Part 40: Episode 40: The End For Realsies
Episode 40: The End For Realsies
And so we reach the 77th Floor of the Chrysler Building. This is it, the final challenge the game has for us.
Ridley Scott's Parasite Eve
Uh...what?
Aya means this in the "I can't believe my eyes!" sense, not the Wicker Man sense.
Maya Brea is Aya deceased twin sister, in case you forgot. She's also been popping up as a ghost/illusion/foreshadowing device throughout the game. Judging from this dialogue, we can assume those visions were illusions caused by Maya's mitochondria in Aya, and not, in fact, ghosts. Ghosts would be completely ridiculous in a Parasite Eve game, after all.
Wasn't the original Mitochondria Eve an African woman? You...uh, you don't really fit the description, kiddo.
CAPITAL? LETTERS? QUESTION MARK?!?
Hans Klamp gave my cornea to you, and after giving the kidney to Melissa... he continued to culture my liver cells in order to study the original...me... 
This line confounds me. Either she's referring to Melissa/Eve's plan to birth the Ultimate Being and not the specific act, or she's somehow implying this happens after blowing up the battleship as one long bizarre segment. I'm going with both endings happening consecutively, minus the opera scene, because that makes the most sense to me.
Also, it's worth noting that this is all Klamp's fault.
: That's not true! That's IMPOSSIBLE!
This is gonna get weird, isn't it?
: Who are you?
: Are...are you really Maya?
: MAYA!
Oh, Eve. Even in the body of a small child, you are still the biggest bitch. I'm gonna miss you.
She's just enjoys her job so very much. Eve is easily my favorite Squaresoft villain.
: I'm about to redefine "police brutality" on your ass, bitch.
She says this and then immediately transforms.
Into a twin of Liberated Aya. Apparently purebreds aren't very original.
Best Boss Tune in the game, right here
So, the first thing Eve/Maya will do is teleport, which is what she's in the middle of right now. She is the toughest boss in the game, and gave me plenty of trouble, even at max level.
Her most basic attack is a one-two punch combo borrowed from Aya's Liberate. It does plenty of damage, too, so watch out. If she hits you with the first one, chances of dodging the second are basically nil. On the other hand, if you dodge the first, she'll pause and readjust her aim, so she'll still probably hit you with the second. Haste helps, but luck is definitely a factor.
I don't have a video for this fight. Well, that's not true, I have several. But none of them are remotely watchable. My basic plan for this fight is as follows:
1) Bring loads of healing items, including Revives, and armor equipped with Auto-Med.
2) Wing it.
Generally, I end up running frantically, occasionally casting Liberate, and using several Revives. I have come to the conclusion that I am not very good at this game.
But Eve/Maya has more attacks for us, including this one. She reaches towards the heavens...
And a little Maya floats down and hovers around Aya.
Then the little shit hits you with Paralysis. This isn't that big of a deal, since Paralysis is easy to cure and it usually wears off on its own before Eve/Maya attacks. So, it's really just annoying.
Sometimes, though, she summons two. The one around Aya does the same thing, but E/M's does something considerably worse.
The little brat heals her! She heals herself for more as the fight progresses, going from 2000 up to 6000. Liberate is the easiest way to keep up the damage when she does this.
She also has one other trick up her wing-sleeves.
Psycho Crusher! If it hits, it actually hits twice. Chances are this is the attack that kills you, more often than not.
After a Psycho Crusher, E/M will be stunned for a moment, like Aya after using her heavy hitter spells. So, it's a good time to vent your frustrations a little.
Show dat bitch how it's done
Unfortunately, Maya Evegalou has 45000 Hp, so we still have a ways to go.
QUIT DOING THAT!
On the upside, her hands start to burst into flame just before an attack, so you can decide when to attack and when to run for your life.
Most of this fight is just a light show of crazy explosions, punctuated with the occasional Game Over screen. Still far more interesting than the rest of this shitty dungeon.
She finally dies after I burn through all my healing items and have 1 HP left. I assure you I was freaking the fuck out.
Aya's gonna need some serious therapy after all this shit.
!!!
Theme of Mitochondria
: Did you miss me, darling?
: They're completing...?!: Do try to keep up, sweetheart. Should I speak more slowly for you?
: Humans are the same. All knowledge and technology... You see, it's all about competition. In war, you use that knowledge and technology to determine who will survive.
Suddenly, a light in the darkness.
: What?! Are there others, too?! Other than you and I?!
: The evolution of your nucleus is...:...go home... I have to go...
I'll come back to this line a minute, just enjoy the ending.
...
: Maya... I've been waiting... I've always been waiting for you to come home with mom... And I've always been looking for the other "me"...
: ALWAYS... All this time...
Fade out. The End.
The credits are the same, except now they have stills from the game, and few extra ones that didn't appear anywhere in the game proper. Also it plays the
Actually, it plays this version of the main theme. Thanks, Zeikier, for the correction.
Mostly the line about Aya's body returning to "before I had all these powers". I'm gonna throw out a spoiler here and tell you that, in Parasite Eve 2, Aya still has powers. That line was clearly written assuming there would be no sequel, since Square wasn't really into direct sequels back then, and was meant to wrap up that one little remaining loose end.
Simple answer: when they wrote the second game, they realized that magic was what helped set Parasite Eve apart from most survival horror games, so they just ignored that line, but still went off that ending.
Of course, you can't do both the Chrysler ending and the normal ending in one play through, and time travel is a retarded idea for a survival horror game, so which one is canon? Evil Maya references the birth of the Ultimate Being, so one can assume both happen. Aya takes down the Ultimate Being, then goes to the ominous glowing Chrysler Building to take care of some unfinished business.
Aya kills Evil Maya, and then Maya's spirit/cells take care of Eve for good. Aya goes home (
), then heads to the Opera with Daniel, Ben, and some other dude.
So, then what's the deal with the Opera ending scene? Again, Parasite Eve 2 exists, so clearly Aya didn't turn into a crazy monster lady and burn mother down. Popular theory is that Aya's mitochondria is forcing everyone else's mitochondria to evolve. Evolution is a major plot point, and really kinda the entire theme of the game. Even Maeda's end game rambling about the ecosystem ties into the idea of mankind evolving into something more, something better.
But, sadly, in Parasite Eve 2, humanity seems decidedly unchanged. Aya's the only one with powers, everyone else seems completely normal. Maybe it's a subtle change, because, after all, that's how evolution actually works. Tiny, subtle changes over large periods of times. But, this is a video game, and video game logic indicates that evolution is an immediately and drastic change, like, say, turning salamander into a winged dragon.
My theory? Aya's mitochondria were simply sending a much simpler message to the mito's in everyone else. Basically, just telling them all that if they get any ideas to revolt and turn into murder-monsters, Aya will kick their asses.
"Don't start no shit, there won't be no shit."
But, that's it. That's the end, for reals this time. I want to thank iastudent and dis astranagant for tipping me off to goodies I missed. Thanks to Psion, for informing me about the most delightfully useless Gameshark code ever.
And thank you all, for reading and putting up with my incompetence.
Until next time...
See ya, space cowboys.