Parasite Eve

 PlayStation
User Score
8.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 201 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 179 out of 201
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 201
  3. Negative: 5 out of 201
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  1. ChrisH
    Aug 7, 2008
    10
    The reception that Parasite Eve was given when it was first released was hard to swallow, possibly because people expected more from the creators of Final Fantasy 7. Because both games did not receive the mediocre reviews, the series has been dead for a number of years until now it's finally getting a well deserved new game for the PSP and hopefully the PS3. it started to grow on The reception that Parasite Eve was given when it was first released was hard to swallow, possibly because people expected more from the creators of Final Fantasy 7. Because both games did not receive the mediocre reviews, the series has been dead for a number of years until now it's finally getting a well deserved new game for the PSP and hopefully the PS3. it started to grow on those that criticized this most underappriecated game of all time. Parasite Eve is one of the most original RPG Survival Horror hybrid I had the pleasure of playing. The story, music and characters may not be of a fantasy world but they capture a mirror reflection between the reality of New York City to a world unexplored.… Expand
  2. Kai82
    Sep 8, 2014
    10
    One of the best action rpgs of all time. The story is one of the best in video game history. Only a few games impressed me as much as this masterpiece. The battle system is awesome. It is more action orientated (Vagrant Story with guns) but still kind of turn based. The characters and the setting are formidable. Overall this is the finest mixture of rpg and survival horror on the market.
  3. Leontorres7
    Nov 13, 2018
    10
    Legendary game, play it, this game changed my life for good, all I have for this game is LOVE
  4. llamayarmybar
    Nov 18, 2016
    7
    Parasite Eve, a tedious, early quasi-three-dimensional cinematic, action-rpg from what some might say was the year that the original Playstation peaked and its time was coming to an end. So why so many positive reviews one might wonder. Nostalgia? "John Carpenter's Thing" fans? Or are their actually people that found a shallow roleplaying game with a few bizarre animated CGI clipsParasite Eve, a tedious, early quasi-three-dimensional cinematic, action-rpg from what some might say was the year that the original Playstation peaked and its time was coming to an end. So why so many positive reviews one might wonder. Nostalgia? "John Carpenter's Thing" fans? Or are their actually people that found a shallow roleplaying game with a few bizarre animated CGI clips enjoyable? Whatever the reasons are, you can bet that rose tinted glasses are worn by most people giving this game such high praise. First off, the plot is dull science fiction nonsense. It comes off like a bad B horror film with some elements of science fiction thrown in to keep people preoccupied with how awful everything else is. The dialogue is a total joke, to the point where I wasn't sure if I was reading text that was so poorly translated that it just came off as terrible, or if the Japanese actually wrote lines like that. Like the kind that sound utterly ridiculous. I understand this was "loosely" and "based" on a real book about a really far fetched, as well as impossible scientific theory based around mitochondria in human cells. However, it just doesn't translate well here. Gameplay is centered around turn based combat and set pieces. The kind of early ugly stilted level design or "set pieces," that look like background tapestry, or a garbage covered matte painting. The kind of set pieces that are so ghastly to look at that you forget that the developers have also added actual ITEMS that you have to find throughout them, items that you can easily miss because of how awful everything looks on screen. Making annoyance number two on the list of things this game gets wrong- item hunting. You can literally go one chapter, find say four new guns, then get to the next chapter and find one gun that's better than all of those guns, but the thing is, you didn't know that before you upgraded one of those other four guns. That's because the game expects you to be a total freaking genius and be able to tell the future at the same time. The inventory system is woeful. Twenty slots? Twenty slots fills up fast when your "Parasite Eve" magic skills don't do jack diddly and you have to rely on bottles of "Medicine 1" and "Medicine 2" or how about the infamous "Medicine 3?" The inventory system is one that you'll constantly be managing, not because you have to worry about ammo or healing items, but because you will constantly run out of room picking up ten new items that you'll never use ever ever. Did I mention the combat yet? Oh boy. So you can wait, then shoot, then you wait again, but after awhile, its okay- cause you can shoot again. Riveting stuff obviously. I don't really see the point of running around in such a muddy looking pre-rendered room with what are essentially revolting "3D" objects bumping into each other. Its arguably unnecessary and any classic turn based system would've sufficed, but that's just my opinion. The stilted animations already looked dated in 1998, so you can imagine what they look like now. Where I seem to have the least problems with Parasite Eve however, is the soundtrack. The soundtrack is great, even though ninety percent of it is basically reused in every chapter, but whatever, its really good. Its very low-key, its got a good ambient sort of electronica sound to it, its never overbearing, or obnoxious, and though some of the loops are super short, its very difficult to find it actually repetitive. It typically fits the mood they were going for. The sound effects are pretty minimal however, you'll hear the main character's lady shoes clopping all over the place. That's what she gets for wearing high heels everywhere she goes I guess. Gun shots sounded muted and cartoonish, but this was the Playstation 1 we're talking about. The one thing that really drives me nuts and I think has a great deal to do with WHY people have such a hard on for this game, is the cutscenes. The cutscenes are very well directed, they are absolutely great looking and probably drove a lot of people to buying Parasite Eve to begin with. However, that isn't what I remember the game for, sure I recall the first time I saw the rat transformation, the melting crowd, the museum boss fight, and those were all memorable. No the one thing I remember the most however was how boring the game was, it was tedious, the upgrade system still doesn't really make sense to me, the plot was blah, the characters were uninteresting and to top it all off, the game looked terrible for 1998. Trust me, Square could've made a much better looking game. Final Fantasy VIII came out in 1999 and that looks loads better than Parasite Eve, so something tells me that they had a smaller budget for this project. Overrall, its an average rpg with a few memorable moments, but the praise this game gets is unjust considering all of its flaws.… Expand
