The first RPG aspect of the game you'll notice is the ability to name your character. This may be small, but it does make a difference. After all Aya isn't exactly a common name for an N.Y.P.D. officer is it?

The battles contain a lot of RPG elements. Instead of just pointing your gun and firing, Aya has an Attack Meter that fills up. When the meter is full, you'll be able to chose from attack commands. The battle will pause while you enter the attack menus. There are many options available to you so it's wise to use this pause to plan your strategy. My only complaint about the battle system is the lack of self defense while your meter is filling up. You're basically helpless to just run around trying to avoid the enemy. It would have been nice to have some more evasive moves like jumping, ducking or rolling. Maybe even be able to use your surroundings a little more, like being able to knock over garbage cans or duck behind objects.

Another noticeable RPG aspect is the Parasite Energy that Aya possesses. As Aya's level increases she'll learn new Parasite Energy Powers. It's a great inclusion, however it would have been nice if there where more then 15 powers. Particularly more attack powers. Out of the 15, only 2 powers (Power Shot & Revelate) can actually cause damage to an opponent. This is a minor gripe and can be overlooked.

The graphics are probably the best I've seen on the Playstation. The quality of the polygon actors are fantastic. The motion capture is very well done and there are a huge number of actors in the game. The pre-rendered backgrounds are also very well done and the number of different locations really add to the RPG feel of the game. The video sequences are also very good. Specifically the special effects like fire, water, slime and the transformations of the monsters which are just incredible. The characters look good too, but the facial expressions don't look as good as Resident Evil or the upcoming Silent Hill from Konami. Again, a minor gripe.

The controls are clean and responsive. Using the analog control really helps. Lack of shock pad compatibility is a small drawback, but not very crucial. As I mentioned before, it would have been nice to have control of a few more evasive moves during combat.

The sound and music are the biggest drawback of Parasite Eve. While most of the music is very well done, there's just not enough of it. Most notably during the long conversations. Since there's absolutely no spoken dialog, it becomes very tiring to read through each lengthy conversation. Especially when the characters go into heavy detail about all the scientific mumbo-jumbo. More background music would have helped a little. I really would have preferred to have the text spoken by the characters, but then naming your own character would have be out of the question. I would have gladly forfeited this option for the spoken dialog.

While the game seems a little short for an RPG most who are not diehard RPG gamers will overlook the length of the game. The average gamer will probably take around 10 hours to finish the game the first time around. This isn't bad, although most real RPGs take around 30 hours. To compensate, there's an EX Mode which opens up after you have finished the game. This adds a second quest to the game with some differences from the first quest. It's definitely worth playing through twice any way since most will miss things the first time through.

When I first heard that Parasite Eve would attempt to mix Resident evil style play with Role Playing aspects, I really wasn't sure that they could pull it off convincingly. I'm so glad I was wrong. This is definitely a very convincing mix of the two genres.

Those who don't enjoy the long hours involved in RPGs will appreciate the light RPG elements and length of Parasite eve. Diehard RPG fans will find that Parasite Eve makes a great Final Fantasy VIII appetizer.