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.