10 year old me playing Parasite Eve: This is the most high IQ game ever! I can't wait until I'm old enough to understand all the scientific exposition! 10/10!
23 year old me playing Parasite Eve: Did I really just watch an FMV of a horse running across an entire city while on fire and read 1000 nonsense info dumps about mitochondria? This is the dumbest fucking game ever made. 10/10!
This is the only action RPG/survival horror/puzzle game/quiz game/rougelike/cinematic game where the player can brave through a sperm bank dungeon to save New York with guns they traded for playing cards. I wish there were multiple endings but the final act is so perfect it doesn't need them. The perfect Christmas game.
23 year old me playing Parasite Eve: Did I really just watch an FMV of a horse running across an entire city while on fire and read 1000 nonsense info dumps about mitochondria? This is the dumbest fucking game ever made. 10/10!
This is the only action RPG/survival horror/puzzle game/quiz game/rougelike/cinematic game where the player can brave through a sperm bank dungeon to save New York with guns they traded for playing cards. I wish there were multiple endings but the final act is so perfect it doesn't need them. The perfect Christmas game.
Parasite Eve is a survival horror cinematic RPG based from a book by Hideaki Sena of the same name. Genre lines have been getting blurrier as the game industry has grown, and Parasite Eve certainly is an early culprit as it is easier to associate it with Capcom's popular franchise Resident Evil then with the Final Fantasy styled titles that Squaresoft were more known for at the time.
The story is a simple premise, yet unique. The protagonist Aya Brea is a rookie cop for the NYPD who unwittingly gets involved in a battle of evolution between humanity and a separate organism in everybody's cells known as mitochondria. Humans have been living in symbiosis with them for all this time, but Mitochondrion Eve has declared war, breaking this necessary truce.
No war would be concluded without epic battles to be waged, while perhaps there is nothing quite of that scale, the fights in Parasite Eve are at least engaging and tactical if lacking somewhat in the drama department. All the battles during the game are in real time and always in the same location on the map you are running through, unfortunately predictable while exploring. During battle Aya becomes confined to the location on the screen to duke it out, and sometimes these areas are very small leading to some frustration in dodging enemy attacks as there is literally no where to run.
To attack Aya uses guns of which she will get a large variety of as the game moves on, starting with a handgun but soon gaining access to machine guns, rifles and even grenade launchers, all of which can be customized at the NYPD's gun shop or later in the field using tools to swap stats from weapon to weapon or even her body armor. Before she can fire a bullet however, Aya has to wait for her ATB (active time bar) to fill up; when this is full she can perform an action.
Sci-fi horror is however nearly always too predictable and Parasite Eve falls right in line with that by giving Aya powers of the surreal sort. Like in the battle for real life, evolution of a species does not always go one way; those best suited to their environment merely survive the harsh challenge of the world. Eve is not the only Mitochondria to have evolved; Aya's have also upgraded themselves with the passing of time helping to give her powers by a burst of generated energy. These surreal abilities range from healing to attack and stat boost, acting essentially as magic spells that once again depend on the inevitable arrival of a full atb bar. Overall it is a fun system.
The lack of a map on certain later points in the game left nothing but puzzlement and frustration at needlessly running around looking for the objective area, the museum being the unfortunate level design I am referring to. The final boss sequence has a point of no return and is surprisingly hard in comparison with the rest of the game which almost resulted in an impassable wall through my experience. Yet the most devastating blow to the game however spawns right at the end of the title with an unnecessary and highly cheap chase scene in which Aya gets the chance to meet her maker if the creature so much as brushes against her, forcing the player to fight all of the last boss forms again, and possibly again with so much as a wrong turn.
Parasite Eve does one thing especially well and that is ooze style. The graphics, music and designs are excellent but the fmv's are what really show the theme of the cinematic RPG. Also, shout out to The amazing OST in this game. It uses a mixture of synth and classical instruments to create a creepy horror vibe but also fast paced and exciting when needed.
Overall the bar Square set for themselves was high and this is obvious in production values and an excellent material source, and while succeeding on many levels in creating a unique and thought provoking experience some minor game and level design flaws unfortunately get in the way of making this a run away experience, however what they did make was a very good game that any RPG or horror enthusiast should at least try.
+ Fantastic atmosphere.
+ Great story idea.
+ Fantastic OST.
+ Combat is fun.
- Final section can be frustrating.
The story is a simple premise, yet unique. The protagonist Aya Brea is a rookie cop for the NYPD who unwittingly gets involved in a battle of evolution between humanity and a separate organism in everybody's cells known as mitochondria. Humans have been living in symbiosis with them for all this time, but Mitochondrion Eve has declared war, breaking this necessary truce.
No war would be concluded without epic battles to be waged, while perhaps there is nothing quite of that scale, the fights in Parasite Eve are at least engaging and tactical if lacking somewhat in the drama department. All the battles during the game are in real time and always in the same location on the map you are running through, unfortunately predictable while exploring. During battle Aya becomes confined to the location on the screen to duke it out, and sometimes these areas are very small leading to some frustration in dodging enemy attacks as there is literally no where to run.
