Parasite Eve II
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| Parasite Eve II | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Square Co. |
| Publisher(s) | Square Co. (Japan), Square Electronic Arts (U.S.) |
| Release date(s) | December 16, 1999 (Japan) September 12, 2000 (U.S.) August 25, 2000 (Europe) |
| Genre(s) | Survival Horror |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: M (Mature) |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation |
| Media | 2 × CD-ROM |
| System requirements | Memory Card |
| Input | DualShock controller |
Parasite Eve II is the sequel to the first Parasite Eve video game. This game followed more in the footsteps of the traditional survival horror mold, and bore little resemblance to the original game. Parasite Eve II is set several years after the events in the original game.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
The game opens to reveal Aya Brea (the protagonist of the original Parasite Eve game, who is now an FBI operative in their Mitochondrial Investigation and Suppression Team) being dispatched on an urgent mission to the Akropolis tower in central Los Angeles, which is apparently under attack by Neo-Mitochondrial Creatures (NMCs). When she arrives at the tower, she is ushered through the police security cordon and into the high-rise building.
On exiting the elevator Aya discovers many dead SWAT members. However, the building is quiet, indicating that she may be too late. Exploring further, she finds an injured cop, who asks her to rescue a civilian woman locked in the cafeteria. When she manages to finally gain access to the cafeteria, she is horrified to witness the woman's transformation into an Artificial Neo-Mitochondrial Creature (ANMC) that then attacks her. With the aid of her MIST partner (Rupert Broderick), she defeats the creature and discovers a strange a metal implant on its corpse. After a useless phone call for additional help, she continues her sweep of the tower. In her explorations she stumbles across a lone SWAT member who refuses her help: he is inexplicably fusing a bomb. Eventually she encounters a mysterious humanoid cyborg known only as "Number 9". No. 9 is hostile, and is apparently planting bombs throughout the building. He ambushes Aya and Rupert, who manage to drive him off. Aya goes after him, following him to the roof of the tower and discovering more bombs along the way. The cyborg again attacks Aya and finally resorts to detonating the bombs he has planted to cover his escape. Aya and Rupert are rescued from the roof in the nick of time by a police helicopter.
After the incident in the tower Aya is assigned to an apparently unrelated case in the small desert town of Dryfield. Before she leaves, MIST agent Pierce Carradine tells her that the metal implant she found on the creature in the cafeteria is a micro-transmitter, and that he believes its purpose might be to control the ANMCs. He also informs her that sand was found in the implant. Aya leaves for Dryfield, and is attacked by ANMCs immediately on her arrival. Dryfield is nothing more than a truck-stop on a seldom used highway, with a motel, garage and diner but little else. She fights her way to the garage where Dryfield's only survivor, Gary Douglas, is holed up with his dog, Flint. After she explains her presence he provides Aya with the use of one of the motel's rooms, then leaves to conduct a patrol of the area. She heads straight to her room, but before she get a chance to relax she spots a water tower through her window. Furthermore, there appears to be someone on the catwalk at the top of the tower, trapped there by a pack of ANMCs prowling around its base. Climbing out of her first-floor window, she fights off the pack of horse-like ANMCs. A ladder is lowered for her by the tower's grateful occupant, allowing her to climb up.
The man she rescued introduces himself as Kyle Madigan, and says he is a private investigator looking for a hidden underground facility that is apparently in the area of Dryfield, although he declines to reveal all he knows. He refers to it as a 'shelter', implying that it was once intended as a refuge in the event of nuclear war. He also knows about MIST and seems to be familiar with the NMC threat, so they decide they should work together. Kyle leaves and Aya sees that Mr. Douglas is back from his rounds, so she makes her way to his trailer behind the garage.
