Parasite Eve trademarked in Europe by Square Enix

Square Enix has trademarked their long dormant franchise, Parasite Eve, in Europe. Could this be a sign that the franchise is getting revived?

Parasite Eve was first launched in 1998 by Square (Square Enix’s predecessor) for the Playstation. The game was based on a science fiction horror novel of the same name, published by Kadokawa in 1995. It served as a sequel to the book. It gained critical success despite criticisms for a very linear plot and lack of replay value.

The success Parasite Eve garnered was enough for the company to release a sequel and a spin-off. They released the sequel, Parasite Eve II, in 1999. Unlike the first game (action RPG), Parasite Eve II carried a survival horror feel similar to that of the early Resident Evil games. Despite the changes, the game was also a success although there were criticisms to controls.

The spin-off, The 3rd Birthday, launched in 2010 for the Playstation Portable. Once again, Square Enix switched the formula by making the game a third-person shooter with RPG mechanics. The plot carried very little connections to the first two games. However, unlike the previous two games, The 3rd Birthday received mixed reviews with positives on the Overdrive mechanic and negatives on the heavily convoluted plot.

Unfortunately for the franchise, it entered a long period of dormancy as Square Enix did not expand on the franchise following the release of The 3rd Birthday. The last update the franchise had was a re-release on the Playstation Network. Square Enix’s act of trademarking Parasite Eve in Europe can be seen as signs of revival for the franchise.

One of the potential results of this act is a reboot of the franchise. As of late, Square Enix has been dogged by issues after issues, most notably the cancellation of 3 out of 4 of the upcoming Final Fantasy XV DLCs. Rebooting Parasite Eve may be a step in the right direction for the company.

At the moment, there are no news on what would happen following the trademarking of Parasite Eve in Europe. We will keep an eye on further updates.

Source: Gematsu

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