The aspect of dismantling old weapons to put their parts into new weapons is such a neat thing. Because in some RPGs, some weapons feel like they SHOULD be better, but you're so used to what your old weapon had going on, and sometimes you get more weapons than you actually need. Meanwhile, Parasite Eve lets you fold other weapons into each-other, so that even drops that are seemingly beneath you are still useful.
I can only recall two games doing this as a main game mechanic. This game, and Dark Cloud, and both times it's immensely satisfying to do when you understand how it all actually works.
It's so sad that the sentence: "...such a monumental critical and commercial hit that it allowed square to take risks" doesn't apply these days. These days when a publisher has a hit on their hands they just double down on it and play it even more safe.
@ While I love Larian. They are not a publisher and in all fairness, they do one thing. They do it really well, but they only make one kind of game. So it still holds true. As for Square… Final Fantasy XVI… need I say more?
@@vitsavicky Sorry, I meant FromSoft. Also Larian took HUGE risks. It was going week to week to pay devs, was constantly about to close, and knowingly went into a project that they knew was going to take 7 YEARS in development. Also saying that you want publishers to take more risk but you don't include devs feels pedantic to me.
@@John_Omatopoeia I'm replaying it for the first time since it came out. I had forgotten how thought provoking and emotional it got. Xenosaga does the same, but not nearly as much at one time like the first hour or so as XG did.
@@John_Omatopoeia You will not die alone. Xenogears is not only my favorite game ever made, it is my favorite piece of media ever made. Gorgeous music, incredible story, and fun gameplay. A more perfect game I have never played.
@@John_Omatopoeia Xenogears is one of my favorite games, but you have to admit that the last two or three hours of the game are just a rushed mess. It's still a cool climax and a solid wrap up to the game, but it really feels like they ran out of budget for that section.
Cannot say enough about Parasite Eve's music, I had Marty's stream of it going on a second screen while working and the vibes it gives are absolutely immaculate.
The weapon system was a lot of fun. Smooshing various guns together for stat improvements was a genuinely cool idea. Just remember to save before you do it; some model drawbacks have the potential to softlock your run, or at least turn forward progression into a slog for a while.
The Chrysler building was the such an immensely difficult task but had many rewards. Took me multiple playthroughs to pump stats into my armor and weapon to beat it, but I felt so accomplished when I finally did. I wish PE would get a remaster.
Funny you mentioned the Parasite Eve folks who went on to make Kingdom Hearts - Aya was originally gonna cameo in KH1 in Aerith's stead as a member of your Traverse Town allies. Could you imagine that timeline, where they stuck to that idea?
Yeah, everything was on the table whether it was new mechanics, genre bending, or more adult oriented themes. It was when video games genuinely offered new experiences instead of more of the same.
Parasite Eve 1 & 2 are two absolutely underrated gems of the late 90's survival horror genre and are never mentioned along the Resident Evil and Silent Hill series, although they definitely deserve to. I had bought a used copy of PE2 on a flea market as a teenager knowing practically nothing about the game except that it was apparently made by the same developer that made FF7. Once PE2 got me hooked, I really wanted to play the first game, but since I live in Europe, there was no way to buy a legal copy of the game, because it was never released in Europe. I later got in contact with a member on a Final Fantasy forum and since downloading ISOs over dial-up modem connections wasn't really an option, he offered me that he'd send me a physical copy of the game via mail -- from Malaysia -- and that's how I finally got to play the first game...
Parasite Eve was one of my favourite psx games, and nobody else i knew had played it as i'm in a pal region. my brother got it imported for our modded console
@@anthonybowman3423 you said it! The PS1 is full of classic RPGs in many franchises, one-off titles and hidden gems. PE is the one that struck me the most, but I can respect several other picks, as the console library is that good.
Sadly I don't think we ever will get a remake/reboot of the Parasite Eve series. Because the series is based off of a book, Square had to licence it to make the games, and that licence expired a long time ago. It's actually why the third game is such a massive departure. They didn't have the rights to the Parasite Eve name any more, hence why it's got such an odd title, but they did have rights to the characters they'd created. So they changed everything they could about the game and only made vague mentions of the original games. And I seriously doubt that Square want to fork out just to get the licence back at this point, so more Parasite Eve is sadly unlikely to ever happen...
