Developer: Square Publisher: Square EA Release: 09/12/00 Genre: Action RPG
Parasite Eve is one of my favorite PlayStation games of all time. At a time when Square were rapidly expanding off the back of Final Fantasy VII it was fresh take on the RPG thanks to its setting and theme. While it was clearly built off the back of FF VII it still managed to introduce numerous features that gave it its own identity. The weapon and armor customization and targeting grid are some of my favorite RPG mechanics. Sadly for the long awaited sequel they simply chose to ape Capcom’s Resident Evil with mixed results. Parasite Eve II is far from a bad game but I would be lying if I said I was not disappointing.
Three years after the New York incident Aya Brea has quit the NYPD to join the FBI as a member of the MIST department. Their job is to hunt rogue ANMTs (Artificial Neo-Mitochondrial Creature). An investigation into an incident at the Akropolis Tower that has left Swat decimated leads to the discovery of new NMTs that can assume human form. The investigation of this new threat and their creator leads will lead to some startling revelations, not only about the government but for Aya herself.
The plot this time around dials back on the heavy science stuff and is more straightforward. It was interesting in the original but also not realistic. In dialing it back though the game’s story is simply not as interesting. Most of the meaty revelations do not come until the second half of disc two. For a game that is not very long that is a long time to wait for anything to hold your interest. Luckily the gameplay is at least engaging.
Parasite Eve II is similar to the first in terms of exploration and such. This time however it adapts many of the conventions of the survival horror genre. Aya has a limited inventory although it is larger than in similar titles. Key items are separate thankfully and you can store items in numerous boxes throughout each area. Combat is like the original with a few exceptions. All enemies are visible and there is no targeting grid. Unlike nearly every title in the genre you have a lock-on function which makes combat less frustrating. In battle you can only use items attached to your armor. Slots are few until late game which adds an element of strategy.
Unfortunately in leaning toward survival horror Parasite Eve II adapts that genre’s worst feature: tank controls. I know that tank controls have its fans but by the year 2000 the industry had by and large moved on from such a clunky setup. Navigating environments is slow and awkward and avoiding enemies in combat is never as intuitive as it should be. Later titles like Resident Evil 3 have moves such as a 180-degree turn and dodge mechanics to make up for it. The absence of quality of life features like these make combat a chore in a way the original did not. Its manageable but certainly less than ideal, especially compared to its predecessor.
The RPG elements are slight. There is no experience or even levels. You use bounty points to purchase equipment while Parasite energy unlocks new spells. There are no stats aside from maximum health and parasite energy which increase or decrease depending on armor. Unfortunately armor is not readily available and extremely expensive. The same goes for weapons and their attachments. This leads to grinding which is out of place in a survival horror title. As much as I appreciate their presence I think the game would be the same without them.
The customization options that made Parasite Eve so unique have been paired back significantly. The number of weapons is not as extensive as before but most can be modified with different attachments and ammo. The same can be done with armor to an extent but your options are incredibly limited. There are few shops to spend bounty points on and the best options are either well hidden or require numerous steps to unlock. Even more than the tank controls the paired back customization is what disappointed me the most. If the goal was to reduce the RPG elements to avoid scaring away the survival horror fans than mission accomplished. But at what cost?
Parasite Eve was short by RPG standards and its sequel is not that far off. The main quest is under ten hours and not terribly difficult. Even with my hatred for the tank controls I rarely died. While it does not have anything as elaborate as the Chrysler Building there is a lot of extra content. There are multiple endings but more importantly a variety of new modes. These modes (replay, scavenger, and nightmare) mostly increase the difficulty for those that want a challenge. I wish I could say the rewards are worth it but they are not.
In Closing
Parasite Eve II is a hard one to judge in the end. I don’t like many of the changes introduced and I’m not sure if the half step between survival horror/RPG works. Yet I still liked it enough to play to the end. It has its merits but is far from the first game I would recommend.
