Parasite Eve (PS1)

Words are inadequate to express just how in love I am with Parasite Eve. I picked it for my list of 13 must-have PS1 games for collectors on a budget. Parasite Eve was the subject of the longest feature I've ever written, a six-week retrospective from back when I worked at GameFan Magazine during its reboot. I spilled even more electrons over it when I picked it as a subject for my long-running "Revenge of the License" column for Retro Gaming Magazine which looks at video games based on licensed properties.

Basically, I friggin' love Parasite Eve. Why?

I answered that question in my RGM column, so I won't repeat myself here. What I will say is it has much to do with the game's art direction. Parasite Eve bills itself as a 'Cinematic RPG', and that's a perfect descriptor. The writing is top-notch, the graphics (especially the hand-modeled backgrounds) are gorgeous, and the love and care Square dumped into this game ooze from every pixel. Even the ads from the gaming press of the day are works of art:

My personal favorite has to be this two-page spread though:

"The worst foe lies within."

That pretty much says it all, doesn't it? It's a great line with a double-meaning. In game terms, the enemy is literally inside our own bodies: mutated mitochondria that, having gained sentience, have decided they're sick of being tied to humans as their hosts and are rebelling in fiery, violent ways.

But isn't that line true outside of the game too? How often do we become our own worst enemies? How many of us can honestly say we've never run ourselves down, sabotaged our own efforts, become victims of our own vices and paid the price? Far too often we are our own worst enemy. Parasite Eve has inspired me for nearly twenty years now to face down my own personal demons and rise in spite of their efforts to drag me down.

It's a shame neither sequel could live up to the magic of the original, but at least we have Aya's origin to look back on as the 21st century rolls on.

Do you love Parasite Eve as much as I do? Got a different take on my interpretation? Sound off, resteem, and let's remember the best games of our childhood together!