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FINALLY a decent battle system

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 20 / 22
Date: October 05, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I loved the first game. Great premise and nifty graphics made for an enjoyable gameplay environment (remember the "Museum of Natural History" level? classic!) However, the one thing I couldn't stand was the battle system. "Shoot at monsters, run around trying to dodge them while your attack bar recharges, shoot again, etc." It was a bit frustrating and really slowed down the pace of the game.

Well, gamers rejoice, because the new battle system is REAL TIME. you use the target button to cycle through the enemies, fire, run, and dodge in real time. The only time the game pauses is when you choose a parasite spell to cast or access an item in your inventory. The first level is too easy, but it gets progressively tougher as it goes along. The weapons and armor don't seem to have as many customizable attributes as in the first game, and the Liberate and Pre-raise spells are gone *sniff*. However, the new combat system and graphics are well worth the trade off. It is rather a Resident Evil clone in several ways, most notably character navigation and camera angles. I'll be the first to admit that the whole RE-static background style of gaming is getting stale. However, the puzzles are much more sensible and the levels more intriguing. Bottom line, This game is a keeper.

Tense, Moody, and Above All, Fun!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 19 / 21
Date: March 21, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Parasite Eve is the most innovative game ever created, no doubt. Who would have ever thought up the idea of mitochondria that went wild and attacked America's most profound city, New York? Not many people, except maybe a genius! Parasite Eve II is not as special as PEI, but it certainly is a great game, and in many ways, it is better than the first Parasite Eve title. For one thing, in this new game, battle is in real time, unlike the first PE which had a Pokemon-style battle system, where each character took turns, esentially in fighting. Not anymore! PEII is much more like Resident Evil, which makes fighting even more fun. The monsters are cooler in PEII, except it's missing the first Eve, no doubt the most awesome video game villian ever created. She was as cool as the script of the game! But now, the monsters aren't just funny little animals loose. There are actually scary, Resident Evil-like monsters with awesome features and battle techniques!(Except for that damn Shaman Horse!)The guns are also better in PEII, and there is not as many features to get used to in PEII as in the first title. That's also way better! The levels are generally cool, and for a Playstation title, the graphics are a big WOW! even for a Gamecube and PS2 owner with games such as Metal Gear Solid 2 and Resident Evil on the GC. Now for the icky part-the innovative but awful control scheme! I spent a half an hour trying to run straight ahead at first without running backwards, and vice-versa! Actually, after a couple of hours, the controls may feel comfortable. That's until you go back to playing one of your other games with "traditional controls." OUCH!! Parasite Eve II is definitely a fun game, if not a great game! In most ways, it is better than PE, except for it's missing the classic Eve and the storyline and cinematics are a little weaker.(However, the cinematics are the best that Squaresoft has ever produced!) Above all, if you liked the first PE, then you will be most pleased with this title! If not, then maybe you are happier with Resident Evil or Super Mario games.

My review and a response to all the complaints...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 15 / 19
Date: January 01, 2001
Author: Amazon User

First off, I would like to express my feelings about PE2. OK I'll admit I haven't beaten the game yet, but what I have played is simply astounding in my opinion because I am not looking at the game from an RPG perspective. I have seen enough of the game to figure out that Square put PE2 in the wrong genre. PE2 belongs in the survival-horror genre with such greats as Resident Evil and Dino Crisis. I also feel the same goes for the original Parasite Eve. I also feel that the game would've been better if Aya had stayed in New York and developed her relationships with the characters in PE. The graphics in the game are a major leap forward when compared to the original. I would place them on the same standards as Final Fantasy 9. The backgrounds are very realistic and the character motion is pretty fluid until the character comes up close. The sound and cinematics are fantastic as well. Most of your surroundings are pretty quiet, very fitting for a survival-horror title. All in all, the only thing I feel that qualifies this game as an RPG is its STORY. Most survival-horror games don't have a story. I would say that PE2 is a combination of both. Just like the original Parasite Eve.