  5. Renzokuken
    Dec 26, 2018
    10
    A fantastic blend of story telling, biological horror and RPG elements, makes parasite eve a gripping and enjoyable adventure even in 2018. The equipment system and secret dungeon give the game far more replay value than you'd expect.
  6. maure88devil
    Jul 26, 2018
    10
    Just my favorite game ever. I feel nostalgic playing at it and Aya Brea is the perfect incarnation of horror games heroines. Simply loving it.
  7. SoulBackUp
    Dec 7, 2016
    10
    Beats me why this franchise never got going. Parasite is a phenomenal and unique combination of RPG and survival horror, not to mention it was way ahead of it's time. What I wouldn't do to play a state of the art Parasite Eve game...
  8. acorreane
    May 31, 2012
    10
    is the best RPG battle system taking into comparison with final fantasy but the most striking in this game is the story and the scenery much like resident evil, the square could do what no one did, that is to join the features of a game from another company with a 1997 movie and even its battle system, it was perfect, square enix I look "parasite eve 3" with the same story and not theis the best RPG battle system taking into comparison with final fantasy but the most striking in this game is the story and the scenery much like resident evil, the square could do what no one did, that is to join the features of a game from another company with a 1997 movie and even its battle system, it was perfect, square enix I look "parasite eve 3" with the same story and not the third birthday.… Expand
  9. Skipper
    Mar 19, 2013
    5
    I was excited to play this game given my appreciation for survival horror as a genre and squaresoft as a producer. If you have played resident evil (1 or 2) and vagrant story this game is like a mashup of these two. However, the end result was not as good as either. Parasite Eve is not a bad game, but it's not particularly good either. I'll mention the things that I did not like aboutI was excited to play this game given my appreciation for survival horror as a genre and squaresoft as a producer. If you have played resident evil (1 or 2) and vagrant story this game is like a mashup of these two. However, the end result was not as good as either. Parasite Eve is not a bad game, but it's not particularly good either. I'll mention the things that I did not like about the game, and you can assume that the rest of it plays well. 1) The storyline seemed under-developed, and implausible (even for a sci-fi game). The characters were bland and uninteresting. 2) The inventory management system needs work. You can carry very few items, and it doesn't really matter what weapons and armor you equip in most (if not all) situations. You constantly have to discard consumables in favor of other items. 3) The combat is plain and doesn't seem to have been well-thought out. You wait your turn, shoot, wait your turn, heal, wait your turn, shoot. Most of the skills and magic are a waste of your time. 4) There was no element of "horror" at all in this survival horror. This is because you always have more than enough ammunition and firepower to kill all of your enemies. You never have to run or worry about what's around the next corner because you can just shoot it to death. That being said, the CG movies of monsters were pretty cool. Finally, The game is short (10-12 hours) but seemed to drag for me. The main character moves frustratingly slow and going back to previously explored areas to double-check for items seems like a chore. Like I said, the game isn't bad, but there are many better RPG's and survival horror games out there.… Expand
  10. marcelus
    Mar 17, 2017
    10
    Aya Brea Best Snowy Waifu .
  11. chronoT
    Sep 4, 2012
    8
    I didn't own that many PS1 games, but I was sure glad that this was one of them. I of course bought Parasite Eve being a huge fan of Square, but I really didn't know what to expect. I was surprised, and positively, because Parasite Eve was overall a great game with an intense story and game-play. The controls and fighting take a bit to get used to, but once you've got it down your in for aI didn't own that many PS1 games, but I was sure glad that this was one of them. I of course bought Parasite Eve being a huge fan of Square, but I really didn't know what to expect. I was surprised, and positively, because Parasite Eve was overall a great game with an intense story and game-play. The controls and fighting take a bit to get used to, but once you've got it down your in for a real treat. There still are a few RPG elements to this game, mixed in with the shooter element, and done very well by Square. The plot takes place in N.Y.C., which makes for great scenery and truly blends well with the story. Parasite Eve also has many challenging parts, whether it's a puzzle or a battle, and progressing through different parts of the city is a thrilling experience that will have you hooked until the end.… Expand
  12. elitefour
    Nov 3, 2013
    8
    Parasite eve started being a Resident evil clone
    but i know why,i liked it
    it was a survivor horror and the gameplay was weird
    the story was bored and interesting at the same time
    it wasnt deep but I DONT KNOW HOW THIS LIKE ME
    i think is good,not excellent like resident evil
    but IT WAS SO AWESOME
  13. guiletheguiles
    Feb 16, 2022
    7
    Parasite Eve is definitely a sea of great ideas that I've been meaning to dive in for a long time. After spending over 9 hours with it, I can say that it surely shines, but not as much as I hoped it would.

