand was clutched a Crystal~
Yoko Shimomura's resume already reads like a top ten list of classic Japanese games, and it will only get better as she adds three of Square Enix's biggest upcoming titles to her credits. In this week's Famitsu, the super composer was asked about her roles on The 3rd Birthday, Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded and Final Fantasy Versus XIII.
For The 3rd Birthday, Shimomura says she did not receive detailed requests. Instead, she was asked, broadly, that she make battle music. She was also asked to give the music a "Shimomura-like melody" and told that, as a theme, the music should "feature the Aya Brea character." (This "feature Aya Brea" element is a general theme for the game as a whole.)
Shimomura feels the Aya charater has the image of piano. Not a mellow piano theme, though.
Shimomura also worked on the soundtrack for the original Parasite Eve. Asked if she'd be reusing themes from that game, she said that the music will not be carried over as is. However, she feels that amongst her works, Parasite Eve is a game with music of a different color, and she'd like to carry that image over.
Famitsu noted that the latest trailer has a piano and drum theme running in the background during the battle sequence. This, said Shimomura, is the style of melody we can expect for the game as a whole. She wants the sound to have a hard feel to it, with firm rhythms and pounding piano songs.Source
» msn : cosmicdeathray@hotmail.com //
» gfx : x // » ffvii black ops. : x //
» blog : x // » pm me : x //
» psn : Ben2289 //
![]()
Spoiler: PSNSpoiler: rEtrO_oSpoiler: etc.
Lots of in-game cutscene and combat screenshots can be found here and here. There's also this:
Aya Brea, pictured right, is the main character of The 3rd Birthday. She's a federal agent in New York. Once an FBI agent, she's now a part of CTI. That's Counter Twisted Investigation.
Aya is not all that skilled in combat, but because she's the only person capable of using Overdive, she's been tasked with wiping out the Twisted, strange creatures who've invaded Manhatten. Using Overdive, Aya turns herself into a spiritual existence that can board and take control of the bodies of other people. This plays a major role both in the game's story and in its battle system.
During battle, Aya uses Overdive to take over the bodies of the soldiers who have spread across Manhattan in the fight against the Twisted. Doing this gives you control of the soldier. You basically become the soldier, inheriting his life and weapons -- although it still looks like you're controlling Aya.
There's no limit to how often you can execute your Overdive move. One suggested use for Overdive is to switch off from one soldier to another, positioning everyone in order to surround enemies.
In one set of screens in the Famitsu.com story, you can see Aya, hidden behind a barrier, doing her Overdive move to take control of a soldier on a raised platform. When selecting targets for Overdive, you can see in advance the weapons you'll gain access to once you've jumped over.
When actually blasting away at enemies, you have access to a lock-on button for locking on with a single button press. You can also switch off between weapons quickly, something that will be of importance given the variety you'll find in the Twisted foes.
The game also includes systems such as "Libertation" and "Radio" which will be detailed later.
You might have noticed that some CG scenes show Aya with her clothes torn. As you incur damage, Aya's clothes tear. This allows us to see more of the character, but it also means you'll take even more damage.
Famitsu notes that The 3rd Birthday's Aya has a slightly different image from the Parasite Eve Aya. There's apparently a reason for this that will be cleared up as part of the game's story.
The 3rd Birthday is due for release this Winter. Famitsu.com promises a version of the interview that appeared in the print Famitsu in the coming days.Source
Finally, the game's main visual has been changed to something more bleak:
![]()
You can read an "analysis" of the differences, and the reasons for this change here.
» msn : cosmicdeathray@hotmail.com //
» gfx : x // » ffvii black ops. : x //
» blog : x // » pm me : x //
» psn : Ben2289 //
![]()
Spoiler: PSNSpoiler: rEtrO_oSpoiler: etc.
Makes sense with a different main artwork. And may I add it looks amazing <3. When comparing it looks a lot like a before and after comparison, lol. I mean storywise, but that seems to be what it is anyway.
Great explanation of the whole Overdive thing. Also made the radiant nude pictures make more sense. Sounds really cool but I don't recall Aya being able to do the whole body switch thing, so I look forward to the explanation behind that (in the game).
As for Shimomura "Oh, ai feel Aya is pianoz!". Don't you feel that about everyone, Shimumu? <3. Well I agree with her, but I just thought it was a funny thing for her to say given who Shimomura is. Everything she had to say about her compositions for the game was perfect imo. She's making the right choices here. But lol at SE asking her to do the Shimomura thing :P.She's certainly being trademarked <3.
![]()
![]()
~And in the Hand was clutched a Crystal~
There's not much new here, but it does offer some more detail than my earlier post. Also, expect a new series of T3B games.
Yoshinori Kitase, Hajime Tabata, Motomu Toriyama and Iasmu Kamikokuryo are all featured in an interview at Famitsu.com. These four serve respectively as The Third Birthday's producer, director, scenario writer and art director.