Thank you, Marty, for this nostalgia trip. Parasite Eve 1 remains one of my top games of all time, with my all-time favorite soundtrack. It's the first game I ever "platinumed" (if platinuming games was a thing back then), 100% NG+ completion 3 times over. Did you know: * Aya's required EXP for level ups drops significantly after level 38. Getting to level 35 is already a grind, so a lot of players stop there. But once you get to level 38, you start getting BP up the wazoo, required EXP is only about 4500 per level, and you can go straight from level 96 to 99. Said BP can go into your weapon of choice, which leads to... * The optimum strategy I undertook to tackle NG+ and the Chrysler Building was to complete the game on the normal ending TWICE, then go for the building on the third go, all on one save file. So it's NG Normal -> NG+ Normal -> NG+ Chrysler. This ensures you get enough Junk, Tools, spare weapons and eventually the Super Tool to max out the weapon of choice. * Damage is spread between shots per turn; a 2-shot gun's total damage will be the same as a 1-shot gun when equalized in strength. The benefit of multiple shots is the ability to split amongst targets, but in late-game (especially the Chrysler Building), 1-shot is preferred, as A) you save on animation time, and B) who doesn't want to blast a lizard monster in the face with a shotgun :) * The dev team traveled to New York to work on the environment design. Which sounds ordinary now, but it was quite a feat for Square back then. That's why the game environment looks and feels almost like the real thing. * The Museum Of Natural History has an easter egg on its banner. I'll leave it to you to figure it out ;) * The centipede can go kick rocks. * I have no issue with the final Normal boss and its phases, but I do have an issue with the part afterwards on the ship. If you know, you know. I dearly want this game to be remade or remastered. When Square announced the "Symbiogenesis" project some time back, speculation abound about a possible remake or sequel. It turned out to be some NFT BS. I was severely disappointed. Anyways, I've waxed enough nostalgia here. Thank you again for this retrospective, Marty, and I can't wait to see the next Archive.
7:33 - "A certified Shimamura banger" - dang right! I watched both Jesse, and then Marty play through this on their personal Twitch channels, and i often found myself bopping along to the great tunes! Nice video! Its always good to hear Marty sincerely gush about things. Never played this one myself, but i did get PE2 after FF8, yet i dont remember much about it.
Marty, I just had a 13 hour day at work and we didn't even fix the thing by the time we had to give up. It's so nice to be able to come "home" to your look back at exactly my nostalgia timeframe. Thanks for being here. Every day I'm reminded why I'm glad I'm a patron.
I know the modern gaming industry is already pretty thick with remakes and remasters, but I'd still love to see this get the full remake treatment in the style of the RE remakes. Hell, I'd settle for a decent HD port to modern systems with a few QoL improvements.
I often don't have the time to watch everything Second Wind puts out, but I knew this was a video I wanted to see when I got the notification (and then I had to sleep and such and only get to watch it the next day).
I still lament playing all the way through the game, saving right before the final boss, only to find out I didn't have enough xp or items to actually beat it, and there was no way back. Totally screwed myself at the last minute. But God I loved it so much.
09:20 - How could one reference the jank, without bringing up the JUNK? You’ll need it for making some of the best weapons late-game. It’s a detail the game makes no effort to highlight.
Archive is my favorite bit of second wind programming yet. I loved the Resident Evil 0 piece you did before leaving the escapist and am glad you were able to capture that same vibe here. Huge congrats to both Marty & Javed on putting together such a great piece
As you say, the late 90's/early 00's was such a great time for games that I feel like this gem got mostly passed up! I remember seeing the beautiful art for it at times but never got around to playing it until I got the 3rd Birthday for PSP when it came out and I fell in love! I went back to play the first and second game and just adore how each one is unique and charming in its own way! Parasite Eve is now one of my all-time favorite series and I hope they make a proper sequel or remake soon!
I remember walking home one day from school. way back in the early 2000's and decided to stop into game stop one day. Saw this game in the used area and went home with it because I had heard of it but never played it. Went home, proceeded to play it and I loved everything about it. I regret ever losing my copy a long while ago because of how much its worth now. Same thing with Haunting Grounds for PS2. Gave it to an Ex because they loved it and we were still friends and now same thing, Pricy to get now.
I still love it, after all these years. It's clunky, but it's paced fantastically, the characters are a joy to be around, and the actual game design, if you're into number go up and wrap your head around things like how you're not supposed to see the guns you find AS guns, but as materials to make your gun better, it turns into something great. I still feel SquareEnix OWES me and everyone who played it a personal, hand written apology for Third Birthday.
I consider myself extremely lucky that I got to play this game when it arrived. I live in Europe and the rural town I lived my childhood wasn't exactly a hotspot for PSX modding scene, most like us didn't even have internet. My stepdad was and still is a gaming enthusiast, and had a small but passionate circle of people who traded whole hundred piece cakes of burned games to each other. I must thank him for the awesome gaming experiences the next time I'm visiting them!
