Parasite Eve 2
Can I get a "Yay sequels!"?Anyone?
Hm.
Well, it's not like Square are known for making direct sequels anyway. Most of the time they make completely independent sequels taking place in separate universes, but with a familiar name slapped on the box anyway. Because it SELLS.
Not so, Parasite Eve 2. It's a direct sequel to the first game, starring, again, Aya Brea, who I'm pretty sure got a boob-job in the meanwhile.
It takes place several years after the Manhattan incident from the prequel, which is often referred to, but the setting is different. Aya is now part of MIST, an FBI-like organisation specialised in disposing of NMC's (Neo Mitochondria Creatures), based in Los Angeles.
A recent slaughtering at some building somewhere has her dispatched to the scene of the crime, where monsters naturally run amock and it is up to you to do something about it or die trying, or possible of boredom about the story.
Gameplaywise in the prequel, we had an RPG that was slightly reminescent of Resident Evil at time. This time, we get a Resident Evil clone, that is slightly remeniscent of an RPG at times. Really.
The game seems to have shifted from RPG-driven gameplay to Survival Horror style gameplay, only lacking the necessary horror (it's gory, but it's not scary at ALL), and, well, survival element. With experience points, so there you have your RPG elements. There's no levelling up though, you only get to use your experience for reviving and powering up your magic skills. Furthermore, there's BP, which can be used to purchase new armor, new weapons and ammo and the like.
In fact, Resident Evil was SUCH an obvious influence on this game that even the prequel's 3D controls have been discarded in favor of Resident Evil style 2D controls, with 'up' being forward, etc. you know the drill.
Why this was done is completely beyond me. Although I'll readily admit that the RE inspired gameplay works A LOT better than the half-baked RPG that the original was, there's no excuse for turning a proper control scheme into something that's as versatile as a huge boulder chained to a telephone pole. And Aya still moves about as fast as a dead drunk. STUPID SQUARE. No cookies for you today.
Other than that really stupid decision, I feel this game is a huge improvement over the original in every possible way. More variety, more atmosphere, more interesting environments and better puzzles (in that there actually are some). I have to say that some puzzles are pretty damn obscure though.
Once again, we get prerendered backgrounds (very pretty, much better than the original) and loads of CG movies (even prettier), but the melodic soundtrack provided by Yoko Shimomura in the prequel, is now replaced by a more ambient/industrial sound by Naoshi Mizuta, sounding like it perhaps belongs more in a Silent Hill game (not QUITE that good of course) than anything else.
The RE-esque setting predetermines that the game ends in a research facility of some sort, of course, but along the way, you'll go to a small hamlet in the midst of the Mojave Desert, and you'll get to see an artificial jungle, making for at least a couple of unusual settings for this kind of game, and they all look great.
Throw in some alternative routes leading to different endings (not that much different though), unlockable extra modes of play, loads of weapons and secrets, and you have yourself a very solid game on your hands.
One word of warning: It's sponsored by Coca Cola. I can't find any official confirmation of this, but playing the game, I have concluded that it HAS to be so.
Because Coca Cola is bloody EVERYWHERE. Not only will you find Cola dispensers everywhere you go, a can of coke is even a usable item (replenishes 20 HP and 80 MP! That's why my urine always sparks more when I drink it!), and you get a Refridgerator Magnet as a key item, that is shaped like a Coca Cola bottle cap.
Oh, and every 15 minutes the game goes into commercials with Santa Claus.
Cheap rip-off old geezer.
I always tend to research the general opinion and consensus of a game before I review it, just to check what other people think of it, and give you my side of the story. As it turns out, this game has not been recieving very good critiques, but I fail to understand why. Unless you are bothered by the stupidly slow, clunky and bothersome control system (uh....okay, that IS a pretty big hurdle) it's all good as far as I'm concerned. But then, Resident Evil's controls never really bothered me in the first place, so it probably has to do with tolerance levels.
It's generally not quite as good as the Resident Evils either, although I enjoyed it more than RE3 and Code Veronica, but if you can get over the unnecessary change in controls there's a very entertaining, atmospheric action-RPG-esque thingy waiting here for you, including frustrating enemies and some really hard boss battles.
I loved it so much that I was prepared to start again when I found out I had a guide laying around, having already finished more than half of the game at that point.
It's not that long anyway, although for a game of this kind, 12 hours is pretty hefty. Ironically, the second CD seems to be a LOT longer than the first one, but that's probably because there's a fair amount of backtracking involved.
Still, I loved it, and it's definitely one of my favorite Square games on PSX.
I'll give it an 8.8, and I'll add that I'd love to see another sequel some day.
posted by Ingen! @ 3:36 PM
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