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GAMES

PARASITE EVE
SLPS 01230-1
Copyright © 1998 Squaresoft
Sony PlayStation, 1 player
RPG
analog pad compatible
1 memory block/save
Available now
¥6800

—by Keith Rhee






Already known for its excellent FINAL FANTASY series, Squaresoft earned itself the added reputation as a computer graphics powerhouse with the visually stunning FINAL FANTASY VII. Squaresoft's most recent PARASITE EVE, advertised as "The Cinematic RPG," promises more of the visual splendor that made FF7 a triple-platinum seller.
  The story in the game takes place after the sequence of events in the eponymous novel. It's Christmas Eve, and rookie cop, Aya Brea, is on a date at Carnegie Hall enjoying an opera. Just as one of the actors cries "kill the witch," the female lead singer sets the other stage players on fire instead—and sets the audience on fire for good measure.
  Realizing that she's the only person not running around screaming and burning, Aya bolts onto the stage to confront the female singer, only to realize that she's developing paranormal powers of her own. As it turns out, the mitochondria in the cells of animals have developed self-awareness and are taking over the bodies of their hosts. Most humans spontaneously combust when in close proximity of this phenomena due to the reaction heat. As the only person in the NYPD who can approach Eve without being fried to a crisp, and with some newly found paranormal abilities of her own, Aya sets out to figure out who or what is behind the matter...
  The gameplay incorporates a modified variant of the Active Time Battle system from the FINAL FANTASY RPG series, with freedom of movement between your attacks (allowing you to dodge the enemy attacks) and the concept of a "target range" represented by a wire-frame dome. This range, Aya's speed of movement, and the time gauge charge rate all depend on the weapon you've equipped: clubs and pistols charge the time gauge faster, rifles have a much larger targeting dome, and large bazookas hit hard but slow your movement and your time gauge to a crawl. There's a wide variety of weapons to be found and used, and you can pick up "tools" to transfer options and parameters from one weapon to another, thus upgrading your weapon of choice. This weapon tuning option is one of the more interesting gameplay aspects.
  From a visual standpoint, PARASITE EVE does not disappoint. The full motion video is top-notch, and there's plenty of it sprawled across 2 discs. (TEKKEN 3's FMV does a much better job of portraying hair, but that's a minor quibble.) The in-game graphics are no slouch either, with well modeled, realistically proportioned 3D characters moving across prerendered 2D backdrops. The overall visual feel of PARASITE EVE is darker compared to FF7, though this is an accurate reflection of its setting in Manhattan and thus appropriate.
  The problem is, this "cinematic RPG" is more "cinema" than it is "RPG." As the saying goes, beauty is only skin deep; good graphics alone do not an RPG make. And when a game advertises its visuals as its primary selling point, one has to wonder if the other—and dare I say, more important—aspects are lacking in comparison.




  First off, befitting a cinema, the game is extremely linear. One can step off the path and make small side excursions, but for the most part the player is shepherded from one plot point to another. There are very few distractions in the way of puzzles or secrets. This leaves mostly the story, which is actually quite decent, and the combat, which gets repetitive after a while.
  The more serious problem is length—this reviewer was able to finish the game in 10 hours flat! That's pretty darn short for a game, and for an RPG it's downright unacceptable. The game does offer more replay value in Round 2 in the form of a new location/dungeon (the Chrysler building), more weapon choices (found in the Chrysler building), and it lets you keep some of the weapons from Round 1 (which starts you off with more firepower and protection). However, all that the Chrysler building has to offer are tough monsters and more weapon choices; the story itself remains identical with no new revelations or plot twists (unlike RESIDENT EVIL 2, which unlocked portions of the story each time you replayed it). Only the most diehard of gamers may find themselves motivated to play the game a second time through to get the extra weapons (which, aside from having better stats, aren't all that "extra" to begin with).
  All in all, PARASITE EVE upholds Squaresoft's brilliance in visual presentation but falls short on gameplay and even shorter on length and replay value. If you can find a place near you that rents import games, it's definitely worth a rental for the eye candy alone, but many viewers may find this cinema a little too short to justify the price of admission.

Rating: *** out of 4


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