Aya asks Mr. Douglas about the Shelter and, while they are talking, she hears a woman's scream coming from an abandoned house nearby. She decides to go and investigate. After picking her way through the debris that previously blocked access to this area, she finds another woman (like the one in the cafeteria) that is apparently in the process of transformation into an ANMC. The mysterious cyborg No. 9 returns and tells Aya that they must fight. During the battle Aya inadvertently unleashes a firestorm that burns the cyborg, and he realizes that Aya must have a connection to the ANMCs. The fire drives No. 9 off, but the effort drains Aya and she passes out. While she is unconscious she sees a vision of a little girl, who resembles her, strapped to a hospital bed. The girl escapes, and the hallucination ends as she awakens in a daze to find Kyle cautiously entering the room. After a potentially disastrous moment of confusion where they threaten each other and Aya unleashes her fire at Kyle, they decide that they can only discover what is going on by finding the Shelter. However, when they go outside they discover that Aya's car has been destroyed by a pack of ANMCs, who turn on Aya and Kyle. After defeating them Aya goes to see Mr. Douglas to ask if they can borrow his truck. He tells her that the truck has no gas. While Aya searches for a gasoline container, she hears from Kyle that the Shelter was recently bought by a corporation and refitted for scientific research. Once the truck has been filled, Mr. Douglas advises Aya to take a nap.
Once more Aya dreams about the little girl; this time she is exploring some kind of facility, but is eventually surrounded by cyborgs that resemble Golem No. 9, who take her prisoner. Aya is woken by the TV, and takes a shower. As she finishes, the room begins to shake: an enormous flame-throwing ANMC is approaching the town, and it begins to destroy the buildings. Mr. Douglas attempts to defend Dryfield with his weapons, but they have little effect. In the end, Aya has to battle the creature herself, and finally destroys it. After another talk with Kyle about how viruses can alter DNA, and how a "vector virus", designed to spread neo-mitochondria is being created in the Shelter, they leave in Mr. Douglas' truck for the Shelter.
On the journey to the Shelter (the entrance to which which lies in an abandoned mine shaft) they pass a number of ANMCs prowling the desert. Another pack lies in wait at the mine entrance, so they fight their way through and into the mine proper, where Kyle goes on ahead alone. Another large ANMC has its lair in the mine, and Aya must defeat this before she can gain access to the shelter. As Aya explores the Shelter, encountering various ANMCs and overcoming its security measures, she reaches a room where she has another vision of the little girl. The girl is in the same room that Aya is currently in, but in the vision someone is trying to break in. As they force the door open the girl runs into some kind of massive cocoon.
Making her way to the second level of the Shelter, Aya is taunted by an ANMC clinging to the ceiling: he was once the head researcher in the facility, and accomplished his own transformation in the belief that he was evolving into a better life form. She then becomes trapped in a decontamination room that suddenly activates as she passes through. Unable to open the sealed doors, and with the room filling with lethal gas, she forces her way into a disposal chute and is deposited in the bowels of the Shelter, into a massive disposal room filled with debris and the remains of failed experiments. Before she can leave, the organic refuse animates, revealing itself to be an enormous ANMC. To make a bad situation worse, a computer-controlled incinerator detects the life-forms and begins a count-down to activation. Aya escapes the situation when Kyle opens an access door from the outside, letting Aya out just before the room fills with flames.
Kyle updates Aya on his own progress and they explore the nearby sewers, eventually finding a ladder that takes them up into Dryfield, exiting via a well near the motel. Kyle decides to return to the Shelter but Aya's attention is attracted by Mr. Douglas' dog, Flint, whom she hears barking. She follows the sound and is surprised to find MIST agent Pierce Carradine lying on the ground and surrounded by ANMCs. Naturally Aya rescues him, and he gives her the keys to his car (which contains supplies he brought with him to help Aya out). After ensuring Pierce's safety, Aya heads back to the Shelter in search of the former researcher ANMC who confronted her. She tracks down and defeats it, and obtains an ID card from its body, allowing her to access the main research laboratory where she finds an operational computer terminal. Using the clues she has gained in her exploration of the shelter, she bypasses the system protection and gains access to the information stored. Most disturbingly, she discovers that the ANMCs were created from her own DNA.