Parasite Eve was one of my favorite games as a kid, I loved the gameplay and I loved the aesthetic and feel. The soundtrack was also very memorable. IDK what to say other than what you said in the video TBH but I just always loved this game so Its nice to see this video. The series had two great games. Shame they never made more than 2. just 2.
This game never left my mind it lives there rent free, not to mention I still have my original copy of the game. It's actually the first PS1 game I owned, before I even had a PS1😅 This video is a great reminder of how amazing the game is, thank you Second Wind!
Yeah, the twist at the end, and the realization that Eve in T3B was not her actual sister but instead it's the Eve that you rescue in PE2 really tied things together for me. However, it died out rather quickly in my mind because of the drastic turn they took in the enemies that you fight. Giving up a lot of that cinematic mutation of the enemies for a 8-bit blood spewing cover-up of a design change like they started in PE2. I still choke down the 8-bit mutations when replaying PE2 just for those wonderful cutscenes that bring back the love I have for the franchise. I weep with you every time I hear of a remastering of a game that's only 5 - 7 years old before bringing back Parasite Eve or Legacy of Kain. 😢
That was a lovely trip down memory lane. I miss more experimental games like these from major publishers/devs. I was a very young kid when I played these so I didn't know the context, I didn't know it came from a book and movie.
Parasite Eve, Kodelka and the Shadow Heart series and Persona ets are som truely fun Jrpgs that are set in the real world around (modern) day period that realy makes them feel prity uniq in what otherwise tends to be pure fantasy land the games.
LOL, that last statement hit me too hard "A remake of Xenogears, Brave Fencer Musashi, and Vagrant Story..." THOSE WERE SOME OF MY FAVORITE GAMES FROM THE ERA. My family gamed HARD and I think we did actually end up either owning or playing essentially ALL of Square's big hits up to and including in the PS2 era, at least back when it was known as "Squaresoft" and hadn't merged with Enix of Star Ocean Second Story fame yet.
I love all of those games, and it should be in Square's best interest to remaster all of them. NGL, I completely forgot that Brave Fencer Musashi was a thing, but I definitely remember stealing flying kick powers from wolves.
Parasite Eve is one of my all time favorites, simply amazing story, mood, battles, and music. It also got me into cellular biology for while, and yes, a lot of what they talk about the mitochondria is sound, outside of the obvious fantastical stuff.
Haven't seen much discussion of Parasite Eve, since I played it at 14-15.. it was definitely an amazing experience for it's time, will never forget that first scene I think :)
For some context: Personally, there are only a few moments in decades of playing games where I stopped, and realized I was playing one of the best things I'd ever encountered, and ever would. Two of them were from around the same time. The second was Silent Hill 2, when I snapped out of *fully dissociating* and forgetting I was in a game. That one moment, where you have to go a floor back down in the hotel. You remember if you played it. The first was Parasite Eve. Chasing an echo through an empty park.
Now I just want to see one of those movie/comedy special scenes where the main focus of the production is in front of the mirror getting ready for their big event, but it's just Marty putting on clown makeup with melodramatic music playing behind him before SW goes live to watch the Nintendo Direct Event.
I love that older games are getting attention on RUclips. I have stuff to watch while playing Valkyrie Profile to get the good ending I hope I didn't mess up in act 4
I played Parasite Eve about a year before my first trip to NYC. I found it surreal recognizing places in the real world that I had explored in a video game, especially as I went through Central Park. I wasn't a fan of how Parasite Eve 2 felt like it was just copying RE's homework, from game play to plot, but I actually enjoyed The Third Birthday, despite how different it was. I agree that I'd love to see SE revisit some of the PS1 era games listed here, but what I really want is for them to bring Bahamut Lagoon to the US finally (and to either use Byuu/Near's awesome translation or somehow pay homage to them).
Just hearing someone mention Kodelka sent shivers through me! I haven't thought about that great game in years and just like PE i'd love it to see a re-release
I beat Parasite Eve back in the 90's when I had more time. The clip that stood out most to me, was a traffic cop *ALMOST* getting hit by a vehicle during the mass exodus of Manhattan.
Funny Story, I used to fall asleep to longform video essays on youtube, and at some point the RUclips autoplay put on a Parasite Eve retroscpective. I woke up from a nightmare partway through the video, powerful stuff I swear
There is indie game coming out with similiar combat, at least on trailer, called .45 PARABELLUM BLOODHOUND - from same studio as VA-11 Hall-A. Edit: I really, really, need to stop writing comments before watching end of video XD
Man, playing action/jrpgs in the mid to late 90s was quite the experience. It’s why I’m still drawn to games that tell a good story & provide meaningful context to the gameplay
Love the game, had around launch and loved every minute of it. Still in my top JRPGs of all time. Though it doesn't hold up as much as it used to thanks to the graphics. Would love a remaster of the 2 PE games.
