What do you get when you combine Resident Evil with Final Fantasy VII and a Japanese science-fiction/horror novel? You should get an unintelligible blending of zombies, confusing plot points, and guys with giant swords. In this case, you get 1998’s Parasite Eve. Borrowing its name and its premise from the Japanese novel and film of the same name, this Squaresoft (Now Square Enix) game presupposes that the mitochondria within our cells are uniquely independent organisms that stem from one being. A being known as Eve. Just as humans have a scientific “Eve,” so too do the mitochondria. Now, their Eve is coming back. She brings with her the ability to manipulate the mitochondria within other organisms.
Parasite Eve & the Protagonist, Aya Brea
The job of stopping Eve is taken up by a young female NYPD officer named Aya Brea. Aya is somehow able to resist Eve’s abilities. However, Eve’s presence has awoken a staggering amount of power in Aya herself. With that power and her trusted police issued firearm, she has to fight her way through mutated creatures to stop Eve and discover what she is and where she came from. Perhaps the most immediately recognizable thing about the game is how much it resembles Final Fantasy VII & VIII. It places its character models into pre-rendered areas that can be explored. The cinematic cut-scenes are also similar in animation style to the ones in VII. That is to say that they’re not great by today’s standards. But back in the day they were a sight to behold.
Parasite Eve was developed and released directly in between VII and VIII. If you take the three games all together, you can see the evolution of Square’s graphics engines at the time. While graphically in line with Square’s main RPG franchise, Aya’s adventure through New York City was a big departure from it. For starters, it takes place in what was then, modern day New York. There are no mystical elements at play either. Everything that takes place is explained from a scientific angle. It’s to the point where even Richard Dawkins’ selfish gene theory is referenced. And again, your primary weapon is a gun. Parasite Eve may be the most realistically grounded game that Square ever released. This in no small part because of the source material on which it’s based. The novel Parasite Eve was written as a scientific horror story.
A Little Resident Evil, a Little Final Fantasy
The Resident Evil aspects of the title come from the pre-rendered areas that you’re roaming around, the general atmosphere, and the survival horror combat elements. Aya’s on her own and her inventory is limited to only so much that she can carry, ammo included. Combat is initiated in RPG style random encounters, but the encounters can only happen in very specific spots, and even then only sometimes when you step in that location. So if you want to level up, you have to keep entering and leaving a screen, hoping that the next time you enter it, the random encounter might trigger if you go to the appropriate spot.
Once combat does start, you move as normal and can continue to do so in order to evade enemy attacks. Hitting the X button will bring up a spherical wire frame with Aya in the center. Any enemy within that sphere can be targeted for attack. That sphere can change in size depending on what gun you have equipped, and how you’ve customized it. Upon leveling up, you can also allocate points into stats that can increase Aya’s mitochondrial powers, items she can carry, health, or proficiency with her gun. Even though leveling up is important to your success, knowing how to outfit and handle your gun will ultimately be more beneficial to you than trying to level grind like a typical RPG.
Characters & a Welcoming Difficulty Level
Special mention too has to be given to Aya Brea as a character. Unlike so many other female characters, she’s not overly sexualized by any means, and her personality and demeanor are just the right mix of determined and sensitive. When the game begins, Aya’s going out on a date and is dressed for the occasion. Afterwards, she changes into plain clothes like a normal person would, and that’s how we see her for virtually the rest of the game. This practicality follows through to how she conducts herself in this nightmarish setting she finds herself and others in. Aya is heartfelt and caring towards people like her partner Daniel, but she is also methodical about getting the job done. She’s a prime example of how more female characters should be
treated and written.
Parasite Eve is not a difficult game, but you can make it very hard on yourself if you don’t level up properly, or upgrade your firearms poorly. None of the enemies are too challenging and proper strategy combined with evasive maneuvering can get you through most boss battles with little to no problem. And for those seeking a more satisfying challenge, one’s provided after completing the game that is legitimately difficult. Outside of that though, the lack of difficulty is notable and it allows for the story to be experienced in an easier fashion. Which, to that end, it’s a story worth experiencing too. The game plays out over a series of days and the pacing is pretty brisk. It’s not a very long game but the story and overall experience is satisfying.
Oh, & the Music is Amazing
Something that makes the experience even stronger is the soundtrack. The great Yoko Shimomura was behind it. She’s mot well known nowadays for the Kingdom Hearts series. Here, she crafted something that is tense, modern, and fuses electronica with ominous foreboding. It solidifies the atmosphere into one of dread and ominous excitement. It’s not strictly atmospheric like in other horror games. It’s a compliment to the action that’s happening on screen to enhance the spectacle.
Squaresoft went out of their RPG comfort zone with Parasite Eve, potentially to try to capitalize on the success of Resident Evil. Whatever the motivation behind it, the result was a relatively weak survival horror game and a weak RPG, but a strong hybrid. It may be a cliché phrase, but it’s true that this is a game that’s more than the sum of its parts. In the center of it all is a gripping modern day setting with scientific themes and a stellar female protagonist. It’s not readily available on modern consoles but if you can find a copy it’s more than worth your time.
