Parasite Eve II

"I greatly suggest you buy this game, but I swear I saw Aya first!"

It's amazing what can happen in the short space of two and a half days.

Parasite Eve II follows the story of Aya Brea, heroine of the original Parasite Eve game, who has now retired from her position in the NYPD and taken up arms in the Mitochondria Investigation and Suppression Team (MIST), an elite branch of the FBI charged with the removal of rogue Neo-Mitochondria Creatures (Commonly referred to as NMCs).

In the original PE, we saw opera sensation Melissa Pierce's Mitochondria (Tiny organelles within a cell that supply the energy needed for it's survival) mutate as she performed on stage, instantaneously setting alight every other performer and viewer within the opera hall, except for one person: Aya Brea. Through various events leading through the story, it is discovered that Melissa died on the night of the fires as well, but a powerful entity, named “Eve”, lives on in her body. Apparently it seems Mitochondria were originally separate lifeforms before they became one with the cell, and when they did, over the course of thousands and millions of years of evolution, they did only for the purpose of one day assuming total control.

And so the entire island of Manhattan was hastily evacuated for six days, during which Aya, her NYPD partner, Daniel, and a Japanese scientist, Maeda, battled against mutated Mitochondria creatures and Eve herself. Eventually they foiled Eve's plot and destroyed the Ultimate Being. And so it seemed that the rogue Mitochondria were gone forever, but Aya alone felt this was just a beginning, and a terrible omen that more was to come.

Flash forward five years to Los Angeles. As stated before, Aya Brea quit the NYPD and joined the MIST (Mitochondria Suppression and Investigation Team) branch of the FBI situated there, working as a top-notch Neo-Mitochondria Creature Hunter. Her thoughts at the end of the original Parasite Eve had come true, and there were NMCs living currently in every state of the USA, though the FBI had gone to substantial effort and misinformation to mask this truth.

Now let's have a look at Aya Brea herself. Despite the beautiful, dazzling blond she is, don't get her wrong! She's a very powerful character in terms of self-control. Despite the almost hopeless fact that NMCs may never be completely defeated, she actually draws strength and pride from the fact she does her work for the good of others, unlike the other hunters, whom are all conveniently male, who seclude themselves from society and fight their own depression. Yet her past still haunts her. The only reason she survived the first incident at the Carnegerie Opera Hall in Manhattan was because her Mitochondria had decided to shield her from harm, strengthening her in many ways, instead of giving into Eve and simply setting her alight with 200,000 volts. This is the reason why Aya doesn't look as if she's aged a day since the incident, she's in fact 27 but looks as though she's only 20, which also, if I may, contributes greatly to her natural curves which she gets to flaunt in a widely acclaimed Shower scene. I said she wasn't a dumb blond, but never did I say she wasn't attractive.

The game starts as Aya has her shooting practice interrupted by a phone call from Eric “Hal” Baldwin, the big boss of the LA MIST branch. It is here we meet one of Aya's friends, Pierce, an ex-hacker who joined MIST in the intelligence department, whom also nurses a soft spot for Aya, but can't seem to get his feelings out. Aya responds to the call and moves on down to the Acropolis Tower, where it is reported to have been overrun with “creatures”. That can mean only one thing...

I won't spoil too much, but the story events transpire and it turns out, after a narrow escape from the Acropolis Tower aboard a helicopter, the evidence Aya recovered, proved NMCs were in fact being tagged! Her search leads her to the small deserted town of Dryfield in the Mojave Desert, which, according to reports, lost its residents to an outburst of creatures. When you arrive you meet Gary Douglas, a Falklands War veteran and the last living resident of Dryfield, and Kyle Madigan, a shady Private Investigator from LA. Nearing the end of the night, after a colossal NMC ravages Dryfield completely, Aya and Kyle drive off into the desert in search of a “Shelter” where they believe the NMCs are coming from.

It is a beautiful story, with intrigue, plot twists, sorrow, conspiracy, betrayal, friendships and struggle as Aya fights for survival amidst the deadly clutches of the NMCs, with an ending beyond expectation. It's magnificent how Square put together this game. If you like good stories, seek out and buy this game, PERIOD. But story alone can't sell a game, so allow me to give a short review of the gameplay.