Concept and Switch to PSP
The concept of The 3rd Birthday, said Kitase, is to carry over the world view and taste of Parasite Eve, but create a completely original title featuring a greater emphasis on the Aya Brea character.Square Enix originally announced the game as a cell phone title. According to Tabata, it was originally planned to be episodic, with each episode playing out like an overseas drama (this refers to stuff like 24, Lost and Heroes).
The reason it was changed to PSP, said Kitase, is because the quality of the gameplay and cut-in effects exceeded the framework of cell phones. Also, they wanted to push the game on a global scale.
The episodic nature of the story's construction is still in place, said Toriyama. They're currently doing voice recording, and the voice performances will apparently be like what you'd find in an overseas drama.
Action RPG
The 3rd Birthday has in the past been described as a TPS, or third person shooter. Asked if the game's genre is TPS, Tabata said it's an "action RPG." You use guns, but it's not something where you aim and fire at enemies. Instead, it's "lock-on action," where you use a lock-on button to lock on to enemies. To this, the game adds the the Overdive system and RPG growth elements.
Overdive
As previously detailed, Overdive is a skill Aya has that lets her consciousness take over the bodies of NPC soldiers who are spread out across Manhatten to fight the invading Twisted creatures. The skill is an integral part of both the storyline and gameplay.
Toriyama explained the story part. Aya is a former FBI agent and now a member of a federal organization called C.T.I, or Counter Twisted Investigation. She's the only person capable of using the Overdive skill, which is mankind's "trump card" in defeating the Twisted.Aya is not particularly good in combat, but she doesn't actually enter combat. She remains in C.T.I headquarters and sends her consciousness out to the various battle fields via Overdive.
Tabata took up the gameplay part. Using Overdive, you can make Aya's consciousness jump instantly from one NPC soldier to another. You'll then be able to take control of the NPC. You might have figured this out already from the screenshots, but the game changes the enemy's graphic into Aya. This, explained Tabata, is done in order to make the game easier to understand in terms of gameplay. Aya's body isn't actually there though -- just her consciousness.
For the most part, you can think of Aya's life as being one with the NPC into which she's dived. Tabata did note, however, that they're planning on adding a system where Aya's development will add some support to the life of the NPCs.
Due to the Overdive system, The 3rd Birthday has some peculiarities with how it handles death. Let's say an NPC is about to die. You can perform an Overdive, which puts the game into slow motion. As long as Aya is still conscious, she'll be able to jump over to another NPC, even if the NPC she's in has zero life. You can see this zero life Overdive happen in the E3 trailer.
There are multiple classes of NPC soldiers, but the standard type die off quickly. And violently too, it seems. When attacked by a Twisted, the NPCs experience a sharp pain and spurt out blood. Although he questions the moral side, Tabata expects beginner players to make use of the zero life Overdives frequently -- that is, dive into a soldier and use it for direct attacks until it's about to die, then dive into another soldier.
Advanced players, however, will be able to play more strategically, diving into a soldier to position it on the battle field, then jumping to another soldier to position it in a separate point. You're controlling the battle field, in other words. Tabata detailed some strategic possibilities here. You can, for instance, attempt to draw an enemy towards one soldier, then dive into a soldier behind the enemy and thus aim for the enemy's back. This is a basic strategy for the game. You can also position troops against special walls to make them perform group attacks. The game isn't a strategy title, though. The pressure will gradually build up from the enemy. You'll have to decide when to combat enemies by strategic use of Overdiving, and when to make a soldier go into battle head-on.
Action appears to actually be the focus. To help get a sense the balance between action and strategy, Kitase explained that the staff is emphasizing the game's action tempo, and adding a strategic taste on top of that.
You'll usually find between three and four Overdive targets appearing at once on a field, said Tabata. This varies depending on the area. I'm not sure if Tabata is saying that there will be this many Overdive targets throughout the entirety of a stage, or if this is the number you'll have in your immediate vicinity at any given time.
The NPCs have a variety of weapons. As detailed earlier, you can see what weapons are available before deciding whom to dive into. You'll need to consider each weapon's special characteristics and how compatible they are with your current foes. Sample weapons mentioned by Tabata include a shot gun and a sniper rifle.
Even though you're using the NPCs' weapons, there's a customization component to the weapon system. Separate from the NPC weapons, you'll be able to bring your own customized weapons into the fight. While your customized weapons may be more powerful, they're limited in ammunition, so in general, you'll end up relying on the NPC weapons.
There seem to be some other customizations for Aya beyond the weapons. Tabata said that, similar to past entries in the series, you'll be able to make yourself stronger through customizations. He also hinted at some sort of special new ability for Aya, of similar fashion to the Parasite Energy that appeared in past Parasite Eve games.