To attack Aya uses guns of which she will get a large variety of as the game moves on, starting with a handgun but soon gaining access to machine guns, rifles and even grenade launchers, all of which can be customized at the NYPD's gun shop or later in the field using tools to swap stats from weapon to weapon or even her body armor. Before she can fire a bullet however, Aya has to wait for her ATB (active time bar) to fill up; when this is full she can perform an action.
Sci-fi horror is however nearly always too predictable and Parasite Eve falls right in line with that by giving Aya powers of the surreal sort. Like in the battle for real life, evolution of a species does not always go one way; those best suited to their environment merely survive the harsh challenge of the world. Eve is not the only Mitochondria to have evolved; Aya's have also upgraded themselves with the passing of time helping to give her powers by a burst of generated energy. These surreal abilities range from healing to attack and stat boost, acting essentially as magic spells that once again depend on the inevitable arrival of a full atb bar. Overall it is a fun system.
The lack of a map on certain later points in the game left nothing but puzzlement and frustration at needlessly running around looking for the objective area, the museum being the unfortunate level design I am referring to. The final boss sequence has a point of no return and is surprisingly hard in comparison with the rest of the game which almost resulted in an impassable wall through my experience. Yet the most devastating blow to the game however spawns right at the end of the title with an unnecessary and highly cheap chase scene in which Aya gets the chance to meet her maker if the creature so much as brushes against her, forcing the player to fight all of the last boss forms again, and possibly again with so much as a wrong turn.
Parasite Eve does one thing especially well and that is ooze style. The graphics, music and designs are excellent but the fmv's are what really show the theme of the cinematic RPG. Also, shout out to The amazing OST in this game. It uses a mixture of synth and classical instruments to create a creepy horror vibe but also fast paced and exciting when needed.
Overall the bar Square set for themselves was high and this is obvious in production values and an excellent material source, and while succeeding on many levels in creating a unique and thought provoking experience some minor game and level design flaws unfortunately get in the way of making this a run away experience, however what they did make was a very good game that any RPG or horror enthusiast should at least try.
+ Fantastic atmosphere.
+ Great story idea.
+ Fantastic OST.
+ Combat is fun.
- Final section can be frustrating.
Oh..um..i have a parasite...yea
The mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell
Parasite Eve left a mark on me back in the day. It was the first video game I played that felt genuinely disgusting. The first game I played that unnerved and maybe even frightened me. I remember going through the opera house and connecting sewer over and over again, returning to the start of the game and never daring to venture further into the body horror that waited just beyond the first boss. That little taste felt more special knowing I was putting off something much worse, but as I got older and started watching things like Tetsuo (and building an appreciation for body horror that grows to this day), my memories of Parasite Eve started to feel quaint...
Now that I've actually sat down and put the time in to see the game through I can say that no, Parasite Eve is still pretty gross! But it's gross in the best possible way.
The graphics absolutely hold up, both in-game and during FMVs. I feel this is usually the case for games using pre-rendered backgrounds, though Square certainly got a lot out of the FFVIII engine when it came to character models. Eve feels fairly grounded, but when transitioning to FMVs its art style really shines. It's exaggerated, yet it has some grit and grime to it. Watching a rat turn itself inside-out shouldn't hold up as well as it does here, this was done during the formative years of 3D game graphics after all. But it does!
Thankfully this extends to the gameplay as well. Parasite Eve is an odd mix of survival horror and JRPG, with battles playing out within a set radius from the initial encounter. Aya Brea is a cop and attacks primarily with guns, but a wide and varied bestiary continually challenges players to rethink their strategies. I found combat to be consistently engaging from start to finish, something I can't actually say about other Square games of this era. Although my enjoyment did end just short of digging into Parasite Eva's optional dungeon, which seems tailor made for sadists who enjoy a good grind. Thankfully dungeons push the player along at an enjoyable pace, with none of them overstaying their welcome or feeling too brief.
The story is terrific as well. I'd like to avoid spoiling it for anyone who isn't already familiar, but the gist is that "rogue mitochondria" are triggering horrible mutations in New York City whenever they're not causing people to outright combust. Aya and the titular Eve share a strange connection with these goings on that is not made immediately clear, leaving it up to the play and Aya to unravel the mystery. The game does a great job of evoking a police procedural vibe, noir, and horror when appropriate. Nothing feels out of place here, it hits every beat just right.
Parasite Eve is ridiculous. It's violent, disgusting, thoughtful and mysterious. It's a shame Square didn't take more chances like this, and an even greater shame that its two sequels didn't quite live up to the quality of the original. It may be a bit harder to come by a copy now, but anyone who enjoys RPGs of the Playstation variety really ought to give it a shot. In any case, I'm glad I finally came back to it after all these years.
Now that I've actually sat down and put the time in to see the game through I can say that no, Parasite Eve is still pretty gross! But it's gross in the best possible way.
The graphics absolutely hold up, both in-game and during FMVs. I feel this is usually the case for games using pre-rendered backgrounds, though Square certainly got a lot out of the FFVIII engine when it came to character models. Eve feels fairly grounded, but when transitioning to FMVs its art style really shines. It's exaggerated, yet it has some grit and grime to it. Watching a rat turn itself inside-out shouldn't hold up as well as it does here, this was done during the formative years of 3D game graphics after all. But it does!
