I don't usually go back and do really OLD games for my reviews. I had my Silent Hill introspective over at hashtagnerd.com but that's because Silent Hill is still somewhat relevant and is very significant to me as a gamer. I went back and covered Muramasa and Valkyria Chronicles but those were still on current gen systems at the time. But during the last winter prior to my releases for the spring, I have been dusting off some of my old PS1 games.
One of them always kinda stood out to me. It was one that was really original in concept and at the time a big departure from Square's usual style of games. Before they really started cranking out CGI out the anus they really had a solid philosophy for their JRPGs that were producing some classic titles. Square was riding high on big releases such as Final Fantasy 7 and Final Fantasy Tactics. But in 1998, they released what ended up being one my first action-rpgs that I can remember playing.
PARASITE EVE:(PS1)
The story takes place with NYPD rookie Aya Brea (*swoon*) stepping out of a car at Carnegie Hall for a evening of opera on a Christmas eve date she really doesn't want to be on. Trying to make the best of it she takes her seat and the show begins.
As the show proceeds, Aya meets the gaze of the lead singer Melissa Pearce, and suddenly the people in the audience begin to spontaneously combust. As people start to burst into flames and flee the burning building, only Aya and Melissa are unaffected. Aya charges the stage gun drawn, but Melissa only responds that Aya's mitochondria need time to awaken and flees. Aya pursues her down to the sewers where Melissa mutates into a horrible monster, and dubs herself reborn as Eve before she escapes.
The following day, Aya informs her superiors at the police station to try to explain what went down, and they are naturally at a loss. But as the day progresses they find out Eve is moving towards a crowd assembling at central park, and Aya moves in to hopefully stop another catastrophe.
So as we can clearly see, this game is a bit of a soft science nightmare. But interestingly enough, it is slightly based on a bit of truth. Mitochondria are a legitimate organism that lives within the human body, and they do generate heat energy much in the same fashion as the game describes, although not to the point of spontaneous combustion. I thought that was sort of interesting.
Although this game is technically the first in the series, its actually a sequel to the Japanese book/movie that came before it. While its been a while since I have actually watched the film and played this game, I believe there is a point in the game where the Japanese event is referenced within the story. So this is a cool little piece where all the elements related to it are all connected in one way or another.
So what is it about this specific game that I love? Well, in 1998 you can consider it to have a pretty progressive battle system for its time. Now, the loosely defined "Action-RPG" genre can be considered as far back as the early 80's for when it actually got its start. But I would definitely say that this specific title is one of the better examples of that sub-genre. If anything, it tends to blend 3rd person shooter, JRPG, Survival Horror, and action together fairly well.
As you move through location to location in NYC, you will have many JRPG text exposition segments helping you move the story along. Once completed with that, you move to the next location or stage of the game (I'd say more comparative to an action game as once you beat an area, you can come back even through you don't really need to). In each location you'll have some story line related goal in order to proceed with the story: Find this person, fight this boss, get this item, etc etc.
The combat though is definitely its biggest seller for me. As you wander through the maps you will have random encounters JRPG style where mitochondria monsters appear. There isn't a screen transition so you have to use the map you are on, which means the obstacles that are in place (chairs, tables, counters, etc). You have a freedom of movement and to a degree the battle is active. So you will want to try to keep your distance from the enemies at hand to avoid taking hits, although their range varies depending on monster.
When you go to attack, the combat freezes and a wire-frame dome appears around you. This represents the range of the gun you are using. As long as the dome reaches the enemy, its almost always going to be a hit, if they fall outside of the dome you can still hit, but there is a chance the shots will miss.
You usually have a varied weapons at your disposal like pistols, shot guns, machine guns, tonfas (batons), and at one point a rocket launcher. All of them have varied ranges and abilities, and different degrees of customization. To be 100% honest though, There really is no reason to use anything but the pistols. They have the best ability to customize, decent range, decent rate of fire, decent power. Once you collect enough junk (literally 300 pieces of it) to make a top tier weapon, you basically can customize the best pistol with the right status effects to basically rip enemies asunder.
