I wrote this review and then it somehow disappeared. My original review was better written and I put off rewriting it because I knew it wouldn’t be as good. My sentiments are the same with regards to the game. I’m just not happy with this review.
Corpse Party: Book Of Shadows is a Japanese horror adventure game for the PlayStation Portable (PSP) and PlayStation Vita (PSVita). Right off the bat this will stop many people from trying it out, and that’s alright. This isn’t the kind of game that is trying to appeal to a wide audience.
Two other issues come up at the onset of the game that almost had me put it away. First up is the ridiculous amount of backstory that needs to be waded through before any actual gameplay takes place. Instead of offering flashbacks or another narrative path, players must get through the introduction which takes forever. At least more than 30 minutes. I kept wondering when the game would start.
Then there’s the overtly lesbian subplot. One girl clearly has an attraction for another, going so far as bathing together and doing some inappropriate touching. This is in the game’s introduction and it’s not limited to there. It’s written in a way that makes me think the writers were trying to live out a fantasy, rather than script something empowering. I don’t have anything against same sex couples in video games, but I do have a problem with lewd and poorly written characters and plotting.
And yes, this is a game not for the kids.
Corpse Party: Book Of Shadows is a semi-sequel to the original Corpse Party, and if you didn’t play the original, you might be confused as to what is going on. It isn’t necessary, however, to play the original. The gameplay between the two games is vastly different. The first game played out much more like a video game, and this title is much more like an interactive novel. Remember those Choose Your Own Adventure books? Then there’s the hidden object pictures to search through. Along with all the story to muddle through, Corpse Party: Book Of Shadows features some of the least amount of gameplay in a video game that I have ever played.
And the audio is all in Japanese with English subtitles. This is actually a good thing. The mythos presented is very Japanese. The setting, the characters, this couldn’t be done anywhere else, sort of like telling a Viking story in South America. It can be done, but not well. Corpse Party: Book Of Shadows wallows in its Japanese-ness.
There is a lot of backtracking through the environments, searching those static images for useful items. Sometimes you’ll come across something and not be able to take it until you come to a place later in the game when the character realizes they need it. Veteran adventure gamers who are used to picking up everything and adding it to the inventory will wind up being frustrated with this.
And there are multiple endings.
The atmosphere and general horror story is done well, but there so much crap to wade through it’s almost not worth purchasing unless you’re a fan of Japanese schoolgirl horror.