Corpse Party: Blood Drive
Third Corpse Party game, first with 3D graphics.
Corpse Party: Blood Drive is a survival horror adventure game from 2014, developed by Team GrisGris and 5pb., with 5pb. handling publishing duties. It serves as the third installment in the Corpse Party series, coming after Corpse Party and Corpse Party: Book of Shadows. This entry marks the series' first use of 3D-rendered settings and characters. Critical reception was mixed, with reviewers noting it was an improvement over Book of Shadows but not as strong as the original game.
The story picks up two months after Book of Shadows. Ayumi Shinozaki falls gravely ill due to her misuse of black magic from the "Book of Shadows." Naomi manages to save her and takes her to a hospital, while the Shinozaki estate and the tome vanish. A woman claiming to be a spiritual associate of Hinoe's visits Ayumi, saying Hinoe's last wish is to retrieve the "Book of Shadows" to prevent the world from falling into the abyss. This is partly a lie, as the woman is pressured by other organizations who want the book for themselves. After being discharged, Ayumi returns to Kisaragi Academy, where Satoshi and friends welcome her, though the absence of their dead friends lingers. A new teacher's assistant, Kuon Niwa, supervises their homeroom. A black hooded boy tells Ayumi that reclaiming the "Book of Shadows" and using it at Heavenly Host could revive those who died there. Ayumi pledges to retrieve the book, leading her to the former residence of Makina Shinozaki. The curse of Heavenly Host expands due to a new entity called "Sachi."
During development, dummy head microphones were used to create a 3D audio experience. An English translation by XSEED was announced in May 2015. The game features two opening songs: "In the Rain" by Yumi Hara, and "Keshin" by Asami Imai, which plays at Chapter 7 after Ayumi retrieves the "Book of Shadows." The ending song is "Translucent Days" by ARTERY VEIN.
The game initially launched in Japan on July 24, 2015, published by MAGES (formerly 5pb.). XSEED localized and published it in North America, releasing both digital and physical versions. The physical "Everafter Edition" cost $49.99 and included a CD soundtrack and a 100-page artbook. This was the first Corpse Party game to get a retail English release. An iOS version was also released via the Apple App Store, which initially had bugs that were later fixed.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Corpse Party: Blood Drive
- Developer
- Team GrisGris, 5pb.
- Publisher
- JP · 5pb. · NA · Xseed Games · EU · Marvelous Europe
- Series
- Corpse Party
- Platforms
- PlayStation Vita · Android · iOS · Microsoft Windows · Nintendo Switch
- Released
- PlayStation VitaJP · July 24, 2014 · NA · October 13, 2015 · EU · October 20, 2015 / Android, iOSWW · January 31, 2017 / Windows, SwitchWW · October 10, 2019
- Modes
- Single-player
- Director
- Tomita Kazunori
- Producer
- Asada Makoto
- Artist
- Kamishiro Sakuya
- Composer
- Hamada Tomoyuki / Hamamoto Mao
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Corpse Party: Blood Drive is the direct sequel to Corpse Party: Book of Shadows, taking place two months after that game's events. The story follows Ayumi Shinozaki, who becomes severely ill from misusing the black magic of the 'Book of Shadows'. After being hospitalized, she is visited by a woman claiming to be a spiritual associate of Hinoe, belonging to the 'Wiccan Institute', an organization that worships spirits. The woman tells Ayumi that Hinoe's last wish is to regain the 'Book of Shadows' or the world will fall into the abyss, though this is partially a lie as the woman is under threat from other organizations seeking the book for their own gain. Two months after being discharged, Ayumi returns to Kisaragi Academy, where a new teacher's assistant, Kuon Niwa, supervises her homeroom. A black hooded boy approaches Ayumi and tells her that if she reclaims the 'Book of Shadows' and uses it at Heavenly Host, those who died there will be revived. Ayumi pledges to retrieve the book, leading her to the previous residence of Makina Shinozaki, while Heavenly Host's curse is expanded by a figure called 'Sachi'.
Reader's Guide
Corpse Party: Blood Drive holds significance as the first 3D entry in the Corpse Party series, marking a visual departure from its predecessors. Its release saw XSEED localize the game for North America, including a physical 'Everafter Edition' that contained a CD soundtrack and a 100-page artbook, making it the first Corpse Party game to receive a retail release in English. The game was also ported to the Nintendo Switch in 2019 and released on PC and iOS. Reception was mixed, with critics praising the atmosphere and storytelling but criticizing technical deficiencies, lengthy loading times, and the contrast between cute chibi-style animation and horror themes. Some reviewers noted that the game's puzzles were simple and that prior knowledge of Blood Covered and Book of Shadows was necessary to understand the plot. The game's legacy is that of a divisive sequel that continued the series' narrative but struggled to attract new fans due to its technical issues and reliance on established lore.
Did You Know?
- The game uses dummy head mics to provide perceived 3D sound.
- Yumi Hara and Asami Imai provided two opening songs: 'In the Rain' and 'Keshin'.
- The iOS version was initially plagued with bugs that were later fixed.
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