Thankfully this extends to the gameplay as well. Parasite Eve is an odd mix of survival horror and JRPG, with battles playing out within a set radius from the initial encounter. Aya Brea is a cop and attacks primarily with guns, but a wide and varied bestiary continually challenges players to rethink their strategies. I found combat to be consistently engaging from start to finish, something I can't actually say about other Square games of this era. Although my enjoyment did end just short of digging into Parasite Eva's optional dungeon, which seems tailor made for sadists who enjoy a good grind. Thankfully dungeons push the player along at an enjoyable pace, with none of them overstaying their welcome or feeling too brief.
The story is terrific as well. I'd like to avoid spoiling it for anyone who isn't already familiar, but the gist is that "rogue mitochondria" are triggering horrible mutations in New York City whenever they're not causing people to outright combust. Aya and the titular Eve share a strange connection with these goings on that is not made immediately clear, leaving it up to the play and Aya to unravel the mystery. The game does a great job of evoking a police procedural vibe, noir, and horror when appropriate. Nothing feels out of place here, it hits every beat just right.
Parasite Eve is ridiculous. It's violent, disgusting, thoughtful and mysterious. It's a shame Square didn't take more chances like this, and an even greater shame that its two sequels didn't quite live up to the quality of the original. It may be a bit harder to come by a copy now, but anyone who enjoys RPGs of the Playstation variety really ought to give it a shot. In any case, I'm glad I finally came back to it after all these years.
biology but good
Hahahaha how the fuck do you run out of ammo hahahaha the game gives you like a bajillion hahahaha I had like quadruple digit ammo left after beating the game twice lmaooooooo
a classic with flaws.
i remember it like yesterday, seeing this game played by my neighbour and instantly wanting to play it too. one of the main aspects for this being a female main protagonist (which, surprise, is not even close to rare these days anymore, but when i was around 6-7 years old, this seemed like a huge deal to me.)
this game has an absolutely amazing story that you instantly get into. you basically have no other choice than that, the opening to this game being basically watching an opera as the whole frickin place gets burned and hundreds of people die.
the game is a little strange to get into, it is basically an action rpg with survival horror elements that sometimes get WAY too scary. im talking about the warehouse for example. if you do not have enough heals or are not careful enough how you spend your PE (parasite energy) you are basically fucked. and this goes for a lot of places in this game. its far from forgiving and every move you make should be calculated - is this worth shooting now? should i heal? try to charge my energy?
it can be really frustrating but what i like is that it never seems unfair to me.
the choices i make in battle are mine in the end.
the games music is absolutely fantastic and just goes to show how much of a classic parasite eve is when, after more than 10 years, the opening sequence is still burnt into your memory, same goes for the battle theme.
overall, this game has its regular ps1 flaws but is still a nice game to play these days and i honestly do not want it getting touched anymore, seeing what kind of remakes and remasters came out already.
i remember it like yesterday, seeing this game played by my neighbour and instantly wanting to play it too. one of the main aspects for this being a female main protagonist (which, surprise, is not even close to rare these days anymore, but when i was around 6-7 years old, this seemed like a huge deal to me.)
this game has an absolutely amazing story that you instantly get into. you basically have no other choice than that, the opening to this game being basically watching an opera as the whole frickin place gets burned and hundreds of people die.
the game is a little strange to get into, it is basically an action rpg with survival horror elements that sometimes get WAY too scary. im talking about the warehouse for example. if you do not have enough heals or are not careful enough how you spend your PE (parasite energy) you are basically fucked. and this goes for a lot of places in this game. its far from forgiving and every move you make should be calculated - is this worth shooting now? should i heal? try to charge my energy?
it can be really frustrating but what i like is that it never seems unfair to me.
the choices i make in battle are mine in the end.
the games music is absolutely fantastic and just goes to show how much of a classic parasite eve is when, after more than 10 years, the opening sequence is still burnt into your memory, same goes for the battle theme.
overall, this game has its regular ps1 flaws but is still a nice game to play these days and i honestly do not want it getting touched anymore, seeing what kind of remakes and remasters came out already.
Severely overlooked RPG with a great atmosphere and some cool monster designs. The game is roughly 15 hours in length, and while I didn't care that much for the optional post-game dungeon, the overall experience was very good.
Parasite Eve innovated a few things that haven't really been replicated in modern RPGs. I love the idea of a short, cinematic RPG. What it lacks in length it makes up for with its great pacing and fun battle system. The writing is a really fun mix of paranormal and psuedoscience and plays out like a great episode of the X-Files. The music is also incredible. Even though it's short there's a really cool New Game Plus mode that includes a huge bonus dungeon. I'd like to see more RPGs like this that just have a simple, 4-5 hour story that's full of memorable scenes and moments with very little fluff and a fun mechanics.
This would be 5 stars but I'm knocking it for its bullshit finale. You move abruptly into the point of no return with absolutely no warning and I could see someone who's unfamiliar with this game getting themselves into an unwinnable position for the final battle. After that final battle you're put into an instakill chase sequence which would require trial and error for anyone not looking at a guide or map. Oh and after you get caught you have to do the final battle all over again. In particular I found myself getting caught on the last hallway despite moving in the right direction at the right time. If you're emulating this will be less of an issue, but it's executed so poorly that often times when I replay the game I just stop at that point.
