Written by Alexander O. Cuaycong and Anthony L. Cuaycong
Title: Corpse Party: Blood Drive
Developer: MAGES. Inc., 5pb.
Publisher: Marvelous (XSEED)
Genre: Adventure
Price: $19.99
Anyone familiar with the survival horror/visual novel series Corpse Party already knows what to expect from it. After first releasing in Japan back in 1996 on the personal computer, Corpse Party officially ventured West with its remake for the PlayStation Portable in 2010, with XSEED Games providing the English translation. The rest is history, with the franchise becoming popular enough to warrant a sequel in the form of Book of Shadows, and a spin-off/extension of the main story by way of Sweet Sachiko's Hysteric Birthday Bash. All of these games feature a healthy amount of horror, a dash of comedy to lighten the mood, and a whole lot of spooks to keep players on their feet.
Corpse Party: Blood Drive is no exception, and if anything, embodies the best of the series' writing so far. Set two months after the events of Book of Shadows, Blood Drive follows the story of Ayumi Shinozaki, one of the original protagonists, and a survivor of the Sachiko Ever After curse that set off events in the franchise’s first game. Now, still feeling a healthy amount of survivor's guilt, Ayumi continues her journey to learn more of her family's psychic origins, and comes across a rumor that the Book of Shadows that had caused the curse might also be able to end it. The newfound knowledge gives Ayumi a sense of purpose: a way to right the wrongs she had unknowingly caused. With the prospect of bringing back her friends in mind, Ayumi must use her knowledge of the occult to reclaim her family's legacy, tame the Book of Shadows, and use its power to bring the dead back to life.
That's one thing that Corpse Party; Blood Drive does excellently. Even newcomers to the series will find its characters and its writing easy to follow. While the narratives of Corpse party games aren’t exactly the deepest, it's easy to get caught up in their shenanigans, particularly when the art and voice acting are done spectacularly well. Blood Drive is one such example; while the title does have some garish designs, silly dialogue, and B-rated quips, there's actually a lot of personality that went inside it to the point that these end up being more charming than annoying. They become clear references to the game's roots, the horror-visual-novel aspects coming full force with its style of dialogue, and its simplistic exploration sequences. It might not appeal to everyone, but fans of the series will no doubt love its return; they’re given the opportunity to bask in its atmosphere, explore its dark, creepy areas, and eventually, experience its endings.
This is part of the attraction of Corpse Party in general; there's a lingering fear in its writing and acting, almost as if death is nearby. Players stalk its halls, looking for reprieve, at times running into clues, and in others, stumbling right into an angry spirit. In some cases, death actually is just around the corner, with some bad endings being downright creepy as spirits call for safety, only to tear into the players and cause the Game Over screen to appear. What's amusing about is that it's not even as gruesome as it seem. Timely black screens and good writing provide much of the scares, if nothing else proving that over-the-top visuals and loud stinging jump scares aren’t needed to frighten players. Corpse Party is about atmosphere done extremely well.
That's one thing that Corpse Party; Blood Drive does excellently. Even newcomers to the series will find its characters and its writing easy to follow. While the narratives of Corpse party games aren’t exactly the deepest, it's easy to get caught up in their shenanigans, particularly when the art and voice acting are done spectacularly well. Blood Drive is one such example; while the title does have some garish designs, silly dialogue, and B-rated quips, there's actually a lot of personality that went inside it to the point that these end up being more charming than annoying. They become clear references to the game's roots, the horror-visual-novel aspects coming full force with its style of dialogue, and its simplistic exploration sequences. It might not appeal to everyone, but fans of the series will no doubt love its return; they’re given the opportunity to bask in its atmosphere, explore its dark, creepy areas, and eventually, experience its endings.
Say what you will about the anime presentation, but Corpse Party: Blood Drive nails the dour, depressing themes of the series without being overly negative. Its outstanding voice acting, combined with solid art design, never feels overly out of place, allowing it to deliver its unique dose of horror in spades. If anything, Blood Drive understands what its players expect from it, and toys with their expectations even as it gives them exactly what they were craving for. And while its gameplay isn't stellar, pretty much being a run-of-the-mill exploration/horror game, it's the setting and the writing that lets it stand apart from the dregs of the genre. True, it can lean on cliches at times. That said, there's a beauty in the simplicity of its goals and how well it hits the right notes at the right times.
As longtime fans of the series know only too well, Corpse Party actually does so many things that modern horror games seem to have set aside, and Blood Drive is no exception. It slowly builds up its spooks instead of barraging players with gory images or loud noises. It gives pretty decent pay-offs which are at home with its universe. And it never forgets to have fun or highlight its sillier moments; at the end of the day, Blood Drive seeks to entertain. Like a horror story said over a campfire, it can venture towards the cheesy on occasion. Nonetheless, it’s well worth the experience, and one horror fans shouldn’t think twice to pick up on the Switch.
THE GOOD
THE BAD
THE GOOD
- Corpse Party at its finest
- Great voice acting, solid art, and a decently fun story to keep players interested
- Atmospheric tension
THE BAD
- Load times can be a tad slow
- Exploration segments are simplistic, and its gameplay can be bogged down by reading
- The silliness can take unprepared players out of the moment
RATING: 9/10
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