Exclusive interview with Kenichi Iwao, Resident Evil lead writer & designer, and writer & director of Parasite Eve II.
Crimson-Head 13th Anniversary Interview with Kenichi Iwao
(Not to be reproduced (c) Crimson Head Elder 2024)
CH: Parasite Eve II strongly reflects the spirit of Resident Evil. How much of what you brought to Resident Evil made its way to Parasite Eve II, can it be considered a creative vision for a continuation of your Resident Evil narrative, within a Parasite Eve 2 universe?
KI: I was responsible for game mechanics design, scenarios, organisation, weapons and other world settings for both games, but as the genre was pre-determined by the company, my hands were tied in some areas. However, to the extent that I was allowed to do so, I tried to make the game as different as possible, by adding elements of growth, magic and shops, and allowing various backgrounds to be investigated.
CH: Did anything else from your experience writing the scenario for Biohazard inform and steer your writing and directing of Parasite Eve II?
KI: Unlike Resident Evil, where the story and world were written from scratch, Parasite Eve II had to take into consideration the original novel and fans of the previous game, making it a more challenging writing process.
CH: Were there other survival horror games that inspired or shaped you writing and directing, and the work of others on the development team?
KI: There weren’t many games in the survival horror genre at that time, but games like Wizardry & Alone in the Dark were influential.
CH: To what extent had you experienced both the first Parasite Eve video game (PlayStation 1998), and the Parasite Eve novel (Kadokawa Horror Bunko 1995), and how much of this source material informed and shaped your writing and direction of Parasite Eve 2?
KI: Of course, I had read the Parasite Eve novel, and played the game. The novel was very exciting as a piece of science horror, and I enjoyed the game which was very eventful! However, I had never imagined I would be asked to produce a sequel.
We had just finished developing the STG Einhander (scrolling shooter), I was the only one on development team with any experience of making RPGs, and the number of staff was only a fraction of what we had for the previous project. Furthermore, the budget and timeframe given were completely inadequate for creating a sequel to the hugely successful first installment.
The content of the novel was thoroughly explored in the first game, to the extent where the story became an extension, continuation of it. I suggested to company management how difficult this would be to match, given the limited resources, but the order came down, “There's no need to make it as big as the first game. Just create an action RPG with the budget and manpower made available to you”!
CH: Parasite Eve’s narrative is a continuation of the story told in the novel, written by Hideaki Sena, were you minded to keep consistency with the first game, and the book’s themes, such as the in-game biology lore?
KI: There was also an order from company management, to not make the connection with the novel too strong, also to not emphasize the connection with the first Parasite Eve game too much either. However, I loved both the novel and the first installment, so I tried my best to preserve and retain its atmosphere.
CH: Why were the original cast omitted from the sequel (with the exception of Aya Brea), why did the game undergo significant changes in gameplay, with survival horror replacing JRPG themes , and did this move away from JRPG elements, towards a more survival horror focus, influence your writing & directing of Parasite Eve II?
KI: Yes, indeed, and since it wasn’t a direct sequel, we were able to shift our focus towards creating a more intimate setting, with greater attention to details. We were not given the budget or schedule to create a AAA title, for instance we couldn't afford to recreate something as grand as Central Park in New York. The reason for changing the game genre and not carrying over many of the previous characters was due to orders from above. I apologize to the fans of the first game, but by the time it was decided to make the game a sequel, the main characters of Parasite Eve II were already created, we didn't have time left to create and design new NPCs.
CH: Development for Parasite Eve II began with the game designed as a spin-off title from the first installment, but during early development this changed to become a sequel, the intended protagonist, a private investigator Kyle Madigan, replaced in the role of main character by returning Parasite Eve protagonist Aya Brea, with Kyle relegated to NPC. Why this change of direction from expanded universe to main-line title?
KI: You are correct, initially the protagonist was Kyle, based on the directives mentioned earlier. I was planning on making Kyle the main character, just an everyday ordinary person, with no special skills to fight monsters, but to objectively solve the mystery of the superhero, Aya. However, the decision was made midway through development to change the game to an official sequel, and so the protagonist was changed to Aya. This was because the prototype version turned out to be better than had been expected, and so this then lead to a change in the company's intentions.
“But despite the direction changing, the manpower, budget, and timeframe remained unchanged, a decision that would haunt me for a long time.” — Kenichi Iwao
CH: How would you describe the development process for Parasite Eve II in terms of how smoothly each stage completed, and were there challenges & fractured moments, for example when development team staff were removed and/or replaced?
KI: The development of Parasite Eve II was extremely challenging. Since our staff was originally working on 2D STGs, we lacked both the number of people and necessary experience. Also, as the company's financial performance worsened halfway through development, we had to halve our team! Moreover, due to delays in other main titles, we were ordered to excelerate the release by six months during the late development stage. The character design was consistently handled by Isao Oishi, monster design by Ryoji Shimogama, mechanical design by Nobuyoshi Mihara. After the change making Aya the protagonist, the official illustrations were drawn by Tetsuya Nomura.
