Parasite Eve came out in the heyday of survival horror games, while most were zombie or supernatural in origin, Parasite Eve took horror to a new level, it brought about an idea of a new breed of terror. One that involves mitochondria, which each of us has in our own bodies.
The story is about Eve, an opera singer whose body triggers the ability to ignite the mitochondria in people’s bodies causing them to combust or mutate. You play as Aya Brea a New York cop who is somehow immune to Eve’s effects and you have 6 days to solve how to stop Eve or humankind is will
Presentation: A+
Graphics / Animation / Sound
The games graphics were topnotch for the time it was released and the CGI cut scenes were superb and have survived the test of time. Each time you saw someone bleed from the eyes or mutate into a disgusting creature, you can’t help but to say wow that was disgusting. The backdrops were rendered beautifully, creating a realistic feel of traveling New York, whether you are running through the littered streets, to fighting creatures in central park. Each area will take your breath away with it’s staggering amount of detail.
One of the major strong points of the game was its soundtrack. Comprised of orchestra quality sounds mixed with electronic, dubbed by Yoko Shimomura as an Inorganic sound, really set the eerie and dismal feel of the game.
Single Player: B
Game mechanics / Length / difficulty
Parasite Eve is a turned based/ real time rpg. What that means is you free roam during combat making it possible to dodge enemy attacks by simply not being there when it attacks. The combat is relatively easy to master, yet difficult enough to keep you drawn into it.
A highlight of the game is the compelling story, while it is short (14-16 hour) it is also expertly told. The game itself lacks any spoken dialog, but the text is so well written it is easily overlooked.
The enemies encountered in the game vary greatly from mutated rats to a reanimated skeletal T-Rex, so combat consists of picking and choosing the right combinations. Whereas most games give you certain guns and ammo for them, Parasite Eve takes it to a new level. Each gun or armor piece you find is upgradable, you could add base damage to a gun or better accuracy, or go for an elemental approach letting each shot cause acid damage. One of the fun points, is experimenting which each weapon to find what combo works best and on what enemies its most effective.
Outside of Aya’s skill with firearms she gains abilities from her unique condition, although they are mostly defensive in nature such as shielding herself from damage or healing wounds, she will learn a couple offensive abilities as well, the final which unlocks her full potential and deals severe damage to everything on the screen.
Multiplayer : F
Game mechanics / features / Online features
No Multiplayer for this game.
Replay Value: B
Lasting appeal / Bonus Content / DLC
Once you complete the game you unlock EX mode in which the Chrysler Building is unlocked, it’s 77 randomized floors of total nightmare. Each floor as you progress up gets harder and harder, till you reach the top and confront the true final boss and gain the proper ending to the story. If you manage you defeat the dungeon of hell , there is little else the game offers in replay. It is however one of those games that is worth a replay every few years.
Although the game is now dated, anyone who enjoys survival horrors should give it a try, and with the current rerelease onto the Playstation network costing only $5.99, it will be easier to jump back into a classic game that many people loved and still have fond memories of to this day.
Overall: B+
