by Jay "THE FLEA" Wade
Aya Brea has returned to battle those Neo Mitochodrion mutants in Parasite Eve 2.
PE2 has taken a whole new approach at it's gameplay. No more RPG style random battles with the turn based dome battle system. PE2 plays more like the Resident Evil Series then a RPG.
This is great news for RE fans but RPGers will be a little disappointed.
PE works better as a survival horror and Square did the right thing.
The story is a little stale compared to the first PE, but it's no worse then some of the RE series.
Aya Brea has joined a FBI task force called MIST which investigates Neo Mitochodrion reports and destroys them before they spread. But in investigating the latest incident she finds out there's a conspiracy to where the mutants came from. (sounds like an X- Files episode.) Enemies are freakier then the first PE, most look like they where turned inside out and laying in the sun for weeks.
The Graphics are like only Square can produce. Beautiful rendered backgrounds with high detail.
And of course great FMV, every movie leaves you hungry to see more.
The control is basically like the RE series, hold a button to aim, target and shoot.
The game copies RE down to the whacked out camera angles. (this is a main drag in a lot of areas, you hear a creature but you can't see it till you change angles or he attacks you.)
If the angles didn't bother you in the RE series, then PE will be no different.
The bonuses to PE compared to RE is weapons. items and armor system is intact from the first PE. Also the Parasite Energy Spells are back. you can upgrade spells by gaining EXP points.
There's also puzzles to solve that copies the RE series. Some really make you use your head.
Square programmers must have played the RE series and thought "We gotta have a game like that." And PE2 was born. If your a Survival Horror fan and love games like Resident Evil, Silent Hill and Dino Crisis, Parasite Eve 2 is a must to add to your collection.
PUBLISHER: SQUARESOFT
GRAPHICS: 10 MUSIC & SOUND: 8 CONTROL: 8
SECRETS: 9 ORIGINALITY: 6 FUN & REPLAY: 9.5
OVERALL: 8