But it wouldn't be a Squaresoft game if there wasn't some RPG in there. Because of Aya's resistant mitochondria, she also has some special abilities. Most of them play into idea that her mitochondria are self sustaining, so many of them are curative. Abilities to heal, remove poison or ill effects, speed her self up or slow enemies down. She does get one attack ability where you can fire an energy shot, but after a story segment and boss fight you get Liberate, which allows Aya to transform and do massive damage to everything. I actually kind of prefer the ability imbalance because it allows me to focus on boosting a specific weapon type.
The game has got a pretty decent soundtrack to it too. Its a blend of rock and techno to its more notable themes, which I think is an appropriate fit. The game has more of an action bent with horror elements, so I feel the rock complements that well. Yet we are knee deep in soft science, so the techno feels right at home in those moments. Both tend to get more slow and melodic for exposition moments. Aside from the main theme I don't think I could hum any of for you, but the whole thing just feels... I dunno, right?
This is also one of those games where CGI kinda blew me out of the water. While the models for the human felt a bit anime inspired, the monster transformations were pretty bad ass. I remember my jaw hitting the floor as that first rat mutated into a monster. By today's standards it may be a bit hokey, but for its time I can't think of another game that would have such detailed and grotesque mutations. I remember that this actually caused a bit of a stir because although the ESRB were already in place and rating games, few pushed the envelope in such a manner. I think in terms of gore Resident Evil 1 and 2 were the only ones really on par at the time.
Its also a bit of time sink as well. While I wouldn't say this game runs as long as most RPGs do, there is a EX-mode after you complete it. This allows you to replay the game with the last weapon and armor you had completed the game with, and everything you had previously stored in your police locker will be there now. The big addition to the EX-mode is the Chrysler building. A 77 floor randomly generating endurance test that will take you to the games hardest boss and the true ending of the game. I couldn't complete it without a guide that had all the possible floor combinations, but I hold it as one of the most impressive notches in my gaming belt.
Now that's not to say that the game is without fault. As you know, I don't think its possible to really make a "perfect" game, and there are certainly some issues to address here. Most notably, and this truly is the games biggest handicap, is that the movement speed is HORRENDOUSLY bad. The walk speed is about as fast as a slug super glued to the floor and there are no moments of stealth in the game, so why even bother with the ability to walk. Get rid of it, its a waste of time.
And the run is really not all that much better. While the animation clearly shows me she is running and putting in the effort, I'm fairly certainly an elderly woman with a walker and two bad hips can blow past Aya in the heat of battle. It makes me fuckin crazy.
The story is another issue here. I have played the game a couple of times, and the story is really the biggest part of it. While its the main driving factor in a Square game, it really is a complete mess at times and there are still aspects of the story that I still don't understand. It falls under what I refer to as "Tales of the Abyss Syndrome". When you have a lore or mythos that is incredibly convoluted and complex, you are going to find yourself with no real easy way to tell it. Abyss would try to go through these huge detailed explanations of everything taking place, and there was so much reading it would feel like homework.
The original playstation didn't have that much space to work with, making explaining Parasite Eve's limited exposition that much more important. To a degree, I feel that it has never really explained all that well. Something about a Japanese scientist losing his wife in a car accident, and trying to sustain her life by culturing the liver cells, but mitochondria within them take over and give birth to Eve. And then there is something about Aya losing her mother and sister in a car accident, and the surgery to keep her alive afterwards has something to do with it. Eve wants to get knocked up to make an "ultimate being" to create a new race, but there is only one of them and everyone else has to die or something. I don't know how it can propagate.
Also, this is around 98. So the 3D graphics weren't exactly there yet. They were a step up from Final Fantasy 7's super blocky character models, but given how far graphics have come along, this game hasn't aged all that well. A little too new to look good like a retro game, and a bit too old to hold up to anything that's come after it. To the graphics whores, this could be a major sticking point to anyone looking to try it. It's right on the cusp of time that has the FF7 fans screaming for a graphical update.
