Square Enix trademarked Symbiogenesis near the end of October and gave fans of the PS1 classic Parasite Eve a bit of hope that perhaps, at last, the unusual retro RPG might be getting a revival – but it was not to be. Square Enix announced Symbiogenesis in a press release and a Web3 convention, and if the location of the announcement wasn’t already a giveaway, it turns out Symbiogenesis is just Square Enix’s first NFT game.
Square Enix is one of a handful of major game publishers that remains committed to exploring the use of blockchain and web3 technology in game development. Interest in the technology seemingly peaked earlier in 2022 before starting to decline. Ubisoft implemented NFTs in a Ghost Recon game – before limited interest and a negative reception quickly put an end to that initiative.
Symbiogenesis is a “collectible art project” and an interactive narrative built around collecting characters. Players can use character art outside the game, but the main draw is supposed to be unraveling the game’s narrative mysteries by completing missions that revolve around “the monopolization and distribution of resources” – a rather ironic choice for an NFT project. The game is set to launch in early 2023.
Linking Symbiogenesis with Parasite Eve might seem hasty, but the concept is, as others reported, at the core of the RPG’s story, which centers on symbiosis and a catastrophic viral mutation, amidst a myriad of other tangled plot threads. Square Enix has also spent the last three years remaking and remastering many of its retro properties, but for now, it seems Parasite Eve will remain dormant.
Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF
