3rd Birthday Stinks and We Don't Like It: An Extensive (Exhaustive) Audio Review

[Magus]

Kefka, myself and our secret third brother got together over the weekend to talk about something that's been on our minds: The 3rd Birthday, the Parasite Eve series and what the **** Square has been up to in general.

It was our first night together since Christmastime, so we were excited AS **** to talk about this, and well, we started recording around 10 at night and we stopped around 2 in the morning.

So. We talk a lot! About a lot of things!

We cover the game with a fine-tooth comb from beginning to end, with plenty of (non-boring) tangents related to many other games (Resident Evil, Mass Effect, Illusion of Gaia, etc.) and ideas (sci-fi and art, etc.).

I was worried it'd be a rambling mess, but it's kind of organic and coherent! Give it a listen why don't you!

It's in MP3 format, split apart into four segments (remaining three coming in the next few days) for palatable listening.



Part One.
Some Parasite Eve 1 talk and a lot about 3rd Birthday's premise and setting.

Spoiler Level: Low


Part Two.
All the gameplay and the entire plot up to the ending gets dissected.

Spoiler Level: HUUUGE


Part Three.
The entire ending under the microscope.

Spoiler Level: Monumental, and not just for The 3rd Birthday. PE1, PE2 and even Chrono Cross get spoiled.



Part Four.
Final thoughts, a lot of talk about recent and past Square games.

Spoiler Level: Minimal.

[Duel]

Re: 3rd Birthday Stinks and We Don't Like It: An Extensive (Exhaustive) Audio Review

This sounds cool. Imma download it, listen to it on my way to work, and be confused because I've never played a PE game before!

[Denmo]

Re: 3rd Birthday Stinks and We Don't Like It: An Extensive (Exhaustive) Audio Review

Radio Talk Show Host voice.

You should apply for NPR~

[Red Dragon]

Re: 3rd Birthday Stinks and We Don't Like It: An Extensive (Exhaustive) Audio Review

Too much music padding, otherwise good show ole top!

[Magus]

Re: 3rd Birthday Stinks and We Don't Like It: An Extensive (Exhaustive) Audio Review

A tiny piece of music at the beginning and end is too much?

Well I'm new to this audio editing thing, so anyone familiar with it, I'd love pointers.

Anyway, Part Two is up. It's a doozy.

[Sivart the Sloth Trencher]

Re: 3rd Birthday Stinks and We Don't Like It: An Extensive (Exhaustive) Audio Review

WOO.

Marathon Mode!

[Kefka Jr.]

Re: 3rd Birthday Stinks and We Don't Like It: An Extensive (Exhaustive) Audio Review

Ohhh, mannnn

If you treat it like an audio book it's actually pretty fun!

[Toaster]

Re: 3rd Birthday Stinks and We Don't Like It: An Extensive (Exhaustive) Audio Review

I'm starting the game right now and taking time off FFXII because dammit, I want to board this crazy-train for myself.

[Jehuty]

Re: 3rd Birthday Stinks and We Don't Like It: An Extensive (Exhaustive) Audio Review

Hey, I wish I had seen this earlier. I'll download and comment later

PE is still one of my favorite series, despite Third Birthdays flaws. The plot is zany, but so were the previous games.

Edit; almost an hour each? Have to wait till tommorow, bed time.

You ask what kind of game 3rd Birthday is trying to be; the answer is obvious. Monster Hunter.
The controls, gameplay, and story is exactly like Monster Hunter.

Therein lies most of the problems. It does a bad job mimicking MH. Plus PE just doesn't match that gameplay at all.

Also, nobody in game KNEW Aya changed time. They only knew when Aya came back from an overdive and had different memories.

Really dig your commentary though, and I agree with almost everything you guys said.

[Magus]

Re: 3rd Birthday Stinks and We Don't Like It: An Extensive (Exhaustive) Audio Review

Didn't we make some kind of Monster Hunter comment? Guh. I don't remember. I need sleep.

But yeah, thank you~~

Part Three, with all the talk of the game's ending, is up.

[Toaster]

Re: 3rd Birthday Stinks and We Don't Like It: An Extensive (Exhaustive) Audio Review

gdsfdghsg

this is a new level of bad. how can you like this jehuty?

[Jehuty]

Re: 3rd Birthday Stinks and We Don't Like It: An Extensive (Exhaustive) Audio Review

The same reason I liked Other M, and FF13.

Magus, you need to lower the intro volume. Each part I had to lower the volume for the intros, they were so much louder than the actual discussion.

Part 2:
No real comments, spot on for the most part. Your Reaper battle took an hour to beat? That's ... odd. It took me 30 minutes once I got the gimmick, the biggest problem with the fight is the camera controls.

Part 3:
Aya and Eve look younger than they are. Its mentioned numerous times in the first two games, its an artifact of mitochondria activation.
The people present at the wedding were explained in the files in game. Hyde was the FBI director in charge of Aya. Don't want to cross post with the video game topic.
Friend linked me the gamefaqs page. There is a FAQ for the STORY, it's a bad sign when your game needs a FAQ to get the plot specifics across.

Also, Kyle doesn't marry Eve. He takes the wedding ring off her finger.

[Sivart the Sloth Trencher]

Re: 3rd Birthday Stinks and We Don't Like It: An Extensive (Exhaustive) Audio Review

A lot of people liked FFXIII, myself included, but I have no idea how I could ever be able to swallow something like 3rd Birthday.

[Big Rick Cook]

Re: 3rd Birthday Stinks and We Don't Like It: An Extensive (Exhaustive) Audio Review

I've listened to the first one while at work today. Aside from all the ums and stumbling looking for words it's quite entertaining.

Also I keep swearing that Leonardo is there with you guys. Or alternately Master Miller. Or alternately Ryudo. }=3

[Sivart the Sloth Trencher]

Re: 3rd Birthday Stinks and We Don't Like It: An Extensive (Exhaustive) Audio Review

That's who I thought he sounded like! Kefka, you sound like Liquid Snake.

...Which makes Magus Solid Snake, right?