I went back and wrapped up Parasite Eve and overall it's a very meh game to me. The story, sound track and visuals are all very cool and carry the game but it's let down by clunky combat and weapons system.

Not a bad game but not one I want to pickup again. By the end I had zero interest in doing an EX game playthrough.

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Alright, I found some time and got through the final boss fights (for the 3rd time), completed the escape sequence and the FMV played for me. I didn't get a game over, the only thing different was that Aya didn't slow down to a walk at any point. *shrug*

I feel that the ending "message" is a little clumsily handled, and has expository dialog given to Daniel which I don't think he would have knowledge of (unless Maeda had an off-screen conversation). Also, Daniel's just OK after his cells were set on fire and fell from a helicopter into the ocean?? I'm glad he's still around for Ben's sake, but he should be in a hospital. It's also a bit amusing that child tells the adults to "get with" the opera.

At least now I've got a clear game save file, so I can play an EX game at a later date. Oh, and I was wrong thinking that Tetsuya Nomura did creature design, there were other people explicitly credited that way.

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I died during the escape sequence again. I did not hesitate at all, I only had two brief instances of Aya walking instead of running when the analog stick was at a certain angle, and the creature did not touch me. I didn't even get an FMV showing the ship blow up, it went right to the game over screen this time. This is getting frustrating, especially since I did so much better at the 4 boss fights before it. I'm tempted to say that's just the end of the game for me.

I looked at two videos of the end of the game, and I don't see anything significant which I'm doing differently. So, either my disc 2 image file has a problem, Wiistation has a problem, or there's a bug in the game causing these game overs as if Aya is getting caught. I suppose it's also possible the font and text color patch introduced a bug, but that seems remote.

15 hours on the Day 6 save file and I didn't get a game over until the end of the game. Also when I learned you could escape fights.

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I finished Day 5, finally. Having read a guide about what could carry over to an EX Game, I gave Wayne more than half my (copious) ammo (except I can't give him the 9 rockets I found), so the boss fights started to look like they were cutting it close. But it was the lack of items that really kept me on edge.

Wow, I can't believe Daniel did that thing.

But uh... then I died during an escape sequence. I don't have the time to do all of Day 6 again tonight. Hopefully, I'll get the chance tomorrow, finishing on the 29th of December just like Ms. Brea.

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I'm not quite finished with Day 5, but I did reach a point during this day when I had to change to disc 2 and I was able to successfully load save files made before and after the disc change using the opposite disc, so it looks like I don't have to worry about Wiistation making funky save files. Also, the Day # screens remind me of Final Fantasy VII's game over screen; both used movie film.

I also explored Day 5 out of order. I ignored some sign posting to see what would happen. Unfortunately, the localization is still a bit vague, but I think I was going to end up going to this location anyway. I skipped an area a guide says is optional, tried to dump Maeda's Narita charm at the precinct (and couldn't), and finally went where the game seemed to have been telling me (again) to go to. I'm nearly through with that area and I'm a high enough level that I learned the final PE power and it's a doozy. I'm very glad to have it for giant scorpions, though.

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After spending some time away from the game, with Magna Defender's sword which is also a shotgun, I returned to Parasite Eve to try out Energy Shot. The damage was decent with a full PE meter, but if the target survives then you're dazed for awhile. It's like Hyper Beam in Pokémon, you want to use it as a finishing move. So, I had to use the machine gun to get through most of Day 4. I was given a new rifle at the end, which I absolutely needed the range (and all of the Cure M items I had) for the boss. Day 4 is also a real turning point in the exploration. Items start getting glowing specks to represent them so you can find them, even if they aren't key items. Also, several keys were actually discarded automatically by Ms. Brea right after using them, freeing up more inventory space (even if Maeda still gives you a charm that wastes a slot). The story also got a little worse with the military's involvement, since that isn't explained. Onto Day 5.

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Playing an RPG with guns sometimes causes cognitive dissonance for me. It's easier when there's a clear fantasy element to them, like Barret's arm cannon. In Parasite Eve, all these guns have bland alphanumeric designations, like they're trying to copy real weapons.

Further, I was resisting handguns and machine guns, sticking with that 1st rifle, lugging around the grenade launcher with "heat bullets." But, I can't deny that the game is putting me in confined spaces with more enemies, so I'm trying a machine gun. I recognize I'm shooting big globs of slime before they can launch smaller globs of slime, or rat-men with exploding fireballs, but after multiple recent mass shootings, I just really don't want to use these weapons right now. I did reach a level where Aya (or whatever first name you chose) Brea can instead use the PE bar to shoot a beam at an enemy... maybe that's an option? She's not agile enough to be unscathed in melee.

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I spent so much time going back and forth in Day 3 because of limited inventory. Shimomura's song for the precinct was great, but didn't match the tedium of what I was doing. I understand that part of the inspiration for the game would have been the success of Resident Evil, but I'm spending all of my bonus points on increasing inventory (and getting a slot every 2 investments), plus trying to keep a +1 inventory armor ability and I'm still struggling. I've got free inventory slots again, but that's because I spent so many healing items on the boss fight.

Also, there's definitely a lot of '90s science getting misunderstood and mixed around. Some of this might be the quality of localizations at the time, but with what I know about Chrono Cross... well, it's best to turn your brain off and just enjoy the ride.

Also, NYC's St. Francis Hospital closed in the 1960s.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Francis_Hospital_(New_York_City)