I think one of the most interesting things about Parasite Eve though actually reflects its series as a whole. Parasite Eve is the only franchise I can think of where every installment of the game fell under a different genre of game type. Parasite Eve is very clearly an action-rpg with survival horror elements. Parasite Eve II takes a much sharper Survival Horror bent right down to the Resident Evil style tank controls, with a sprinkling of rpg elements. Nearly a decade later, 3rd Birthday (essentially Parasite Eve 3) came out as a 3rd person shooter, and much of the JRPG has been squeezed out of it. I can't think of another series that's gone this off road.
I just really like this game. I recommend it to everyone. If you missed this one the first time around, its really easy to get ahold of. Its in the the PSN store in its digital classics, and you can get the disc version on ebay for like 2 bucks used. It was a really a unique piece and an interesting part of game history in my book. I think its one of these things SquareEnix should sit down with for a few hours when they are reflecting on why their game sales are down. Go back to your classics, Learn your lesson.
If Squeenix fans are begging for remake of some of their older games, then this is one I put at the front of the line. Parasite Eve rules.
If Aya makes a Kingdom Hearts appearance, I am sold.
Although this game is technically the first in the series, its actually a sequel to the Japanese book/movie that came before it. While its been a while since I have actually watched the film and played this game, I believe there is a point in the game where the Japanese event is referenced within the story. So this is a cool little piece where all the elements related to it are all connected in one way or another.
So what is it about this specific game that I love? Well, in 1998 you can consider it to have a pretty progressive battle system for its time. Now, the loosely defined "Action-RPG" genre can be considered as far back as the early 80's for when it actually got its start. But I would definitely say that this specific title is one of the better examples of that sub-genre. If anything, it tends to blend 3rd person shooter, JRPG, Survival Horror, and action together fairly well.
As you move through location to location in NYC, you will have many JRPG text exposition segments helping you move the story along. Once completed with that, you move to the next location or stage of the game (I'd say more comparative to an action game as once you beat an area, you can come back even through you don't really need to). In each location you'll have some story line related goal in order to proceed with the story: Find this person, fight this boss, get this item, etc etc.
 |
| At least traveling from location to location is fast. |
The combat though is definitely its biggest seller for me. As you wander through the maps you will have random encounters JRPG style where mitochondria monsters appear. There isn't a screen transition so you have to use the map you are on, which means the obstacles that are in place (chairs, tables, counters, etc). You have a freedom of movement and to a degree the battle is active. So you will want to try to keep your distance from the enemies at hand to avoid taking hits, although their range varies depending on monster.
When you go to attack, the combat freezes and a wire-frame dome appears around you. This represents the range of the gun you are using. As long as the dome reaches the enemy, its almost always going to be a hit, if they fall outside of the dome you can still hit, but there is a chance the shots will miss.
You usually have a varied weapons at your disposal like pistols, shot guns, machine guns, tonfas (batons), and at one point a rocket launcher. All of them have varied ranges and abilities, and different degrees of customization. To be 100% honest though, There really is no reason to use anything but the pistols. They have the best ability to customize, decent range, decent rate of fire, decent power. Once you collect enough junk (literally 300 pieces of it) to make a top tier weapon, you basically can customize the best pistol with the right status effects to basically rip enemies asunder.
But it wouldn't be a Squaresoft game if there wasn't some RPG in there. Because of Aya's resistant mitochondria, she also has some special abilities. Most of them play into idea that her mitochondria are self sustaining, so many of them are curative. Abilities to heal, remove poison or ill effects, speed her self up or slow enemies down. She does get one attack ability where you can fire an energy shot, but after a story segment and boss fight you get Liberate, which allows Aya to transform and do massive damage to everything. I actually kind of prefer the ability imbalance because it allows me to focus on boosting a specific weapon type.
