A buddy of mine is an RE fan. We used to play all kinds of survival horror games back in the day as kids. I brought up Parasite Eve and hes like "Which game??" He had completely forgotten about the game. So i finally got my hands on the game and put it on the ps3 (the ps3 can play ps1 games) and he was like "Dude I remember this game, what's it called again?" I was like "Parasite Eve" and that shit clicked so hard he almost had an aneurysm
Same! Never owned the full game, but there was a FMV teaser on a ps1 demo disc. Never played the actual game, but found it so haunting that it left a lasting impression.
The flavor text was probably the best part about this game. Walking around a room while continously pressing X has never been so much fun. Im not kidding, that text is funny and it gives you some inside about Aya.
Even the game's music is a one-of-a-kind, never-revisited sort of gem. Shimomura talks about stepping out of her organic writing process for this game and intentionally making something pensive and eerie, with a twist of Western 90s club music. Following her discography is rewarding, but it scarcely ever revisits this haunting, thoughtful downtempo electronica. This mood perfectly matched the game's mechanics too: shrewd weapon personalization and effective management of time and space made Aya into the kind of hero who stands against and slays horror, rather than escaping and surviving it: her wits in battle and in the tool shop show the power of calm, clear thought in the face of monstrosity.
The cinematic with the dog in the police station kept me up for a week. It was so bad I wound up losing my playstation time because I Kept my stepmom up with my nightmares haha. Good game.
I find that scene with Sheeva being mutated by Eve to be tragic and heartbreaking to me. However, the scene where the people at the concert in Central Park was disturbing and creepy. I had nightmares about it and it was just scary. Stranger Things took a page out of Parasite Eve and along with other scenes and factors.
That opening opera cinematic blew my mind at age 13. I loved this game. If any original PE fans still haven't played Transistor, I highly recommend it. It's not a horror game, but the gameplay is basically a modern evolution of PE.
I have NEVER forgotten about Parasite Eve. Something about it captured me upon release, and it is STILL one of my all-time favorites. Right up there with Silent Hill. So glad u made this vdeo
This game was awesome as fuck. The soundtrack was badass, the aesthetic was nostalgic and cozy yet unsettling, the gameplay was fun... I'd like to see Square make a new horror game of some sort. New York never looked so good on the PSX, in my opinion.
I've said for years that Parasite Eve is one of the best games ever made, certainly one of the absolute best games on the PS1. Its only flaw is that there's not enough of it. It really is a masterpiece.
today my dad went through our living closet for the first time in 10+ years, and found his never played 1998 collectors edition parasite eve and gave it to me. one of my coolest random gifts ever
From what I understand: they can't do anything with the series. After PE 2, the owner of the IP pulled the licence. That's why the third game is just called "the third birthday" (PSP) and bears little to no resemblance to the source material.
Yeah. Its a sad sad thing. Aya Brea is one of my favorite female protagonists ever. She was a strong female lead long before the fabricated lie that there wern't any strong female leads in gaming.
I remember playing this as a child. The intro had me thinking what the hell am I playing. Then at the rat encounter I quit because I was so terrified lol. But then I played through it and it will always be my favorite game.
I love my PS4 but I wish I could find a PS1 (I'm actually trying to find one) there are many games I wish to replay and many others that scaped my hands at that time 7u7
I saw some gaming shops selling mint condition PS1 consoles and even a couple of GameCubes, but the prices neared the ridiculous. If only newer game consoles would let you play old games, you could play PS1 games on the PS2 and even the PS3 would let you play an older game if you had a password (my ex managed this somehow).
Bernard Bernard that one is called "the 3rd birthday." It's... Interesting. I don't know too much about it, but I've heard it's not even really a Parasite Eve, just a spiritual successor.
I have a copy of the 3rd birthday, it's nothing like the first two games. It has a completely different style more like a shoot em up, it's fun though :)
The book also received a film adaptation. My teenage self didn't know about the book and was hoping the movie was going to more closely follow the game, but I still ended up enjoying it for it's deep themes.
Hearing you talk about how gaming used to be, how many risks Square used to take really makes me depressed nowadays because it makes me long for those days again. FF15, their flagship, was released as a half-baked game that they keep adding DLC on. Great video, Parasite Eve was such a great game!
It was great when it was still Squaresoft! I remember so many good games that i used to enjoy on the PS1 in spite of the graphics that pale in comparison to today's consoles. And besides, FF XV was a disaster, didn't like the story, nor the soundtrack and more so the characters
This game was one of my all time favorites from my childhood. I believe the team behind it left square to pursue projects like Koudelka and Shadow Hearts (another series I'm crushed about having died out).
Actually got this on Christmas, along with Megaman Legends. Still have it too. Never even realized there was a "true ending" Now i gotta brush off the dust of my playstation and play this again. lol
You used my Gameplay. I'm happy you did :) I did the best I could on that Walkthrough. I'm not finished with the Chrysler Building at this time but will be soon. Great Video! I used ePSXe to play and OBS to record.
Parasite Eve's such a wonderfully weird game. The main characters are likable, smart, and well-written. The story's over the top in the most enjoyable way possible. There's too many influences in this game to list them all, but it's like a mixture of The Thing, X-Files, and '90s sci-fi action movie motifs. The art design for the main antagonist is a blend of body horror and distinct Japanese flare. The soundtrack holds up after all these years, and worth tracking down. To this day Parasite Eve's the only Square game I could ever get into, and as RagnarRox pointed out, a great game for people not into RPGs.
Parasite Eve is hands down one of my favourites OF ALL TIME and probably my favorite game EVER on the PS1,it always amazed me with its design in general and history,tho i'm brazilian and didn't knew that much of english back then,was even hard to progress on the game but once i came back for it and knew what was going on my love for this only got bigger,too bad that Square lives pretty much only on Final Fantasy games nowadays,watching Aya making a comeback from the grave would be amazing just as watching many other forgotten gems making their comeback.
