Developer: GrisGris
Publisher: Marvelous, XSeed Games
Platform: PC
Tested on: PC
Corpse Party 2: Dead Patient – Review
Where a lot of anime-looking video games actually are adaptations of earlier mangas and shows, Corpse Party is a bit different. It actually started out as a game that got released in 1996, and later on was adapted into manga, anime, and even live-action movies. It’s a series that’s known for the way it delivers cult horror and got a huge rise in popularity when YouTubers such as Pewdiepie started playing it. The original Dead Patient part already saw the light in Japan in 2013, but eventually, it got some important updates (that Japan got in 2017) and also got a release for America and Europe in October 2019. So grab your flashlight and your terrified waifu as we delve deep into some original Japanese horror.
Story
It’s only fair to start off with one of the biggest issues of Corpse Party 2. As you already read in the intro, the original game got released in 2013. Because it felt really buggy back then, the developers eventually decided to completely revamp their project in a different engine. Corpse Party 2 in this new engine as it is right now only includes Chapter 1 and an ”extra” chapter that adds up to that one chapter. It will give you a few hours of playtime, but players generally are confused with why it’s taking so long to get a new chapter ever since the original 2013 release. A lot of arguments have been made in favor of the developers that they are doing this as a side project, but we have to agree that there are many indie developers who proceed to do their ”side projects” a lot faster and with much better communication to the outside world. The final judgment given to Corpse Party 2 is based solely upon what’s given to us so far, and it’s up to you if it’s enough to purchase the game or not. That being said, let’s go on with the review.
Corpse Party has always been known for its masterful way of storytelling with slick stories, thrilling music and sound effects that make you wish you didn’t step into a puddle of goo right there. Corpse Party 2: Dead Patient is no different. You play as Ayame, a girl who wakes up in a dark and gruesome hospital while she is suffering from amnesia. As you progress towards finding an exit, you quickly discover that this hospital has some serious problems which include overly aggressive people running the halls. Slowly but certain you discover more by finding others who are still alive as you struggle to find an exit.
A lot in Corpse Party 2 is indicated by textual blocks (accompanied by sounds) that make you read what is going on as you find yourself in certain situations. Besides the obviously locked doors and broken lights, these are often detailed descriptions of yucky details that other games would depict by gore. In a way, Corpse Party 2 is like reading a terrifying book that allows you to run from scene to scene as you sometimes solve some puzzles as well. It’s what makes the series great.
Graphics
Where the original Corpse Party was relying on the good old RPG Maker engine, the newer versions each got an engine of their own. A first look tells us that such newer graphics seemingly are giving the characters too much of a ”cute” vibe, but the game actually really knows how to stay atmospherically horrifying apart from some people running at you like they just came out of an Animal Crossing game. With a few close-up drawings of situations and people (though sadly not as many), the game knows how to grab and keep your attention visually, as well as it’s still good at creating a dark atmosphere overall.
Sound
Corpse Party 2 features some amazing background music that feels like it’s a regular show with multiple episodes. Music filled with tension, where sometimes a scene might be enhanced by the complete lack of any sound at all, besides some effects. The sound effects that are present give you the exact feeling of being uneasy that a game like this should give you, whether it’s undefinable sound that seems to come from everything around you, a puddle with something icky that makes a mushy sound, or the few lines of voice acting and sounds that give the game a more lively, realistic feeling.
Gameplay
Corpse Party 2: Dead Patient is a combination of a horror survival with RPG and puzzle elements. The game’s main focus is progressing in the story, which can result in multiple endings depending on your actions. Good to know, these choices and endings can come suddenly and will easily erase the last half hour of gameplay if you want to try to achieve something different. That is, if you even still have a save game left from that time, so it’s very advisable to save on multiple slots at all times!
You progress the story in multiple ways. Sometimes, this means that you are running towards your next goal while more than often you will try to dodge dangerous enemies that are patrolling the map and seemingly randomly spawn at multiple locations. This brings a small dose of tension and excitement, but the ”dodging enemies” part of the game seems to be the lesser developed gameplay element as it feels gimmicky and is rather easy to successfully complete. The game also has some puzzle rooms where you need to figure out how to continue because of i.e. a locked door, which results in figuring out a door code by checking objects in the room. These work a bit better because it really feels like an escape room type of gameplay with multiple hidden hints that you need to piece together.
Lastly, there’s also some battling going on. These battles could be seen as boss fights, but as you are a small yet brave schoolgirl, you will have to use your wits and the environment instead of force. These battles are pretty easy once you know what to do, but because they don’t happen often they do add a bit of extra gameplay of a different type to the game, keeping you on your toes and interested, despite that the game’s main focus is the story at hand.
Conclusion
Corpse Party once again shows how you can create a story full of tension with a little effort and some balanced audio, text, and visuals. The atmospherical properties of such a game are amazing, and for that reason alone it’s worth to play this game (and others of the series). However, the newer 3D character designs seem to be a bit overly cute, and the gameplay lacks just slightly when it comes to patrolling enemies that you have to dodge. It’s something small but it does take away from the overall experience. That being said, we are excited about the game as a whole nonetheless and hope to see chapter 2 appearing sometime very soon.
Corpse Party 2: Dead Patient - Review,
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