1998.  Fresh off the success of Final Fantasy VII, Squaresoft partners with Electronic Arts to become Square Electronic Arts LLC, and that means MORE GLORIOUS NIPPON ROLE PLAYING GAMES!  One of the first titles to drop during this partnership was Parasite Eve.  It combined guns, free movement, and the Square ATB system!  Fun!  And the story…was a sequel to the freaky sci-fi horror book Parasite Eve.  ’nuff said.

The battle theme “Arise Within You” and the rest of the game’s soundtrack was composed by none other than Yoko Shimomura, famous for her work on Street Fighter II and countless other games.  The song begins on an energetic note, with a nice percussion line, at which point the melody takes over and BAM.  FIGHTING TIME.   It doesn’t have a rock or orchestrated feel, it sounds like dance music!

The song did a nice job of getting you hyped.  Especially in the later parts of the game where you’re grinding through the Chrysler Building…