This would be 5 stars but I'm knocking it for its bullshit finale. You move abruptly into the point of no return with absolutely no warning and I could see someone who's unfamiliar with this game getting themselves into an unwinnable position for the final battle. After that final battle you're put into an instakill chase sequence which would require trial and error for anyone not looking at a guide or map. Oh and after you get caught you have to do the final battle all over again. In particular I found myself getting caught on the last hallway despite moving in the right direction at the right time. If you're emulating this will be less of an issue, but it's executed so poorly that often times when I replay the game I just stop at that point.
A game frothing with confidence. What is there is delicious and there's a lot there, but I found myself getting lost in the 3d space. This lead to some frustration which eventually led to me settling on shelving this game.
Standout here for me would be the modelling work in-engine and some of the big shots and camera work. This is a must play.
Standout here for me would be the modelling work in-engine and some of the big shots and camera work. This is a must play.
Excellent game with a very unique setting, feel, and story. Doesn't overstay its welcome either. I would have loved to see what Square would have come up with if they continued making games in this hybrid style.
WIKTOBER LOG #0020 - PARASITE EVE
Eeyikes...!! looks like there's some sort of PARASITE happening during Christmas EVE... I better maya clean escape! HELP ME MEMETOCHONDRIA!!!
I like this vidyajames but I was kind of disappointed by both how stupid the story was and how dated the gameplay feels. I expected to feel more instant connection, being both an perpetual soyfacer of classic survival horror games and a retarded Final Fantasy fanboy - you'd think this dumb game would be perfect for me.
The combat is a cool concept but with the limited arena size it feels more annoying than anything, and they clearly had to bump the amount of healing items in the game to a gajillion because you take made-up damage from hitting imaginary walls. I think if I didn't have an epic speed-up function I'd have gotten bored halfway through. Walking is so fucking slow you can basically put a piece of tape on the left analog stick and in the time it takes Aya to get to the end of a hallway you could play a whole Resident Evil game in the meantime on your second monitor. Unless you're poor, in which case you'd have to alt-tab.
There's some sick ass body horror FMVs though, if you're into that janky ass warped texture lookin ass PSX jittery polygon ass big eyes aesthetic (you are). The soundtrack feels like it already got sampled for 60 fringe electronic albums 2 years before the game released - rightfully.
It plays on the specific type of anxiety that you feel being near a very pregnant woman, knowing a wrong move could kill a fetus. Now, don't get me wrong, I love women and I love cumming in them, but let's not pretend the bulging stomach of an 8 month pregnancy doesn't tickle the imagination towards grotesque imagery. All that skin stretching and there's a creature living in your organs. I don't know how pregnant women aren't freaking out all the tim- ohhhh
A whole 1/5th of the game is about protecting sperm so that a woman can't stuff it up her hole and become pergenat.
Eeyikes...!! looks like there's some sort of PARASITE happening during Christmas EVE... I better maya clean escape! HELP ME MEMETOCHONDRIA!!!
I like this vidyajames but I was kind of disappointed by both how stupid the story was and how dated the gameplay feels. I expected to feel more instant connection, being both an perpetual soyfacer of classic survival horror games and a retarded Final Fantasy fanboy - you'd think this dumb game would be perfect for me.
The combat is a cool concept but with the limited arena size it feels more annoying than anything, and they clearly had to bump the amount of healing items in the game to a gajillion because you take made-up damage from hitting imaginary walls. I think if I didn't have an epic speed-up function I'd have gotten bored halfway through. Walking is so fucking slow you can basically put a piece of tape on the left analog stick and in the time it takes Aya to get to the end of a hallway you could play a whole Resident Evil game in the meantime on your second monitor. Unless you're poor, in which case you'd have to alt-tab.
There's some sick ass body horror FMVs though, if you're into that janky ass warped texture lookin ass PSX jittery polygon ass big eyes aesthetic (you are). The soundtrack feels like it already got sampled for 60 fringe electronic albums 2 years before the game released - rightfully.
It plays on the specific type of anxiety that you feel being near a very pregnant woman, knowing a wrong move could kill a fetus. Now, don't get me wrong, I love women and I love cumming in them, but let's not pretend the bulging stomach of an 8 month pregnancy doesn't tickle the imagination towards grotesque imagery. All that skin stretching and there's a creature living in your organs. I don't know how pregnant women aren't freaking out all the tim- ohhhh
A whole 1/5th of the game is about protecting sperm so that a woman can't stuff it up her hole and become pergenat.
A unique entry in Square's prolific and experimental PSX era, Parasite Eve adapts FFVII, with its grandiose FMV cutscenes and pre-rendered environments, into a survival horror. It's still a JRPG at its core, but one which trades micro-level complexity for macro-level; the single-protagonist combat cannot match the complexity of the party-based approach of Final Fantasy, but limitations in inventory, ammo, and items mean that choices regarding how you invest in your character's attributes and equipment have consequences that paint a complex picture in the long-term. The "long-term" thankfully isn't too long, clocking in at around 10-hours for me, resulting in a game that's well-paced and with areas that feel fully-developed and lived-in - no endless nondescript dungeons here, it's all-killer no-filler. Pair all this with a bonkers sci-fi story, wonderful music, and a diverse cast of characters, and you're left with a game that completely lived up to its potential.
