LogFAQs > #930274122

14. Parasite Eve (22 points)
Nominated by: PumpkinCoach (0/5 remaining)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiUyK5YPyMU

Importance: 5
Fear: 7
Snake: 10

In the late 90s, two of the biggest video game genres around were survival horror, and RPGs, spurned on by the roaring success of Resident Evil and the continued popularity of Square's own Final Fantasy and various RPG franchises. You could say it was written in the stars, as with Parasite Eve, Square sought to combine the two-genres in a unique pairing that featured the best of both worlds. It featured an active time battle system which can be paused as needed, but also allowed players to move Aya around the battlefield to avoid certain attacks and reposition for a better advantage. Survival horror elements came into play with bullet counters and strategic use of your "parasite energy" and items, making the game much more of a mental and physical exercise that demanded a lot out of players. Outside of combat, the game was also very similar to a survival horror game, exploring tight, mostly abandoned, self-contained environments and finding key items to progress through. Parasite Eve's monsters are biological monstrosities, and there are several incredible CGs in the game that show off the body horror of the game, with absolutely disgusting transformations that only get creepier with age. The science behind the game has been widely praised as well-researched and accurate, and I'm sure this can be owed to the original novel, which the game is a sequel to, being written by Hideaki Sena, a pharmacologist (though he had no involvement with the game). Parasite Eve is also incredible for its melancholic depiction of New York City. Parasite Eve starts off taking place on Christmas Eve, and is a beautiful snapshot of the city around this time, with tranquil snow-covered streets & mostly empty areas drawn from real life locations; it captures both the peace Christmas provide, but also what it's like to spend Christmas away from your family or friends, either stuck working or just having no one to spend it with it all. I get so many weird feelings from this game that it's hard to describe really. I think the work of the haunting score adds a lot to this too, composed by Yoko Shimomura (of future Kingdom Hearts fame). And how did I make it this far without mentioning some of the wonderful, fully-realized cast? Aya Brea is initially your typical strong-willed police officer, but she has to come to terms with fighting her own body and also coming to grips with her deceased sister. Daniel Dollis, Aya's partner, is a struggling working father having issues connecting to his son. Their partnership feels real and supportive of each other, and their conversations with each other are just what you would expect from such a friendship.

Really, this gets to the heart of why I love this game so much. The quieter moments and focus on the human emotions and even body image absolutely make this game as incredible as it is, and it's a frightening horror game and fun to master RPG on top of all of that. It's one of the most robust gaming experiences you'll find on the PS1, and this is one of those games you owe it yourself to at least experience once in your life. And with Christmas right around the corner, I think it's the perfect time!

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What I am about to do has not been approved by the Vatican.
https://imgur.com/MmrKwGZ - https://imgur.com/ntWVGyh