Parasite Eve is a pretty average game. The battle system is similar to Vagrant Story, although it is a whole lot easier to understand, and there's no messy affinities to deal with. I applaud the modern setting, and wish more RPGs would venture into this territory, but other than that it really isn't anything special.

Vagrant Story is one of the most well done games I've ever played. In fact, it is the third most well done game I've ever played. It has a very steep learning curve, but the story is absolutely fantastic. It does not surprise me that many consider this a bad game, because many do not put in the necessary time or devotion to get through to the meat of the game. Beautiful, gripping characters right out of Shakespeare. Literally, right out of Shakespeare. Wonderfully done dialogue that makes you feel like you're in medieval France. If you're a fan of Matsuno's medieval tales (Final Fantasy Tactics and the upcoming Final Fantasy XII) and make a conscious effort to learn the ropes of the game, you won't be disappointed with Vagrant Story come the final roll of the credits.

I cannot make a higher recommendation than Vagrant Story; however, I am warning that this is no walk in the park RPG. If you consider yourself a softcore gamer you may want to stick with the main Final Fantasy series and Parasite Eve over this. Vagrant Story is one of those situations where the journey is far more difficult, but the payoff is far greater.