Unique take by Square on the growing popularity of the survival horror genre and overlooked PSX RPG. It’s a really cool game that has an amazing presentation between enemies and atmosphere.
I wish I had more to say about this: For as much as I love the look and sound of it, the story just takes me out completely. Never scary enough to really do anything, never wacky enough to be enough on its own... It's a shame, cause what the game does try to do with body horror is actually really fun: you can clearly see J-Horror roots buried deep into this game. But actually playing it just... isn't really all that enjoyable!
devilman for girls. literally the most yaoi that yuri has ever been. aya brea is the sexiest cop in fiction. woman in white tee shirt & jeans >>>>>>>>>>>>>
A pretty absurd but entertaining story combined with solid RPG/combat mechanics (dodging attacks on the field + recharge meter attacks), and an amazing soundtrack. It's a somewhat overlooked game that deserves a lot more attention, and it's not too long so it doesn't overstay its welcome at all. Boss fights at the end can get a bit challenging, but the game is for the most part quite fair and remains engaging all the way through. One of my favorite oldie games.
Also, the mitochrondria is the powerhouse of the cell.
Also, the mitochrondria is the powerhouse of the cell.
"..I know you want to continue living... After all, you were just born. But.. I want to live too ! Like all other human beings !"
Square, I tip my hat to you.
Making FF VII was already a success but to follow with Parasite Eve a mix between Resident Evil and Final Fantasy.
It’s truly like a dream for me. ( RE is like my favorite video game license in terms of number of games i have play and the overall quality time i spend on most of them, and FF is something that I have always wanted to play as a child but unfortunately never got the chance. )
Although I started it late, I could smell the nostalgia from the gameplay. The CGI cinematic, the background, the camera angle and the instrumental/opera music.
This game made me a child again for the entire length of my playthrough.
Also Aya Brea made a straight jump in my top favorite female protagonist, with her unmatched charisma and epicness. With her combo of blue jeans, white shirt and black jacket, she has one of the coolest designs in video games for me.
While Mitochondria was a familiar term for me, I believe that I learn more in those 10 hours than in my entire year of highschool. Because this game is full of passion and I was blown away by how interesting the events are told and adapted to a video game.
Nonetheless, man, this game was hard.
In my opinion, nothing beats the good old fashion game where you had to think strategically, and learn from your mistakes.
I died a lot of times, but I had a really good time.
Isn’t that the essence of a video game ?
Square, I tip my hat to you.
Making FF VII was already a success but to follow with Parasite Eve a mix between Resident Evil and Final Fantasy.
It’s truly like a dream for me. ( RE is like my favorite video game license in terms of number of games i have play and the overall quality time i spend on most of them, and FF is something that I have always wanted to play as a child but unfortunately never got the chance. )
Although I started it late, I could smell the nostalgia from the gameplay. The CGI cinematic, the background, the camera angle and the instrumental/opera music.
This game made me a child again for the entire length of my playthrough.
Also Aya Brea made a straight jump in my top favorite female protagonist, with her unmatched charisma and epicness. With her combo of blue jeans, white shirt and black jacket, she has one of the coolest designs in video games for me.
While Mitochondria was a familiar term for me, I believe that I learn more in those 10 hours than in my entire year of highschool. Because this game is full of passion and I was blown away by how interesting the events are told and adapted to a video game.
Nonetheless, man, this game was hard.
In my opinion, nothing beats the good old fashion game where you had to think strategically, and learn from your mistakes.
I died a lot of times, but I had a really good time.
Isn’t that the essence of a video game ?
RPGs and Horror Games are my favourite genres and Vagrant Story might just be my favourite game that I played last year. Parasite Eve is a blend of all 3 and to no surprise, I enjoyed every second of it.
Everything about this game slaps. The story is really enjoyable in the same way a B-horror movie is and once I learned to just not take the biological jargon about the mitochondria and sperm too seriously, I had a blast with it. I quite like the characters too, Aya is a badass and a lot of the dialogue feels really natural and compelling, especially the exchanges early on between Baker, Daniel and Aya. The game also bolsters a really cool aesthetic and a lot of CGI cutscenes, with my favourites being the scenes of the animals mutating since they feel like they're ripped straight out of a John Carpenter film.
I also really like the gameplay. The combat is a bit similar to Vagrant Story only with way less menu management and an emphasis on dodging attacks and minimizing an enemies' damage after learning their attack radius was pretty satisfying (even if some attacks feel impossible to dodge). You can also take apart weapons in order to give other weapons a variety of perks so old weapons mostly have a use and experimenting with different setups and abilities was quite enjoyable. The game also has RE style exploration and I enjoy it here more than I usually would since instead of exploring one huge area for the majority of the game, Parasite Eve instead has you exploring a variety of much smaller areas and I personally much prefer this approach.
I don't really have any big flaws with the game. I guess the ending is a little lacklustre, the instant kill parts can be annoying, the game isn't very scary at all and the sewer area is pretty frustrating not just in the way the area is designed, but also due to the bat enemies that constantly blind you. For me though, the problems mean very little in the grand scheme of things.
