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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



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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 insteadand 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 otherand dare I
say, more importantaspects are lacking in comparison.
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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 lengththis 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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