the 97 movie version of the novel 'Parasite Eve' had tons of fire, too. Pyrokinesis was a major thing in the movie (and in the game); maybe the game wanted to portray a similar visual continuity to the movie?
The New York setting of the game was a lot more interesting than the back-woods Japan 'BioLab' style setting of the movie.
I think it was less pyrokinesis and more "ordering the mitochondria on everyone nearby to overload and cause spontaneous combustion". The intro is a whole theater's worth of people combusting when the mitochondria on the antagonist "awaken" in presence of the protagonist.
It's based on the book (and referenced by the scientist character, Maeda, as "the case in Japan") but it's a lot more actiony and flashy with all sorts of mutated animals and orange goo.
the 97 movie version of the novel 'Parasite Eve' had tons of fire, too. Pyrokinesis was a major thing in the movie (and in the game); maybe the game wanted to portray a similar visual continuity to the movie?
The New York setting of the game was a lot more interesting than the back-woods Japan 'BioLab' style setting of the movie.