Introduction

Parasite Eve 2 is a sequel to the 1998 Squaresoft title Parasite Eve. Continuing the misadventures of super-cop Aya Brea, as she joins the FBI to hunt grotesque monstrosities, Parasite Eve 2 is less a hybrid of JRPG and Survival Horror like its predecessor, and more of a Survival Horror game with a Magic system. Battles take place in real time, Aya moves via tank controls, and the game heavily employs Resident Evil style fixed camera angles, leading to many situations where you can hear an enemy, but can't necessarily see him.

Despite these changes, Parasite Eve 2 was quite well received, and for good reason. It is easily one of the most fun survival horror games on the PS1, and one of my personal favorites. The game focuses more on its protagonist, Aya, than anything else, and does a very good job of rounding out her personality and characterization. And it manages to do this while still being extremely fun to play. It also boasts tons of replay value, largely due to its huge number of unlockables.

But that's jumping ahead quite a bit. In the meantime, let's play some Parasite Eve 2!

By the way, if you're a bit lost on the backstory, you can read my LP of Parasite Eve 1 right HERE!

Cast

:Aya Brea. Our plucky, gun-toting protagonist. She has super mitochondria powers because she got a cornea transplant from her dead twin when she was a kid. It's...it's complicated. She likes leather jackets and firearms. She also killed a t-Rex one time. Seriously.

: Pierce Carradine. Pierce is Aya's bumbling sidekick. He's the tech guy at MIST, but mostly spends his time dressing like a hippie and being useless. Pierce is a B.

: Eric "Hal" Baldwin. Aya's boss at MIST. He is very straight-laced and very strict. Mostly sits at his desk and tells us to do things. Kinda looks like Colonel Campbell, but somehow less charming.

: Jodie Bouquet. The ditzy, bubbly gun expert at MIST. She talks like a valley girl from the 90's, but we put up with it because she sells us guns. She is more helpful than Pierce, so she has that going, at least.

: Rupert Broderick. A fellow NMC hunter, Rupert is a stone cold bad-ass and a snappy dresser. He, like Aya, prefers to work alone, presumably because he's way too cool to hang around people like Pierce. He became a NMC Hunter after one of the creatures killed his daughter.

: Gary Douglas. Owner of a scrap yard in Dryfield. A tough old sod who took it upon himself to protect his home from hideous monstrosities with nothing but a shotgun, some booby traps, and a whole lotta gumption. Possibly the most grizzled old bastard in a survival horror game.

: Kyle Madigan. A Private Investigator chasing down a case in Dryfield. He seems to know more than he lets on, but seems a capable companion against the NMCs. Relatively capable, at least. He does wear turtlenecks in the desert and has trouble telling the difference between predatory cats and horses. On the plus side, he remembered to bring a gun.