The game is a very short (for an RPG) and tight package that felt like it was tailor-made for my tastes and it instantly clicked with me in a way that very few games do. It might be a little early to say this, but I think this is one of my favourite games of all time
Everything about this game slaps. The story is really enjoyable in the same way a B-horror movie is and once I learned to just not take the biological jargon about the mitochondria and sperm too seriously, I had a blast with it. I quite like the characters too, Aya is a badass and a lot of the dialogue feels really natural and compelling, especially the exchanges early on between Baker, Daniel and Aya. The game also bolsters a really cool aesthetic and a lot of CGI cutscenes, with my favourites being the scenes of the animals mutating since they feel like they're ripped straight out of a John Carpenter film.
I also really like the gameplay. The combat is a bit similar to Vagrant Story only with way less menu management and an emphasis on dodging attacks and minimizing an enemies' damage after learning their attack radius was pretty satisfying (even if some attacks feel impossible to dodge). You can also take apart weapons in order to give other weapons a variety of perks so old weapons mostly have a use and experimenting with different setups and abilities was quite enjoyable. The game also has RE style exploration and I enjoy it here more than I usually would since instead of exploring one huge area for the majority of the game, Parasite Eve instead has you exploring a variety of much smaller areas and I personally much prefer this approach.
I don't really have any big flaws with the game. I guess the ending is a little lacklustre, the instant kill parts can be annoying, the game isn't very scary at all and the sewer area is pretty frustrating not just in the way the area is designed, but also due to the bat enemies that constantly blind you. For me though, the problems mean very little in the grand scheme of things.
The game is a very short (for an RPG) and tight package that felt like it was tailor-made for my tastes and it instantly clicked with me in a way that very few games do. It might be a little early to say this, but I think this is one of my favourite games of all time
First date idea: you and me vs the ultimate being
At its core, Parasite Eve is experimental, and mostly, proves itself to be one of the most unique entries in Square’s gigantic gaming catalog. Like its famously recognizable siblings in the Final Fantasy franchise, Parasite Eve is another game which defined Square’s tenure as both developers and as a company in making ambitiously cinematic experiences for the PS1 generation. Interestingly, this is a detail that’s advertised more bluntly with the game compared to any of the FF games released at the time, being dubbed by Square as a “cinematic RPG”. But it makes sense because Parasite Eve is clearly a game with a closer focus on fellow underrated Square protagonist, Aya Brea, trying to investigate a mysterious threat which has deeper ties to her own history. The presentation is very cut and dry, there’s almost a grungy Hollywood twist to it, with the story it’s telling and how they built the gameplay around it for players to invest themselves in the horror going on.
The hybridization between the traditional JRPG mechanics Square is renowned for and the survivor horror gameplay that was trendy at the time lends itself towards an interesting experience that’s baked very well. It manages to almost never overstay its own welcome by having a refreshingly limited playtime, solid pacing, and engaging combat which cribs from many turn-based JRPG mechanics together with survival horror design tropes to create what I could only describe is a less refined prototype of FFVII Remake’s combat. If there is one gripe I have with this idea is that the item management and loot system isn’t executed as well as you’d hope. In trying to adhere to survival horror gameplay, there’s naturally supposed to be a scarcity of the resources you can gain throughout the game. You fight enemies primarily with guns, given the more realistic backdrop setting we’re in, and so you have to be careful with the ammo you find to make every shot count. It really pushes you to think just a bit more strategically on the way you customize your equipment and what you’re hoarding (there’s an inventory limit) in order to get the upper-hand in a life-or-death situation. But here’s where trying to also adhere to JRPG mechanics leaves this gameplay concept muddled. You should feel you’re ultimately still a bit helpless and unsure of your absolute protection, encouraging you to get better and smarter while horrific enemies can just randomly appear to fight you. However, in what I assume is a compromise between two different gameplay styles, the game makes every random encounter usually give you way more ammo than you thought you’d ever need. This doesn’t happen right away but as you continue playing, and as you continue to fight more enemies and find hidden loot, you piled enough ammo that you can probably never worry about lucking out hard in the last few days. Also, the game has a tendency to force useless items into your already limited inventory that doesn’t benefit you and becomes annoying because you can’t always get rid of them right away.
Yoko Shimomura’s soundtrack is a stark difference from her career defining work in Kingdom Hearts, and I mean in a wonderful way. It doesn’t quite maintain this in the latter half but her musical stylings were necessary in creating one of the most engrossingly atmospheric settings to be found in the PS1. There’s a stroke of genius in adopting the iconic fixed isometric backgrounds from the PS1 Final Fantasy titles, taking advantage of how visually eerie they already are, and working it through the dark urbanized city setting to really make you feel claustrophobic and unaware of what might happen. It’s worth mentioning that the cinematics in this “cinematic RPG” are still outstanding, even going beyond the purely technical level. There’s a lot of well-done body horror sequences which ironically the dated look of it only adds to make it feel unsettling, and Square still took advantage of making them feel like a big theatrical blockbuster for the PS1. While it feels very grounded in its approach, it does shed away that perfectly chilling atmosphere when the stakes continue to be raised and the plot becomes a bit dumb. It doesn’t ruin the experience, I still enjoy the silly b-movie horror stuff that happens, but the last stretch weakens it enough to prevent me from completely loving it. The level design becomes obtuse to navigate through (the entire Museum section is a very poor example for this), and the last few bosses can be very frustrating if you haven’t built enough endurance or patience to die multiple times while figuring out how to beat them. Even then, it almost becomes a lengthy battle of attrition in running around and spamming Haste/Barrier/Heal if the PE meter fills quickly enough. I have a great suspicion the post-game dungeon to get the second true ending isn’t really worth it for similar reasons so I might save it for another time.