Loved this game. I remember farming 1000 scraps in order to create the best gun in the game. Included with acid rounds, it literally melted enemies in the Chrysler building.
Makes me glad that my local retro game shop had copies of this game and its sequel - both in good condition. It is definitely a niche game, but it is worth at least checking out. There are games, even those from the same era, that do better in certain aspects, but P.E. does them well enough. It may be something at least sort of akin to a prototype for what came to be for a lot of other games, and prototypes are not exactly known for being flawless or without any real gripes, but sometimes, that is the kind of game that needs to be played.
I’m a simple man. I see Parasite Eve mentioned in the title, I click.
Same, the game was amazing
We're Aya Brea ride or die.
I still remember playing it with my best friend when it first released.
I'm the Parasite Eve aficionado, I searched for PE movie(fan-made or otherwise).
@@KyleHarrisonRedacted facts
Mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell.
@@Vexicrypt the meme of the cell
Mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell.
Powerchondria is the mitohouse of the cell.
The parasite was the eve we made along the way.
@@Agentkrow the Eve was the body horror we made along the mitochondria
You say 3rd Birthday abandoned the horror aspect, but I was truly horrified by what they did to Aya in that game.
Yeah, in my mind that game doesn't exist in the PE time-line. In fact what are you talking about, there is no 3rd game😊
Literally all I’ll ever know about that game is video essays telling me it sucked
It wasn't Aya. It was Eve.
@@Phryguye Did you finish/watch the ending to 3rd Birthday? Not trying to be gatekeepy, but it's literally what I'm talking about.
@@TheJadedJames it sucks so hard
The aspect of dismantling old weapons to put their parts into new weapons is such a neat thing. Because in some RPGs, some weapons feel like they SHOULD be better, but you're so used to what your old weapon had going on, and sometimes you get more weapons than you actually need. Meanwhile, Parasite Eve lets you fold other weapons into each-other, so that even drops that are seemingly beneath you are still useful.
I can only recall two games doing this as a main game mechanic. This game, and Dark Cloud, and both times it's immensely satisfying to do when you understand how it all actually works.
It's so sad that the sentence: "...such a monumental critical and commercial hit that it allowed square to take risks" doesn't apply these days. These days when a publisher has a hit on their hands they just double down on it and play it even more safe.
Squaresoft and Larian disagree with you
@ While I love Larian. They are not a publisher and in all fairness, they do one thing. They do it really well, but they only make one kind of game. So it still holds true. As for Square… Final Fantasy XVI… need I say more?
@@vitsavicky Sorry, I meant FromSoft.
Also Larian took HUGE risks. It was going week to week to pay devs, was constantly about to close, and knowingly went into a project that they knew was going to take 7 YEARS in development.
Also saying that you want publishers to take more risk but you don't include devs feels pedantic to me.
God I loved Parasite Eve. What a neat little game, I'm so sad we don't get more games like this anymore.
just wanna add Javed's editing is top-notch 👌🏻
Parasite Eve and Xenogears. Those sprite animations, camera adjustments, and the japanimation made for an amazing game.
I will die on the hill that Xenogears is the best RPG ever made.
@@John_Omatopoeia I'm replaying it for the first time since it came out. I had forgotten how thought provoking and emotional it got. Xenosaga does the same, but not nearly as much at one time like the first hour or so as XG did.
@@John_Omatopoeiayou'll have many friends on that hill, friend.
@@John_Omatopoeia You will not die alone.
Xenogears is not only my favorite game ever made, it is my favorite piece of media ever made. Gorgeous music, incredible story, and fun gameplay. A more perfect game I have never played.
@@John_Omatopoeia Xenogears is one of my favorite games, but you have to admit that the last two or three hours of the game are just a rushed mess. It's still a cool climax and a solid wrap up to the game, but it really feels like they ran out of budget for that section.
Cannot say enough about Parasite Eve's music, I had Marty's stream of it going on a second screen while working and the vibes it gives are absolutely immaculate.
The weapon system was a lot of fun. Smooshing various guns together for stat improvements was a genuinely cool idea.
Just remember to save before you do it; some model drawbacks have the potential to softlock your run, or at least turn forward progression into a slog for a while.
Yep. I ruined a new game run by giving a super gun I made a different elemental property.
