Parasite Eve II
Encyclopedia
is a horror
action role-playing game
for the PlayStation. The game was developed by SquareSoft and published in Japan in 1999 and in both North America and, unlike the previous game, in PAL regions in 2000. It is the sequel to the PlayStation console role-playing game Parasite Eve
and the second game in the series of the same name.
Parasite Eve II is set several years after the events in the original game. The protagonist from the first game, Aya Brea
, also features in this game as the playable character. She becomes involved with another outbreak of Mitochondrial creatures. Gameplay diverges from the previous game: battles take place in real time and the area of action is less restrictive. The approach is more typical of traditional survival horror games, although some role-playing game elements are retained.
The game was well-received by the public and achieved high reviewer scores, although it was criticised for using a control system that was seen as being outdated.
s to gain access to higher levels of Parasite Energy, the game's equivalent of magic. Other character attributes include HP (Hit Points, or health) and MP (Mitochondria Points) used to power Aya's 'Parasite Energy' abilities.
Character control is accomplished in a traditional survival horror manner: Aya is able to move forwards, backwards, and pivot left and right. Camera movement is limited, generally being confined to a single view of a room or area, and cannot be altered by the player.
Unlike Parasite Eve
, there is no Active Time Bar that governs the order of actions during a battle. Battles take place in real time, so the player is free to act as they see fit. Another contrast is the absence of the 'range dome' seen in the first game, allowing the player to shoot at off-screen targets and engage targets from a safe distance. There are also no random battles; enemies will be found wandering in plain view, hence allowing the player to avoid confrontations and plan strategies. Aiming, as with most other games of this genre, is accomplished by cycling through the various 'lockable' targets within Aya's range.
Equipment can be obtained through various methods, including finding, purchasing and 'creating' items such as body armor, weapons, ammunition and tools. Unlike most other survival horror games, ammunition is almost never in short supply. While Aya can only carry limited amounts of equipment with her, inexhaustible ammunition boxes exist in most areas and can be revisited as often as required for a top-up. This encourages the player to fight rather than run, which is essential to the gameplay as it is the only way to gain experience and thus for Aya to become powerful enough to succeed. While equipment follows the original game's concept of being customizable, in general the weapons and armor are quite limited in the alterations available. Armor, which not only reduces damage but also affects the amount Aya can carry, has the option of adding extra item slots up to a limit of ten.
The Parasite Energies are divided into four areas: the offensive Fire and Wind elements and the defensive Water and Earth elements.
Once the game has been completed, bonus items become available for the player should they choose to redo the game in Replay mode. Other modes also become available, such as Bounty Hunter and Scavenger which are more difficult for the player to complete. The most difficult mode "Nightmare" only becomes available after completing the game in Scavenger Mode.
, the protagonist of the original Parasite Eve
game, who is now an FBI
operative in their Mitochondrial Investigation and Suppression Team (MIST) being dispatched on an urgent mission in central Los Angeles
, where there have been reports of NMC sightings. The first chapter in the game puts Aya in the position of investigating the Akropolis tower where she finds a slaughtered SWAT
team and an NMC infestation. She soon discovers that the NMC's can take on human form, and eventually encounters a different type of creature; a humanoid Artificial Neo-Mitochondrial Creature (ANMC) called Golem No. 9. She encounters this ANMC three times in the game. Golem No. 9. destroys the tower, but Aya along with her colleague Rupert, who has been at the scene before she arrives, escape in a Police Helicopter.
After a brief interlude, the next chapter finds Aya in the desert town of Dryfield. It is nothing more than a truck-stop on a seldom used highway, with a motel, garage and diner but little else. Upon arriving, she finds that Dryfield too is infested with NMCs. She later encounters a survivor (Mr. Douglas) and his dog, Flint, who will act as her source of news and equipment for much of the game. She later rescues Kyle Madigan, a private investigator who claims he is on a mission similar to Aya's. He tells her about "The Shelter", a nearby underground facility that may hold the answers to the recent outbreak
of NMC's.
After spending some time in Dryfield, Aya and Kyle find an entrance to the shelter located in an abandoned mine. They part company and she proceeds to investigate the shelter alone. As Aya explores the shelter she discovers that the ANMC's are the result of genetic engineering
in an attempt to artificially create superior life-forms, and that in some way she is closely involved. The game's storyline unfolds through various animated cut scenes that appear at regular intervals when plot points are triggered; one of these reveals that the ANMC's were created from her own DNA
.
