(This is a quick and dirty OP after waiting a long while. I wanted to make this a two post OP, but this is a PSP/Cellphone game so most people probably won't give a shit. ;___;
Also my first OT. Be gentle, NeoGAF!)
After 10 years, Square has decided to reheat the game series they left out in the cold. "Parasite Eve." Given this is a ten year gap, I figure I'll give some backstory for those that haven't played the games that came before this.
Parasite Eve:
The Cinematic Role-playing Game
Parasite Eve |OT| The Worst Foe Lies Within The Self...
Back of the box (Not sure if "scans" of back of the box are allowed? If not I'll edit it out)
Developer: Square USA (bet you didn't know that!)
Director: Takashi Tokita
Producer: Hironobu Sakaguchi
Artist: Tetsuya Nomura (Before he became known as "Mr. Belts and Zippers" Aya Brea's design was his magnum opus)
Composer: Yoko Shimomura
Platform: Sony Playstation
Release date: JP: March 29, 1998 US: September 9, 1998
Genre: Role-playing game with Survival horror
Plot:
Christmas Eve 1997. During a date with an unnamed person that "wouldn't stop pestering me," Aya Brea is at an Opera in Carnegie Hall. During the performance, Mellisa Pearce, the actress in the Opera stares out into the crowd as she starts her solo. During her solo, the actors on stage AND the crowd starts to spontaneously combust. Mass panic and confusion happens as Aya narrowly avoids being killed by a falling person on fire. As everyone else leaves (and Aya knocks her date out of the hall) Aya goes to confront the mysterious person Melissa has turned into.
One of them is a police officer. The other is possessed by an ancient evil threatening all life on Earth. The horrifying bond between them will continue until one of them dies.
Features:
-Real-time polygonal combat in a "turn based" (wait, then shoot) Japanese Role-Playing Survival Horror game.
-Aya Brea's introduction/backstory and the series' roots.
-Levels and EXP gain new magic powers in typical JRPG fashion. (Bonus: Are you an insane bad enough dude/dudette to level Aya Brea to level 99 despite the fact the game can be beaten and probably will be beaten at level 25-30?)
-Kunihiko Maeda, who will be a part of Parasite Eve "3"/The Third Birthday!
-New Game Plus (NG+/"EX Game") featuring the Chrysler Building. Yes, you, the player and Aya can climb the whole 77 (non-1:1 recreated) floors of the building/dungeon and beat harder bosses than the normal game to get a newsub-par IMO ending!
-
-Terrible translation as was the norm of the 90's!
Parasite Eve 2:
The "You-got-your-Biohazard/Resident Evil-in-my-JRPG!" Action Japanese Role Playing Survival Horror game.
Back of the box
Developer: Square PDD 5 (In-house developers in Japan)
Director: Kenichi Iwao
Producer: Yusuke Hirata
Artist: Tetsuya Nomura (character designer) Fumi Nakashima (character illustration)
Composer: Naoshi Mizuta
Platform: Sony Playstation
Release date: JP December 16, 1999 EU(some countries didn't get the game, however) August 25, 2000 US September 12, 2000
Genre: Survival horror with light role-playing game elements.
Plot:
September 2000. Nearly three years have passed since the tragic loss of life during the incident in Manhattan. Since then, I've quit the force and become an NMC Hunter, based in Los Angeles. I caught the creatures as they headed west from New York. We never saw any of the mutant mitochondria that created EVE again.
The creatures' numbers were dwindling. The end of my struggle was in sight.
Until one chilly, late summer evening...
September 18th 2000. The Arkopolis Tower is being "terrorized by terrorists." Aya Brea, now an FBI agent under the division of "Mitochondrial Investigation and Suppression Team" (M.I.S.T.) is called to the tower as the "terrorists" aren't normal terrorists, they're mutant humans attacking others.
What follows leads Aya Brea to the Mojave Desert, underground laboratories with exhibits, and to a plot point that isn't totally resolved to this day!
Features:
-Kyle Madagin and "Eve" who cameo in Parasite Eve "3"/The Third Birthday!
-Biohazard controls and camera angles! (Hatersgonnahateeagle.jpg)
-REAL TIME BATTLE SYSTEM! (No more "wait, then shoot." However, Parasite Energies/Magic have a casting time and casting them in battle can make you get hit and have you have to redo the casting)
-Multiple endings! (That aren't really that different other than a few changes and characters disappearing/appearing)
-Harder modes! (Bounty, Scavenger, and for those that want true pain: Nightmare, the Bounty Enemies and low money and high buying cost of weapons in Scavenger make this a true hardcore mode)
-New Game Plus(+)!