I don't think this is truly a "forgotten" gem. I've seen loads of people talking about this game. Now think how many times you've heard about a game slightly similar in nature: Homeworld Cataclysm. THIS is what a forgotten gem looks like.
ugh yes. i remember getting a few of my classmates into this game in elementary school when it came out, and one of their moms got really pissed with me because he started having nightmares and he blamed this game.
Had a similar story, but on the Resident Evil games. Got popular among friends, got blamed when one starts having nightmares. But it really gives in the perspective of how these level of graphics was a big deal back then, to the point of giving kids nightmares, even if kids of today will just laugh it off as ugly.
i totally agree. back then, this was super innovative and everyone thought they looked super real. i remember playing through the third tomb raider and being amazed at how they had textured the rocks in the jungle. i never got any nightmares from scary games, though. maybe i was the most desensitized in my class. xD
This game really holds a special place in my heart. It's my favorite RPG game of all time. To the amazing OST to the combat & weapon building, it's just incredible. I love all 3 games, though PE3 i really only enjoy because of the gameplay & OST exclusively. Parasite Eve is a special one for me. & It would be the best if Square gave this series a new fresh start. I really think it deserves it for how epic this game actually can be, taking a cell and making it something truly out of our grasp & power. I love it XD
I just wanted to say that you sir as a RUclipsr are a gem. Very few channels pour so much dedication on to their videos . I just hope you never become a forgotten gem.
I figured it was just a matter of time until this game showed up in the series. It was an unexpected impulse buy for me as a teenager, and I still remember as "one of the good ones" 20 years later.
I cannot thank you enough for covering this game. My mother bought this when it came out and it's one of my favorite video game childhood memories to recall watching her play, up there with FFVII, the original REs, and Silent Hill. Best Survival Horror Christmas game out there, and I hope Square goes back to it one day.
Why are the old games so good? Because it's always a risk to make a game and have it BOMB on release, since only a few people really knew how to design games. Nowadays, we already got the program (think unity engine / fox engine / crysis engine etc.) to spam the market with half assed story with similar gameplay designs. And guess what, it's okay to have half-assed stories because you can always charge a $20 DLC on top a full game costing $60 and loot boxes. It's just a shame that the mass majority of people have already been "trained" to buy shitty games for $60, when you compare that gems like these used to exist.
M-T i remember when we could buy a game, and that was it, no microtransactions, but games are flooded with them today and hordes of casuals/corporate sympathisers actually try defending anti consumer business practices which hold back the potential of new games which are being destroyed by corporate greed.
The main thing is that gaming became too commercial - when I was about 10 (I'm 31 now) it was still very niche, kids my age had games but it was rare for people in their late teens and early 20s to be gamers, so games were developed for nerds/generally intelligent gaming-people - which meant they had to be complex and deep to be satisfying and to sell well. Now the target audience isn't nerds, it's Casuals (tm), so the complexity is completely dissolved and replaced with flashy visuals and addictive but simple gameplay loops that don't demand much in the way of thought or attention. The audience has changed and games have changed with it, sadly - probably forever, outside of indie games.
Parasite Eve is one PS1 and Square game I regret not getting into. I think I was just too young to enjoy it at the time. I never got into Resident Evil either but I played every Final Fantasy title.
I love how you read your patrons names. You can pronounce all those names from all around the world without any mistakes (I think), and that is very impressive.
Brooooo Finally I've been suggesting this one for quit a bit now but I'm sooooo exited now that you have finally talk about such a magnificent work of art actually you have done 2 of my favorites games (this one and Vagrant History) only one more that i really would like you to talk about, Koudelka, i still enjoy every single vid you have made (ever) keep the good work men i really appreciated.
The rat mutating has been a thing in my mind for decades now. This game came out when I was seven and I would watch my brother play this game and we would do the voices of the characters. Loved this game.
I swear, Parasite Eve is practically a masterpiece. I pray and hope that one day, Square will remake the game. Updated graphics, better and more impressive viscera and gore, and FIX AYA'S MOVEMENT SPEED! I can't begin to count the number of times I took cheap damage because Aya moves so slowly without Haste! But seriously, I want the remake to have the same feel as the original, with horror and tension, with good character development and motivation. Voice acting? I could take it or leave it, but in the current game market, you'd be hard-pressed to find a 3D game that doesn't have voice acting.
They cant. The original IP holders pulled Squares right to use the name and setting. So while they can put the originals back out on different platforms they cant make new ones or remake the ones that exist and use the Parasite Eve name. Thats the reason the 3rd Birthday has so little in common with the first two. Because the only things Square could use after losing the IP was the characters they created.
Glad you cover the first parasite eve, most of people remember the sequel but i really love how different are one game from another, two pieces of one of the best sagas for the ps1
I always saw this game when I was younger in PlayStation magazine and the like but never thought about it much. I was intrigued by the horror themes of it, and now that I’m older and you’ve reminded me of the game I might just pick it up. Thanks for making it a little less forgotten by a gem nonetheless. ;)
I NEVER forgot Parasite Eve. I have been thinking up one continuous fanfiction for it in my head since I was 9, I'm 32 now. This game changed my life, in a big way. It's inspired me as a person, my tastes in music, games, all kinds of things, I even wanted to name my daughter after Aya. Aya is my role model. She's kind and compassionate, strong, the ultimate super hero. This game is one of the greatest loves of my life.
I love this series! You should make videos of Undying and Nocturne as they are truly forgotten gems. Or one of my early fav horror games, Echo Night! there are soooo many stuff that can be talked about! If you wish, i can help produce video for them
I actually went through the trouble of making a US PlayStation Account and buying a 25$ PlayStation Network Card from a german vendor based in New York just so I could dl this game from the american Playstore onto my EU PS3 :) worth the trouble.
