The late ’90s and early ’00s were, in many ways, the golden age of survival horror. It’s having a renaissance at the moment, with every new game looking back at what came before and hoping to improve the formula. With several remakes and remasters on the cards, it’s surprising that Parasite Eve still hasn’t been revisited; the sequel, Parasite Eve 2, remains beloved for many.
Both games’ stories are loosely adapted from a 1995 novel by Hideaki Sena. It features many of the tropes we saw coming out of Japan at the time: shady government groups; grotesque monsters; suspense; and supernatural abilities. It was an ideal fit for the PlayStation era. Squaresoft, known now as Square Enix, saw the middling popularity of the first game, along with the success of the Resident Evil games, and pulled out all the stops for this sequel. Resident Evil writer and director Kenichi Iwao was brought on board to ensure the game met expectations and would fit in with the survival horror landscape as it was at the time.
This story is from the September 2023 edition of PLAY Magazine UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 2023 edition of PLAY Magazine UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Batman: Arkham Asylum
15 years!? Holy depressing passing of time, Batman!
The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road
Keeping us engaged with the carat-and-stick approach
Alan Wake 2: Night Springs
Keepin' it weird
GRAND THEFT AUTO VI
The ruler of the crime sandbox returns
WARHAMMER 40,000: SPACE MARINE 2
Up to your pauldrons in science-fiction action
DELTA FORCE: HAWK OPS
Teaching an old hawk new tricks
Welcome to the Roughnecks
Blasting bugs and shooting the breeze with Starship Troopers game lead Peter Maurice and star Casper Van Dien
LEGO HORIZON ADVENTURES
Bricks and stones may break robo dino bones
ASSASSIN'S CREED SHADOWS
Presenting protagonist double trouble
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance
A delightfully devilish refresh