Intriguingly, a trademark application for the name “Parasite Eve” suggests that Square may be planning to bring back the stylish action horror series, and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

According to Gematsu’s reporting, Square Enix, the company that absorbed Square, trademarked the term “Symbiogenesis” on October 13 in Japan. What makes the meaning of Symbiogenesis so intriguing is not the fact that the trademark covers merchandise, software, and peripherals (as many trademarks do).

Symbiogenesis, defined as “the crucial role of symbiosis in major evolutionary innovations,” is discussed in the Journal of Theoretical Biology. Square Enix may be planning to bring back the long-dormant horror series Parasite Eve, which centres on genetics and evolution.

Captivating comebacks

In 1998, Parasite Eve for PlayStation 1 was released. Parasite Eve, an unofficial continuation of Hideaki Sena’s science fiction horror novel of the same name, followed New York City police officer Aya Brea as she tried to stop Eve, an ancient biological evil intent on destroying humanity.

The game’s sequel came out in 1999 (2000 for those in North America and Europe), but after that, the series went quiet, with the exception of a re-release in 2010/2011, a spot in the PlayStation Classic lineup, and a terrible PSP threequel. A reason for the series’ silence has never really been discussed, though the fact that the series’ rights are co-owned by Sena may have contributed to the delay in re-releases.

But what we do know is that Square Enix should seriously think about reviving its classic horror series right now. After all, horror remakes have been very successful as of late, with Konami reviving Silent Hill, EA developing Dead Space, and Capcom cashing in with Resident Evil. The time is right to reintroduce old-school video games to a new audience.

Now is the time

In recent years, remasters and remakes have become increasingly popular among gamers because they allow older players to experience games they may have missed and younger players to experience games with improved graphics and gameplay. All without resorting to scrounging for obsolete equipment.

One genre of video games that has been enjoying a recent revival is the horror genre. Maybe it’s because getting the fright of your life never gets old, even if the technology and the people playing the games do.

Since the original game was only available in Japan and North America, not even European horror fans like myself had the chance to play it. This means that I, along with a large number of other people, have missed out on what is widely regarded as a classic of the horror genre.

However, it should be noted that Square Enix has not officially announced that Parasite Eve will be returning. However, the trademarked name isn’t just “Parasite Eve,” but rather sounds more like a moniker or codename, which suggests that the publisher is doing more than just future-proofing the series. So, let’s keep our fingers crossed that Parasite Eve: Symbiogenesis is on the way, even if the title is a nightmare to type.