Your video is awesome! This is actually the very first PS1 game that I played when it was first released. I was amazed at how immersive this game was at the time! I played it from beginning to end so many times that I eventually managed to complete the "end" of the game at the top of the chrysler building. Thanks for the nostalgic acknowledgement of it!
And you sound like a fucktard who has nothing better to do than to look for keyboard fights on the internet. Had no idea that giving someone a compliment is something bad these days.
It's fine to not like the narrator's voice, but that comment about having lupus was totally uncalled for. Nobody asked to be born with that disease and all the more reason not to make fun of those with it.
This game changed my life in ways I can't even describe. Everyday it still effects me and everyday I think of aya brea. Best game ever priceless treasure.
Great video! Parasite Eve is one of my favorite games. So much so that I couldn't even get into the second one because they took out the combat system (one of my favorites in the business) and turned the game into a Resident Evil clone. I haven't even tried 3rd Birthday. This game would make a great episode of Blast From The Past as well.
Dude, PE2 is a masterpiece. Instead of a RPG with horror elements it's a horror game with RPG elements and it works just as much. Dont bother with 3rd Birthday tho... they didnt have the license anymore by the time it was made so it bears no resemblance to its predecessors.
RagnarRox OMG yes, I tried it on Steam and I was completely lost (I'm French and it was never translated in my langage) but the amosphere, story and concept were so appealing. I don't care about clunky gameplay. I also heard about a Kickstarter remake but as for now it's seams rather dead :/
It's actually "Hideaki" (not "Hidetaki") but, other than that tiny thing, it's great that you've made such a thorough review of a truly amazing, interesting game. I played Parasite Eve with my older cousin about 2 decades ago and I bought the novel by Sena about 2 years ago! Truly an underrated series of stories. So, keep spreading the good stuff about the Parasite Eve series, everyone!
i've been playing it, the level design is horrid, the mech combat boring, the story (I'm still on disc 1) is interesting showing hints of greatness but its o far just alright. And yet I keep playing on, and on. I hope the story on disc 2 makes up for it.
*_"Could you make a video on Xenogears, Rag?"_* I second that. *_"the mech combat boring"_* If you are just mashing X during those fight, sure. The mech battle tho are as deep as the On-Foot combat if you learn the intricacies (specially since they are linked)... and you'll have to for disc 2 or else you gonna have a bad time. Specially once they use Elements you are weak to, Fuel Draining technique and Status Effects. *_"the level design is horrid"_* Blame Final Fantasy 7. Xenogears was always a pet project from the producer and his wife (which I think was one of the main forces behind the SNES/SFamicom Final Fantasy but don't quote me on this). Thing is, they were also producing Final Fantasy 7 at the same time so during the project, they kept on pulling staff from Xeno to put on FF7. It's why a few dungeons use repeating asset or, and this is the part that enrage me, have a few others cut in disc two (since it was supposed to be a three disc affair). It's really sad considering that Xeno has a better and deeper story than the mess we have as Final Fantasy 7. Still, if you like the story (and get to disc 2 to learn you are playing the [Spoiler] of the story), you might want look for Xenogears Perfect Works. It's a bible/concept art book describing not only the world and concept but also describing a lot of past even that, since meeting Citan for the first time during the first 20 min, has been alluded to or referenced. It's for when you complete the game.
So glad u made this video.this game means so much to my childhood.me and a friend used to go back and forth talking about the science behind this game.mind u,we were only like 9 or 10.this game is what taught me about mitochondria,mitosis,and about DNA in general,not school.even watching the movie years later,I understood what kunihiko was talking about in the game.if they can remake resident evil 2,this needs an urgent remake asap.especially with square enix graphics now,wheww could u imagine.
I have the albums, the guide books, the original games with their cases, the book, and I still play both Parasite Eve one and two regularly. Glad to see this game get some love ❤️
One of my all time favorite games and probably the one game I played the most growing up but is so clearly forgotten about by so many and even more people never knew it existed. It remains to this day one of the most intelligent games ever made. As you pointed out it is probably the most ripe classic in the modern landscape of shorter time commitments for a possible sleeper scenario if it were ever rereleased to more modern consules (or smart phones) with even the slightest hint of ad promotion it could potentially fly off the digital shelves. I whole heartedly enjoyed ypur video even teaching me something I overlooked growing up, mostly due to age of course. Awesome Vid!!
I've heard of this when I saw an alternate costume for Lightning in FFXIII; just got reminded of it again, and now I want to see more thanks to your vid. Very interesting. Thanks for showing this to the world! Also: Tenchu #GemSuggestions
Ragnar, outstanding work! Man, just when I think your work can’t get any more excellent, you go and do a video like this (the last one like it was Soul Reaver). Loved this game, was so good, especially way back when I was an early PS1 player. Can’t quite explain it, but it was an amazing charm and draw to it and really mixed up it in the genre department. The sequel was so-so and I heard 3rd birthday was pretty out there. Would love it if this series got some modern-day love. Anyway, superb work!
This is one of my favorite old games. Compleating both the first and second games was great. And I didn't know there was a novel based before the games! Or a 'true ending'! Thank you!
Love this series. Also, you're the only one who makes me stay to listen to the Patreon supporters list. I hope Tiago Pereira Dos Santos Silva is your patron forever.
I will never forget the very first time I heard the intro song (Primal Eyes), it was the intro video in a Demo Disc that came with the first PlayStation. God, I love this game. I played dozens of hours of PE while listening to Vanessa Mae violin songs. One of the best matches ever. I still have to beat the frigging Chrysler Building.
