I’ll be upfront with you: Corpse Party: Book of Shadows is not my kind of game. Essentially a horror-themed visual novel, Book of Shadows is slow and plodding but, much like other visual games in the vein of 999 or Fate/Stay Night, it is the type of commitment that is good in short bursts to go through, as the actual novel aspect takes any precedence over gameplay. This is normally not a bad thing. Narrative is an important factor in making a strong game at times, and games can live or die based on the structure and eventual flow of the plot before you. Visual novels tend to be all plot, and any modicum of gameplay is either non-existent or thinly veiled to make it more interactive.

Book of Shadows, however, is also the type of game that shows how effective the genre can be. It also helps that Book of Shadows is the perfect kind of story to play in such a game, being a horror-themed title that puts Silent Hill to shame in terms of disturbing imagery. The series is a cult hit in the United States, but a major franchise in Japan since its release back in 1996. Spawning several manga series and an upcoming OVA in Japan, Corpse Party has a pedigree that is recognizable by hardcore fans across the world and Book of Shadows is the perfect blood-soaked lover letter to that legacy.

This is a relatively tame image. Trust me on that.

See, Book of Shadows assumes you played the previously released PSP title, as the actual storyline is essentially “filling the gaps” between Corpse Party by being a sort of prequel to the game. Thanks to one of the bad endings in the previous game, a time loop occurs, forcing the hapless teenagers to go back in time and repeat the dark events that send them to the haunted Heavenly Host Elementary School. In fact, the game offers you bonus material if you completed the first Corpse Party before starting up Book of Shadows that offers more moments between the characters in-game.

This type of limitation is very irksome to me but, thankfully, the visual novel aspect is adequately represented. One of the strongest points of Book of Shadows‘ is its characters. The story has a degree of realism when compared to most horror games out on the market, offering characters that you care for and become shocked when you see their grisly deaths on-screen. Normal people in extraordinary situations are always more impacting than the trained cop, marine, detective vibe we tend to see.

Granted, the jump scares and sometimes begrudgingly annoying characterizations get in the way at times but the main cast is endearing enough to overcome most of that. Book of Shadows is divided into seven chapters and allows you to experience the events of the first game from entirely new perspectives. To say anything else would go into spoilers but Book of Shadows allows you to change characters fates, at least in terms of the narrative.

Much like other plot-based games, nothing fully changes in terms of major plot points. Of course, the drama comes from how the events play out, instead of actually changing them. Add to the fact that Book of Shadows contains several “wrong endings” that can be triggered at almost any time, offering a non-canonical look on the fate of the main characters. The wrong endings also lead to a lot of trial and error; choosing what to say in a given situation or carrying a specific plot item at the right time contribute to that. Thankfully, the game allows you to save at any time, a feature that will be frequently used as you navigate the maze-like corridors hunting for solutions to the puzzles around you, but this is just one limitation the visual novel style has that can prevent the game from being an amazing experience.

This is pretty much all the interactivity you will see, besides making choices in what to say to characters.

Book of Shadows does have some gameplay elements but they are very basic, point-and-click style mechanics. You move a red cursor until it turns blue, meaning you can interact with the object by picking it up, moving it, or just reading what is written. It is simple enough to say the least but gameplay is still paper thin at best in the end and in long sessions trudging along can become a very passive, depressing chore. There is also a “darkening” mechanic, where the players sanity is slowly lost when faced with the grisly imagery that surrounds you. The darkening mechanic literally adds a layer to the gameplay, blotching the screen with red dots and attempting to create a sense of losing control à la Eternal Darkness. It is not enough though to really help keep interest at times but it does enhance the horrific events portrayed on-screen.

Besides the characters, the star of the show is Book of Shadows ambiance. We see bodies and corpses in graphic detail, shadowy figures in a flash, and dark specters at every turn. We see ghosts, blood, gore, and graphic descriptions detailing the macabre scenes depicted. We hear sounds of labored breathing, beating hearts, shattering glass, and dark musical cues that signal something sinister is afoot. In many ways, Book of Shadows recreates a believable world of horror and suspense, something that few horror-themed games actually do in the modern setting.

Truthfully, that is all Book of Shadows is about. It is a game with some mild complexity to it but only in its narrative. Visually, it is disturbing and dark but essentially static because of the visual novel-style. It has a very serviceable story, but it is a story that fills the gaps of a previous release and will leave newcomers confused most of the time. Finally, there is some gameplay but it is not enough to help keep interest in what is happening. So for outsiders, they may not understand the appeal to this horrifying visual novel. So while Corpse Party: Book of Shadows is shallow as a game, it is terrifying as an experience and for staunch fans of this sort of niche that is all you really need.

A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for review purposes and completed in about 12 hours. The title was played on PSP, but is also available for the PS Vita (both are digital downloads only).

Corpse Party: Book of Shadows Review

By Robert G.

Corpse Party: Book of Shadows is shallow as a game but terrifying as an experience, and for staunch fans of this sort of niche, that is all you need.