Now my response to peoples' complaints... After reading all 20 of the reviews for this product, one complaint stands out above all of them....Play control. Many of the reviewers say it is terrible. Obviously, they haven't played the Resident Evil series, which has basically the same controls. My tip is, don't use the analog sticks if you are trying to get used to the controls. The D-Pad provides a better amount of control than the sticks. Second, use the shooting range. That's what it's there for!

The second complaint was about the battle system. I happen to love the real-time battle because it adds to the realism of the game. In fact, I feel the next Final Fantasy title should have a real-time battle system. The system in PE2 allows you to dodge an enemy's attack or even run and hide. Can you do that in any of the Final Fantasy games? Didn't think so. Trust me. Give it some time and you'll grow to love it.

The last complaint that stood out was that many of the enemies were too difficult. I feel sorry for you, really. If you want easy enemies, go out and buy Doom or Quake and enjoy the one-shot kills. Having harder enemies in a game is a MAJOR plus no matter what game it is. RPGs and Survival-Horror games are meant to have enemies that aren't killed in one shot and ammo is plentiful. What is the first word in "Survival Horror?" If you put one-shot kills in this genre, games would be TOO easy. These types of games were MEANT to TAKE TIME to finish. Get over it.

A disappointment at best

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 18 / 30
Date: December 12, 2000
Author: Amazon User

The original Parasite Eve was the first game I ever purchased for my Playstation. It had an intelligent and well-developed storyline, laden with suspense and horror. The secondary characters endeared themselves to the player, and had individual goals and purposes. The cinematics were epic. The weapons and armor were customizable. Play control, while not perfect, was pretty darn good. Parasite Eve kept me intrigued from start to finish. I was never bored, and I was left wanting more.

I should have left it at that. Its sequel, Parasite Eve 2, was more than disappointing. The storyline had a "been there, done that" feel, and possessed none of the unpredictablility or suspense of the first. There's only so much mutation a player can witness before it gets tiresome. And forget about those cinematic scenes that were so horribly gruesome, one couldn't help but be drawn to them. The cinematics in PE 2, while satisfying enough, are not in the same ballpark as PE.

Another gripe I had was with the game setting. I would much rather have seen Aya stay in New York and develop her relationships with the secondary characters from the original game, than move to Los Angeles and hang out with a bunch of one-dimensional nitwits the player doesn't hear much from, anyway. I liked the setting of the original, and how the player got to see New York landmarks from a "different" perspective. I felt like I was playing Aya on her home turf, immersed in her culture, bringing her position on the NYPD to life, and it was exciting. The player will see nothing of Los Angeles in PE 2, but will spend a lot of time wandering around the desert--some place I did not know about, and did not care to know about. Heaven help us. Oh, and if that new MIST organization in L.A. is so top secret, why must Aya announce to everyone she meets: "I'm with MIST, it's this top secret organization..." Mm hm. I miss the NYPD.

On to game control. Ouch. I was tinkering with the controls for at least an hour before I could even hit something with my gun. I spent the better part of the first disk smacking into walls while walking around. By the end of the game, I was not much better. The first person controls were tough to master, and coupled with the real-time battle system, the narrow camera angles, and ridiculously difficult monsters, my battle strategy was shot to heck. Forget running, dodging, even turning around. Who has time to think about game control when there's a monster whacking at you who is going to kill you in three hits? I found my battle strategy reduced to "stand where I am and shoot at whatever is closest." Unfortunately, the auto-target does not always choose the target posing the imminent threat. I got my bum kicked soundly and often. The difficulties imposed by the controls took a lot away from the enjoyment of the game. (A note to anyone venturing to buy this game: spend time in the shooting range before you start. Spend LOTS of time in the shooting range before you start.)

The ability to customize weapons and armor was reduced to "would you rather attach a bayonet OR extra ammo capability to this ONE particular weapon? NO, you can't have both, and don't even THINK about attaching anything to other weapons!" What a let-down. And the PE abilities? The system is interesting. There are four categories of abilities to choose from, (like fire, electricity, and healing abilities) and you can "learn" a new ability or make an old one more powerful by spending points on it. One problem: what happened to the abilities Aya learned leading up to her confrontation with Eve in the original PE? She couldn't so much as light a candle with her PE powers at the beginning of PE 2. What a wimp! How would Aya possibly make her way to the FBI if she forgot all her powers?