"A cinematic RPG." That's what drew me to this game in 2000 when I bought it. I had just gotten a promotion at work, and had my first actual weekend off in 2 years. This is how I celebrated. I thought I would be playing it for a while. It sucked me in so fast, I played the whole game through in one night. Well, one night, and part of the following day, but I was used to doing that after spending so much time on the night shift. I only stopped for the bathroom twice, and to get the Domino's delivery when the door bell rang. Several times throughout the night, I kept telling myself, "Next save, I'm going to bed." I couldn't do it. I had to see what was next.
One of my most favorite games. Got extra credit in biology class for 1st person to use a video game as a visual aid on my presentation about mitochondria as I did trivia with the class in the museum.
I borrowed this from a friend not really knowing anything about it other than him telling me it was like Resident Evil the RPG. I did like the game a lot and played through it fairly quickly but I think I was too young to really appreciate it. There's not too many games out there that really feature the weird transformative gore this game has, even when compared to the strangeness present in other survival horror. It would be interesting to see a sequel, remake or spiritual successor to this series using today's technology.
I live in Europe, so we haven't been blessed with Parasite Eve (and some other great games, such as Valkyrie Profile for example). Still, I had the chance to play PE, thanks to a modified console. And... even today, I still consider it as one of the most important game to me (and I think it's also the game I replayed the most - my weapon can one-shot absolutely everything now XD ). The ambiance, the simple yet gratifying gameplay, the characters... (I'm not ashamed to say that Aya was my first "virtual" crush XD ) And let's not forget the incredible soundtrack of Yoko Shimonura (more known nowadays for her work on the Kingdom Hearts series and FFXV)
Anyone who talks about about the greatness that is the first Parasite Eve gets a an instant like in my book!😁👍
A buddy of mine is an RE fan. We used to play all kinds of survival horror games back in the day as kids.
I brought up Parasite Eve and hes like "Which game??"
He had completely forgotten about the game. So i finally got my hands on the game and put it on the ps3 (the ps3 can play ps1 games) and he was like "Dude I remember this game, what's it called again?"
I was like "Parasite Eve" and that shit clicked so hard he almost had an aneurysm
Parasite Eve is a game I never played as a kid but still have a strong nostalgia feel for it for some reason, it's odd but I love it
Same! Never owned the full game, but there was a FMV teaser on a ps1 demo disc. Never played the actual game, but found it so haunting that it left a lasting impression.
You guys should definitely play the game, it's amazing! Highly recommend if you ever end up getting a copy.
Indie! What you doing here? Who's watching sally!?
Only 3 replies on this comment (4 if you count mine)?
*THERE SHOULD BE HUNDREDS OF REPLIES.*
I’m dying to see your play through Indeimaus !!! 😊
Aya Brea one of the best survival-horror protagonists.
skornie123 hell yeah
If Hollywood was capable of making decent movies based on games id give my left arm for a PE movie
No one tops Henry from Silent Hill 4
I like her appearance from PE1 and her personality from PE2. The sequel had some great flavor text.
The flavor text was probably the best part about this game. Walking around a room while continously pressing X has never been so much fun. Im not kidding, that text is funny and it gives you some inside about Aya.
Even the game's music is a one-of-a-kind, never-revisited sort of gem. Shimomura talks about stepping out of her organic writing process for this game and intentionally making something pensive and eerie, with a twist of Western 90s club music. Following her discography is rewarding, but it scarcely ever revisits this haunting, thoughtful downtempo electronica.
This mood perfectly matched the game's mechanics too: shrewd weapon personalization and effective management of time and space made Aya into the kind of hero who stands against and slays horror, rather than escaping and surviving it: her wits in battle and in the tool shop show the power of calm, clear thought in the face of monstrosity.
The cinematic with the dog in the police station kept me up for a week. It was so bad I wound up losing my playstation time because I Kept my stepmom up with my nightmares haha. Good game.
The rat got me.
That FMV was _so good._ Even by modern standards it's terrifying.
Poor Shiva.
I find that scene with Sheeva being mutated by Eve to be tragic and heartbreaking to me. However, the scene where the people at the concert in Central Park was disturbing and creepy. I had nightmares about it and it was just scary. Stranger Things took a page out of Parasite Eve and along with other scenes and factors.
That opening opera cinematic blew my mind at age 13. I loved this game.
If any original PE fans still haven't played Transistor, I highly recommend it. It's not a horror game, but the gameplay is basically a modern evolution of PE.
That explains why I liked transistor and the battle system felt familiar 🤔
I have NEVER forgotten about Parasite Eve. Something about it captured me upon release, and it is STILL one of my all-time favorites. Right up there with Silent Hill. So glad u made this vdeo
This story has been with me since I first played it. Even did a essay on Mitochondria in science class because of it.
This game was awesome as fuck. The soundtrack was badass, the aesthetic was nostalgic and cozy yet unsettling, the gameplay was fun... I'd like to see Square make a new horror game of some sort. New York never looked so good on the PSX, in my opinion.
I really need a remake/remaster of this game. Seriously. It was super great. I still listen to the amazing OST. :)
Pyun Pyun Femme Fatales and Primal Eyes are two of my favorite tracks of all time. Out of phase is soooooo moody, too
What is ost?
@@elcesar999 Originally Sound Track
The Third Birthday was on PSP.
@@AchiragChiragg thansk
I've said for years that Parasite Eve is one of the best games ever made, certainly one of the absolute best games on the PS1. Its only flaw is that there's not enough of it. It really is a masterpiece.
This game was absolutely great. Sadly, I was too young to even finish it.
Simte Well you can do it now 😉
Same for me, i can easily finish PE 2 but i somehow cant connect with PE 1 for some reason.
pcsx2 emulator is all u need
I always wondered how my bro was able to contain the body horror. It frightened me when I was about 10
Simte finish it brooo, its a bit of a grind but its an absolute masterpiece. Worth every minute
today my dad went through our living closet for the first time in 10+ years, and found his never played 1998 collectors edition parasite eve and gave it to me. one of my coolest random gifts ever
I have, and always will, love your forgotten gems series, great stuff man!
