Celebrate The 3rd Birthday on March 29, 2011

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of SQUARE ENIX® interactive entertainment products in North America, announced today that The 3rd Birthday™ will ship to North American retailers on March 29, 2011. Developed exclusively for the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, The 3rd Birthday is an action-RPG that offers an all-new story-driven shooter for the handheld platform.

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Square Enix also revealed a celebrity voice cast for The 3rd Birthday, including Yvonne Strahovski of NBC's Chuck as the voice of Aya Brea. "I was immediately interested when Square Enix approached me with the opportunity to play Aya Brea in The 3rd Birthday. I love Aya – she's strong, driven and ready to take on the world," said Yvonne Strahovski. "My goal was to bring all of her characteristics to life to really tell her story and create the best experience for all gamers." Additionally, the mysterious Kyle Madigan is voiced by Jensen Ackles of the CW's Supernatural. "The 3rd Birthday will pull players in immediately with its incredible graphics and character-driven story line," said Jensen Ackles. "I felt like I was creating a movie."

An engrossing new chapter for Aya Brea, the main character in the hugely popular PARASITE EVE® series, The 3rd Birthday is a unique combination of fast-paced gameplay with compelling character development. The game delivers polished, riveting visuals unmatched among portable games.  

With character design by Tetsuya Nomura, renowned for his work on the FINAL FANTASY and KINGDOM HEARTS franchises, The 3rd Birthday presents players with an enigmatic cast of characters in The 3rd Birthday. Players must navigate through a dangerous Manhattan of 2012 as Aya Brea – a strong, complex female protagonist. Her vulnerability in the face of a great threat makes Aya a captivating and deeply human character with whom players will develop a strong emotional connection over the course of the story. With the fate of the world in her hands, players must help Aya fulfill her role as the only one who can save mankind from the menace of the Twisted.

Story

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 birth.

Features

• Exciting new chapter for Aya Brea from the popular PARASITE EVE® series: An engaging, all-new tale of survival horror set in a ravaged New York City
• A true action-RPG hybrid: Resist the Twisted's vicious onslaught in a third-person shooter, with a heavy dose of character progression and customization
• Strategic gameplay: The new "Overdive System" gives players a tactical advantage as they make split-second decisions on the battlefield
• All-star production staff: Including producer Yoshinori Kitase (FINAL FANTASY® series), director Hajime Tabata (CRISIS CORE® -FINAL FANTASY VII-), character designer Tetsuya Nomura (KINGDOM HEARTS series), art director Isamu Kamikokuryo (FINAL FANTASY XIII) and music by Yoko Shimomura (KINGDOM HEARTS series)

The 3rd Birthday will be available at North American retailers on March 29, 2011 for the suggested retail price of $29.99. The 3rd Birthday is rated M (Mature). Please visit the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) website at www.esrb.org for more information about ratings.

For more information and to preorder now, please visit the official website: http://na.square-enix.com/the3rdbirthday

About Square Enix, Inc.

Square Enix, Inc. develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX®, EIDOS® and TAITO® branded entertainment content throughout the Americas as part of the Square Enix Group. The Square Enix Group operates a global network of leading development studios and boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property, including: FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 97 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 54 million units worldwide; TOMB RAIDER®, which has sold over 35 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®. Square Enix, Inc. is a U.S.-based, wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.

More information on Square Enix, Inc. can be found at http://www.square-enix.com/na.

CRISIS CORE, DRAGON QUEST, EIDOS FINAL FANTASY, PARASITE EVE, SQUARE ENIX, the SQUARE ENIX logo, TAITO, THE THIRD BIRTHDAY and TOMB RAIDER are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Square Enix group of companies.  "PlayStation" is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Square Enix, Inc.