Putting aside my gripes, Parasite Eve is still an all-around banger. I only wish Squeenix would go back to this game and try to bring it back from the ground up, it’s very easy to do the full FFVII Remake treatment here, honestly. There’s a lot of really solid groundwork built here to make it a mainstay franchise today even if it means sidestepping the awkward situation with the sequels which I guess killed this series by making it into just a worse Resident Evil clone.
The hybridization between the traditional JRPG mechanics Square is renowned for and the survivor horror gameplay that was trendy at the time lends itself towards an interesting experience that’s baked very well. It manages to almost never overstay its own welcome by having a refreshingly limited playtime, solid pacing, and engaging combat which cribs from many turn-based JRPG mechanics together with survival horror design tropes to create what I could only describe is a less refined prototype of FFVII Remake’s combat. If there is one gripe I have with this idea is that the item management and loot system isn’t executed as well as you’d hope. In trying to adhere to survival horror gameplay, there’s naturally supposed to be a scarcity of the resources you can gain throughout the game. You fight enemies primarily with guns, given the more realistic backdrop setting we’re in, and so you have to be careful with the ammo you find to make every shot count. It really pushes you to think just a bit more strategically on the way you customize your equipment and what you’re hoarding (there’s an inventory limit) in order to get the upper-hand in a life-or-death situation. But here’s where trying to also adhere to JRPG mechanics leaves this gameplay concept muddled. You should feel you’re ultimately still a bit helpless and unsure of your absolute protection, encouraging you to get better and smarter while horrific enemies can just randomly appear to fight you. However, in what I assume is a compromise between two different gameplay styles, the game makes every random encounter usually give you way more ammo than you thought you’d ever need. This doesn’t happen right away but as you continue playing, and as you continue to fight more enemies and find hidden loot, you piled enough ammo that you can probably never worry about lucking out hard in the last few days. Also, the game has a tendency to force useless items into your already limited inventory that doesn’t benefit you and becomes annoying because you can’t always get rid of them right away.
Yoko Shimomura’s soundtrack is a stark difference from her career defining work in Kingdom Hearts, and I mean in a wonderful way. It doesn’t quite maintain this in the latter half but her musical stylings were necessary in creating one of the most engrossingly atmospheric settings to be found in the PS1. There’s a stroke of genius in adopting the iconic fixed isometric backgrounds from the PS1 Final Fantasy titles, taking advantage of how visually eerie they already are, and working it through the dark urbanized city setting to really make you feel claustrophobic and unaware of what might happen. It’s worth mentioning that the cinematics in this “cinematic RPG” are still outstanding, even going beyond the purely technical level. There’s a lot of well-done body horror sequences which ironically the dated look of it only adds to make it feel unsettling, and Square still took advantage of making them feel like a big theatrical blockbuster for the PS1. While it feels very grounded in its approach, it does shed away that perfectly chilling atmosphere when the stakes continue to be raised and the plot becomes a bit dumb. It doesn’t ruin the experience, I still enjoy the silly b-movie horror stuff that happens, but the last stretch weakens it enough to prevent me from completely loving it. The level design becomes obtuse to navigate through (the entire Museum section is a very poor example for this), and the last few bosses can be very frustrating if you haven’t built enough endurance or patience to die multiple times while figuring out how to beat them. Even then, it almost becomes a lengthy battle of attrition in running around and spamming Haste/Barrier/Heal if the PE meter fills quickly enough. I have a great suspicion the post-game dungeon to get the second true ending isn’t really worth it for similar reasons so I might save it for another time.
Putting aside my gripes, Parasite Eve is still an all-around banger. I only wish Squeenix would go back to this game and try to bring it back from the ground up, it’s very easy to do the full FFVII Remake treatment here, honestly. There’s a lot of really solid groundwork built here to make it a mainstay franchise today even if it means sidestepping the awkward situation with the sequels which I guess killed this series by making it into just a worse Resident Evil clone.
the aesthetic, atmosphere, style and cutscenes are almost unmatched by most games. this is a game that just cannot be replicated today the ost is out of this world. i cannot get enough of what they made here & i havent even beaten it i grew up watching my brother play it
i think we all dream about becoming a director for a video game on this website. well i think about that alot too, as for this games case i would absolutely love to make this Adult rated, as not many game are being made in this fashion anymore (triple A that is) and this rating would at least get some people intrigued. i cant imagine a parasite eve remake without the outright nudity, strange sexuality and creative gore, it wouldnt be the same infact id argue it would be a disservice to the original material
i think we all dream about becoming a director for a video game on this website. well i think about that alot too, as for this games case i would absolutely love to make this Adult rated, as not many game are being made in this fashion anymore (triple A that is) and this rating would at least get some people intrigued. i cant imagine a parasite eve remake without the outright nudity, strange sexuality and creative gore, it wouldnt be the same infact id argue it would be a disservice to the original material
en iyi oyun aya breaya aşığım
"The mitochondria is taking over the nucleus!"
