Corpse Party: Blood Drive

1. SwitSwat

   Oct 22, 2015

   10

   It took over a year to finally have it localized in The States. But... it's finally here. First of all, let me point out that the chibiIt took over a year to finally have it localized in The States. But... it's finally here. First of all, let me point out that the chibi character design doesn't make the game any less creepier and scary. There are still plenty of scares to be had here. The awesome plot, voice acting, and unsettling atmosphere are all present here and I think it is a well-executed finale to the main Corpse Party Trilogy. And not to spoil anything... but the ending is really bittersweet. But, I guess you can't expect a completely happy ending from a CP game. 10/10… Expand

   • 6 of 8 users found this helpful
2. NoahDoesSpore

   Jun 21, 2016

   10

   As a huge fan of the Corpse Party Series, I have to give Blood Drive a 10/10. The story was beautiful, sad, hopeful, and there are just soAs a huge fan of the Corpse Party Series, I have to give Blood Drive a 10/10. The story was beautiful, sad, hopeful, and there are just so many emotions in the story. The plot is also solid, and is very well explained. It has some very tense, spooky, scary, and suspenseful moments, and as a horror fanatic, I love this. Also, an an otaku (big anime fan) I love this anime style game, it has really pretty artwork, and has a perfect anime style to it. I made an account just to write this review, and praise the game. My only complaint is the loading screens, but that is to be expected. I love this game, and I would and am recommending this to many of my friends.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
4. Michaelsnake

   Oct 5, 2016

   9

   This game is simply a visual novel horror game. I personally loved the horror theme to it, but it is unlike most other horror games. this isThis game is simply a visual novel horror game. I personally loved the horror theme to it, but it is unlike most other horror games. this is specifically a "visual novel" horror. That means the fear and scare come from the words and text, not the gameplay itself (even though there are a few moments), and there is an even larger emphasis on the story. It is true the characters are chibi in 3D, but that doesn't faze me, because I'm into the game for the story and the outlandish amount of gore.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
5. DanHazy

   Apr 2, 2016

   6

   Concept: Explore a haunted school while avoiding traps and ghost.
   
   Music: Music ranges from rock to upbeat nonchalant tunes. The openingConcept: Explore a haunted school while avoiding traps and ghost.
   
   Music: Music ranges from rock to upbeat nonchalant tunes. The opening song is one of the best I've heard in video games. It starts with a somewhat spooky acoustic guitar riff and then kicks in high gear with distorted guitar and vocals.
   
   Graphics: The graphics are chibistyle meaning that everyone has a bobblehead doll look. The character art is high quality though as in the previous  Corpse Party titles.
   
   Story: The overall story was good but the ending was rather short.The ending was about ten minutes of dialogue.
   
   Voice acting: This game was voice acted continuously and with high quality voice acting. It is of course all japanese with no option for an english dub.
   
   Gameplay time: My gameplay time was about fifteen to twenty hours. Not bad considering the price of the game at this time. There was some endgame content but very little.
   
   In depth review
   
   The Corpse Party games started with a game that was made from RPG Maker that had graphics comparable to a gameboy advance game. These games have since evolved to a chibistyle look which might make some gamers wonder if the Corpse Party series has lost their dark and graphic feel. Be rest assured, they have not. There is plenty of people having their heads eaten and being sliced in half to satisfy anyone.
   
   The gameplay in this game consist of exploring with a flashlight while dodging floortraps and ghost. In order to advance the plot, we simply walk through a hallway or into a room to initiate a cutscene and that's the basic gist of the gameplay. There are newly added gameplay elements that weren't present in past Corpse Party titles including; a flashlight the protagonist can use to spot and avoid traps, the ability to hide from ghost by hiding inside a cabinet, and a run feature accompanied by a stamina bar. One might think these newly added gameplay elements would enhance the Corpse Party experience but sadly, that is not the case.
   
   Blood Drive had the worst gameplay of any other Corpse Party game. The floortraps litter the floor and become a nuisance more than anything else. The ability to hide from ghost doesn't do much as you will most likely encounter the same ghost again before long, and the run feature isn't very helpful as the stamina bar runs out far too quickly, at which point you have to let it recharge for quiet some time.
   
   Specifically, there ar two gameplay sequences that will determine if you are a true fan of the Corpse Party story. The first is a gameplay sequence where you are required to explore a large area in search of keys or boards to unblock paths so you can advance the plot. This sounds simple enough except the fact that you will constantly be chased by a ghost or maybe even two or three at the time. These ghost are just as fast as the protagonist and when they get close enough, they attack you. The rooms you will have to walk into usually have a ghost residing in them, which will begin chasing you when you enter. This makes exploration next to impossible in this particular chapter but only during this chapter.
   
   The second gameplay sequence that is overly difficult is one with swinging gulliteins.The player is required to dodge these of course but the precise timing required is ridiculous. I personally died and restarted this part about fifteen times. I eventually  got the timing down to a science enabling me to progress.
   
   That brings up the problem of the loading times. The player can expect about a fifteen second loading delay whenever they die and reload their save file. Also, bringing up the item menu has it's unusually long loading time as does walking into rooms. All of these annoyances combine to make the gameplay a mess that will make many grimace as they wade through it.
   
