Parasite Eve could be the next horror game series to get a revival
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A trademark listing suggests Parasite Eve, Square’s stylish action-horror series, could be having a revival — and I couldn’t be happier.
As reported by Gematsu (opens in new tab)Square Enix, the successor to Square’s conglomerate, served a trademark (opens in new tab) for “Symbiogenesis” on October 13 in Japan. While the trademark covers merchandise, software, and peripherals (which many trademarks do), what’s especially interesting is what Symbiogenesis actually means.
According to the Journal of theoretical biology (opens in new tab), Symbiogenesis is “literally ‘becoming by living together'” and refers to “the crucial role of symbiosis in important evolutionary innovations”. In Parasite Eve, genetics and evolution play a key role in the story, suggesting that Square Enix could Get ready to revive the long-dormant horror series.
Immersive Revivals
The original Parasite Eve released on PS1 in 1998. Parasite Eve, an unofficial sequel to the sci-fi horror novel of the same name, by Hideaki Sena, followed New York police officer Aya Brea as she tried to stop Eve, an ancient biological evil that wants to destroy humanity.
A sequel to the game was released in 1999 (2000 for those in North America and Europe), but then, apart from a 2010/11 reissue, inclusion in the PlayStation Classic series, and a terrible PSP threequel, the series became sleeping. This may be partly due to the series rights being co-owned by Sena, which has delayed reissues, but one reason the series went quiet has never really been shared.
What we do know, though, is that now is the perfect time for Square Enix to consider a revival of its classic horror series. After all, horror revivals are all the rage right now, with Konami bringing back Silent Hill, EA working on a Dead Space remake, and Capcom having success with its Resident Evil remakes. It’s the perfect time to introduce new generations to video game classics.
Now is the time
Remasters and remakes have been gaining steam in recent years as they allow a new generation of gamers to play titles they may have missed and allow those who to have played the original games to revisit them with a fresh coat of paint. All this without having to hunt for old hardware.
Horror games in particular have seen a resurgence lately. Maybe because being a fool doesn’t age, even if the hardware and the players themselves do.
As a horror fan, I’m crossing my fingers that Parasite Eve is getting a revival as the first game was only released in Japan and North America, not in Europe where I live. It means that I, along with many others, missed what is now considered a horror classic.
It’s worth noting, though, that Square Enix has not confirmed that a Parasite Eve revival is in the pipeline. While the publisher could just somehow future-proof the series, the trademarked name isn’t just “Parasite Eve” but sounds more like a nickname or code name. So we hope Parasite Eve: Symbiogenesis is on the way – even if it turns out to be a nightmare to type.