From what I understand: they can't do anything with the series. After PE 2, the owner of the IP pulled the licence. That's why the third game is just called "the third birthday" (PSP) and bears little to no resemblance to the source material.
Mud Mathis Thank you dude, I was gonna say something like that.
Interesting, i didnt even know that.. also, its sad that theres no next-gen Parasite Eve.. i mean a remake of PE1 would be great.
would love to see an reboot or a cross over with RE
Send assassins to the owner of the license (author of the book)?..
Yeah. Its a sad sad thing. Aya Brea is one of my favorite female protagonists ever. She was a strong female lead long before the fabricated lie that there wern't any strong female leads in gaming.
I remember playing this as a child. The intro had me thinking what the hell am I playing. Then at the rat encounter I quit because I was so terrified lol. But then I played through it and it will always be my favorite game.
God I miss the PS1 era...
Same. A very underappreciated console generation and a great time for pop culture happening simultaneously. Didn't know how good we had it.
I love my PS4 but I wish I could find a PS1 (I'm actually trying to find one) there are many games I wish to replay and many others that scaped my hands at that time 7u7
The golden era of gaming.
ps1 era was def one of the best
I saw some gaming shops selling mint condition PS1 consoles and even a couple of GameCubes, but the prices neared the ridiculous. If only newer game consoles would let you play old games, you could play PS1 games on the PS2 and even the PS3 would let you play an older game if you had a password (my ex managed this somehow).
I always hoped for this title to either be remastered or had an hd remake
Avarith On PSP there is a Parasyte Eve game. Maybe he is a remake.
Bernard Bernard that one is called "the 3rd birthday." It's... Interesting. I don't know too much about it, but I've heard it's not even really a Parasite Eve, just a spiritual successor.
Yeah i heard spiritual successor and other terms but never remake/remaster
I dont know if you can still get it but they had it on the ps3 playstation store
I have a copy of the 3rd birthday, it's nothing like the first two games. It has a completely different style more like a shoot em up, it's fun though :)
The book also received a film adaptation. My teenage self didn't know about the book and was hoping the movie was going to more closely follow the game, but I still ended up enjoying it for it's deep themes.
Justin Land Same, I thought it started from the film itself. Kinda wish I'd see a more majestic monster-form in the movie.
Parasite Eve scared the hell out of me when I was a kid. I still remember fondly how the zoo was my mortal enemy
Hearing you talk about how gaming used to be, how many risks Square used to take really makes me depressed nowadays because it makes me long for those days again. FF15, their flagship, was released as a half-baked game that they keep adding DLC on. Great video, Parasite Eve was such a great game!
It was great when it was still Squaresoft! I remember so many good games that i used to enjoy on the PS1 in spite of the graphics that pale in comparison to today's consoles. And besides, FF XV was a disaster, didn't like the story, nor the soundtrack and more so the characters
Yooooo I haven’t seen the video yet but you don’t understand how long I waited for this forgotten gems.
This game was one of my all time favorites from my childhood.
I believe the team behind it left square to pursue projects like Koudelka and Shadow Hearts (another series I'm crushed about having died out).
Actually got this on Christmas, along with Megaman Legends.
Still have it too.
Never even realized there was a "true ending"
Now i gotta brush off the dust of my playstation and play this again. lol
Megaman Legends!! The Apple Market song still brings me back to those golden days~
That junk shop guy inspired me to never clean up my apartment
Its better on the dreamcast but yes its good!
@@daoyang223 It doesn’t exist on Dreamcast.
You used my Gameplay. I'm happy you did :) I did the best I could on that Walkthrough. I'm not finished with the Chrysler Building at this time but will be soon. Great Video! I used ePSXe to play and OBS to record.
Still playing this game till today on my Vita :)
Parasite Eve's such a wonderfully weird game. The main characters are likable, smart, and well-written. The story's over the top in the most enjoyable way possible. There's too many influences in this game to list them all, but it's like a mixture of The Thing, X-Files, and '90s sci-fi action movie motifs. The art design for the main antagonist is a blend of body horror and distinct Japanese flare. The soundtrack holds up after all these years, and worth tracking down. To this day Parasite Eve's the only Square game I could ever get into, and as RagnarRox pointed out, a great game for people not into RPGs.
Parasite Eve is hands down one of my favourites OF ALL TIME and probably my favorite game EVER on the PS1,it always amazed me with its design in general and history,tho i'm brazilian and didn't knew that much of english back then,was even hard to progress on the game but once i came back for it and knew what was going on my love for this only got bigger,too bad that Square lives pretty much only on Final Fantasy games nowadays,watching Aya making a comeback from the grave would be amazing just as watching many other forgotten gems making their comeback.
Same! One of my favorite games of all time, I say. Fantastic work of art.
I don't think this is truly a "forgotten" gem. I've seen loads of people talking about this game. Now think how many times you've heard about a game slightly similar in nature: Homeworld Cataclysm. THIS is what a forgotten gem looks like.
ugh yes. i remember getting a few of my classmates into this game in elementary school when it came out, and one of their moms got really pissed with me because he started having nightmares and he blamed this game.
Had a similar story, but on the Resident Evil games. Got popular among friends, got blamed when one starts having nightmares.
But it really gives in the perspective of how these level of graphics was a big deal back then, to the point of giving kids nightmares, even if kids of today will just laugh it off as ugly.
i totally agree. back then, this was super innovative and everyone thought they looked super real. i remember playing through the third tomb raider and being amazed at how they had textured the rocks in the jungle. i never got any nightmares from scary games, though. maybe i was the most desensitized in my class. xD
sooooo glad this game gets some love on your channel!
i love this game, i will never forget U.B'.s theme with the incedible chorus.
thank you, Rag!