The Chrysler building was the such an immensely difficult task but had many rewards. Took me multiple playthroughs to pump stats into my armor and weapon to beat it, but I felt so accomplished when I finally did. I wish PE would get a remaster.
Parasite Eve is hands down one of my favorite games that I've always hoped would have a proper remake or series.
Its never 'oft forgot' with me.
For anyone who can't get enough of Parasite Eve: The channel "I finished a video game" has a great 4 hour retrospective.
And it is amazing
@@guyonyoutube501 I appreciate you🙌🏽
Funny you mentioned the Parasite Eve folks who went on to make Kingdom Hearts - Aya was originally gonna cameo in KH1 in Aerith's stead as a member of your Traverse Town allies. Could you imagine that timeline, where they stuck to that idea?
"The same year as Megaman Legends."
You are seen and appreciated.
EDIT: Jesus Christ, a Radical Dreamers reference? My God.
I agree, it was absolutely peak squaresoft. It was a golden age. It had it's flaws but it was amazing.
Yeah, everything was on the table whether it was new mechanics, genre bending, or more adult oriented themes.
It was when video games genuinely offered new experiences instead of more of the same.
@@quintessenceSL Well said. You made my point for me.
I still remember watching the parasite Eve intro trailer over and over on the demo disc when I was a kid
That song is addictive as heck.
Kyrie + Influence of the Deep. Great songs which set the mood perfectly for this game.
Parasite Eve 1 & 2 are two absolutely underrated gems of the late 90's survival horror genre and are never mentioned along the Resident Evil and Silent Hill series, although they definitely deserve to. I had bought a used copy of PE2 on a flea market as a teenager knowing practically nothing about the game except that it was apparently made by the same developer that made FF7. Once PE2 got me hooked, I really wanted to play the first game, but since I live in Europe, there was no way to buy a legal copy of the game, because it was never released in Europe. I later got in contact with a member on a Final Fantasy forum and since downloading ISOs over dial-up modem connections wasn't really an option, he offered me that he'd send me a physical copy of the game via mail -- from Malaysia -- and that's how I finally got to play the first game...
Parasite Eve was one of my favourite psx games, and nobody else i knew had played it as i'm in a pal region. my brother got it imported for our modded console
I only played it due to piracy over here, same goes for Xenogears. Although I did eventually buy a legit copy. It's a shame PE2 wasn't as good though.
Often overlooked, perhaps, but I can't imagine it being forgotten by anyone who played it. Love it or hate it, the visuals are undeniably memorable.
Parasite Eve is my favorite PS1 RPG. Simple as that.
Seeing this game get the recognition it deserves, many years after it's release, is always good.
I don't know man, it was a great era for RPGs. I liked Xenogears more, but I respect the Parasite Eve pick.
@@anthonybowman3423 you said it! The PS1 is full of classic RPGs in many franchises, one-off titles and hidden gems. PE is the one that struck me the most, but I can respect several other picks, as the console library is that good.
Sadly I don't think we ever will get a remake/reboot of the Parasite Eve series. Because the series is based off of a book, Square had to licence it to make the games, and that licence expired a long time ago. It's actually why the third game is such a massive departure. They didn't have the rights to the Parasite Eve name any more, hence why it's got such an odd title, but they did have rights to the characters they'd created. So they changed everything they could about the game and only made vague mentions of the original games.
And I seriously doubt that Square want to fork out just to get the licence back at this point, so more Parasite Eve is sadly unlikely to ever happen...
It doesn't help that they worked out the deal with the publisher WITHOUT the original author's knowledge. He's mentioned it in an interview online.
@@straysheep4467 Really? wow, I didn't know that part! Jeez, no wonder...
@@straysheep4467 ah I see you also know thing about PE.
Oh hey, I just started playing this game! Cool timing. I'm really loving the style and combat system.
Thank you, Marty, for this nostalgia trip. Parasite Eve 1 remains one of my top games of all time, with my all-time favorite soundtrack. It's the first game I ever "platinumed" (if platinuming games was a thing back then), 100% NG+ completion 3 times over.
Did you know:
* Aya's required EXP for level ups drops significantly after level 38. Getting to level 35 is already a grind, so a lot of players stop there. But once you get to level 38, you start getting BP up the wazoo, required EXP is only about 4500 per level, and you can go straight from level 96 to 99. Said BP can go into your weapon of choice, which leads to...
* The optimum strategy I undertook to tackle NG+ and the Chrysler Building was to complete the game on the normal ending TWICE, then go for the building on the third go, all on one save file. So it's NG Normal -> NG+ Normal -> NG+ Chrysler. This ensures you get enough Junk, Tools, spare weapons and eventually the Super Tool to max out the weapon of choice.
* Damage is spread between shots per turn; a 2-shot gun's total damage will be the same as a 1-shot gun when equalized in strength. The benefit of multiple shots is the ability to split amongst targets, but in late-game (especially the Chrysler Building), 1-shot is preferred, as A) you save on animation time, and B) who doesn't want to blast a lizard monster in the face with a shotgun :)
* The dev team traveled to New York to work on the environment design. Which sounds ordinary now, but it was quite a feat for Square back then. That's why the game environment looks and feels almost like the real thing.
* The Museum Of Natural History has an easter egg on its banner. I'll leave it to you to figure it out ;)
* The centipede can go kick rocks.
* I have no issue with the final Normal boss and its phases, but I do have an issue with the part afterwards on the ship. If you know, you know.
I dearly want this game to be remade or remastered. When Square announced the "Symbiogenesis" project some time back, speculation abound about a possible remake or sequel. It turned out to be some NFT BS. I was severely disappointed.
Anyways, I've waxed enough nostalgia here. Thank you again for this retrospective, Marty, and I can't wait to see the next Archive.
7:33 - "A certified Shimamura banger" - dang right! I watched both Jesse, and then Marty play through this on their personal Twitch channels, and i often found myself bopping along to the great tunes!
Nice video! Its always good to hear Marty sincerely gush about things. Never played this one myself, but i did get PE2 after FF8, yet i dont remember much about it.
Soundtrack and sound design is essential to produce a game which can stand up to the tests of time.
Marty, I just had a 13 hour day at work and we didn't even fix the thing by the time we had to give up. It's so nice to be able to come "home" to your look back at exactly my nostalgia timeframe. Thanks for being here. Every day I'm reminded why I'm glad I'm a patron.
I know the modern gaming industry is already pretty thick with remakes and remasters, but I'd still love to see this get the full remake treatment in the style of the RE remakes. Hell, I'd settle for a decent HD port to modern systems with a few QoL improvements.
Just hope Marty has business cards with "Professional Internet Goof" on them.
I often don't have the time to watch everything Second Wind puts out, but I knew this was a video I wanted to see when I got the notification (and then I had to sleep and such and only get to watch it the next day).
I still lament playing all the way through the game, saving right before the final boss, only to find out I didn't have enough xp or items to actually beat it, and there was no way back. Totally screwed myself at the last minute. But God I loved it so much.
09:20 - How could one reference the jank, without bringing up the JUNK? You’ll need it for making some of the best weapons late-game. It’s a detail the game makes no effort to highlight.
I've played through Parasite Eve multiple times since its original release.
I forget how the Tooling system works every fucking time. lmao
Archive is my favorite bit of second wind programming yet. I loved the Resident Evil 0 piece you did before leaving the escapist and am glad you were able to capture that same vibe here. Huge congrats to both Marty & Javed on putting together such a great piece
I loved parasite eve 1 and parasite eve 2 went even harder - they were the one of the best games of their time.
As you say, the late 90's/early 00's was such a great time for games that I feel like this gem got mostly passed up! I remember seeing the beautiful art for it at times but never got around to playing it until I got the 3rd Birthday for PSP when it came out and I fell in love! I went back to play the first and second game and just adore how each one is unique and charming in its own way! Parasite Eve is now one of my all-time favorite series and I hope they make a proper sequel or remake soon!
I remember walking home one day from school. way back in the early 2000's and decided to stop into game stop one day. Saw this game in the used area and went home with it because I had heard of it but never played it. Went home, proceeded to play it and I loved everything about it. I regret ever losing my copy a long while ago because of how much its worth now. Same thing with Haunting Grounds for PS2. Gave it to an Ex because they loved it and we were still friends and now same thing, Pricy to get now.
I still love it, after all these years. It's clunky, but it's paced fantastically, the characters are a joy to be around, and the actual game design, if you're into number go up and wrap your head around things like how you're not supposed to see the guns you find AS guns, but as materials to make your gun better, it turns into something great.
I still feel SquareEnix OWES me and everyone who played it a personal, hand written apology for Third Birthday.
I consider myself extremely lucky that I got to play this game when it arrived. I live in Europe and the rural town I lived my childhood wasn't exactly a hotspot for PSX modding scene, most like us didn't even have internet. My stepdad was and still is a gaming enthusiast, and had a small but passionate circle of people who traded whole hundred piece cakes of burned games to each other. I must thank him for the awesome gaming experiences the next time I'm visiting them!