-Multiple rewards for playthroughs!
-Squall's gunblade as a weapon!
-Semi-bad-but-more-passable translation!
-Duckroll's fetish! (SOOO NSFW) (Also making a return in Parasite Eve "3"/The Third Birthday!)
Which leads us to...
(Banner link is SOOOOO NFSW for those of you not at home)
Parasite Eve "3": The Third Birthday.
The Third Person Shooter with light JRPG elements that was formerly a cellphone game... wonderful... Game.
Developer: Square-Enix (in-house Japanese developers) story, Hexa-Drive for engine and gameplay
Director: Hajime Tabata
Producer: Yoshinori Kitase
Artist: Tetsuya Nomura (Character Design), Isamu Kamikokuryo (Illustrator)
Writer(s) Motomu Toriyama
Composer(s) Yoko Shimomura, Tsuyoshi Sekito, Mitsuto Suzuki[3]
Platform: Sony Playstation Portable
Release date: JP December 21, 2010 EU April 1, 2011 US March 29, 2011
The Third Birthday is a third-person shooter very light RPG customization elements. Instead of playing like an RPG or allowing the player to use mitochondrial powers and pause the action, the gameplay now takes place entirely in real time. Aya can no longer use her powers, but in return she now possesses a new ability called Overdive, which allows her to dive into another person's psyche and temporarily control them from a distance. The main gimmick of the game is thus changing your playable "body" between the different soldiers or civilians you find through the game in order to take advantage of their unique weapons, their positioning or simply because a Twisted managed to kill your current host. On top of that, there are also some more abilities at the disposal of the player:
Crossfire
Aya's skills to control minds allows all barricaded soldiers around to temporarily focus on one target and fire at it, weakening it faster than usual. Using Crossfire requires locking on the selected enemy without firing or reloading until the bar is filled and then pressing the shoot button.
Overdive Kill
Overdive Kill is a special attack that allows Aya to momentarily enter a Twisted's body and destroy it from within. It requires shooting the enemy until its health bar starts flashing yellow, and after a little bit more shooting a tringle button prompt will appear. Although Overdive Kill is really powerful, it also weakens Aya for a bit after it's used, so she'll be completely exposed (though dodging can instantly stop the animation). Crossfire makes it easier for an enemy to reach Overdive Kill status.
Liberation
Aya's limit break-like attack. By filling the bar and pressing both Triangle and Circle, Aya unleashes an explosive burst of power and enters an enhanced state where she can't be damaged and deals more damage while making enemies reach Overdive Kill status faster. It also leaves her exposed when it's finished.
Over Energy
While in missions, you'll often obtain Over Energy Chips (OE Chips) when overdiving to targets. These chips are DNA fragments that can be placed on a 3x3 board in order to power Aya up. When the board is complete, you can keep placing chips on top of others in order to increase their level (which is limited by Aya's own level) or obtaining brand new skills. There are different types of Chips indicated by colour, and not all abilities are equally useful (the skills that boost Liberation aren't that useful because you aren't in that state very often), just keep in mind that the red chips are negative skills, but they can be morphed into other colours too.
Weapon Customization
At the beginning of a chapter or in one of the peaceful rooms, you can buy or customize your weapons. While it's not very complex, there are several weapon categories (handguns, rifles, shotguns...) that can be leveled up in order to unlock further attachments, and you can improve your weapons in different ways, like choosing between a magazine with more ammo capacity or a magazine with more powerful bullets.
Protective Gear
This game's idea of armor. During the first playthrough you can choose between two different outfits, and after finishing the game you'll start unlocking more that cover many different fetishes, from house maid to FFXIII's Lightning. As Aya receives damage, her clothes start dematerializing, and the gear becomes weaker, so you'll be faced with the daunting decision of choosing between virtual skin or more defense.
(Thanks, Peff, for saving my ass!)
Youtube of the tutorial level showing the battle system and gameplay systems. Thank you, Domstercool!
Priz wants you to listen to the theme song: Superfly.
----
So, um, yeah. This is for the PSN (GO BUY IT, YOU!) and US UMD release. Discuss the gameplay and plot (pref. spoiler tags, but I'm not going to be a stickler if you forget this.) here?
