Parasite Eve

RETRO NEWS

Hey friends, Crix here. How is it October 13th already? This month is flying by! Hope you’re all enjoying the fall, even if the weather isn’t cooperating.

Today's retro news brings back a few familiar faces, along with yet another handheld to tempt our wallets.

The original Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 64 is getting a fanmade PC port with higher frame rates, widescreen support, and compatibility with the popular Smash Remix mod.

Meanwhile, EA appears to be preparing a Wing Commander III anniversary edition, complete with restored live-action cutscenes featuring Mark Hamill and modern gameplay improvements. I covered this game a few months ago, so it will be interesting to see what they do with it.

And Anbernic has revealed the RG DDS, a new dual screen handheld inspired by the Nintendo 3DS, featuring upgraded hardware, a built-in stylus, and everything except the actual 3D. At this rate, we're going to need a separate shelf just for Anbernic handhelds.

PRESS START

An Introduction To Today’s Game

In the late 90’s, SquareSoft, which could do no wrong at the time, came up with a simple premise. What if you took Resident Evil and combined it with Final Fantasy.

You get this, Parasite Eve.

Released in 1998, it was SquareSoft's first M-rated game and marked a major collaboration between its American and Japanese development teams.

Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi served as producer, while Chrono Trigger veteran Takashi Tokita took the director's chair. Music was handled by the legendary Yoko Shimomura, who would later compose the music for the Kingdom Hearts series.

To say this game had some legendary talent working on it would be an understatement.

Interestingly, Parasite Eve is actually a sequel to the 1995 Japanese horror novel of the same name. The game received generally positive reviews at launch, mostly scoring in the 7s and 8s, but its reputation has only grown over the years.

What was once an unusual experiment from SquareSoft has become a cult classic, with fans still hoping the series will someday make a proper comeback.

BEHIND THE PIXELS

Let’s Dive Into The Game

Here is the quick version if you’ve never played it. Parasite Eve is an action RPG with a heavy dose of survival horror, built by Square using a modified Final Fantasy VII engine.

You play Aya Brea, a rookie NYPD officer who finds herself caught in a nightmare when a woman calling herself Eve begins setting people on fire from the inside out.

What follows is a six day hunt across Manhattan as Aya tries to stop Eve from wiping out humanity. Along the way, you'll visit real New York landmarks, including Central Park, the Museum of Natural History, and the Statue of Liberty.

Unlike most RPGs of the time, battles take place right where you're standing, without switching to a separate combat screen.

Enemies appear as you explore, and combat uses an Active Time Bar similar to Final Fantasy. While the bar fills, Aya can move freely around the battlefield, dodging attacks and getting into a better position.

Once it's full, you can fire your weapon, use an item, escape, or unleash Parasite Energy, the game's version of magic. The catch is that using too much Parasite Energy slows its recharge rate, so you can't rely on it for every fight.

There's also a surprising amount of customization. Weapons and armor can be upgraded using tools you find throughout the game, while Bonus Points earned from leveling up let you improve things like your attack speed and inventory space.

Eventually, Aya unlocks an ability called Liberate, which is so ridiculously powerful that some players avoid using it just to keep the game challenging.

And if you finish the story, there's still more to do. The EX Game mode lets you carry your progress into another playthrough and opens up the Chrysler Building, a massive 77 floor optional dungeon filled with tougher enemies and new challenges.

Having an essential new game plus was pretty new at the time, so unlocking more content after you complete the story was a nice incentive to play again.

Visually, Parasite Eve uses detailed prerendered backgrounds and fixed camera angles, much like Resident Evil. You might even mistake it for a PS1 era Resident Evil upon first seeing it.

Playing in modern day New York and having actual real locations was also pretty cool and new at the time. They give Manhattan a wonderfully creepy atmosphere.

And again, the music deserves special mention. Composer Yoko Shimomura went in a completely different direction from the usual Square RPG soundtrack, mixing opera and electronic music to create something she described as inorganic and emotionless.

It's a strange combination, but it works beautifully. The ending theme, Somnia Memorias, features Latin vocals performed by Shani Rigsbee and is a fitting conclusion to one of SquareSoft's most unusual games.

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GAME INFORMATION

WHERE TO PLAY

• The original copy or emulation will be your best playing in playing this.

• Original Copies of the Game (All prices in USD)

  • Loose: $60

  • Complete: $130

  • New/Sealed: $340

COVER ART

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GAME OVER

Why You Should Play This

If you want a short horror RPG for the colder months, Parasite Eve fits the bill. Most write ups put the main story somewhere between eight and twelve hours, so it will not swallow your whole October. The EX Game gives you a reason to come back to an otherwise linear game, and the 77 floor Chrysler Building is a fun place to test your build.

Its mix of real time dodging and RPG upgrades was one of several experiments Square tried on the PlayStation, and it still feels fun to play. Add Yoko Shimomura’s score and a Manhattan full of recognizable places, and you have a trip worth taking.

The game does earn the M-rating though. I had forgot this aspect since I first played it back on launch but there's enough body horror here to make Resident Evil fans ask for a cigarette and a moment alone after playing this. 

If you finish it and want more, Parasite Eve II and The 3rd Birthday are waiting, and a spiritual successor called Parasite Mutant has been announced for PS5 and PC.

In an age of remakes and remasters, fans have been asking for a remake of this for years. I would love to see this get the Resident Evil 2 remake treatment one day.

SUPPORT

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RETRO HARDWARE

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