The game was sometimes compared to the "Resident Evil" series, though "GamePro" said that "Parasite Eve" had deeper gameplay with multiple weapon upgrades and hidden areas to discover. Reviewers also cited that though the game broke many RPG gaming conventions, it suffered from having little replay value and being a relatively short game. The combat was compared unfavorably to "Final Fantasy VII" by Game Revolution, which featured a dynamic camera instead of fixed one. The novel's original author Hideaki Sena approved of the game, stating that he was "actually impressed how well the game makers translated the novel."