Parasite Eve was one of my favorite games as a kid, I loved the gameplay and I loved the aesthetic and feel. The soundtrack was also very memorable. IDK what to say other than what you said in the video TBH but I just always loved this game so Its nice to see this video.
The series had two great games. Shame they never made more than 2. just 2.
This game never left my mind it lives there rent free, not to mention I still have my original copy of the game. It's actually the first PS1 game I owned, before I even had a PS1😅 This video is a great reminder of how amazing the game is, thank you Second Wind!
Yeah, the twist at the end, and the realization that Eve in T3B was not her actual sister but instead it's the Eve that you rescue in PE2 really tied things together for me. However, it died out rather quickly in my mind because of the drastic turn they took in the enemies that you fight. Giving up a lot of that cinematic mutation of the enemies for a 8-bit blood spewing cover-up of a design change like they started in PE2.
I still choke down the 8-bit mutations when replaying PE2 just for those wonderful cutscenes that bring back the love I have for the franchise.
I weep with you every time I hear of a remastering of a game that's only 5 - 7 years old before bringing back Parasite Eve or Legacy of Kain. 😢
Seeing the trailer for this game included in a Playstation demo disk was the scariest thing that happened to me as a child
Excited for this new series! Off to a great start! Thank you Marty and team!
That was a lovely trip down memory lane. I miss more experimental games like these from major publishers/devs. I was a very young kid when I played these so I didn't know the context, I didn't know it came from a book and movie.
Parasite Eve inspired me enough to get through my biology classes in school. I loved it so much.
Me and my boy played this together in high school. Took turns with the gamepad and stayed up all weekend taking in this great story
Oh man, I don't want a rerelease of Xenogear, I want a _remake_, with a proper third act that do the story and world justice !
Parasite Eve, Kodelka and the Shadow Heart series and Persona ets are som truely fun Jrpgs that are set in the real world around (modern) day period that realy makes them feel prity uniq in what otherwise tends to be pure fantasy land the games.
Parasite eve, dinocrisis, and vigilante 8 where my ps1 era
What a cracking video - this is exactly the kind of content I wanted to see from this series.
LOL, that last statement hit me too hard "A remake of Xenogears, Brave Fencer Musashi, and Vagrant Story..." THOSE WERE SOME OF MY FAVORITE GAMES FROM THE ERA. My family gamed HARD and I think we did actually end up either owning or playing essentially ALL of Square's big hits up to and including in the PS2 era, at least back when it was known as "Squaresoft" and hadn't merged with Enix of Star Ocean Second Story fame yet.
I played this all the way through repeatedly while I was sheltering inside with clinical depression. I love this game.
I love all of those games, and it should be in Square's best interest to remaster all of them. NGL, I completely forgot that Brave Fencer Musashi was a thing, but I definitely remember stealing flying kick powers from wolves.
Parasite Eve is one of my all time favorites, simply amazing story, mood, battles, and music. It also got me into cellular biology for while, and yes, a lot of what they talk about the mitochondria is sound, outside of the obvious fantastical stuff.
Another forgotten Square gem from this time is Racing Lagoon, because it was Japan only until a fan translation a few years ago.
Haven't seen much discussion of Parasite Eve, since I played it at 14-15.. it was definitely an amazing experience for it's time, will never forget that first scene I think :)
For some context: Personally, there are only a few moments in decades of playing games where I stopped, and realized I was playing one of the best things I'd ever encountered, and ever would. Two of them were from around the same time.
The second was Silent Hill 2, when I snapped out of *fully dissociating* and forgetting I was in a game. That one moment, where you have to go a floor back down in the hotel. You remember if you played it.
The first was Parasite Eve. Chasing an echo through an empty park.
mmm sourdough starter gun
This is one of those games I've been aware of and meant to play, but hadn't made the effort to find a way to play it. Another cool video!
5:13 - Xenogears is ABSOLUTELY Archive-worthy. You should get right on that ;)
Loved watching my mom play Parasite Eve when i was about 6/7 years old. The music and intro to the game are ingrained in my memory, and i love it. ❤️
Probably my favorite game, overall. I'm glad to see the game slowly garnering more attention and love over the past ten years or so.
Now I just want to see one of those movie/comedy special scenes where the main focus of the production is in front of the mirror getting ready for their big event, but it's just Marty putting on clown makeup with melodramatic music playing behind him before SW goes live to watch the Nintendo Direct Event.
Marty's scripts give me the goosebumps every time.
I love that older games are getting attention on RUclips. I have stuff to watch while playing Valkyrie Profile to get the good ending I hope I didn't mess up in act 4
Season tickets to Square's PS1 lineup is a brilliant turn of phrase. Also, like, ...same.