Eventually Aya discovers the game's fourth and final area, the Neo-Ark (Shambala in the Japanese version), the entrance to which is concealed in the shelter. She finds out that the Ark facility was intended to be a showcase of ANMC technology
, divided into different habitat
s, with zoo-like visitor commentaries and viewing platforms throughout the area. Habitat containment has broken down and the ANMC's are loose. This area is now infested with the creatures too. The goal in this area is for Aya to disable the power generator, which allows access to an area that could not be reached in the shelter. Returning to the shelter, and reunited with Kyle, Aya rescues a girl that has been manipulated into controlling the hostile NMC's. She also finds out that the girl, Eve, was created from her own DNA, making her, in a sense, Aya's daughter. Eve is later kidnapped by No. 9.
Returning to the shelter entrance, Aya encounters a small army of Golems, but is rescued by the US Marines
, who have been alerted by Aya's contacts at MIST. She later receives a gift from Mr. Douglas, via Flint, of supplies. She decides to use Flint to help her find Eve, giving him Eve's bear to let him track her scent. He leads her back into the shelter. Aya tracks Eve down to a room containing an enormous cocoon, to find No. 9 incorporating Eve into it. Kyle is there as well; apparently helping No. 9. Kyle eventually turns on No. 9, preventing him from placing Eve into the cocoon. After a cut scene showing a satellite weapon
being fired per the President's orders, and Dryfield being wiped off the map, Aya and Kyle find themselves separated by a hole that has penetrated all the shelter's floors. She looks down to see Eve hanging onto a piece of debris on the edge of one of the lower levels.
Eventually, the cocoon breaks open having been dislodged by the impact of the weapon, revealing the largest NMC in the game. After defeating this creature, Eve herself transforms into a very fast and powerful winged NMC that resembles Melissa Pearce-Eve's second to last form from the first game. Again Aya must fight. Once this final battle is concluded, various cut scenes are shown depending on the actions of the player during the game.
and arranged by Hiroshi Nakajima. It took Mizuta a year and a half to compose the soundtrack. He states he was given quite of a bit of freedom in his composition, and drew most of his influence from watching the game's already completed scenario. The game's music is depicted as being much more ambient
than its predecessor. The 66-track two-disc Parasite Eve II Original Soundtrack was released by DigiCube
on December 20, 1999 in Japan. The soundtrack was released in North America by Tokyopop
on September 12, 2000.
in relation to the spin-off title The 3rd Birthday
suggested that Parasite Eve 1 and 2 would be added to the PlayStation Network's game download service. On October 28 these rumors were proven to be correct, with Parasite Eve being given a November 4 release date and Parasite Eve 2 arriving 20 days after on the PlayStation Network in Japan on November 24. Parasite Eve II was released on the North American PlayStation Network on August 23rd, 2011.
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
action role-playing game
Action role-playing game
Action role-playing games form a loosely defined sub-genre of role-playing video games that incorporate elements of action or action-adventure games, emphasizing real-time action where the player has direct control over characters, instead of turn-based or menu-based combat...
for the PlayStation. The game was developed by SquareSoft and published in Japan in 1999 and in both North America and, unlike the previous game, in PAL regions in 2000. It is the sequel to the PlayStation console role-playing game Parasite Eve
Parasite Eve (video game)
is a horror action role-playing game developed by SquareSoft . The game is a sequel to the novel Parasite Eve, written by Hideaki Sena. It is the first game in the Parasite Eve series.-Gameplay:...
and the second game in the series of the same name.
Parasite Eve II is set several years after the events in the original game. The protagonist from the first game, Aya Brea
Aya Brea
Aya Brea is a player character in the Parasite Eve video games by Square.-In the Parasite Eve series:Aya Brea was born in Boston, Massachusetts on November 20, 1972. She is of mixed ethnicity: her father , who is a journalist, was of European descent, her mother was Japanese...
, also features in this game as the playable character. She becomes involved with another outbreak of Mitochondrial creatures. Gameplay diverges from the previous game: battles take place in real time and the area of action is less restrictive. The approach is more typical of traditional survival horror games, although some role-playing game elements are retained.
The game was well-received by the public and achieved high reviewer scores, although it was criticised for using a control system that was seen as being outdated.
Gameplay
Parasite Eve II is truer to the survival horror genre than its predecessor, which inserted RPG elements into the mix. The only real RPG element present in Parasite Eve II is the use of experience pointExperience point
An experience point is a unit of measurement used in many role-playing games and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's progression through the game...
s to gain access to higher levels of Parasite Energy, the game's equivalent of magic. Other character attributes include HP (Hit Points, or health) and MP (Mitochondria Points) used to power Aya's 'Parasite Energy' abilities.
Character control is accomplished in a traditional survival horror manner: Aya is able to move forwards, backwards, and pivot left and right. Camera movement is limited, generally being confined to a single view of a room or area, and cannot be altered by the player.
