Parasite Eve II
PS One Game/Soundtrack Review
Review
by : Russ
Ray
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Parasite Eve II
By: SquareSoft
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Aya Brea
returns to fight the mitochondria menace on an opposite coast
in Parasite Eve II, the sequel to the classic survival
horror saga from SquareSoft. This game is set three years
after the original, and Aya has quit her job with the NYPD
to work for a special branch of the FBI in Los Angeles. Neo
Mitochondria Creatures (NMCs) are common animals such as snakes,
mice and other animals who have been altered at the cellular
level and mutated into grotesque creatures. Aya's new job
is as a bounty hunter for the Mitochondrion Investigation
and Suppression Team (MIST). She hunts NMCs and plays a "Men
in Black" role to keep the public disinformed of the existence
of these creatures.
The game
has a very simple learning curve, and it is possible to beat
the game in one sitting. The puzzles are just hard enough
to make you think, but not so impossible as to be discouraging.
The visuals are sharp, and the movie scenes are smooth. Aya
has plenty of real estate to explore, and there are lots of
things to look at and search for hidden items. She also has
a wide array of weapons to choose from and purchase throughout
the game, as well as the ability to convert experience points
into power-ups for mitochondrion powers. These powers are
activated as one might cast a spell in a role-playing game
and give Aya the ability to use fire and lightning powers,
as well as heal and shield herself.
Although
the gameplay is fairly intuitive for the most part and easy
to understand, actually controlling Aya can be confusing sometimes.
You often have to make her turn around to move in another
direction instead of pointing her in that direction and going.
She also is a bit difficult to control in battle situations,
as she's constantly aiming her weapon. Dodging attacks and
maneuvering around opponents is very tricky in those cases.
I also have a BIG complaint with having to read all the dialogue.
When you're in the age of CD-based games, there should always
be spoken word dialogue in the game. Failure to do so is just
silly. For as great as the game looks, that one simple thing
could have made the game much, much cooler.
PE2 has
been out for about a year now and will probably be available
soon for $20 as part of the Sony Greatest Hits deal. Make
it a point to pick up this classic game. You won't be sorry.
Parasite
Eve II is one of the best PS One games available in the
horror/adventure genre. One big reason why is the music. The
music in PE2 sets the tone of every scene, whether
it's a tense showdown between main character Aya Brea and
a group of NMCs (neo mitochondrion creatures) or it's a walk
through a desolate, dusty ghost town in the Mojave Desert,
the soundtrack of the game fits the style of every scene perfectly.
So, why
then does the soundtrack still suck so bad? Listened to on
its own, this music is bland, repetitive, and downright boring.
On the whole 2-disc set, the only song I could listen to without
skipping is the first track: Aya's Theme. Out of 66 total
tracks, that's the only one I could listen to from beginning
to end. Most of these themes involve a 15-to-30-second stanza
looped about 5 or 6 times. Not only that, most of these tracks
have some kind of spooky or mystery theme going on with it
that's just excruciatingly dull to listen to.
The music
itself is well-crafted and alternates between fusions of rock
and new age music and techno and new age music. Still, the
Parasite Eve II soundtrack leaves MUCH to be desired.
I would only recommend this 2-disc set to the most hardcore
gaming fans and to those who want some mood music and sound
effects next Halloween.
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