This game really holds a special place in my heart. It's my favorite RPG game of all time. To the amazing OST to the combat & weapon building, it's just incredible. I love all 3 games, though PE3 i really only enjoy because of the gameplay & OST exclusively.
Parasite Eve is a special one for me. & It would be the best if Square gave this series a new fresh start.
I really think it deserves it for how epic this game actually can be, taking a cell and making it something truly out of our grasp & power. I love it XD
I just wanted to say that you sir as a RUclipsr are a gem. Very few channels pour so much dedication on to their videos . I just hope you never become a forgotten gem.
I figured it was just a matter of time until this game showed up in the series. It was an unexpected impulse buy for me as a teenager, and I still remember as "one of the good ones" 20 years later.
I cannot thank you enough for covering this game. My mother bought this when it came out and it's one of my favorite video game childhood memories to recall watching her play, up there with FFVII, the original REs, and Silent Hill. Best Survival Horror Christmas game out there, and I hope Square goes back to it one day.
This game was huge back in the day. Great music.
Honestly the old school cgi really makes the transformation scenes way creepier
Why are the old games so good? Because it's always a risk to make a game and have it BOMB on release, since only a few people really knew how to design games.
Nowadays, we already got the program (think unity engine / fox engine / crysis engine etc.) to spam the market with half assed story with similar gameplay designs. And guess what, it's okay to have half-assed stories because you can always charge a $20 DLC on top a full game costing $60 and loot boxes.
It's just a shame that the mass majority of people have already been "trained" to buy shitty games for $60, when you compare that gems like these used to exist.
M-T i remember when we could buy a game, and that was it, no microtransactions, but games are flooded with them today and hordes of casuals/corporate sympathisers actually try defending anti consumer business practices which hold back the potential of new games which are being destroyed by corporate greed.
The main thing is that gaming became too commercial - when I was about 10 (I'm 31 now) it was still very niche, kids my age had games but it was rare for people in their late teens and early 20s to be gamers, so games were developed for nerds/generally intelligent gaming-people - which meant they had to be complex and deep to be satisfying and to sell well. Now the target audience isn't nerds, it's Casuals (tm), so the complexity is completely dissolved and replaced with flashy visuals and addictive but simple gameplay loops that don't demand much in the way of thought or attention. The audience has changed and games have changed with it, sadly - probably forever, outside of indie games.
this is an absolute shit take
They are more focused on the stupid DLC to make money rather than develope a good story
M-T well also games now a days cost a lot more to make so there is more risk
Parasite Eve is one PS1 and Square game I regret not getting into. I think I was just too young to enjoy it at the time. I never got into Resident Evil either but I played every Final Fantasy title.
Parasite Eve is quite popular here in Brazil
I did not know that. Do they have a community online setup? Any fanmade projects? Would love to see.
I fucking love this game. Aya in the fist game is, since my 12 yers old, the perfect woman in gaming. Greetings from Manaus, Amazonas, Brasil.
I love how you read your patrons names. You can pronounce all those names from all around the world without any mistakes (I think), and that is very impressive.
Brooooo Finally I've been suggesting this one for quit a bit now but I'm sooooo exited now that you have finally talk about such a magnificent work of art actually you have done 2 of my favorites games (this one and Vagrant History) only one more that i really would like you to talk about, Koudelka, i still enjoy every single vid you have made (ever) keep the good work men i really appreciated.
Same here! Also Koudelka is a good suggestion! :D
The rat mutating has been a thing in my mind for decades now. This game came out when I was seven and I would watch my brother play this game and we would do the voices of the characters. Loved this game.
I swear, Parasite Eve is practically a masterpiece. I pray and hope that one day, Square will remake the game. Updated graphics, better and more impressive viscera and gore, and FIX AYA'S MOVEMENT SPEED! I can't begin to count the number of times I took cheap damage because Aya moves so slowly without Haste!
But seriously, I want the remake to have the same feel as the original, with horror and tension, with good character development and motivation. Voice acting? I could take it or leave it, but in the current game market, you'd be hard-pressed to find a 3D game that doesn't have voice acting.
They cant. The original IP holders pulled Squares right to use the name and setting. So while they can put the originals back out on different platforms they cant make new ones or remake the ones that exist and use the Parasite Eve name. Thats the reason the 3rd Birthday has so little in common with the first two. Because the only things Square could use after losing the IP was the characters they created.
Glad you cover the first parasite eve, most of people remember the sequel but i really love how different are one game from another, two pieces of one of the best sagas for the ps1
I always saw this game when I was younger in PlayStation magazine and the like but never thought about it much. I was intrigued by the horror themes of it, and now that I’m older and you’ve reminded me of the game I might just pick it up. Thanks for making it a little less forgotten by a gem nonetheless. ;)
I believe you can purchase it to be downloaded to your PS3 (maybe even ps4) if you own one.
I NEVER forgot Parasite Eve. I have been thinking up one continuous fanfiction for it in my head since I was 9, I'm 32 now. This game changed my life, in a big way. It's inspired me as a person, my tastes in music, games, all kinds of things, I even wanted to name my daughter after Aya. Aya is my role model. She's kind and compassionate, strong, the ultimate super hero. This game is one of the greatest loves of my life.
Your comment describes my relationship with Silent Hill perfectly i even want to name my daughter cheryl lmao
The Mitochondria is the power house of the cell
So great to see a video about one of my all time favorite games! Rare to even talk to people who know about it! Thanks for the video.
I love your review! Perfectly sums up Parasite Eve as a whole. I also LOVE your voice! So 😍!