Unlike Parasite Eve
Parasite Eve (video game)
is a horror action role-playing game developed by SquareSoft . The game is a sequel to the novel Parasite Eve, written by Hideaki Sena. It is the first game in the Parasite Eve series.-Gameplay:...
, there is no Active Time Bar that governs the order of actions during a battle. Battles take place in real time, so the player is free to act as they see fit. Another contrast is the absence of the 'range dome' seen in the first game, allowing the player to shoot at off-screen targets and engage targets from a safe distance. There are also no random battles; enemies will be found wandering in plain view, hence allowing the player to avoid confrontations and plan strategies. Aiming, as with most other games of this genre, is accomplished by cycling through the various 'lockable' targets within Aya's range.
Equipment can be obtained through various methods, including finding, purchasing and 'creating' items such as body armor, weapons, ammunition and tools. Unlike most other survival horror games, ammunition is almost never in short supply. While Aya can only carry limited amounts of equipment with her, inexhaustible ammunition boxes exist in most areas and can be revisited as often as required for a top-up. This encourages the player to fight rather than run, which is essential to the gameplay as it is the only way to gain experience and thus for Aya to become powerful enough to succeed. While equipment follows the original game's concept of being customizable, in general the weapons and armor are quite limited in the alterations available. Armor, which not only reduces damage but also affects the amount Aya can carry, has the option of adding extra item slots up to a limit of ten.
The Parasite Energies are divided into four areas: the offensive Fire and Wind elements and the defensive Water and Earth elements.
Once the game has been completed, bonus items become available for the player should they choose to redo the game in Replay mode. Other modes also become available, such as Bounty Hunter and Scavenger which are more difficult for the player to complete. The most difficult mode "Nightmare" only becomes available after completing the game in Scavenger Mode.
Plot
The game opens to reveal Aya BreaAya Brea
Aya Brea is a player character in the Parasite Eve video games by Square.-In the Parasite Eve series:Aya Brea was born in Boston, Massachusetts on November 20, 1972. She is of mixed ethnicity: her father , who is a journalist, was of European descent, her mother was Japanese...
, the protagonist of the original Parasite Eve
Parasite Eve (video game)
is a horror action role-playing game developed by SquareSoft . The game is a sequel to the novel Parasite Eve, written by Hideaki Sena. It is the first game in the Parasite Eve series.-Gameplay:...
game, who is now an FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
operative in their Mitochondrial Investigation and Suppression Team (MIST) being dispatched on an urgent mission in central Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, where there have been reports of NMC sightings. The first chapter in the game puts Aya in the position of investigating the Akropolis tower where she finds a slaughtered SWAT
SWAT
A SWAT team is an elite tactical unit in various national law enforcement departments. They are trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers...
team and an NMC infestation. She soon discovers that the NMC's can take on human form, and eventually encounters a different type of creature; a humanoid Artificial Neo-Mitochondrial Creature (ANMC) called Golem No. 9. She encounters this ANMC three times in the game. Golem No. 9. destroys the tower, but Aya along with her colleague Rupert, who has been at the scene before she arrives, escape in a Police Helicopter.
After a brief interlude, the next chapter finds Aya in the desert town of Dryfield. It is nothing more than a truck-stop on a seldom used highway, with a motel, garage and diner but little else. Upon arriving, she finds that Dryfield too is infested with NMCs. She later encounters a survivor (Mr. Douglas) and his dog, Flint, who will act as her source of news and equipment for much of the game. She later rescues Kyle Madigan, a private investigator who claims he is on a mission similar to Aya's. He tells her about "The Shelter", a nearby underground facility that may hold the answers to the recent outbreak
Outbreak
Outbreak is a term used in epidemiology to describe an occurrence of disease greater than would otherwise be expected at a particular time and place. It may affect a small and localized group or impact upon thousands of people across an entire continent. Two linked cases of a rare infectious...
of NMC's.
After spending some time in Dryfield, Aya and Kyle find an entrance to the shelter located in an abandoned mine. They part company and she proceeds to investigate the shelter alone. As Aya explores the shelter she discovers that the ANMC's are the result of genetic engineering
Genetic engineering
Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification, is the direct human manipulation of an organism's genome using modern DNA technology. It involves the introduction of foreign DNA or synthetic genes into the organism of interest...
in an attempt to artificially create superior life-forms, and that in some way she is closely involved. The game's storyline unfolds through various animated cut scenes that appear at regular intervals when plot points are triggered; one of these reveals that the ANMC's were created from her own DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
.
