The MusicParasite Eve OST
Just like Parasite Eve, Yoko Shimomura's score was an ambitious experiment that many listeners were baffled how to interpret. With haunting operatic vocals featuring alongside creepy ambient tones, pulsing electronic beats, and melancholy piano work, this was the most intense and unusual soundtrack Square had produced up to that point. Was it a recipe for disaster? It would seem so; electronica, synth vocals, and ambience are regarded as a bane to game music by the casual listener, while creating a game of the genre of horror-RPG was an unprecedented risk that failed to guarantee the soundtrack received exposure, never mind acclaim. Yet the soundtrack was a modest success in terms of popularity, partly thanks to Square's effective marketing campaign, and a profound one in terms of critical acclaim, thanks to the composer. Shimomura was certainly the best person for the job, with her creative nature being perfectly complemented by her wonderful ability to make practically all her compositions accessible, captivating, and heartfelt, and, in this case, supported by the score's huge thematic emphasis. Theoretical experimentation isn't enough; composition needs passion and exuberance, and Shimomura provides this in surplus.
Source : SEMO
The Games
Parasite Eve is a survival horror with many RPG elements. Movement in the various environments is free. Movement in the "world map" (which is a map of Manhattan) is limited to specific destinations. Upon the player walking over a "hot spot," they enter battle mode. Enemies materialize suddenly and though there is no shift to a separate battle screen, the player is bound within a perimeter of unseen barriers until the battle is over, either by defeating all enemies or using the Escape command. In battle, the player has an "Active Time Bar" (ATB) that sets the time for every turn to take action. Upon each turn the player may choose between attacking with their equipped weapon, using PE (Parasite Energy) for defense, assistance or attack, using items, changing weapon or armor, or escaping the battle. If the player chooses to attack, a dome symbolizing the range of the weapon appears. If the enemy is outside of the range, the shot is likely to fail. Even if the shot lands, the damage will be less than normal.
One of the principal RPG elements of the game is that experience-based levels are present. Each time the player's level increases, his/her attributes go up and BP (Bonus Points) are given. These points can be distributed to the ATB, item capacity, or attributes of a weapon or armor.
The 3rd Birthday (ザ・サード・バースデイ, Za Sādo Bāsudei?) is an upcoming video game from Square Enix. The game is being developed for the PlayStation Portable and will mark the third entry in the Parasite Eve series after Parasite Eve 2, which was released in 2000. Very little information about the plot has been released. In April 2010, Yoichi Wada CEO of Square Enix mentioned in an interview that the game would be released in 2010.
The 3rd Birthday is a spin-off of the Parasite Eve series, which is why "Parasite Eve" has been excluded from its title. The title references the third appearance of Aya Brea and the significant changes for the design of the game compared to its predecessors. However, as it has the number "3" in the name and is the third game in the "Parasite Eve" series, fans have been referring to the game as "Parasite Eve 3".
Director Hajime Tabata has described the game as a "true third person shooter," but that it will be different than other games of the genre such as Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII.[2] He noted that the gameplay and plot are intertwined due to an ability called "overdrive" which Aya will use to both examine and fight the game's enemies, the "Twisted."[2] Shown at a trailer at Tokyo Game Show, camera will be over the shoulder, such as in games like Resident Evil 5 and Dead Space.
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