    The story of Parasite Eve is quite mature. It's lovely to see how far a game can go when the writing is strong like this one. It takes a while to grasp everything going on, but by the    Parasite Eve is definitely a sea of great ideas that I've been meaning to dive in for a long time. After spending over 9 hours with it, I can say that it surely shines, but not as much as I hoped it would.

    The story of Parasite Eve is quite mature. It's lovely to see how far a game can go when the writing is strong like this one. It takes a while to grasp everything going on, but by the end of the game I felt fulfilled. In addition to being an elegantly well told tale, it also packs memorable characters and a great protagonist. Aya Brea is very well designed, from her style to her profile, and the fact that she's tied with the main villian (who's also quite memorable, by the way), just enhances your time with her, making her one of the main reasons why the story and setting will stick to your mind.

    And it all just immerses you more and more as you go through it. Part of the reason why this game vibes so well with its theme is due to its beautiful renders, amazing environments and epic cutscenes that, while they don't hold up to today standards, they can still pack quite a punch. On top of that you have Yoko Shimomura composing the sountrack, hitting you with beautiful, classy, intense and diverse songs that refuse to leave my mind even after the credits rolled. Indeed, a genius of video game music.

    As for the core gameplay, it's a unique mix of RPG and Survival Horror. Not a perfect hybrid, but a very good one, I must say. I had a lot of fun with the combat. It's a near perfect marriage of Vagrant Story and Resident Evil 2. And, yes, I know it sounds weird to say it, but it just works. Great enemy variety, challenging bosses, good collection of magics and tons of guns for you to manage your way to the end.

    The problem with this game lies in how archaic it is. Regardless of the time it was made, I just felt like things should flow a bit better and, definitely, faster.
    Aya's movement speed is probably the worst thing in the game. She's slow when outside combat and extremely clunky during fights where mobility is key. In a game where you have to backtrack to get everything you want while taking the least amount of damage as possible, movement is essential and it just doesn't work well.

