The PlayStation 1 era is home to many of the gaming industry's finest video games. The console pioneered or helped usher in 3D gaming into the industry, with it featuring many memorable favorites such as Metal Gear Solid 1, Tekken, Crash Bandicoot, and Resident Evil.
Many notable Japanese role-playing games (JRPGs) also launched during that time, with the original Final Fantasy VII from Squaresoft, Square Enix's initial name before it merged with Japanese video game publisher Enix Corporation, being the most prominent one.
However, the Final Fantasy series is not the only JRPG that Squaresoft created during this time. There was another, and that game was Parasite Eve.
Parasite Eve History, Gameplay
Parasite Eve is a biological horror turn-based action JRPG Squaresoft developed and published for the Sony PlayStation in 1998, per the Parasite Eve wiki. Interestingly, it is a detached unauthorized sequel to the novel of the same name written by Hideaki Sena, though Sena had no input on the game.
As such, reading Sena's novel or the film adaptation that bears the same name as its source material isn't necessary to understand the game's events.
The game tells the story of Aya Brea, an NYPD rookie, and her struggle to stop Eve, a mutated woman who plans to destroy humanity by activating mitochondria (the powerhouse of a cell; thanks, Biology class) in people's cells, per Game Rant.
The character design and presentation Squaresoft gave Parasite Eve is up to par with with the original 1997 Final Fantasy game.
The game is known for being one of if not the most underrated video games in the industry. It has a polish that no other game has, and it features a full suite of attributes that many modern AAA games are lauded for.
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Much like the Final Fantasy series, the game is a turn-based strategy game that employs a "hot spot" mechanic - once a player walks into a certain spot, they will hear a heartbeat and see the screen flash and invert black-and-white. During this time, enemies will materialize and initiate a fight without shifting to a separate battle screen.
If Aya is attacking an enemy with her weapon, a dome will apear that indicates the area of effectivity of each weapon. Any enemy within the dome is guaranteed to receive full damage if an attack connects. Any enemy outside the dome receives reduced damage and a higher chance to not get hit by an attack at all.
What's unique about Parasite Eve is that it is the first game Squaresoft developed to use the "Active Time Bar" mechanic Final Fantasy VII Remake players are familiar with. The player can choose to attack enemies with their equipped weapon, use Parasite Energy to defend Aya, ask for assistance, change weapons and armor, or outright try to run away from the fight.
Apart from the combat mechanics, Parasite Eve also lets players use various tools to tweak their equipments' attributes and effects on Aya.
Critical Response And Remake Probability
Critics gave average scores for Parasite Eve, with IGN saying that while the game has stellar presentation and character design, and an excellent story, it is no Final Fantasy VII. The publication felt that Squaresoft used too many new mechanics for Squaresoft fans to appreciate, and as such, gave it a 7.4/10.
However, the game's Metacritic user score of 8.9/10 says otherwise, with players saying that it is one of the best action RPGs of its time and that it should be remade or, at the very least, a new entry into the series.
Thankfully, that could become a reality. Games hub mentioned that Square Enix trademarked "symbiogenesis," a phrase used to describe the merging of two separate organisms to create a perfect one - the crux of the Parasite Eve story.
While this is no assurance that the game will have a remake or a sequel that will continue Aya's story, it is possible it could happen.
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