The game has got a pretty decent soundtrack to it too. Its a blend of rock and techno to its more notable themes, which I think is an appropriate fit. The game has more of an action bent with horror elements, so I feel the rock complements that well. Yet we are knee deep in soft science, so the techno feels right at home in those moments. Both tend to get more slow and melodic for exposition moments. Aside from the main theme I don't think I could hum any of for you, but the whole thing just feels... I dunno, right?
This is also one of those games where CGI kinda blew me out of the water. While the models for the human felt a bit anime inspired, the monster transformations were pretty bad ass. I remember my jaw hitting the floor as that first rat mutated into a monster. By today's standards it may be a bit hokey, but for its time I can't think of another game that would have such detailed and grotesque mutations. I remember that this actually caused a bit of a stir because although the ESRB were already in place and rating games, few pushed the envelope in such a manner. I think in terms of gore Resident Evil 1 and 2 were the only ones really on par at the time.
 |
| Some of the transformations can be pretty gross. Even for 98. |
Now that's not to say that the game is without fault. As you know, I don't think its possible to really make a "perfect" game, and there are certainly some issues to address here. Most notably, and this truly is the games biggest handicap, is that the movement speed is HORRENDOUSLY bad. The walk speed is about as fast as a slug super glued to the floor and there are no moments of stealth in the game, so why even bother with the ability to walk. Get rid of it, its a waste of time.
And the run is really not all that much better. While the animation clearly shows me she is running and putting in the effort, I'm fairly certainly an elderly woman with a walker and two bad hips can blow past Aya in the heat of battle. It makes me fuckin crazy.
The story is another issue here. I have played the game a couple of times, and the story is really the biggest part of it. While its the main driving factor in a Square game, it really is a complete mess at times and there are still aspects of the story that I still don't understand. It falls under what I refer to as "Tales of the Abyss Syndrome". When you have a lore or mythos that is incredibly convoluted and complex, you are going to find yourself with no real easy way to tell it. Abyss would try to go through these huge detailed explanations of everything taking place, and there was so much reading it would feel like homework.
The original playstation didn't have that much space to work with, making explaining Parasite Eve's limited exposition that much more important. To a degree, I feel that it has never really explained all that well. Something about a Japanese scientist losing his wife in a car accident, and trying to sustain her life by culturing the liver cells, but mitochondria within them take over and give birth to Eve. And then there is something about Aya losing her mother and sister in a car accident, and the surgery to keep her alive afterwards has something to do with it. Eve wants to get knocked up to make an "ultimate being" to create a new race, but there is only one of them and everyone else has to die or something. I don't know how it can propagate.
Also, this is around 98. So the 3D graphics weren't exactly there yet. They were a step up from Final Fantasy 7's super blocky character models, but given how far graphics have come along, this game hasn't aged all that well. A little too new to look good like a retro game, and a bit too old to hold up to anything that's come after it. To the graphics whores, this could be a major sticking point to anyone looking to try it. It's right on the cusp of time that has the FF7 fans screaming for a graphical update.
I think one of the most interesting things about Parasite Eve though actually reflects its series as a whole. Parasite Eve is the only franchise I can think of where every installment of the game fell under a different genre of game type. Parasite Eve is very clearly an action-rpg with survival horror elements. Parasite Eve II takes a much sharper Survival Horror bent right down to the Resident Evil style tank controls, with a sprinkling of rpg elements. Nearly a decade later, 3rd Birthday (essentially Parasite Eve 3) came out as a 3rd person shooter, and much of the JRPG has been squeezed out of it. I can't think of another series that's gone this off road.
I just really like this game. I recommend it to everyone. If you missed this one the first time around, its really easy to get ahold of. Its in the the PSN store in its digital classics, and you can get the disc version on ebay for like 2 bucks used. It was a really a unique piece and an interesting part of game history in my book. I think its one of these things SquareEnix should sit down with for a few hours when they are reflecting on why their game sales are down. Go back to your classics, Learn your lesson.
If Squeenix fans are begging for remake of some of their older games, then this is one I put at the front of the line. Parasite Eve rules.
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