If I had a dime for every time someone in this game said mitochondria.
Parasite Eve is an obviously dated but nevertheless very fun time. I can see why fans have clamored for this series to return in some form. There's a lot of great things about it. I think the story is fun, the characters are a bit over the top but also fun, the RPG mechanics are interesting, the soundtrack is great. The cutscenes are pretty top notch as far as PS1 games go. I found the focus on inventory management interesting and how it levels up as you do.
However, a few things hold this back from a higher rating. Movement speed is a little too slow for my taste, especially when the camera angle far away and you're crossing a room. It's not tank controls like Resident Evil, but even those games had sprint buttons so that would've been appreciated here. Some of the systems in the game I felt weren't really explained very well. I thought the trading cards were all but useless until they weren't. The menus are a little clunky but work fine enough. I couldn't have imagined playing this without a guide, but that goes for a lot of games from this time. Also, there were times were this was pretty challenging for me, but that's more of a me problem.
This definitely deserves a remake or follow-up of some sort. Imagining this with more modern game design sounds like a real treat.
If I had a dime for every time someone in this game said mitochondria.
Parasite Eve is an obviously dated but nevertheless very fun time. I can see why fans have clamored for this series to return in some form. There's a lot of great things about it. I think the story is fun, the characters are a bit over the top but also fun, the RPG mechanics are interesting, the soundtrack is great. The cutscenes are pretty top notch as far as PS1 games go. I found the focus on inventory management interesting and how it levels up as you do.
However, a few things hold this back from a higher rating. Movement speed is a little too slow for my taste, especially when the camera angle far away and you're crossing a room. It's not tank controls like Resident Evil, but even those games had sprint buttons so that would've been appreciated here. Some of the systems in the game I felt weren't really explained very well. I thought the trading cards were all but useless until they weren't. The menus are a little clunky but work fine enough. I couldn't have imagined playing this without a guide, but that goes for a lot of games from this time. Also, there were times were this was pretty challenging for me, but that's more of a me problem.
This definitely deserves a remake or follow-up of some sort. Imagining this with more modern game design sounds like a real treat.
Parasite Eve was a unique JRPG that came as a complete surprise to me. I typically avoid JRPGs (mostly because I am horrible at them) but I was instantly hooked with PE. The gameplay and setting felt like a mix of Final Fantasy and Resident Evil but with a really unique combat system that was a lot of and gave a real sense of control that I feel other JRPGs often lack. The game had a great soundtrack too. This was a really special experience. Highly recommended for fans of JRPGs, or people wanting something a bit different.
Near unmatched style and presentation for a PS1 title. Parasite Eve boasts a stupid, out-there, and self-serious story paired with an insanely good OST. Combat is surprisingly fun, short, simple, and easy for the time, which makes exploration less of a chore than most JRPGs that came out around this time. If I had any gripes about this game it's the limited inventory space and sometimes confusing intractability.
Basically, Mitochondria Eve makes me feel hot.
Basically, Mitochondria Eve makes me feel hot.
Created in a lab to specifically appeal to me in every way possible. Golden age Squaresoft RPG with ATB combat system, sci-fi / body horror, cinematic mystery story, cool female protagonist, an evil atmosphere AND a Christmas NYC setting. Not without its flaws but it's such a one of a kind experience. The awesome last bosses are going to stick in my memory. Deserves way more love from SE and their fans! It's only 8-10 hours long so not a big commitment at all.
Reminds me of those Michael Bay type movies that, if you suspend your belief for a bit, are a really fun ride. The gameplay only shows its age in terms of how slow the character move, otherwise it's a pretty flawless system. Emulation and turbos really help here.
Parasite Eve is as much a bizarre homunculus as the mitochondrial monsters it features.
This is a game which was supposed to be a tech demo for the FFVIII game engine, using design elements left over from the early concepts that evolved into FFVII, that was essentially an unauthorized fan sequel to a horror novel published three years prior.
Despite all that, it still absolutely managed to stand on its own as one of the most unique and interesting games of its time, with a story that is one part japanese horror, one part cop flick, and a hefty helping of Cronenberg.
It has some exceptionally strong characters, a fairly distinct (for 1998) battle system, and a score that to this day might be one of the greatest video game soundtracks ever.
And to top it all off? It's a Christmas game. Hey, if Die Hard counts, Parasite Eve absolutely counts too.
Parasite Eve IMO absolutely deserves its spot on top of my favorite games of all time list.
This is a game which was supposed to be a tech demo for the FFVIII game engine, using design elements left over from the early concepts that evolved into FFVII, that was essentially an unauthorized fan sequel to a horror novel published three years prior.
Despite all that, it still absolutely managed to stand on its own as one of the most unique and interesting games of its time, with a story that is one part japanese horror, one part cop flick, and a hefty helping of Cronenberg.
It has some exceptionally strong characters, a fairly distinct (for 1998) battle system, and a score that to this day might be one of the greatest video game soundtracks ever.
And to top it all off? It's a Christmas game. Hey, if Die Hard counts, Parasite Eve absolutely counts too.
Parasite Eve IMO absolutely deserves its spot on top of my favorite games of all time list.