If you're looking for a game with a lot of initial play time, this is not it, either. I finished the first disk in the first couple hours of playing, including time for all my play control-related deaths. I checked the box, checked the CDs, even replayed the scene before the end of the disk. I was genuinely SHOCKED the first disk was over. Two scenes, and that's half the game?

To counter the short play time, PE 2 has decent replayability. There are several unique modes to choose from after completing the game once, including "bounty mode" (those tough golems near the end of the game appear from the beginning, can and WILL kill Aya in one hit) and regular replay, with more options becoming available after those new modes are completed. Aya gets to start the replays with special items, different depending on how many points the player finished the previous completion with. Pretty nifty, that.

In a nutshell: unless you're a player who likes to work exceptionally hard and be rewarded with nothing but a crummy ending, skip this game entirely. Spend more time playing the first PE and dreaming of a sequel worthy to follow it.

Involving and Gripping

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 10
Date: April 04, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I played this before Parasite Eve 1, and was a little lost as regards the background story, but its one of my favourite games. Firstly the story is absorbing and exciting (always important). I liked all the characters, especially Aya, and followed the plot with without getting lost nearly all the time! Secondly, the graphics are superb. Pre-rendered backgrounds ( yes, they are in the style of Resident Evil) look incredible, and the monsters are among the creepiest since Silent Hill. The characters all look and move realistically, even the pet dog Flint! Plus of course, the battle system, which in my opinion is outstanding. In this game, you face the enemy in real time, and you have to run around avoiding attacks, whilst trying to attack and heal yourself at the same time, or try and stay safe for the few vital seconds it takes to cast a powerful magic spell. In my opinion, this form of combat is far preferable to the static, turn-based encounters of traditional RPGs, and much more exciting. These battles are not random, in fact you can choose whether or not to fight on a lot of occasions with the use of a handy scanner that warns of enemy infestated areas. Of course, you can't avoid the bosses, and these battles are suitably long and tough. I still remember the huge fat thing with a flame thrower in its mouth... Still, you might not want to avoid battles, as more fighting means more experience, and more power, which you will definitely need as things get incredibly tough in the final stages, leading up to a prolonged and a spectaular showdown.... it's true I may be biased, being more of a survival horror fan than RPG player, but this game really works. It beats so many other games out there easily, and in my mind is more satisfying than the first game, which had some serious control issues-at least Aya can actually run in this game! I have no complaints whatsoever...Oh all right, just one - How about some dialogue! I would love to have heard Aya speak, but not once, even in cut scenes! No matter, definitely worth buying

A must have for any Squaresoft fan!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: May 10, 2002
Author: Amazon User

A terrific sequal to the first Parasite Eve. This game has a lot more to discover, and has a lot of plot twists. It's a great buy for anyone who has played the previous game, if not, I'd play te original, then consider this one.

Parasite Eve 2 ROCKS!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 9
Date: September 28, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I have just finished playing this game and I loved it. The story was good, it kept me guessing as to what would happen next. The graphics were real good as was the sound. As far as the weapons, nice assortment with plenty of ammo for the cool guns like the M4A1.Even the monsters were really cool, and some I really hated fighting because they are tough(those damn chasers are the worst to fight).

I have heard a lot of talk about how "bad" the control is. Let me tell you I had no problems with the control or the camera angles. Basic movement is the same as Resident Evil, if you have played those games. Camera angles werent bad either, only a couple times did I have a problem with the camera, and they were minor problems. The realtime fighting is a lot better than the first game, and the targeting feature was nice also. Maybe some people had trouble with control, but I had none.

If you played the first Parasite Eve, I highly recommend PE2. I hope squaresoft makes a PE3 for the PS2, they have a good series going here.

