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A Look at the Parasite Mutant Demo

Since its announcement late last year, Parasite Mutant has drawn heavy attention from the community for its clear influence from Parasite Eve. From its title menu to its main characters, gameplay mechanics, and enemy designs, it makes no attempt to hide its goal of recreating the feeling of the 1998 cult classic. For those wondering whether it lives up to their expectations, the demo offers a direct way to find out.

Parasite Mutant is a survival-horror RPG that has players investigating a biological outbreak. This preview covers the demo, which represents the opening section and roughly 1% of the full experience. Please note that this is not a review, but an early look at the game in its current state, as it remains in development.

Welcome to the Nightmare

Parasite Mutant follows Nova, a special agent with psionic abilities. She’s deployed to investigate an island city, only for her helicopter to crash during the approach. After waking up in the wreckage, she enters a city overrun by mutant abominations. Nova must uncover what happened and stop the outbreak before its horrors spread to the rest of the world.

So far, not much of the story has been revealed. What we do know comes from the game’s Steam page and the demo itself. Even then, it’s clear developer IceSitruuna is holding back major plot details until the game is closer to launch.

Playthrough of Parasite Mutant

The demo opens with Nova waking up beside the wreckage of her helicopter after an unexpected crash. She checks for survivors but finds none, gathers her gear, and sets off to explore the city. Almost immediately, she encounters mutants that have overrun the streets. Players fight their way to the Surveillance Room, where they’ll find their first weapon upgrade, extra ammo, and an opportunity to save. After returning outside, they face a boss encounter, and defeating it rewards a keycard that unlocks the next stage.

The entrance to the Research Building is locked, so Nova must search the courtyard for an alternate route. In the bathroom, she finds the remains of Ben, a researcher, along with documents that include a computer passcode (code is 788965). Accessing the computer reveals an email containing the combination to Ben’s locker (combo is 357), which holds his phone. After retrieving the phone, Nova uses Ben’s body to unlock it, revealing an alternate way into the Research Building. She enters the sewer system and fights through more mutants on her way to the facility.

Upon entering the lobby of the Research Building, you are confronted with another boss fight. The battle concludes with Nova being defeated but rescued by a robot.

Thoughts on  Parasite Mutant

Right from the start, Parasite Mutant nails the tone and style of Parasite Eve. From the main character designs to the opening title screen and combat system, it clearly understands what made the 1998 cult classic so memorable. That said, it isn’t trying to be a direct copy, thanks to its futuristic setting and creature designs that feel pulled straight from Silent Hill. At the same time, it brings something that’s been missing from survival horror since the original PlayStation era: a JRPG-inspired style and aesthetic that adds an extra layer of unease to the experience.

The gameplay follows the standard survival-horror setup with RPG elements. Players must explore each area, searching for keys, puzzle items, and vital supplies like ammo and medicine. Combat uses an Active Time Combat system, where players are confined to a section of the map and must avoid attacks while their ATC gauge charges. Once the ATC bar is full, they can strike with a melee weapon, firearm, or use an EP skill. After each battle, players earn experience points and may also receive supplies such as health packs and ammo.

More to Come

Parasite Mutant is a JRPG horror survival coming to the PlayStation 5 and PC. No launch date has been set, but it has been speculated that it could be sometime in 2026 to early 2027. Addtional details about the game will also be unveiled in the future. You can download the Parasite Mutant demo now.

8Bit/Digi is an independent media outlet that provides insight into the gamer community of the San Francisco Bay Area.