   Closing comments: I would recommend this game to he diehard Corpse Party fan as it concludes the story from the previous two games, but not without some discussion of the horrible gameplay. Also worth mentioning is that this game comes with an artbook and two cd's that include all the music from all the Corpse Party games.
   
   That wraps this review up, hope it helps.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
6. kuehnau

   Jan 26, 2017

   6

   I got into Corpse Party a few years ago and bought the PSP games. I enjoyed the first one, but didn't enjoy the second one at all, due to it'sI got into Corpse Party a few years ago and bought the PSP games. I enjoyed the first one, but didn't enjoy the second one at all, due to it's focused gameplay being a visual novel.
   
   When I saw the new Corpse Party: Blood Drive would be making it's way on to the Playstation Vita, I looked online to see how the game was supposed to play. It looked like that the game was a departure from the visual novel genre and went back to it's RPG/Adventure roots.
   
   How wrong I was.
   
   I am a horror fan, raised in the 80s some of the classics. What first attracted me to Corpse Party was not just it's creepy atmosphere and story, but it's often gory and gruesome visuals. This is one of the biggest things Blood Drive fails at. Sure there are spooky skeletons and ghosts, there's some spatters of blood here and there, but it's biggest draw and appeal, the graphic kill screens are no where to be seen. Instead, the screen often fades to black and then a text box describes how you died - TALK ABOUT LAME.
   
   The game gets a graphical overhall with 3D graphics and to be fair, they are perfectly appealing. Meanwhile the visual story elements are still wonderfully drawn. Unfortunately, it appears once again that the visual novel element takes center stage of Blood Drive. Be prepared to slog through nonstop dialog for the first few chapters.
   
   The game mechanics are pretty much the same, there are traps hidden within the game that you need to avoid or disable, such as razor trip wires. It's nothing enitrely unqiue, but added with battery management for your flash light, it's not terrible. The issue is, the game really is just another "hide and seek" simulator. You need to trigger special events to progress the plot and then once and awhile, a ghost will chase you. It's nothing too intense or hard.
   
   The voice acting is decent, but there's no option for for English (that I can see anyways).
   
   The story was already kind of weird and hard to follow to begin with, but now they had a ton of other muck to the story, messing it up even more. Secret societies, magic and curses are just a few of the themes you'll encounter in the game.
   
   At the end of the day, Corpse Party: Blood Drive is better than Book of Shadows, but not by much. It's a shame, because from the get go it never really felt as though the Corpse Party franchise was ever really given the attention or respect it deserved. It's really nothing more than weeb trash.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
7. KingOfRock

   Sep 19, 2016

   6

   I have mixed feelings about this game. While I do like the story, I do see gaping problems with the translation. Sometimes the excessive cussI have mixed feelings about this game. While I do like the story, I do see gaping problems with the translation. Sometimes the excessive cuss words just come off as hokey and it kind of detracts from the story. I'm not a prude, of course. That's not where I'm coming from.
   
   What I'm saying is that when the characters do cuss it feels so unnatural and comes off more like a kid trying to look all tough and grown by using words they don't understand. My problem isn't with the use of the words, but rather the way in which they were written in. And that's only one problem I have with the translation, but it's one of the worst because it makes it come off as so cheesy when it doesn't have to. The translation feels like it's more direct as opposed to trying to capture the meaning of the Japanese translation.
   
   I also have a problem with the loading screens as well. I can understand them to some degree, but this isn't the deepest or most graphically intense game, so I don't get the excessive load screens. You open the menu, only to wait for a loading screen. You go to open your inventory, there's another load screen. You apply your bandages to your character, or whatever, then exit the inventory, another loading screen. Then, you go to back out of the menu and you get another loading screen. Why? I've seen PS One RPG's with faster loading screens that you see less often.
   
   I do have some positive things to say, though. Overall I liked the atmosphere, and I thought the controls were really smooth. The cutesy graphics really contrasted with the dark, ominous story about death and the supernatural, but I liked that. And, despite the poor translation, I really liked the general theme of the story. I thought those were really good elements to the game.
   
   I would say this game is above average, but it could turn some players off. I like it, but it's not my favorite game in the series. I wouldn't really say I love it. Like I said earlier, the slow and excessive loading screens and the dialogue that doesn't flow as well as it should keeps the game from being better than it could be.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
8. Zykiel

   Jan 16, 2016

   0

   Corpse Party: Blood Drive has nothing to offer.
   This game has absolutely no redeeming qualities. It is a complete stain of the Corpse PartyCorpse Party: Blood Drive has nothing to offer.
   This game has absolutely no redeeming qualities. It is a complete stain of the Corpse Party franchise. The characters shown no growth from the first game and no development through the story. The horror for which CPBD wishes to display is utterly ineffective, with nothing but gore and shoddily written dialogue. The gameplay is unremarkable and unintuitive with it being worse from the original. The plot is contrived and seems to have no great impact or interaction with the characters.
   All in all not worth your time to even look at.… Expand

   • 1 of 7 users found this helpful

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