Such an atmospheric survival horror classic, so great you highlighted this real gem. thank you - superb video.
I love this series! You should make videos of Undying and Nocturne as they are truly forgotten gems. Or one of my early fav horror games, Echo Night! there are soooo many stuff that can be talked about! If you wish, i can help produce video for them
You just blew my mind with the Die Hard comparison. I mean....the whole Christmas game thing. Now I have a new annual tradition.
Heres another gem you probably heard about: Koudelka.
He actually just recently made a video on that as well, and a damn good one!
@@RetroDeathReviews666 Nice.
To this day I listen to Parasite Eve's soundtrack regularly.
Yoko Shimomura is a such a talented composer!
Splendid presentation, Ragnar.
I actually went through the trouble of making a US PlayStation Account and buying a 25$ PlayStation Network Card from a german vendor based in New York just so I could dl this game from the american Playstore onto my EU PS3 :) worth the trouble.
Your video is awesome! This is actually the very first PS1 game that I played when it was first released. I was amazed at how immersive this game was at the time! I played it from beginning to end so many times that I eventually managed to complete the "end" of the game at the top of the chrysler building. Thanks for the nostalgic acknowledgement of it!
God I love your voice and the way you talk. It just makes me forget about all my problems and truly enjoy the video.
And you sound like a fucktard who has nothing better to do than to look for keyboard fights on the internet.
Had no idea that giving someone a compliment is something bad these days.
It's fine to not like the narrator's voice, but that comment about having lupus was totally uncalled for. Nobody asked to be born with that disease and all the more reason not to make fun of those with it.
Thanks so much for making this video! Parasite Eve is my all-time favorite video game, and I'm so glad others are talking about it!
#GemSuggestions Legend of Dragoon
This game changed my life in ways I can't even describe. Everyday it still effects me and everyday I think of aya brea. Best game ever priceless treasure.
2 videos in 1 week?
Trying to make me fall in love or something, Ragnar?
Glad to hear of this game getting some love! I've never actually played it but I watched LPs of it over and over when I started getting into horror.
Great video! Parasite Eve is one of my favorite games. So much so that I couldn't even get into the second one because they took out the combat system (one of my favorites in the business) and turned the game into a Resident Evil clone. I haven't even tried 3rd Birthday.
This game would make a great episode of Blast From The Past as well.
Pop Culture Primer
The 3rd Birthday is a travesti.
Dude, PE2 is a masterpiece. Instead of a RPG with horror elements it's a horror game with RPG elements and it works just as much. Dont bother with 3rd Birthday tho... they didnt have the license anymore by the time it was made so it bears no resemblance to its predecessors.
The Spycrab, with the stupid goofy monsters 2 could never be as scary as the original with that rat transformation
Same. Huge disappointment with PE2 :/
Don´t play 3rd Birthday. You'll just break your heart needlessly.
finished this marvel so many times i lost count,great content.keep up the good work
Can you make a Pathologic video?
Yes.
:)
Drew Monson?
Johnnie Warke was just gonna say that. Like a mix between Drew and Jared Leto.
RagnarRox OMG yes, I tried it on Steam and I was completely lost (I'm French and it was never translated in my langage) but the amosphere, story and concept were so appealing. I don't care about clunky gameplay. I also heard about a Kickstarter remake but as for now it's seams rather dead :/
It's actually "Hideaki" (not "Hidetaki") but, other than that tiny thing, it's great that you've made such a thorough review of a truly amazing, interesting game. I played Parasite Eve with my older cousin about 2 decades ago and I bought the novel by Sena about 2 years ago! Truly an underrated series of stories.
So, keep spreading the good stuff about the Parasite Eve series, everyone!
Could you make a video on Xenogears, Rag?
#gemsugestions
i've been playing it, the level design is horrid, the mech combat boring, the story (I'm still on disc 1) is interesting showing hints of greatness but its o far just alright. And yet I keep playing on, and on. I hope the story on disc 2 makes up for it.
*_"Could you make a video on Xenogears, Rag?"_*
I second that.
*_"the mech combat boring"_*
If you are just mashing X during those fight, sure. The mech battle tho are as deep as the On-Foot combat if you learn the intricacies (specially since they are linked)... and you'll have to for disc 2 or else you gonna have a bad time. Specially once they use Elements you are weak to, Fuel Draining technique and Status Effects.
*_"the level design is horrid"_*
Blame Final Fantasy 7. Xenogears was always a pet project from the producer and his wife (which I think was one of the main forces behind the SNES/SFamicom Final Fantasy but don't quote me on this). Thing is, they were also producing Final Fantasy 7 at the same time so during the project, they kept on pulling staff from Xeno to put on FF7. It's why a few dungeons use repeating asset or, and this is the part that enrage me, have a few others cut in disc two (since it was supposed to be a three disc affair). It's really sad considering that Xeno has a better and deeper story than the mess we have as Final Fantasy 7.
Still, if you like the story (and get to disc 2 to learn you are playing the [Spoiler] of the story), you might want look for Xenogears Perfect Works. It's a bible/concept art book describing not only the world and concept but also describing a lot of past even that, since meeting Citan for the first time during the first 20 min, has been alluded to or referenced. It's for when you complete the game.
YES
Xenogears... the best Xeno game.
F Britannia disc 2 will make it up to you, I promise.
So glad u made this video.this game means so much to my childhood.me and a friend used to go back and forth talking about the science behind this game.mind u,we were only like 9 or 10.this game is what taught me about mitochondria,mitosis,and about DNA in general,not school.even watching the movie years later,I understood what kunihiko was talking about in the game.if they can remake resident evil 2,this needs an urgent remake asap.especially with square enix graphics now,wheww could u imagine.