Before she can investigate further a phone rings: it is Pierce, who has managed to gain access to the Shelter's surveillance systems. He advises Aya to go immediately to the control room in the northern part of the facility. On her arrival, she sees the enormous cocoon attached to the wall of a huge chamber, and discovers evidence of another hidden facility beneath the Shelter. This is called the Neo-Ark, and appears to be some kind of vast underground biosphere, with a number of different habitats (tropical, desert, water etc) and its own artificial sun. She registers the presence of an enormous power source somewhere within the Neo-Ark. Aya takes a lift down to the Neo-Ark.
At the same time, the American President is discreetly informed about the discoveries at Dryfield, and he gives permission for the use of an orbital satellite weapon should it be required without the knowledge of Congress.
Aya discovers that the Ark facility was intended to be a showcase of ANMC technology, with zoo-like visitor commentaries and viewing platforms throughout the area. The various commentaries reveal that the ANMCs were indeed artificially designed, each with specific strengths for coping with different environmental conditions. The various breeds include "Strangers", Sucklers", "Divers" and "Chasers", and appear to be intended as blueprints for an 'improved' version of humanity. However the containment for each habitat has broken down and the ANMCs that were confined to each region of the Ark are loose. She encounters many different varieties as she explores the Ark, eventually reaching the power generator which she disables, condemning the ANMCs in the Ark to a slow death as lack of heat and light destroy their habitats. However, she can detect (through her mitochondrial connection) another, organic power source in the Shelter above.
As she leaves the Ark, No. 9 reappears in a cut scene that shows him liberating a number of identical cyborgs from a containment facility in the Shelter. Back in the Shelter herself, Aya tracks down the source of the energy and discovers the girl from her visions, wearing a helmet and defended by a hostile ANMC. As Aya battles the creature the girl escapes into an adjacent room. Kyle shows up again, and together they chase after the girl. When they catch up with her (in what is apparently her bedroom, although all the toys are disturbingly 'wrong') Aya has to prevent Kyle from shooting her. Instead, Aya removes the helmet, and the girl breaks down and starts to cry and hug Aya.
Once the girl, Eve, has calmed down, Aya explains to Kyle that she is not evil in herself, she has just been conditioned into using the helmet to control the ANMCs via their implants like the one they discovered on the ANMC in the Akropolis cafeteria. However, the mitochondria apparently have a life of their own and cannot be completely controlled. A phone on the wall rings: it is Pierce, who has been monitoring events via the surveillance system. He asks Aya to meet up with him urgently. Before the trio can leave, a crowd of Golems appear and try to enter the room. Shutting the door triggers a release of gas into the room: Kyle grabs a nearby gas mask and insists on staying to cover Aya and Eve's escape as the Golems batter at the door. Aya shoots out an observation window and they leave Kyle to fight the Golems, although Eve is reluctant to go because she claims her brother (and in a sense Aya's son, as the children have been grown from Aya's DNA) is in a container somewhere in the facility.
An elevator takes them back down to the Neo-Ark, but as soon as they arrive Eve runs away. As Aya chases after her she finds that, without Eve's control, the previously hostile ANMCs are now lying around bereft of willpower. Catching up with Eve, Aya hears a scream and sees that she has been caught by Golem No 9. He radios someone informing them that he has the 'queen', and sarcastically thanks Aya for disabling the security protection on the Ark, permitting him to enter. He then takes Eve, leaving Aya to worry about his comment that Eve will be safe, but 'neither alive nor dead'.
Aya returns to Pierce's location, but finds him gone. He has however left her a note informing her that he has uncovered an informant in MIST: the MIST commander, Eric Baldwin, has apparently been passing information to the organization that set up the Shelter. Aya passes this on to the FBI MIST HQ, and takes up the hunt for Eve and No. 9. Tracking them to the Shelter's main entrance, she discovers No. 9's motorcycle and Eve's teddy bear, but no sign of them. A small army of Golem cyborgs are waiting for her outside the entrance; fortunately she is saved as the USMC arrive.
