If you happened to own the first PlayStation (PS1) console in the U.S. between 1995 to mid-97, you might recall just how slim the pickings were when it came to the PS1's RPG game library back then. Considering how many Sports games, Action games and Platform games there were for the system at the time, RPG's were few and far between. It wouldn't be until Final Fantasy VII was released in August of 1997 that the PS1 would become the go-to console for RPG's, launching the popularity of the genre into the behemoth it is today. Let's take a look back at the few RPG's that did exist on the PS1 pre-FFVII.
Parasite Eve (Playstation, 1998) stands out for me as one of the best survival horror games to ever grace the PSone...a statement made bona fide alongside an excellent soundtrack by Yoko Shimomura. Shimomura, who has also scored amazing soundtracks for games like Kingdom Hearts and Legend of Mana, really hit a nerve with his chilling, repetitive effects and beeps...sounding like a mass of mitochondria marching toward your doom.
A good example of that is the track, "Wheel of Fortune" which plays during the Museum level. The song builds and builds to a point where you can cut the tension with a knife:
And then we have a little piece entitled, " Escape From U.B."...a song I consider the greatest final boss music ever. It might be slow in picking up, but hang around until the 2:38 mark and it really gets powerfully dramatic. Awesome stuff.
There's also the "Main Theme" itself...a beautiful piece of music that can rival that of any epic movie. Although somber and moody, it really takes you on a ride:
While some lemons do exist on this OST (I wasn't particularly fond of the digital operatic singing), with two CD's full of music there is plenty to check out and add to your MP3 playlists. Head on over to Blue Lagunaand download the full album.