AAAAA!! Vagrant Story mentioned!!
Also, Koudeka... yet another gleaming jewel of the PS1 era, now covered in decades of dust.
Literally learned about mitochondria and mitochondria Eve as a child years before I'd be taught it in school because of this game
"fairly strong stomach for jank", relatable ! 😂
I played Parasite Eve about a year before my first trip to NYC. I found it surreal recognizing places in the real world that I had explored in a video game, especially as I went through Central Park. I wasn't a fan of how Parasite Eve 2 felt like it was just copying RE's homework, from game play to plot, but I actually enjoyed The Third Birthday, despite how different it was.
I agree that I'd love to see SE revisit some of the PS1 era games listed here, but what I really want is for them to bring Bahamut Lagoon to the US finally (and to either use Byuu/Near's awesome translation or somehow pay homage to them).
FFBE getting a mention here is incredibly funny to me
2001 I was busy with 3 games , Legend of Dragoon, parasite eve,and dragon quest 7,PS1 era was legendary back then with so many games to enjoy
parasite eve 2 is still one of my favourite games ever. Its such a shame this series hasnt been continued in gaming.
Just hearing someone mention Kodelka sent shivers through me! I haven't thought about that great game in years and just like PE i'd love it to see a re-release
I'm digging this series. Love seeing old gameplay footage, reminds me a bit of Cinematech from G4. Kudos to Marty and Javed!
Man, I remember getting PE for Christmas. Absolutely love this game and the sequel, despite the major shift in... almost everything.
Fantastic game. One of my favorites from the ps1 era. Went back to it on the psvita and still enjoyed it immensely.
I beat Parasite Eve back in the 90's when I had more time.
The clip that stood out most to me, was a traffic cop *ALMOST* getting hit by a vehicle during the mass exodus of Manhattan.
Inject these vids into my veins. I love these retro games introspective essays.
Parasite Eve is one of my all time favs. Its so unique and interesting.
Funny Story, I used to fall asleep to longform video essays on youtube, and at some point the RUclips autoplay put on a Parasite Eve retroscpective. I woke up from a nightmare partway through the video, powerful stuff I swear
There is indie game coming out with similiar combat, at least on trailer, called .45 PARABELLUM BLOODHOUND - from same studio as VA-11 Hall-A.
Edit: I really, really, need to stop writing comments before watching end of video XD
Parasite Eve mentions send me back to college and watching an AMV of Lunatic Calm's Leave You Far Behind of the game. Fun stuff.
Man I played Parasite Eve 1 & 2 multiple times, they were such good games!! I don't acknowledge the existence of "3rd Birthday" in this series.
Back when Squaresoft was the powerhouse of the Playstation... and we all know what the powerhouse of the cell is, right?
How dare you tease me with Skies of Arcadia in the intro! Anyways, Parasite Eve has been on my radar for awhile and I really need to give it a shot.
Oh my god!!! I am so happy you guys are talking about this game. I adore it!!
I still replay parasite eve every few years, I just can’t find anything else that hits quite the same.
Man, playing action/jrpgs in the mid to late 90s was quite the experience. It’s why I’m still drawn to games that tell a good story & provide meaningful context to the gameplay
Love the game, had around launch and loved every minute of it. Still in my top JRPGs of all time. Though it doesn't hold up as much as it used to thanks to the graphics. Would love a remaster of the 2 PE games.
I love Eve's concept art. That's that real sweet spot of cool/sexy but not overly designed. It's surprisingly rare.
This is definitely my favourite content from this channel apart from the podcasts 🙂
Loved this game. I remember farming 1000 scraps in order to create the best gun in the game. Included with acid rounds, it literally melted enemies in the Chrysler building.
Ah nice some more archive. Really love this show. Keep it up Marty
Criminally underrated and it's a shame it was shelved forever.
This game needs also a PC release. Same for all other Squaresoft games.
Makes me glad that my local retro game shop had copies of this game and its sequel - both in good condition. It is definitely a niche game, but it is worth at least checking out. There are games, even those from the same era, that do better in certain aspects, but P.E. does them well enough.
It may be something at least sort of akin to a prototype for what came to be for a lot of other games, and prototypes are not exactly known for being flawless or without any real gripes, but sometimes, that is the kind of game that needs to be played.
The first Squaresoft game I ever played. My friends were all about the Final Fantasy, but I always pulled for Parasite Eve.
Mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell!
I really love Marty's videos.
Man I loved this odd game. Still do. It's amazing and I still have it. I should stream it on Christmas.