Also my first OT. Be gentle, NeoGAF!)
After 10 years, Square has decided to reheat the game series they left out in the cold. "Parasite Eve." Given this is a ten year gap, I figure I'll give some backstory for those that haven't played the games that came before this.
Parasite Eve:
The Cinematic Role-playing Game
Parasite Eve |OT| The Worst Foe Lies Within The Self...
Back of the box (Not sure if "scans" of back of the box are allowed? If not I'll edit it out)
Developer: Square USA (bet you didn't know that!)
Director: Takashi Tokita
Producer: Hironobu Sakaguchi
Artist: Tetsuya Nomura (Before he became known as "Mr. Belts and Zippers" Aya Brea's design was his magnum opus)
Composer: Yoko Shimomura
Platform: Sony Playstation
Release date: JP: March 29, 1998 US: September 9, 1998
Genre: Role-playing game with Survival horror
Plot:
Christmas Eve 1997. During a date with an unnamed person that "wouldn't stop pestering me," Aya Brea is at an Opera in Carnegie Hall. During the performance, Mellisa Pearce, the actress in the Opera stares out into the crowd as she starts her solo. During her solo, the actors on stage AND the crowd starts to spontaneously combust. Mass panic and confusion happens as Aya narrowly avoids being killed by a falling person on fire. As everyone else leaves (and Aya knocks her date out of the hall) Aya goes to confront the mysterious person Melissa has turned into.
One of them is a police officer. The other is possessed by an ancient evil threatening all life on Earth. The horrifying bond between them will continue until one of them dies.
Features:
-Real-time polygonal combat in a "turn based" (wait, then shoot) Japanese Role-Playing Survival Horror game.
-Aya Brea's introduction/backstory and the series' roots.
-Levels and EXP gain new magic powers in typical JRPG fashion. (Bonus: Are you a
-Kunihiko Maeda, who will be a part of Parasite Eve "3"/The Third Birthday!
-New Game Plus (NG+/"EX Game") featuring the Chrysler Building. Yes, you, the player and Aya can climb the whole 77 (non-1:1 recreated) floors of the building/dungeon and beat harder bosses than the normal game to get a new
-
Sperm banks! Impregnations! "My Body Is Getting Hot!"
Parasite Eve 2:
The "You-got-your-Biohazard/Resident Evil-in-my-JRPG!" Action Japanese Role Playing Survival Horror game.
Back of the box
Developer: Square PDD 5 (In-house developers in Japan)
Director: Kenichi Iwao
Producer: Yusuke Hirata
Artist: Tetsuya Nomura (character designer) Fumi Nakashima (character illustration)
Composer: Naoshi Mizuta
Platform: Sony Playstation
Release date: JP December 16, 1999 EU(some countries didn't get the game, however) August 25, 2000 US September 12, 2000
Genre: Survival horror with light role-playing game elements.
Plot:
September 2000. Nearly three years have passed since the tragic loss of life during the incident in Manhattan. Since then, I've quit the force and become an NMC Hunter, based in Los Angeles. I caught the creatures as they headed west from New York. We never saw any of the mutant mitochondria that created EVE again.
The creatures' numbers were dwindling. The end of my struggle was in sight.
Until one chilly, late summer evening...
September 18th 2000. The Arkopolis Tower is being "terrorized by terrorists." Aya Brea, now an FBI agent under the division of "Mitochondrial Investigation and Suppression Team" (M.I.S.T.) is called to the tower as the "terrorists" aren't normal terrorists, they're mutant humans attacking others.
What follows leads Aya Brea to the Mojave Desert, underground laboratories with exhibits, and to a plot point that isn't totally resolved to this day!
Features:
-Kyle Madagin and "Eve" who cameo in Parasite Eve "3"/The Third Birthday!
-Biohazard controls and camera angles! (Hatersgonnahateeagle.jpg)
-REAL TIME BATTLE SYSTEM! (No more "wait, then shoot." However, Parasite Energies/Magic have a casting time and casting them in battle can make you get hit and have you have to redo the casting)
-Multiple endings! (That aren't really that different other than a few changes and characters disappearing/appearing)
-Harder modes! (Bounty, Scavenger, and for those that want true pain: Nightmare, the Bounty Enemies and low money and high buying cost of weapons in Scavenger make this a true hardcore mode)
-New Game Plus(+)!
