"The worst foe lies within the self..."
Parasite Eve was what introduced me to the survival horror genre, and while even as a 9-year-old kid, I wasn't what I'd consider "scared" of playing through it, the game did such a great job of making me feel uneasy throughout the majority of its runtime.
From the moment you pop the game disc into the PlayStation, and prior to starting a new game, you are greeted by one of my favorite openings to any video game, period. It sets this mysterious and ominous tone, all while simultaneously feeling frantic and action packed. The setting of the game has this beautiful and mystical air to it - from the snow, Statue of Liberty, New York City backdrop, Christmas decorations, and feeling of cold, bitter loneliness - this is a true Christmas game... and I would defend it as much as Die Hard is a Christmas movie! All in all, the opening is a perfect representation of the game itself.
And who could ever forget, the absolutely incredible work done by Yoko Shimomura as the composer. This was my introduction to her, and she is easily up there as one of my all-time favorite video game composers. Her work in Parasite Eve is my favorite from her... but she kills it in everything she does (Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy XV, Radiant Historia, etc.)!
As a kid, the back of the box sold me on it immediately - seeing it being developed by Squaresoft and it referencing Final Fantasy VII, made this game a "must buy" in my book. Squaresoft in the 90's was legendary... truly a golden age, where everything they released seemingly was magical in some way... and Parasite Eve was no different.
The "cinematic RPG" elements & presentation, the incredible graphics & FMV sequences, its wild, pseudoscience storyline, and the overall foreboding ambiance, all created this very unique survival horror experience. The gameplay in PE1 is so wholly different from any other horror game I've ever played - its experimental nature of blending Action RPG, ATB system, with horror elements, is something I feel is lost and missing in modern games.
It is such a shame that the subsequent sequels lost what made PE special in the first place. I still hold out hope that a reboot or remake is in the works. Aya Brea and her story deserve it.
Parasite Eve was what introduced me to the survival horror genre, and while even as a 9-year-old kid, I wasn't what I'd consider "scared" of playing through it, the game did such a great job of making me feel uneasy throughout the majority of its runtime.
From the moment you pop the game disc into the PlayStation, and prior to starting a new game, you are greeted by one of my favorite openings to any video game, period. It sets this mysterious and ominous tone, all while simultaneously feeling frantic and action packed. The setting of the game has this beautiful and mystical air to it - from the snow, Statue of Liberty, New York City backdrop, Christmas decorations, and feeling of cold, bitter loneliness - this is a true Christmas game... and I would defend it as much as Die Hard is a Christmas movie! All in all, the opening is a perfect representation of the game itself.
And who could ever forget, the absolutely incredible work done by Yoko Shimomura as the composer. This was my introduction to her, and she is easily up there as one of my all-time favorite video game composers. Her work in Parasite Eve is my favorite from her... but she kills it in everything she does (Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy XV, Radiant Historia, etc.)!
As a kid, the back of the box sold me on it immediately - seeing it being developed by Squaresoft and it referencing Final Fantasy VII, made this game a "must buy" in my book. Squaresoft in the 90's was legendary... truly a golden age, where everything they released seemingly was magical in some way... and Parasite Eve was no different.
The "cinematic RPG" elements & presentation, the incredible graphics & FMV sequences, its wild, pseudoscience storyline, and the overall foreboding ambiance, all created this very unique survival horror experience. The gameplay in PE1 is so wholly different from any other horror game I've ever played - its experimental nature of blending Action RPG, ATB system, with horror elements, is something I feel is lost and missing in modern games.
It is such a shame that the subsequent sequels lost what made PE special in the first place. I still hold out hope that a reboot or remake is in the works. Aya Brea and her story deserve it.