Meanwhile, the President is briefed about the situation at the Shelter and the traitor in MIST, and fearing a flood of ANMCs escaping from the facility he authorizes a strike on the area with their orbital weapons platform. The President and his staff are being kept informed about events by a mole - it is implied that this may be Kyle, thus explaining his presence in Dryfield.
Back at the Shelter, Aya hears from the soldiers that rescued her that they have now searched most of the underground facility and found no sign of either Eve or No. 9, but can not explore the furthest reaches of the installation due to a 'Mitochondrial Barrier' similar to those in New York, so despite the risk she decides to go and look for herself. She is contacted by another MIST operative, the weapons specialist Jodie, who tells her that Pierce has been in touch. The FBI has arrested the traitor Baldwin, and is interrogating him to get more information as to what the mysterious organization he works for plan to do with Eve. Aya also receives a gift from Mr Douglas, via Flint, of supplies. She decides to use Flint to help her find Eve, giving him Eve's bear to let him track her scent. He leads her back into the shelter.
On her way through the facility, Aya encounters Pierce and a number of dead Golem Cyborgs; clearly the Shelter is still dangerous. She arrives in the large chamber near the control room where she saw the massive cocoon to find No. 9 incorporating Eve into the cocoon. To her shock, Kyle is there as well: he survived his lone stand in Eve's bedroom and is apparently now working with No. 9. The cyborg explains that their intentions are really altruistic: they want to create a world without human suffering and misery, and believe the way to do this is to impose evolution on the human race by way of mitochondrial transformation, turning humans into perfectly designed and adapted ANMCs that can live in harmony with the planet and each other in their various habitats. Having heard No 9's plan, Kyle turns on No. 9, preventing him from placing Eve into the cocoon. The cocoon instead absorbs No. 9. Kyle then apologizes to Aya, explaining that pretending to go along with the cyborg was the only way to ferret out the truth. Aya is angry, but before she can react, Eve points to the sky.
As per the President's orders, the satellite weapon has been fired, and the impact completely wipes Dryfield off the map. The shockwave penetrates to the shelter, causing massive structural damage and sending Aya, Kyle and Eve flying.
When Aya comes to her senses she finds that she and Kyle are separated by a gaping hole that has penetrated all the shelter's floors, and Eve has fallen down to a lower level and is hanging precariously over the long drop to the bottom of the Shelter. Aya frantically runs to the point where Eve is hanging from a piece of the ceiling. However, the impact has also dislodged the cocoon from its position on the wall, and as Aya attemps to reach Eve it breaks open, releasing the largest NMC she has ever seen.
After a ferocious battle Aya defeats the infantile monster and she can finally rescue Eve. However, no longer able to control her mitochondria, Eve herself transforms, turning into a very fast and powerful winged NMC that resembles a large butterfly. Again Aya must fight.
Once this final battle is concluded, various cut scenes are shown depending on the actions of the player during the game.
[edit] Gameplay
Parasite Eve II is truer to the survival horror genre than its predecessor, which attempted to insert RPG elements into the mix. The only real RPG element present in PE II is the use of Experience to gain Levels, thus powering up Aya. Other character attributes include HP (Hit Points, or health) and MP (Mitochondria Points, used to power Aya's Parasite Energy abilities).
Character control is accomplished in a traditional survival horror manner: Aya is able to move forwards, backwards, and pivot left and right, making control similar to that found in the Silent Hill series and the earlier Resident Evil games. Unlike the above games however, directional commands are kept consistent with Aya's own on-screen perspective (ie to pivot left, the controller must move to Aya's left, not the players). Camera movement is limited, generally being confined to a single view of a room or area, and cannot be altered by the player.
Unlike Parasite Eve, there is no Active Time Bar that governs the order of actions during a battle. Battles take place in real time, so the player is free to act as they see fit. Another contrast is the absence of the 'range dome' seen in the first game, allowing the player to shoot at off-screen targets and engage targets from a safe distance. There are also no random battles; enemies will be found wandering in plain view, hence allowing the player to avoid confrontations and plan strategies. Aiming, as with most other games of this genre, is accomplished by cycling through the various 'lockable' targets within Aya's range.