Are we playing a different game?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 9
Date: April 11, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I read all of the reviews for Parasite Eve II and found a huge conflict in opinion. My question is, are we playing a differnt game or something? Personally, I found PE II to be a great game. I do see one problem with the marketing of the game, which puts it into the RPG class when I think it is more like a Horror Survival game (Resident Evil series, Dino Crisis, etc.)so maybe that is where the conflict lies. Otherwise, I just don't see what all the fuss is about.

PE II is an improvement over the orginal in that the controls are much easier and the real battle system is more engaging (literally) and and makes the game more interesting overall. There is the occasional problem with the camera angle getting in the way, but name one game of this type that doesn't have this issue. I also read a good number of complaints regarding the storyline of the game. Face it folks, few games even have a storyline, let alone one as extensive as the PE series. Yes, PE II's storyline is different from the original which is why it is a sequel...what did you expect the exact same storyline? The exact same characters...the exact same GAME?

PE II stands alone, yet it is closely associated to the original at least as far as the basics go. The movie sequences are outstanding and the overall movement is more fluid as well. My advice for those having problems controlling the character movement...stop using the stick...go back to the directional pad, its much easier. Character movement is VERY similar to the Resident Evil games and after just a few minutes, you'll get the hang of it. For RPG fans, the character control is probably much easier than some of the other games your used to...half the buttons are not even used. As for the story line, Parasite Eve may have been more interesting and unique but Squaresoft did a good job of expanding on the basics and improving the game battle sequences and control issues that were glaringly evident in the original game.

If you still aren't sure about buying this game now, I would advise that you rent it first. If you liked PE, chances are you'll like PE II. You're likely to appreciate it for its advancements (movie sequences, real time battle, easier control, etc.)and get sucked into this game as well.

Not like PE 1, easily better (no spoilers)

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: June 22, 2004
Author: Amazon User

If you hated PE 1, then you'll really like PE 2. Unfortunately, if you hated PE 1, you wont likely give PE 2 a chance. I wasn't going to either. PE 2 did a complete 180 in terms of gameplay. This was really needed since PE 1 had a promising many-sequel story but an execution not expected of Square. PE 1 is a very unique RPG, with repetitive and extremely dull gameplay. PE 2 is much more lively! Plays more like RE 2 or RE 3, without voice acting. Lack of voice acting is the only reason I gave it only 4 stars. This game may remind people of RE, but it is quite unique on its own.

If there is to be a PE 1 Rebirth, then gameplay needs to be more up to date. Voice acting is a must for any serious game today.

I initially hated PE 1, but today I find its "slower" gameplay not as bad.

If Parasite Eve is to have a different voice actress for each sequel, then that's fine with me. I don't want Aya to be removed from the series the way Regina was from Dino Crisis. Neither do I want Aya to start fading from the series the way Solid Snake faded out of MGS: Sons of Liberty. Game sequels can be ruined easily, if the favorite main character no longer appears in them. If you can't keep the main voice actor, then at least keep the main character!

Squaresoft scores with a flashy new sequel

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: June 27, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Okay, a disease that quickly infects people and animals rips flesh, opens sores and disease quickly erodes all resemblance to what they once were and transforms them into rabid beasts. Don't you just hate it when that happens.

While completely unbelievable, I find myself quickly immersed with Parasite Eve II. An attractive woman called Aya Brea with a hardened background in New York crime fighting is back again fighting 'NMCs', neo-mitochondria, basically the disease mentioned above.

I'm impressed with the realistic graphics and the all-too chilling cutscenes and rampant beasts; some are laudable, some disgusting, some chilling. Parasite Eve II now has an even darker glow to it, but loses it's RPG edge in place of Action/Adventure.

I really love how anyone can sit down and play this without ever hearing of the first game, its a solid game with a good storyline. I can always play this game again and with more than one possible ending and multiple difficulties there is little chance I'll be bored.

I give this four stars, mainly because I think the lines could have been snappier, the people sometime off-character and there are quite a few angles later in the game that are very annoying to manuever around. Otherwise this a great game that is worth the nine bucks they sell it for.

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