|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||||
Parasite Eve, a FMV extravaganza, is one of the most anticipated "cinematic" RPG of the year (the only so far in this genre, that is). It is one of the most eager product ever produced by the Square of USA as well.
Let's cut the crap and go to the game. The story of this game is about mitochondria that rest in animal cells that supplies animal energy, which also triggers the death of cells in our body. Using an example from a doctor in PE, when the time has came, the mitochondria rests in the body will sent a signal to, let say, skin cells, and tell them that they are no longer needed, the skin cells will "suicide" and kill themselves. It is like an instinct in the cells to following such commands. So if the mitochondria some how are not giving out any of those commands, we are not gonna to age! Animals need mitochondria to supply energy, while mitochondria needs animals to supply them a kind of acid to brake down in order for THEM to survive as well as animals, or their "hosts." Therefore they are called "parasites." The question is, what if this "parasite" had waited for centuries so they can no longer need the hosts to live in? Then this is the problem which Aya Brea, a 25 years old NY. Police officer needed to find out.
As many know, the story is based on a best-seller novel from Japan, so we can expect some really great storyline. But one thing though, all those mitochondria things are not fiction, so people, please don't begin to think that Square invented this whole thing. If you have taken some Biology classes, then you will not get surprised much no you don't have to drop your classes just to play this game
Gameplay: the first few minutes into the game, one should tell him/herself one thing really, really clearly: this is NOT a resident evil (RE) type of game. If it is intended to be like RE, then this game really, really messed up. If you look at this as not an RE game, you will enjoy more of it. The reasons? I'll brake down both games really quickly. In RE, the elements are to be scary and real time interactive. There are many bad camera angles that many gamers complained, that they are hard to spot enemies. But that is the point of them: hard to see the enemies. This way enemies can surprise attack you. And since the battle is done in real time, there is little time for you to think too long. The exploration and the game is short so that the story line is excited and things happen really fast one after another, like a movie.
PE: Sure the angles are "fixed." BUT in PE one doesn't need the bad angles because, there is NO surprise attack possible since every time an enemy pops out, from the ceiling or from the ground, you two will go into a special battle screen, and enough time for you to react. Just like any other RPGs. There are many things like, looking for ammo clips, guns, open doors, explore hallways, etc, look like RE, but played totally different. I don't think comparing them is a good idea. But many of the elements copied from RE is really darn annoying. Those elements just remind me too much of RE. To a point that I begin to hate this game just for that.
As we can see, comparing both and saying one is better than another is, if not the worst possible thing a gamer could do, really STUPID. Don't expect RE in PE, other wise we won't give PE a fair chance.
As mentioned earlier, when you go to battles, you go into a battle mode, just like Chrono Trigger, where you fight in the actual background. You, Aya, will run around trying to avoid enemy attacks, such as fireballs and claws while your Active Time bar charges up. If the AT bar charges up, you can unleash attacks like weapon attacks, and/or, Parasite Energy (spell). Guns in the game range from regular hand gun to rifle to machine gun. One thing will also remind people of RE is the fact that you can tune up the weapons but in PE it is a big part of the game. If you can find "tools," you can combine two weapons. This is one of the fun elements of the game.
Gun tune: in the gun's parameter, one is base, which is the gun's original parameter, another is how much tuning it had undergo, which will be shown next to the base parameter. On the bottom there is a side bar telling what are the special attacks this gun can do, such as "7-hits," "5-hits," which means how many bullets you can fire in one turn, or others like freeze, acid, and/or tranquilizer. If you want to tune up a gun, you can choose between the same kind of gun. For example, you want to tune up a handgun, and if you choose another handgun. You can choose which gun you want to sacrifice. You can get all the tuned parameter from one gun to another, or the side-effect parameter. So if you have a gun that has some really good tune parameter, you will want to get it over. But if it has some really great side-effects, then you want to get the side-effect instead of the tuned parameter. If you have a "bannou," or almighty, tool, you can remove both the parameter and side-effects with out killing the gun. Confusing? After you get a hang of it, it is fun, in some way. The same goes to the vest and protection gears. This is one of the best elements in this game.
Handguns usually charge up the AT faster than any other guns, and is best to used against big bosses. Don't let its weak parameter fool you, since it charges up fast, you can heal faster as well. But you have to get in close in order to do a good hit because you further you go, the less damage a gun will inflict.
Graphically, this game rivals RE or other "interactive" styled games. The back grounds are simply astonishing. It is very detailed, and BIG (I don't know if its Central Park is the real thing from New York, but…). Yes it's very big, and sometimes too big while Aya being too small. Since she runs really slow, sometimes it will take minutes running from one side to the other. This really slows the story development. Some times you see one storyline, then it will take you an hour before the next. This is bad because it will brake the story down and make it really loose, and less like a cinematic RPG…maybe a "novelic" game…But what ever way you put it, the graphics are beautiful. Personally I hated those of FF7 because it tells us vividly how boring 3-D polygon can be when combined with RPG, but PE really makes things look "next generation." The FMVs happen maybe once every hour of exploration. They are beautiful, but I don't want to go too far. Just expect something a little better than those of FF7. And the two discs are occupied mostly by these FMVs.
