E132: Parasite Eve
Retro Spectives9 Heinä 2025

E132: Parasite Eve

Resident Evil changed everything. When originally released in 1996, what was once a niche genre for enthusiasts was now a blockbuster staple in every second home. All of a sudden people were craving zombies, horrifying monsters and disturbing themes. It was so popular that Square, far more known for its more traditional JRPGs, decided to throw its hat in the ring and make Parasite Eve.

On the surface, the game appeared to be textbook survival horror. But dig a little deeper and you could see that Square was unable to escape its roots. Turn based mode happened in a sphere similar to Vagrant Story, upgrades were plentiful and incremental, and the storytelling had more cutscenes than gameplay at least in the early stages. Thematically this was still horrifying…but under the hood was a different story.

Was this blend of genres ultimately successful, giving survival horror a fresh new perspective? Or is it impossible to reconcile grim resources management with the power fantasy that RPGS almost always offer?

On this episode, we discuss:

Story

How does Parasite Eve use real world science to lend an air of credibility to the horrific changes that are happening all over Manhattan? Does it execute the smaller details well even if the larger picture is a bit silly at times?

Combat

How enjoyable is the moment to moment real time combat of Parasite Eve? The game requires you to dodge attacks, and pick the best moment to strike. Is this too simplistic or does it work well?

Progression

How do the weapon and armour upgrades work in Parasite Eve? Does it provide the player with a satisfying sense of progression, or is it all just a confusing mess?

We answer these questions and many more on the 132nd episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!



Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

Parasite Eve OST: Yoko Shinomura

What crazy weapon upgrade paths do you like to use? Is the NG+ mode worth playing? How is Parasite Eve 2 different from the original? Come let us know what you think on our discord server!

Come let us know what you think or recommend us a new game on our community discord server!

If you would like to support the show monetarily, you can buy us a coffee here!

Jaksot(140)

E122: The Legend of Zelda

E122: The Legend of Zelda

The Legend of Zelda is perhaps the most iconic video game series of all time.  Boasting 19 mainline entries, and an endless swathe of critical acclaim and awards, it's hard to find someone who hasn’t ...

8 Heinä 20241h 9min

E121: Killer 7

E121: Killer 7

Killer7 is one weird game.  Developed in tandem by Grasshopper Manufacture and Capcom and first released in 2005, its very existence as a game defies description.  Within moments of starting, you’re p...

21 Kesä 20242h 20min

E120: System Shock 2

E120: System Shock 2

System Shock 2 is considered by many to be the finest immersive sim ever made.  Released in 1999 in a coventure by Looking Glass Studios and Irrational Games, it sought to combine the classic 3D dunge...

3 Kesä 20241h 55min

E119: Gran Turismo 4

E119: Gran Turismo 4

Over the years, we’ve played games from pretty much every genre under the sun, but there is one that is notably missing - the racing sim.  We’ve dabbled with arcade racers like Burnout 3, and have pla...

6 Touko 20241h 33min

Episode 118: Hitman Bloodmoney

Episode 118: Hitman Bloodmoney

Hitman: Blood Money, first released in 2006 by Eidos, is considered by many to be the best Hitman game ever made.  After the first few games played around with novel ideas and concepts to mixed succes...

8 Huhti 20241h 39min

Episode 117: Final Fantasy VII

Episode 117: Final Fantasy VII

Final Fantasy VII is a landmark title not only for the JRPG genre, but for all video games.  First released in 1997 and developed by Square, it took the format of the previous games and brought them t...

11 Maalis 20242h 43min

Episode 116: Rain World

Episode 116: Rain World

Rain World is a game that was released to very mixed reviews.  With a whopping 59 on Metacritic, it was panned for its controls, difficulty, tedium and general obtuseness.  But take a gander at the co...

22 Tammi 20242h 14min

Episode 115: Mailbag 5

Episode 115: Mailbag 5

It's that time of year again!  For most of our episodes, our format is identical - we play a game, then discuss and review it.  Once a year, however, we take a break from the format at christmas time ...

1 Tammi 20242h 33min

Suosittua kategoriassa Vapaa-aika

nikotellen
antin-matka
sita
the-harlin-show
ihan-oikeesti
unicast
rss-nikotellen
eturivi
rss-naapurissa
tahtitehdas
mutsiputki
oral-sex
kaikkea-hyvaa
everypodi
terkuin-jenna
himocast
rss-viihde-media
20-30-40-podcast
kasper-ja-mikko
junnut-pelissa