Nudity
Fitting the game's concept of "featuring" the Aya character, a large section of the interview is about the character. One of the keywords for the game is "Lost Past," said Toriyama. Aya is not fighting for her friends. Instead, she's in a section of C.T.I, fighting with the thought that she has no place of her own except for the battle field.
It should be noted that when they mention "past," this doesn't mean you'll be seeing characters from past Parasite Eve games. In terms of story, The 3rd Birthday is completely new, explained Toriyama. The game features, for the most part, original characters.
The Aya character has "a secret." This secret plays into why the character has a different air about her when compared to the first two Parasite Eve games. Apparently, something happened in Aya's past, and she closed up her heart. She's become a character who feels weakness from that past happening.
Famitsu asked if there will be a shower scene in The 3rd Birthday. Tabata would only respond "We understand how great the expectations are." While it's not clear that you'll see Aya in the shower, you will see lots and lots of flesh. Her clothes apparently tear apart during battle.
![]()
Tabata explained that the clothing is actually equipment. You can apparently send her out sleeveless, and this will end up showing off greater skin when her clothing tears during battle. However, she'll end up incurring more damage with this weaker clothing. The more resilient clothing, when damaged, won't show as much skin. So how did this system come about? It looks like this is the handy work of Tetsuya Nomura.
According to Tabata, Kitase told the staff to not make the game in such a way that it would end with just one title. Additionally, the staff was hoping to potentially bring the series to a console if this first entry received support from players. This is where Nomura came into the picture. He had the idea that if the game were brought to a console, it would be interesting to have Aya's damage shown by her clothing being damaged. They ended up including the system in The 3rd Birthday as a test.
You might have noticed something totally incongruent about the tearing clothes. If Aya is only sending out her consciousness to the NPCs, and the game is only showing Aya's body for convenience, how can her clothes be tearing? Famitsu asked if the tearing clothes are meant to be Aya's own image. Responded Tabata, "No, it's probably just our image."
Outside of the tearing clothes, you'll also get to see Aya partially naked during the event scenes where she performs an Overdive. Said Toriyama, "While in overdive, she's just a consciousness, so the image is nudity. However, when she lands, she's clothed. It's pretty embarrassing."
![]()
Twisted
So what are the Twisted creatures against whom Aya wages battle? According to Toriyama, the FBI wasn't able to figure out their true form, but it's believed they've come from the future. Famitsu asked what exactly their form is supposed to be, to which Kitase zinged, "They're twisted." Kamikokuryo joked that as part of the design, you're not supposed to understand what they are.
More seriously, Kamikokuryo said that the keyword for the design is indeed "twisted." This is how they're shaped, but the term "twisted" also applies to their related effects, the blood spray, and the space around them. Outside of just the look, it's supposed to be difficult to anticipate where they're going to move or what they're going to do next. All this is apparently meant to give a feeling of fear that you're being attacked by these strange creatures.
Wireless Functionality
There won't be any. Tabata said The 3rd Birthday is being made as a "top class single player game." I'm not sure what this has to do with multiplayer play, but Tabata decided to use a car analogy here. "The battery consumption is also severe... it's like a Ferrari. The fuel economy is bad, but we have confidence in the content."
Meaningless Numbers
So how far along is The 3rd Birthday? Tabata came up with an original response to this question: the game's quality is 70% while the game as a whole is 50%.
Kitase Gets His Hands Dirty
Kitase is the game's producer, but he also seems to have a hidden role on the game: stage creator. He said in the interview that Tabata requested that he make the stage data himself for a section of the game just prior to the climax.
Tabata joked that Kitase would often say that he left his soul with Final Fantasy VII spinoff Dirge of Cerberus. Tabata asked for Kitase's help on The 3rd Birthday, another gun game, in order to help him get the soul back.
Start of a new series
In closing comments, Toriyama chose some slightly odd wording to hype up the game. "Until Final Fantasy Agito XIII comes out, this will be tops on PSP." Sounds like he's also promoting Agito! Toriyama also said, "A game and story that you won't believe are on PSP await, so look forward to it."
Adding to the talk of a console entry above, Kitase suggested that The 3rd Birthday could be the start of a series. "We ask for your support so that this title can be the starting point for a new series."
Hey, who let Tetsuya Nomura in here?
The site decided to include a comment from Tetsuya Nomura to close off the interview. This was also included in this week's print Famitsu.
Said Nomura, "There are many who call it Parasite Eve 3, but it's not a sequel in the Parasite Eve series but a new piece of content called The 3rd Birthday. The tense battles that have a horror-action style, the event scenes which aim to be the highest level on PSP, the cut-ins that are made with overseas movies in mind -- we believe you'll be able to enjoy a somewhat adult world."
Source
» msn : cosmicdeathray@hotmail.com //
» gfx : x // » ffvii black ops. : x //
» blog : x // » pm me : x //
» psn : Ben2289 //
![]()
Spoiler: PSNSpoiler: rEtrO_oSpoiler: etc.