    In fact, many other things doesn't work as well as it should. The gun tuning system is very rough, the UI takes a bit to get used too, for an RPG the game can be extremely short (which usually doesn't bother me, but now it somehow did), cutscenes are unskipabble and inventory management is a HUGE mess. Why didn't they just add an item box instead of forcing a very repetitive trip back to the police department?
    And while the boss fights are very well done, I have to say that the final boss is an unnecessary difficulty spike. A pseudo-bullethell shooter with a toothless chase afterwards.

    Parasite Eve is a pleasant and nostalgic trip back to the 90's. It works great, brings new ideas to the genre, manages to be a unique hybrid and introduces Aya Brea, whith a great soundtrack to boot.
    But it's archaic design, slow pace clumsiness breaks part of the experience.

    A great game, nonetheless. Just not one of the best RPGs of an era filled with wonderful RPGs.    … Expand
  14. sebastianali
    Jul 7, 2019
    5
    Gran idea. Mala ejecucion.
    La falta de rejugabilidad, los combates tediosos y que requieren mas suerte que estrategia, el inventario limitado, subir de nivel y que los stats apenas suban y la dificultad desbalanceada hacen de parasite eve un juego muy malo.
    Encima no entiendo los encuentros aleatorios, es decir que mier... esas probabilidades al super azar!
  15. mikehettfield
    Apr 12, 2016
    10
    They just simply don't make games like this anymore, Everithing on this game is ahead of it's time, and i'm so glad i get to experience it, the sountrack, the battle system. i have no words to describe it.
  16. 7dogguy
    Feb 27, 2012
    10
    one of the best ps1 games period this is an awesome rpg the battle system is fun and you can actually dodge attacks on your own the storyline is really good and the game has an alternate ending that is sure to please
  17. SwitSwat
    Aug 3, 2015
    8
    Let me say right off the bat that this has the strangest battle mechanics of any RPG I have played to date. At first, I wasn't entirely sure if I liked it, but I got used to it. Being an RPG, I was kind of surprised to find out how the short the game is. (Took me about 8 hours to beat). But that's ok, because the storyline was solid and while I did mention that the battle system was aLet me say right off the bat that this has the strangest battle mechanics of any RPG I have played to date. At first, I wasn't entirely sure if I liked it, but I got used to it. Being an RPG, I was kind of surprised to find out how the short the game is. (Took me about 8 hours to beat). But that's ok, because the storyline was solid and while I did mention that the battle system was a little weird, it got pretty fun after a while. 8/10… Expand
  18. StaticSpine
    Dec 20, 2012
    8
    I'm not a fan of Survival Horrors, but I'm a huge RPG fan. Actually the game is pretty fun to play, the combat system is a bit chaotic at times, but pretty entertaining. I didn't like the storyline much, but the cinematics are great. The skill/inventory menus are not very convenient and at first it was not so clear how to tune weapons and distribute bonus points. Overall, the game is goodI'm not a fan of Survival Horrors, but I'm a huge RPG fan. Actually the game is pretty fun to play, the combat system is a bit chaotic at times, but pretty entertaining. I didn't like the storyline much, but the cinematics are great. The skill/inventory menus are not very convenient and at first it was not so clear how to tune weapons and distribute bonus points. Overall, the game is good even now, in 2012.… Expand
  19. miles90
    Jun 28, 2022
    10
    Amazing game, 90 to early 00' was the golden age of games and Squaresoft delivered great games. Also shame to critic reviews bombing the score after 20+ years.
  20. Sintjago
    Dec 29, 2014
    10
    Had some scary looking monsters and a good storyline. Their play on science (mitochondria), the battles, the items, the story, it was pretty cool all together. An RPG I enjoyed every minute off.
  21. MenkayGames
    Nov 26, 2015
    10
    Foi o melhor jogo da serie, melhor enredo, melhor história, muito envolvente e que me fez até querê lê o livro, fantástico. A mecânica de jogo dele trouxe um novo marco na história dos game, e foi bem recebido por isso, sem fala que ele não enjoa, quanto mais você joga mais você joga.
  22. Zakizdaman
    Sep 6, 2013
    8
    Although being a bit repetitive and difficult to master, the game definitely rewards patience and cunning with an amazing plot and a great lead-up to the sequel. Starting with the few negatives, the game is very repetitive. Being a JRPG, it's expected to have a bit of grinding here and there however it is not as bad as some other JRPG titles. Second off, the way that you find chests andAlthough being a bit repetitive and difficult to master, the game definitely rewards patience and cunning with an amazing plot and a great lead-up to the sequel. Starting with the few negatives, the game is very repetitive. Being a JRPG, it's expected to have a bit of grinding here and there however it is not as bad as some other JRPG titles. Second off, the way that you find chests and such is quite difficult. Doors and chests are blended into the environment so well that it is sometimes hard to tell what is usable and what is not. The camera system was a tad weird and some combat situations were difficult to maneuver. Once you died a couple of times though it becomes much easier. Lastly, the inventory system was a bit hard to manage, and could have had some work done on it.
    Now that that's out of the way, we can focus on the things that made this game amazing. Being a direct sequel to a novel, I feel that the game adapted very well. The few "important" characters were a bit under-developed but with the way that the game gets you tied in emotionally, that hardly becomes a problem. The cinematics were beautiful for being released 4 years after the console's debut, as well as the in-game graphics. They are easily compared to other leading titles. Overall, Square did not dissapoint. Giving the score some numbers, this what I could come up with;
    Visuals: 10
    Controls: 8
    Story: 9
    Difficulty: 8 (10 being most difficult)
    Overall: 8

