After its beginnings as an independently developed title for the NEC PC-9800 platform, which was developed using RPG Tsukuuru Dante98 (An early version of what we now know as RPG Maker), Team GrisGris’s Corpse Party title has been able to thrive into a trilogy on the PlayStation line of portable gaming consoles. For English speaking markets, the journey began in 2011 when XSEED Games published the first title – Corpse Party. Although more unnerving than scary, I described this title as “a unique horror game”, and am still of this opinion today. In 2013 the Corpse Party experience was extended upon with Corpse Party: Book of Shadows. With a brand new gameplay style which rewarded investigation just as much as navigation, and with new chapters built off both a WRONG END and the main TRUE END from its predecessor, it was a nice addition to the franchise which gave other characters a chance to shine while drawing upon its strengths.
More than two years on and XSEED Games have finally released Corpse Party: Blood Drive to market. This is set to serve as the final instalment in this trilogy, and comes with a number of visual and gameplay changes. Unfortunately this title turned out to be the least memorable. This is not because of its storyline, which stays true to the concepts and ideas which made Corpse Party enticing in the first place, but is instead impacted by some frustrating load times and a lack of player guidance at times which I found hampered the experience considerable
Storyline
Corpse Party: Blood Drive takes place after True End ★1 of Corpse Party Chapter 5 and the final episode of Corpse Party: Book of Shadows. Several months after the events of the first game, the survivors are still trying to come to terms with the loss of their friends. Ayumi Shinozaki in particular seeks to recover the ‘Book of Shadows’, which potentially holds the key to resurrecting them. But with the book seemingly lying in wait at what remains of Heavenly Host Element School, she with the assistance of other characters manages to make her way to the place where she almost died trying to escape before. A spate of other events draw other characters to the haunted realm, which is now home to an entity which is quite possibly more malevolent than Sachiko.
While I still find the original Corpse Party storyline to be one that didn’t really necessitate a sequel, the direction taken with this storyline was appropriate and satisfying overall.
Although there is some favourtism towards Ayumi, who could be considered the main protagonist of this game, many of the characters both new and returning receive at least a decent level of attention throughout the chapters. The viewpoint once again shifts between characters throughout each chapter, highlighting events taking place both inside or outside Heavenly Host Elementary School at chosen points in the plot progression.
Presenting a mixture of content which could at times be considered unnerving, bloody and/or downright surreal, those familiar with [...]
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