The FMVs can be scary because, it occupies TWO darn discs!! The game is about 10 hours. That is the time I needed to beat, but that is because I explored almost every single corner of the street (running around in Central Park is painful). If you are an impatient person, you might beat it under 7 or 8 hours. In order to put all the FMVs into the game, this game sacrificed many elements of RPG, such as battle, character developments, infamous world destructions (FF series), etc.
But there is an excuse to this. This is the first big project by Square USA (first? Square trying to cover up the mess they have done with Secret of Evermore?), so they were not aiming for doing some classic RPG. Just like directors in Hollywood, they want to create something big and SHOCK the hell out of gamers, so it can bring name recognition. Usually I don't buy this kind of trick, but this time it is different. It has been many years since the Square USA had been developed (to translate games, while there is only ONE really, really bad translator). But had they develop anything good at all? Obviously not a darn thing. This time, with the help of the FF (Hironobuu Sakaguchi and others) programmers and a lot of USA staffs which consist of programmers of many back grounds, together making a game hoping to create some future for the Square of USA. I have to agree that, the quality of the game rivals those of the Square of Japan. This is a great news because we might expect more "RPG" or good titles from the USA branch. If you compare the game with many Japanese titles it might lack a lot of originality, but once compared it with USA or Europe titles, it kicks major and BIG asses. Let me put it this way, I'm a Chinese-American who had played tons of American and Japanese games, but every time I look at the ending credits, "foreign" names occupied the whole ten minutes of them. Even there might be some other names, but they usually take care of those jobs that no one gives a damn about (no even game testers). But this time, we can see for quite a few times that a few Chinese, as well as Korean programmers took some really important positions, such as 3-D programming as well as FMV modeling. For the first time that I see a good game with tons of "American" English names is also telling me that, something will be really different in years to come.
At first I really wanted to thrash this game on many of the things, such as 1) story line is like animes we watch, really not that great after awhile. 2) Game play is quite boring after a while. 3) Story is far in between. 4) A short but "good" ending. Etc… But since there are other reasons that this game is unique, I'll let them go…this time.
Intro 7
If all cinematic RPGs is like this, I rather ask a friend to tape the FMVs for me so I don't have to buy an expensive import. Gun tuning option is a good direction for RPG/simulations to stretch, instead of job and swords everytime. But many guns get quite useless after awhile. And the tuning option reminds me of some not-so-famous RPGs where you can re-forge you weapon (Suikoden, and many SFC titles).
Story 8
At first I wanted to give it a lower score since it is NOT that innovative. If you have taken Biolofy 100 or 110, you won't get shock with the mitochondria theory. If you are a manga/anime fan (like me), then you won't get shock with the Parasite Eve's revolution. And if you have never take Biology or watch anime (or watched some really lame ones), then prepare for some really great and revolutionary theories about our human life.
Character 9
Some how all the characters were not wasted. Characters go with each other really well. The interaction is really great. Aya and Eve's relationship is also really shocking (did I spoil anything?). I usually give low points here, but this time I'll give it a nine.
Graphics 9
FMV extravaganza!! Darn detailed backgrounds. Really great battle back grounds. They are so detailed, they look like 2-D hand drawn, but in fact rendered polygon! It is really great!
Sound/Music 7
Music is not noticeable. Can you imagine RPGs now a day have almost fogotten what music is all about? It tried to simulate music in a way like Tomb Raider and RE, that only comes out once in a while as things happening, but for an RPG that means boring and very quiet back ground music. The song that Eve sings everytime you fight her gets boring really quite. I like Phantom of the Opera more…^_^ BUT a VERYING GOOD ENGIND SONG!! I have to say "DARN IT!!!!" This is the first time for any game that features such a DAMN GOOD SONG!!!!! NOW THIS IS THE ONLY REASON WHY I'M HUNTING THE MUSIC CD!! It is really that great! But you can't listen to it until you beat the game.
Others: if you got to the last day, day 6, you can name two equipment, gun and vest. If you give a name to each of your favor items, you can keep them and start a new game call "EX mode." I have just beaten the game so I don't know what it really is. By the way, how many will think that those two FMVs where Eve was naked will be kept in the USA version? They might put some really lame white swimming suit on her just like Soul Blade… Hahahahaha.
Overall 8
Even though this is a boring title to many hardcore RPG (I mean NOT blended RPG like those of the 80s and earlier 90s), but it will definitely give Square USA a great lift from a nameless junk to whatever they will be.
I think it will be an end of gaming in the USA if this game didn't make it over here. I mean, for the first time USA branch did a thing surprising great, and if they are not being recognize, who can still have the heart and energy to do anything good here? For this great effort I do believe that this is a really great game. But not my ideal class game that I can go back once in a while. Okay, sorry to occupy so much of your time, and I'm done with my long review. Any good comments or discussion of this game is welcomed. If you are a Square Soft lover who think that the score is too low (like 8 is not enough), that is your own problem. ^_^