New Parasite Eve Game in the Works?
A new Parasite Eve game might be in development at Square Enix, based on the recent trademark of "Symbiogenesis."
Square Enix, the publisher of the legendary Final Fantasy franchise, which just recently dropped a new trailer for the upcoming game, may also be hinting at a new Parasite Eve project, according to Game Rant. It’s currently unknown whether a new Parasite Eve game would be a brand-new entry in the franchise or a remake of an older title. The latter wouldn’t be as surprising, considering that something’s in the air in 2022, and it got all the gaming giants to remake all their classic hits. This also includes the previously reported Silent Hill 2 remake in development at Konami.
Square Enix recently trademarked the name “Symbiogenesis” — a term that describes an evolutionary process in which two separate organisms merge to form a new, superior one. This is the basis of the same-name Parasite Eve novel, upon which the subsequent games were conceptualized. The first game, titled Parasite Eve, was released in 1998 for the original PlayStation, while its sequel, Parasite Eve 2, followed shortly in 1999. The third game in the series was released in 2010 for the PlayStation Portable handheld console.
As previously stated, it’s currently unknown what exactly Square Enix intends to do with the franchise. It’s entirely possible that this is just some form of renewal and that the company isn’t really interested in making or remaking a Parasite Eve game. On the other hand, the company’s competition is pretty bent on remaking its classical hits, and Square Enix might’ve seen some value in older games, especially after the massive success of Resident Evil remakes and the media hype focus on the recently announced Silent Hill game.
In fact, Square Enix isn’t far behind its competitors since the company has already revisited some of its older franchises, like the Valkyrie Profile gaming series, which received a sequel rather than a remake. Tactics Ogre is also another Square Enix title in the works — the original game is getting a full-blown remaster next month, titled Tactics Ogre Reborn. Unfortunately, as of this writing, Square Enix hasn’t confirmed anything about a possible Parasite Eve remake or sequel.
It’s also worth noting that this isn’t the first time Square Enix riled up the game’s fandom with a trademark filing for Parasite Eve since it also filed for a trademark for the same title in 2018 in the UK. Survival horror fans would love to see the game remade, as it brought the best possible mixture of survival horror and RPG genres. Considering Square Enix’s revival and modernization of Final Fantasy 7, the purported Parasite Eve might also benefit from the same technical implementations.
Square Enix could also use the opportunity to present the franchise to gamers who haven’t had the opportunity to play the original game, which is similar to what Ubisoft was trying to do with the under-developed Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake. The latter is most likely stuck in the development hell, as it has been a while since we last heard about the title, and hopefully, the same fate won’t befall Parasite Eve or any other high-profile remake that’s currently in development at various studios.