Eventually Aya discovers the game's fourth and final area, the Neo-Ark (Shambala in the Japanese version), the entrance to which is concealed in the shelter. She finds out that the Ark facility was intended to be a showcase of ANMC technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
, divided into different habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s, with zoo-like visitor commentaries and viewing platforms throughout the area. Habitat containment has broken down and the ANMC's are loose. This area is now infested with the creatures too. The goal in this area is for Aya to disable the power generator, which allows access to an area that could not be reached in the shelter. Returning to the shelter, and reunited with Kyle, Aya rescues a girl that has been manipulated into controlling the hostile NMC's. She also finds out that the girl, Eve, was created from her own DNA, making her, in a sense, Aya's daughter. Eve is later kidnapped by No. 9.
Returning to the shelter entrance, Aya encounters a small army of Golems, but is rescued by the US Marines
U.S. Marine Corps Squad Advanced Marksman Rifle
The Squad Advanced Marksman Rifle is a semi-automatic rifle developed by and in service with the United States Marine Corps. It gives Marines the capability to provide precision fire in support of the rifle squad, providing precision fire in support of an assault, and aid in observation and...
, who have been alerted by Aya's contacts at MIST. She later receives a gift from Mr. Douglas, via Flint, of supplies. She decides to use Flint to help her find Eve, giving him Eve's bear to let him track her scent. He leads her back into the shelter. Aya tracks Eve down to a room containing an enormous cocoon, to find No. 9 incorporating Eve into it. Kyle is there as well; apparently helping No. 9. Kyle eventually turns on No. 9, preventing him from placing Eve into the cocoon. After a cut scene showing a satellite weapon
Space weapon
Space weapons are weapons used in space warfare. They include weapons that can attack space systems in orbit , attack targets on the earth from space or disable missiles travelling through space...
being fired per the President's orders, and Dryfield being wiped off the map, Aya and Kyle find themselves separated by a hole that has penetrated all the shelter's floors. She looks down to see Eve hanging onto a piece of debris on the edge of one of the lower levels.
Eventually, the cocoon breaks open having been dislodged by the impact of the weapon, revealing the largest NMC in the game. After defeating this creature, Eve herself transforms into a very fast and powerful winged NMC that resembles Melissa Pearce-Eve's second to last form from the first game. Again Aya must fight. Once this final battle is concluded, various cut scenes are shown depending on the actions of the player during the game.
Audio
The score for Parasite Eve II was composed by Naoshi MizutaNaoshi Mizuta
is a Japanese video game composer and musician. He is best known for his work on Final Fantasy XI , but has also composed music for Mega Man & Bass, Street Fighter Alpha, and Parasite Eve II...
and arranged by Hiroshi Nakajima. It took Mizuta a year and a half to compose the soundtrack. He states he was given quite of a bit of freedom in his composition, and drew most of his influence from watching the game's already completed scenario. The game's music is depicted as being much more ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
than its predecessor. The 66-track two-disc Parasite Eve II Original Soundtrack was released by DigiCube
DigiCube
DigiCube Co., Ltd. was a Japanese company established as a subsidiary of software developer Square on February 6, 1996 and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The primary purpose of DigiCube was to market and distribute Square products, most notably video games and related merchandise, including toys,...
on December 20, 1999 in Japan. The soundtrack was released in North America by Tokyopop
Tokyopop
Tokyopop, styled TOKYOPOP, and formerly known as Mixx, is a distributor, licensor, and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa, and Western manga-style works. The existing German publishing division produces German translations of licensed Japanese properties and original English-language manga, as well...
on September 12, 2000.
| Parasite Eve II Original Soundtrack tracklist | |
|---|---|
Disc 1 (71:58)
|
Disc 2 (76:45)
|
Reception
Like its predecessor, Parasite Eve II broke the one million unit sales mark by February 2004, with 0.43 million sold in Japan and 0.66 million sold in the rest of the world. Also like Parasite Eve, it was re-released in North America under Sony's Greatest Hits label. In late 2000, the game was re-released as part of the Square Millennium Collection along with a figure of Aya and a portrait of her character model, Yumiko Shaku. The game was re-released as part of the PSOne Books best-seller line by Sony in 2002.Re-Release
In early September 2010, posts made on TwitterTwitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
in relation to the spin-off title The 3rd Birthday
The 3rd Birthday
is an action role-playing game develpoed HexaDrive and published by Square Enix. The game was made for the PlayStation Portable and marks the third entry in the Parasite Eve series...
suggested that Parasite Eve 1 and 2 would be added to the PlayStation Network's game download service. On October 28 these rumors were proven to be correct, with Parasite Eve being given a November 4 release date and Parasite Eve 2 arriving 20 days after on the PlayStation Network in Japan on November 24. Parasite Eve II was released on the North American PlayStation Network on August 23rd, 2011.