This is essentially New Game +, complete with your stats and items carrying over and a bonus dungeon filled with challenging monsters and new items. While I don’t think it is necessary for understanding the story, I would very much like to eventually track down the original and read it for myself after seeing this game’s story.īeating the game gives you the option of saving a clear game save and starting Ex Game mode. I found this quite interesting, seeing as how very few games are actually based off books (Metro 2033 is the only one that comes to mind). In fact, the past events that the characters in the game constantly reference are actually the events from this book, albeit a bit edited to fit into the story more neatly. Until I started doing a bit of research for this review, I actually had no idea that Parasite Eve’s story is actually based on a novel of the same name written by a Japanese author. It’s a fascinating distinction to see in a late-90s game, let alone one from a Japanese company. The whole story is actually quite pro-female in nature, as the game mentions several times that the male mitochondria are weak and not able to evolve like female mitochondria. It’s much more subdued, however, and doesn’t get in the way of an otherwise awesome character. The one complaint I have with her is that she suffers a bit of that mopiness that plagued the protagonists of nearly every Square Enix title from this era. I’m sure that Aya was a great role model for the era, up there with greats like Lara Croft and April Ryan. The fact that she is a woman is never mentioned, either explicitly or subtly, and she kicks a whole lot of ass.
For these reasons, Parasite Eve’s story was easily the part of the game I cared least about, just serving as a small thread to follow until the end.Īya is a pretty damn good character though, especially for the era. The concepts of mitochondria and human evolution are creative ones, if a bit hard to believe, but there just isn’t a lot of substance to any of the characters or plot points. The story also feels very clearly Japanese in origin, thoughtful and reflective on humanity–just a little too stargazing for my tastes. The writing is a bit shaky as well, with loads of melodrama and lines bordering on mistranslation scattered throughout the game’s eight-or-so hours. Without the voices, the story seems oddly quiet and empty. None of the dialogue is voiced, and several scenes with just dialogue are eerily quiet this isn’t uncommon for the era, but it feels strangely out-of-place here. The story is a bit rough overall, for several reasons. Using these powers, and her trusty sidearm, Aya fights to stop Eve and save the city. She notes that Aya is special as well, her own mitochondria giving her special powers. Eve speaks of mitochondria, a part of human biology that allows her to morph and control humanity.
Aya chases after the mysterious woman, now calling herself Eve, and watches in terror as she changes before her eyes. Partway through the show, everyone in the theater begins to spontaneously combust–save for Aya and the lead actress. NYPD officer Aya Brea decides to visit the opera on Christmas Eve, pulled there by some desire she can’t explain.
Parasite Eve takes place in New York City, circa-1997.
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