-Multiple rewards for playthroughs!
-Squall's gunblade as a weapon!
-Semi-bad-but-more-passable translation!
-Duckroll's fetish! (SOOO NSFW) (Also making a return in Parasite Eve "3"/The Third Birthday!)
Which leads us to...
(Banner link is SOOOOO NFSW for those of you not at home)
Parasite Eve "3": The Third Birthday.
The Third Person Shooter with light JRPG elements that was formerly a cellphone game... wonderful... Game.
Developer: Square-Enix (in-house Japanese developers) story, Hexa-Drive for engine and gameplay
Director: Hajime Tabata
Producer: Yoshinori Kitase
Artist: Tetsuya Nomura (Character Design), Isamu Kamikokuryo (Illustrator)
Writer(s) Motomu Toriyama
Composer(s) Yoko Shimomura, Tsuyoshi Sekito, Mitsuto Suzuki[3]
Platform: Sony Playstation Portable
Release date: JP December 21, 2010 EU April 1, 2011 US March 29, 2011
The Third Birthday is a third-person shooter very light RPG customization elements. Instead of playing like an RPG or allowing the player to use mitochondrial powers and pause the action, the gameplay now takes place entirely in real time. Aya can no longer use her powers, but in return she now possesses a new ability called Overdive, which allows her to dive into another person's psyche and temporarily control them from a distance. The main gimmick of the game is thus changing your playable "body" between the different soldiers or civilians you find through the game in order to take advantage of their unique weapons, their positioning or simply because a Twisted managed to kill your current host. On top of that, there are also some more abilities at the disposal of the player:
Crossfire
Aya's skills to control minds allows all barricaded soldiers around to temporarily focus on one target and fire at it, weakening it faster than usual. Using Crossfire requires locking on the selected enemy without firing or reloading until the bar is filled and then pressing the shoot button.
Overdive Kill
Overdive Kill is a special attack that allows Aya to momentarily enter a Twisted's body and destroy it from within. It requires shooting the enemy until its health bar starts flashing yellow, and after a little bit more shooting a tringle button prompt will appear. Although Overdive Kill is really powerful, it also weakens Aya for a bit after it's used, so she'll be completely exposed (though dodging can instantly stop the animation). Crossfire makes it easier for an enemy to reach Overdive Kill status.
Liberation
Aya's limit break-like attack. By filling the bar and pressing both Triangle and Circle, Aya unleashes an explosive burst of power and enters an enhanced state where she can't be damaged and deals more damage while making enemies reach Overdive Kill status faster. It also leaves her exposed when it's finished.
Over Energy
While in missions, you'll often obtain Over Energy Chips (OE Chips) when overdiving to targets. These chips are DNA fragments that can be placed on a 3x3 board in order to power Aya up. When the board is complete, you can keep placing chips on top of others in order to increase their level (which is limited by Aya's own level) or obtaining brand new skills. There are different types of Chips indicated by colour, and not all abilities are equally useful (the skills that boost Liberation aren't that useful because you aren't in that state very often), just keep in mind that the red chips are negative skills, but they can be morphed into other colours too.
Weapon Customization
At the beginning of a chapter or in one of the peaceful rooms, you can buy or customize your weapons. While it's not very complex, there are several weapon categories (handguns, rifles, shotguns...) that can be leveled up in order to unlock further attachments, and you can improve your weapons in different ways, like choosing between a magazine with more ammo capacity or a magazine with more powerful bullets.
Protective Gear
This game's idea of armor. During the first playthrough you can choose between two different outfits, and after finishing the game you'll start unlocking more that cover many different fetishes, from house maid to FFXIII's Lightning. As Aya receives damage, her clothes start dematerializing, and the gear becomes weaker, so you'll be faced with the daunting decision of choosing between virtual skin or more defense.
(Thanks, Peff, for saving my ass!)
Youtube of the tutorial level showing the battle system and gameplay systems. Thank you, Domstercool!
Priz wants you to listen to the theme song: Superfly.
----
USER WAS JUNIORED FOR THIS QUICK AND DIRTY OP
So, um, yeah. This is for the PSN (GO BUY IT, YOU!) and US UMD release. Discuss the gameplay and plot (pref. spoiler tags, but I'm not going to be a stickler if you forget this.) here?
I can post some stuff about the gameplay systems/characters (lulz) if you want.