Do einhander next. Another forgotten gem by old skool squaresoft
I have the albums, the guide books, the original games with their cases, the book, and I still play both Parasite Eve one and two regularly. Glad to see this game get some love ❤️
#GemSuggestions Koudelka. (Fingers cross)
Criminally underrated. I always liked it a lot more than the Shadow Hearts games honestly.
True, but the first Shadow Heart it's such a good game too.
Ah, a fellow Koudelka fan.
I remember it being weird, dark and hard. It was great.
One true gem of a gem.
Sergio Prasca One of the first games to try and use lip-sync. Only saw it in a magazine, never got to play it though.
You just made my day man. I've been playing this again over the last week; I just finished the hospital
One of my favorite games,ever- Pe1 and 2 are wonderful games, PE3/3rd Birthday... hahahahahaha no.
One of my all time favorite games and probably the one game I played the most growing up but is so clearly forgotten about by so many and even more people never knew it existed. It remains to this day one of the most intelligent games ever made. As you pointed out it is probably the most ripe classic in the modern landscape of shorter time commitments for a possible sleeper scenario if it were ever rereleased to more modern consules (or smart phones) with even the slightest hint of ad promotion it could potentially fly off the digital shelves. I whole heartedly enjoyed ypur video even teaching me something I overlooked growing up, mostly due to age of course. Awesome Vid!!
It was pretty good, but it had a fatal flow- the walk/run speed was SO slow, which made it incredibly frustrating to play with all the backtracking
This has got to be one of my favorite games from when I was a kid. I am glad that I am not the only one to remember it.
would for to see Legend of Dragoon on the series #gemssuggestions
yes the first opera scene sticks in my memory like glue so poetic and violent
#GemSuggestion Prince of persia the sands of time trilogy
I've heard of this when I saw an alternate costume for Lightning in FFXIII; just got reminded of it again, and now I want to see more thanks to your vid. Very interesting. Thanks for showing this to the world!
Also: Tenchu #GemSuggestions
#GemSuggestions Front Mission, another Square forgotten classic.
The first game of the series it's so Goodddddd.
I've only played FM3 and FM4 but I agree.
Bro the very best it's the first, it's perfect.
Parasite Eve in the forgotten gem series!!! What a great video!!! Thank you very much Ragnar, this is like a wish come true!!
Recommendation: Trapt (PS2)
This game had me addicted like crazy back in the day. Good video.
This has been the only "RPG" I have played and enjoyed...
TheJurnalyst No Chrono Trigger?
I loved Chrono Cross.
Then either something is broken inside you or you've only ever played garbage. Id suggest a emulation of Super Mario Rpg for the Snes as a good start.
Don't tell me, you're a Call of Duty kind of guy.
NGMajora nope. Apologies.
Ragnar, outstanding work! Man, just when I think your work can’t get any more excellent, you go and do a video like this (the last one like it was Soul Reaver). Loved this game, was so good, especially way back when I was an early PS1 player. Can’t quite explain it, but it was an amazing charm and draw to it and really mixed up it in the genre department. The sequel was so-so and I heard 3rd birthday was pretty out there. Would love it if this series got some modern-day love. Anyway, superb work!
parasite eve 2!! plsss #GemSuggestion
This is one of my favorite old games. Compleating both the first and second games was great. And I didn't know there was a novel based before the games! Or a 'true ending'! Thank you!
Love this series. Also, you're the only one who makes me stay to listen to the Patreon supporters list. I hope Tiago Pereira Dos Santos Silva is your patron forever.
I will never forget the very first time I heard the intro song (Primal Eyes), it was the intro video in a Demo Disc that came with the first PlayStation. God, I love this game. I played dozens of hours of PE while listening to Vanessa Mae violin songs. One of the best matches ever. I still have to beat the frigging Chrysler Building.
God, seeing this video brings back so many memories. Parasite Eve deserved more attention than it ever got.
Awesome video man. Thanks for paying homage to one of my favorite games of all time.
"A cinematic RPG." That's what drew me to this game in 2000 when I bought it. I had just gotten a promotion at work, and had my first actual weekend off in 2 years. This is how I celebrated. I thought I would be playing it for a while. It sucked me in so fast, I played the whole game through in one night. Well, one night, and part of the following day, but I was used to doing that after spending so much time on the night shift. I only stopped for the bathroom twice, and to get the Domino's delivery when the door bell rang. Several times throughout the night, I kept telling myself, "Next save, I'm going to bed." I couldn't do it. I had to see what was next.
I’m happy you made this, parasite eve is my favourite game of all time
It blows my mind that they managed to push Automata through the door lol. Great series man, your VA has gotten fucking great.
One of my most favorite games. Got extra credit in biology class for 1st person to use a video game as a visual aid on my presentation about mitochondria as I did trivia with the class in the museum.
I borrowed this from a friend not really knowing anything about it other than him telling me it was like Resident Evil the RPG. I did like the game a lot and played through it fairly quickly but I think I was too young to really appreciate it. There's not too many games out there that really feature the weird transformative gore this game has, even when compared to the strangeness present in other survival horror. It would be interesting to see a sequel, remake or spiritual successor to this series using today's technology.
I live in Europe, so we haven't been blessed with Parasite Eve (and some other great games, such as Valkyrie Profile for example).
Still, I had the chance to play PE, thanks to a modified console.
And... even today, I still consider it as one of the most important game to me (and I think it's also the game I replayed the most - my weapon can one-shot absolutely everything now XD ). The ambiance, the simple yet gratifying gameplay, the characters...
(I'm not ashamed to say that Aya was my first "virtual" crush XD )
And let's not forget the incredible soundtrack of Yoko Shimonura (more known nowadays for her work on the Kingdom Hearts series and FFXV)
I was literally about to mention die hard's merits as a Christmas movie, but you beat me to it. Good on you sir.
I never forgot about this game. It has always been one of my favorite games from the PS1 era