Equipment can be obtained through various methods, including finding, purchasing and 'creating' items such as body armor, weapons, ammunition and tools. Unlike most other survival horror games, ammunition is almost never in short supply. While Aya can only carry limited amounts of equipment with her, inexhaustible ammunition boxes exist in most areas and can be revisited as often as required for a top-up. This encourages the player to fight rather than run, which is essential to the gameplay as it is the only way to gain experience and thus for Aya to become powerful enough to succeed.
While equipment follows the original game's concept of being customizable, in general the weapons and armour are quite limited in the alterations available. The most customisable weapon is the M4A1 rifle, having various attachments like a grenade launcher, a laser beam, a flamethrower, a bayonet or extra ammunition clip. Most other weapons, like the PO9 and the MP5A5, only have the extra clip option. Armour (which not only reduces damage but also affects the amount Aya can carry) has the option of adding extra item slots up to a limit of ten.
The Parasite Energies are divided into four areas: the offensive Fire and Wind elements and the defensive Water and Earth elements. Of these, Fire is perhaps the most useful method of attacking due to its devastating power and good range. It is composed of the fireball Pyrokinesis, the wall of fire Combustion and the explosive Inferno. Wind comprises electrical attacks that have less power but higher tactical value because they are capable of immobilising and poisoning enemies. These are the electric ball Necrosis, the electric pulse dome Plasma and the thunderstorm Apobiosis. Water involves healing energies; these are the status curing Metabolism, the HP restoring Healing and the offensively-used HP draining Lifedrain. Earth relates to physical energies, so is most useful for defense, but can also give Aya a decent attack. The energies are the magnetic armor Antibody, the bullet-power improving Energy Shot and the offensive/defensive balls Energy Balls.
Once the game has been completed, bonus items become available for the player should they choose to redo the game in Replay mode. Other modes also become available, such as Bounty Hunter and Scavenger which are more difficult for the player to complete. The most difficult mode "Nightmare" only becomes available after completing the game in Scavenger Mode.
[edit] Reaction
While Parasite Eve II was generally well-received by both reviewers and the game-playing public, it was pointed out that the concept appeared to be very derivative of the Resident Evil games. In addition, the character control system was seen as outdated and awkward in the light of games such as Metal Gear Solid and Mario 64 that allowed much more fluid control of the onscreen character. It can be difficult to dodge enemy attacks - and correspondingly easy to run into walls.
On the other hand, the game's visuals were widely praised, and it boasted some of the best rendered cutscenes on the PlayStation at the time. The plotline was considered to be well conceived and compelling, and the on-screen dialogue suffered from very few instances of Engrish that sometimes arises when such games are translated.[citation needed] Many casual gamers appreciated the game's departure from the intense inventory and item management that characterised the Resident Evil games, giving Parasite Eve II a more action-oriented approach.
[1]IGN: 6.9/10 (reviewer), 7.9/10 (players)
[2]Gamespot: 7.3/10 (reviewer), 8.5/10 (players)
[3]Game Rankings: 79%
[edit] Trivia
- Dr. Hans Klamp's name was changed/misspelled to "Dr. Hans Klaup"
- Melissa Pearce's name was changed/misspelled to "Melissa Pierce"
- No.9 uses Squall Leonhart's gunblade during his second battle. It is also an accessible weapon for Aya.
- "Shambala" was renamed "Neo Ark" in the American version as a reference to Noah's Ark.
[edit] External links
- Parasite Eve II website
- Parasite Eve (1997 film) at the Internet Movie Database
- Parasite Eve II (1999 VG) at the Internet Movie Database
- IGN: Parasite Eve II
- Parasite Eve II Original Soundtrack (disc 2) at MusicBrainz
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Parasite Eve • Parasite Eve II |