GAMEPLAY

Unlike the original game, Parasite Eve II works out to be more of a shooter/survival horror than a cinematic RPG, seeing as all the action is in real time, no more screen shattering when fighting monsters, it all happens on the screen. Square ditched the levelling system and instead kept you at the same pace throughout the game, with survival depending on your weapons, armor and skill at dispatching NMCs. There are over 20 different weapons and armors, some unlockable, available as you progress through the game, most bought using earned Bounty Points (Cash, Gil, GP, you name it). These range from Tonfa Batons, P08 handguns, M4AI Assault Rifles with various attachments, Grenade launchers, revolving magazine shotguns and many more, including a secret tribute to Square's successful Final Fantasy series.

Puzzles are plenty throughout the game, some tedious, some fun, but all challenging. some of the more difficult one may require you to do a bit of backtracking in order to solve them, or otherwise to keep a sharp eye out of hints throughout the course of the game.

Another interesting aspect of combat is the revamped Parasite Energy system, which can pass for some as the “Magic” element of the game. These are unlocked and upgraded using EXP points earned from defeated enemies and are split into four elements: Fire, Wind, Water and Earth, with the former two used mainly for offense and inflicting status effects, whereas the final two are primarily there for healing and defense. Also, for any player committed enough to one or more elements may receive the option of four secret Parasite Energies. These energies are activated by using MP (Mitochondria Points).

More often than not you'll find yourself running out of health in battle, so you'll need the assistance of items you can use in battle by equipping them to your armor, these range from recovery tablets and mineral water to medical capsules and tonics and vinyl packs, all used for different purposes.

Resident Evil veterans and fans will be familiar with the battle system as the two work very much alike each other, though the controls of this game take a while getting used to. But don't take it the wrong way, Parasite Eve II is more than a Resident Evil clone.

Oh yes, and I though I should mention there are three alternate endings: One Normal, which you simply have to follow the course of the game to most likely achieve, one Sad, which requires a bit more work than the normal, taking you through some of the good ending's paths but stopping short, and one Happy (Or Perfect, as some call it), where a great deal more work is required, involving solving the much harder puzzles and witnessing a majority of easily missed scenes or actions. But don't let difficulty put you off achieving the best in this game, for the Happy ending is worth every ounce of mind you put into this game.

Also, when you complete the game the first time, two new modes are unlocked, and through a bit more work after that, another two can be unlocked. Also, each additional game you play on a file will unlock new items and more BP available for the next game. Good luck unlocking everything!

GRAPHICS

The graphics, for the PS, as well as other consoles, are superb. The character models may look a bit glitchy in game, and true they tend to gesticulate a lot, but the FMV sequences are amazing and life-like even by today's standards.

SOUNDS

Sadly, PEII has no voice acting, which may come as a let down for some. But the sounds made otherwise by the opening and sliding of doors, the sound of footsteps on gravel and dirt (which are distinctly separate from one another), the growling and wailing of NMCs, the dripping of water, the rat-tat-tat of gunfire, are all very realistic and expertly executed. Also, the music pieces in-game are memorable enough to go as far as purchasing the soundtrack itself (Which, I might add, is definitely worth your time and money).

OVERALL/CONCLUSION

So, the question remains: Rent, Buy, or don't bother?

Rent: If you are a bit rusty on the up-in-your-face-with-teeth style of action or quizzical about the survival horror genre.

Buy: If you love deep, emotional storylines and believable character personalities. Or if you enjoy fast-action paced gameplay, are a fan of the original, or just looking for a worthwhile game with replay value.

STORY: 10
GAMEPLAY: 9.9
GRAPHICS: 9.5
SOUND: 9.5
ENDING: (Based on the Normal ending) 7; (Based on the Sad ending) 8.9; (Based on the Happy ending) 10

OVERALL: 10

A perfect ending to a great series, you'll eventually see, if you can keep your mind on what's happening instead of ogling hopelessly after Aya!

Enjoy Parasite Eve II!!!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 10/17/05