CH: ‘No.9 GOLEM’ is a unique character for a survival horror narrative, would you suggest he's an unusual antagonist for this genre, what were your creative intentions for this enemy?
KI: The presence of 'No.9' has a lot to do with the fact that the game was initially leaning more towards being a mystery. When it changed to a sequel, I considered removing him at one point, but the development schedule just did not allow for it. From a purely horror perspective, it might have been a little unsuitable, and a bit of a distraction.
CH: Can you elaborate on the functions and purpose of the 'Reactor/Brahman' boss, and how the final 'EVE' boss emerges from it?
KI: I would like to refrain from directly answering this question. I believe it is important for the work to leave room for everyone's imagination.
CH: Were there any narrative plot points and beta concepts that didn’t make it into the final game release?
KI: What I can remember now is... Under the orders of the general manager, the protagonist of the beta version was changed from Kyle to Aya. As a result of being unable to depict Aya objectively, the story shifted from mystery to more of a horror genre. Initially, the theme was planned to focus more on the evolution of the human brain and emotions. There were plans for more various human prototypes to appear. One specialized in hearing, another in vision, and another in smell; Each had a unique appearance to match their specialization.
CH: Did you have gameplay ideas regarding Aya Brea's abilities, weapons, or unique monsters that you wanted to implement, but could not be, or did everything the development team envisage successfully come to fruition?
KI: I think there were various things, but I can't remember them. Maybe if I played Parasite Eve II again, I would remember a lot, but that's not easy for me. In life, there are good times and bad times, looking back on the past can sometimes be painful.
CH: Were you satisfied with the relationship between the static camera angles and the combat sequences, do you think the fixed camera complimented these battles well?
KI: I wonder... what do you think? I remember struggling to find a balance between the intensity and playability due to the presence of magical features, though not technically so.
CH: Fourteen years since her creation, Aya Brea still remains beloved as a survival horror heroine. You were integral in the creation of another iconic survival horror heroine, one of the most recognisable females in video games, Jill Valentine. What are the comparative and contrasting character traits between Jill, and Aya Brea?
KI: That’s a difficult question! Aya Brea is a character created by Hironobu Sakaguchi. Naturally, in the second game, she is portrayed as slightly more cynical and composed compared to the first game. Given the events she went through, it was natural for her character to evolve in that way.
As for Jill Valentine, she is a character I created. In the first game, I wanted to portray her as someone who tries to stay composed and calm, even while hiding her inner turmoil. However, due to the limited number of event scenes and dialogues, her personal background and humanity might not have been fully conveyed.
CH: Another video game icon we have you to thank for, Resident Evil series antagonist Albert Wesker, may possibly have connections with Kyle Madigan's creation, is this correct and are there other parallels?
KI: Do they seem similar to you? At least, that wasn’t my intention. Albert is a terrifying person who can overwrite his own memories, believing his lies to be the truth. Therefore, he can act without shame or conscience, driven solely by his goals. Kyle, on the other hand, is someone who strives to portray himself as a straightforward and good man. He likely understands what true happiness in life means.
CH: For Resident Evil, you established virological theory of evolution, a concept the series still adheres to despite numerous transformations. In the Parasite Eve universe, there’s something similar, mitochondrial symbiosis, with the evolution of living organisms. Are you attracted to such themes?
KI: The gamer who asked this question seems to understand that at the core of Resident Evil lies a story of artificial viruses leading to forced evolution and weaponization. At the time of development, none of the staff knew about this. I was really fascinated by the very existence of viruses that acted like purpose-driven machines. I thought that viruses might eventually gain the power to transform the world. Unfortunately, this prediction came true in a negative way thirty years later.
The game Parasite Eve focuses on the mitochondria within cells. It is based on the novel of the same name by Hideaki Sena. In the sequel, I continued this setting, but focused on the mitochondria turning humans into monsters. Dougal Dixon’s book ‘Man After Man’ which depicts the future evolution of humans, inspired me. This led me to the idea of designing future humans through adaptive radiation using mitochondria.
CH: Have you seen the continuation of the Parasite Eve series in The 3rd Birthday, if so what are your thoughts, and if there was another installment planned for the series, would you like to be involved, and in what capacity?
KI: I’m sorry. I haven’t played it, nor have I looked at any information about it. If I did play, I would probably think a lot about how I would do things differently, but that wouldn’t necessarily be a constructive use of my time. However, if given the chance to be involved in 4, of course, I would play it. In reality, I’m not affiliated with Square Enix, so it would be difficult.
CH: From all Parasite Eve fans, and the wider survival horror community, thank you very much for taking the time to answer our questions, for your generosity, and kindness. Do you have any parting words for the fans?
KI: I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who played the game. At that time, we did our best to create the game despite the tight deadlines, limited budget, and lack of staff. Unlike today, there were no updates back then, so there are many things I regret. However, I am truly delighted that there are still fans who love the game even after thirty years!
SPECIAL THANKS: KENICHI IWAO, GEORGE TREVOR, THEORACLEDRAGON, JILLVALENFIELD96, JOEL WELSH, NEWS BOT, 4DE