    Thanks for reading!    … Expand
  23. redparadox85
    Oct 14, 2013
    10
    I wanted to play this when it came out in 1998, but I did not own a PlayStation at the time. I played this in 2003 and I must say I wish I played this when it first debuted. Its a wonderful game with awesome visuals, beautiful music, a decent battle system and one of the first RPGs with a mature story. Highly recommended
  24. tsakiym
    May 18, 2015
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I do not have to say anything. But i need to write one hundred and fifty characters. i think my score can describe it.................................… Expand
  25. Panchogul
    Jun 12, 2020
    9
    La historia es muy buena, la jugabilidad no tanto, los combates se hacen molestos y toscos y no es un juego que den ganas de jugar más de una vez ya que no ofrece gran cosa luego de haberlo terminado, pero el hecho de mezclar el género rpg con el survival horror fue un gran acierto.
  26. stgrunu
    Apr 15, 2018
    8
    This is A DEMO. A demo that I would argue and say it's better than the game it went on to be.
  27. TheObservant1
    Nov 4, 2016
    10
    Having just recently played this game again after having not played it in a few years I must say that it still holds up rather well. There are many things that Parasite Eve does right from story, characters, ost, gameplay and so forth. Even though I rather enjoyed the game and am biased towards it that doesn't mean Parasite Eve is a perfect game and it does have some minor annoyances thatHaving just recently played this game again after having not played it in a few years I must say that it still holds up rather well. There are many things that Parasite Eve does right from story, characters, ost, gameplay and so forth. Even though I rather enjoyed the game and am biased towards it that doesn't mean Parasite Eve is a perfect game and it does have some minor annoyances that will undoubtedly annoy people while playing it. There's really nothing more I can add that others haven't brought up before but I do recommend checking this game out if you haven't already.… Expand
  28. Zloyad
    Jun 15, 2022
    8
    Unfortunately, the game is obsolete. A good story, but a lot of holes. The gameplay is boring. Many of the mechanics are filler. Was one of the best games in its day. But by 2022 it's hopelessly outdated.
  29. ChrisP.
    Sep 2, 2007
    8
    A bit on the simplistic side in both gameplay and story, but overall it is fast paced and ton of fun.
  30. RobertS.
    Oct 27, 2004
    9
    One of hte best PS one games of all times.
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Awards & Rankings

15
#15 Best PS1 Game of 1998
8
#8 Most Discussed PS1 Game of 1998
9
#9 Most Shared PS1 Game of 1998

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
  1. PSM Magazine
    60
  2. Gaming Age
    92
    Parasite Eve has been one of the only RPGs since Final Fantasy 7 to genuinely deserve any kind of hype, or at least anticipation.
    Read full review
  3. Gamezilla!
    90
    It was nice to play a RPG-type game that was set in a real-world environment instead of some faraway mystical land.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »