Corpse Party: Book of Shadows is Coming, And It Knows No Mercy

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Corpse Party: Book of Shadows is Coming, And It Knows No Mercy
Corpse Party: Book of Shadows is Coming, And It Knows No Mercy

Well, the time is almost upon us. A week from today – Tuesday, January 15th, 2013 – Corpse Party: Book of Shadows will be available for purchase on the North American PlayStation Store for $19.99, with a European release to follow shortly thereafter. It’s been a long journey getting this game to you guys, so it seemed prudent to give you all a bit more information about it. After all, an appetite for blood and dismay is at its best when thoroughly whetted…

And since each chapter in Corpse Party: Book of Shadows tells its own standalone story, I thought the best way to make you salivate even more would be to give a brief, spoiler-free introduction to each one. So without further ado, here’s a taste of what’s in store for you when you fire up your PSP (or PS Vita) next week.

Corpse Party: Book of Shadows on PSPCorpse Party: Book of Shadows on PSP

Chapter 1: Seal

An important introduction to the “alternate universe” within which several of the game’s chapters take place. What if our poor Kisaragi High protagonists went into Heavenly Host Elementary School (the cursed plane where all the horrors of the first game occurred) with an almost instinctive foreknowledge of what awaited them therein? Would it be possible for them to avert their horrific destinies? “Seal” tracks Naomi and Seiko as they seek to answer this question, mirroring and expanding upon events from chapter 1 of the first game.

Chapter 2: Demise

Similarly, “Demise” tracks would-be transfer student Mayu under these same circumstances, weaving a rather lengthy tale that delves deep into her personality while also prominently featuring other Corpse Party mainstay characters and reuniting series fans with Musashigawa Junior High student Nana Ogasawara (whom players of the first game may remember from Extra Chapter 1).

Chapter 3: Encounter

The first of the game’s two prequel chapters, “Encounter” takes a closer look at the life and times of overzealous homeroom T.A. Ms. Yui Shishido, who’s caught herself a nasty cold and – through a series of unlikely circumstances – found herself being cared for by one of her top students, Satoshi Mochida. In her fevered dreams, she recalls her own high school life at Kisaragi, recounting memories of a boy she fancied back then… as well as a ghostly encounter that may or may not have actually happened one rainy evening…

Chapter 4: Purgatory

The second prequel chapter focuses on high school paranormalist Naho Saenoki and her best friend, Sayaka Ooue. Both girls are famous – Naho a published author and respected paranormal investigator, Sayaka a popular radio personality – and their collective star power is about to double as Naho is scheduled to appear on Sayaka’s show as a guest speaker. But it may not be only airwaves the two share, as we learn in “Purgatory” just how dangerous Naho’s research can be…

Corpse Party: Book of Shadows on PSPCorpse Party: Book of Shadows on PSP

Chapter 5: Shangri-La

The longest of the game’s eight chapters, “Shangri-La” focuses on the socially reclusive Morishige as he struggles to cope with the inhumanly cruel environment in which he now dwells. Along the way, his path will cross with those of numerous other students from Byakudan High and Musashigawa Junior High, as well as the hapless cameraman Taguchi. With this many miserable, paranoid souls wandering around in an inescapable land of death and dismay, it’s only a matter of time before somebody cracks…

Chapter 6: Mire

To summarize “Mire” would be far too big a spoiler. Suffice it to say, it chronicles the adventures of stoic old Kizami, little Yuka and the girl in red herself, Sachiko. And it connects with one of the first game’s many wrong ends. (Those who’ve played Corpse Party should be shuddering right about now.)

Chapter 7: Tooth

“Tooth” takes place during the first Corpse Party and is entirely canonical with the main scenario. While the first game focused on the students of Kisaragi High, “Tooth” takes a closer look at the lives and times of the Byakudan High students, and serves almost as an “origin story” for Kizami. It also helps explain that iconic (and disturbing) image of Tohko Kirisaki from the first game, with her black eye and missing tooth…

Chapter 8: Blood Drive

Unlockable either by loading save data from the first Corpse Party and completing “Tooth,” or by viewing every single ending in Corpse Party: Book of Shadows chapters 1 through 7, “Blood Drive” continues the story right where it left off last time around. Set two weeks after the ending to Corpse Party, “Blood Drive”… well… takes us somewhere else entirely. Somewhere even more threatening than Heavenly Host Elementary School. But I don’t dare say any more than that. You’ll have to play the game for yourself to see how such a thing is possible!

So, are you ready? If not, there’s a whole new website full of information and images to peruse, as well as a brand new short trailer. Which means, if you’re not already scared out of your gourd… well, you will be. Oh, you definitely will be!

And let’s face it. You wouldn’t have it any other way.

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109 Comments

72 Author Replies

  • Finally!

  • Next week?! What a nice surprise!

  • Hi tom, it’s really going to be playable on ps vita? it says “when you fire up your PSP (or PS Vita) next week.” I’m planning to buy it next week tuesday for sure!. =) That is great news, keep up the good work and happy belated new year and welcome to the year 2013.

  • This looks good, but I still need to play the first one.

    • You do indeed. Book of Shadows is best saved for after you’ve completed the first Corpse Party, lest you miss a lot of references and spoil some rather major plot points.

      Once you have played the first game, though, I can almost guarantee you’ll be chomping at the bit to see what this one has in store!

  • Just filled up my PSN wallet with 50 bucks today and now I know where I’m spending 2/5ths of that. :D

    • Yes, but I don’t think the PlayStation Store even has forty games for sale at 50 cents each…

      OH, you mean Book of Shadows! ;)

  • Nice, but when do we expect that Sly Thieves in Time demo?

  • So excited for this game. Will be picking this up right away for sure. Quick question, what is the file size for the game?

    • Hard to say how big it will be until it’s up, since PSN games are compressed when they’re added to the store. But I can give you an estimate: on Japanese PSN, the game is 1020 MB in size. As a basis of comparison, the first Corpse Party is 571 MB on Japan’s PSN, and right around 556 MB on the North American PSN — so chances are, the North American release of Book of Shadows will be right around 1 GB.

      A bit hefty, but worth every byte. ;)

  • I’ll definitely be buying this game. Although I’ll miss the old school RPG graphics. Out of curiosity, can anyone point out some Japan review scores or does anyone know how the sequel was received there by fans of the first one?

    • A quick search suggests it was received about the same as the first one: not for everyone, but it’s a can’t-miss title for core horror fans. Most of the negative comments and reviews focus on the fact that the game plays totally differently from the first title — though other reviews praise that fact, stating that the added features and more streamlined interface help rightfully put more focus on the story, characters and atmosphere as opposed to the gameplay mechanics.

      The story seems to be pretty universally praised, too. Which is understandable — it’s awesome. ;)

  • Amazing news! Will grab this on day one.

  • Nice! Have not played the 1st. one, but I will get both eventually for my Vita :). Hey, Tom, when are you guys annoucning your releases for Q13? I need some Celcetta in my life!

  • I really wish I hadn’t missed the original CP on sale a little while back. Any chance it’ll go on sale again in honor of this release? ;)

  • No trophy no buy…

    • I think you might be missing the point of this story-centric horror game. ;) But if your issue is mostly that you won’t be able to get rewards for your efforts… well, then don’t worry! The game is full of unlockable art stills, music tracks, name tags and voice actor interviews, as well as a whole “EVP Machine” mode. Obtaining these and maxing out your unlocks is pretty much Book of Shadows’ answer to trophies, rewarding you for being a thorough player.

  • Rant…..where is the wake up club for us

  • Lol… “Ign” wrote this today “CES: Is Sony Getting Desperate?”

  • @ jhernandez360 I’m scared of IGN.

  • Wow, this is out a lot sooner than I expected. Can’t wait!

    Is there a good summary of the events of the first game out there? I need a refresher.

    • The GameFAQs/GameSpot board for the first game is pretty active and has a stickied walkthrough thread, which may suffice. Our own forums at http://www.xseedgames.com, too, have been getting quite a bit of Corpse Party traffic lately, so you can always ask there. I’m sure someone would be more than happy to summarize things for you.

      Of course, replaying the first game is the best option of them all… IF YOU DARE…

  • lol why

  • how many people will get this on the PSP ??

  • @ bldudas. Its a shame I have to go to IGN to hear anything new about “Playstation”

  • @ jhernandez360 I can’t stand IGN. I want to get this game for my Vita.

  • So happy to see this. Though I wish it were today………………………………….anyway, will pick it up and die repeatedly loving every second of it. Are we safe to assume if this does well we can possibly expect more Corpse Party love?

    • Oh, absolutely. We quite love this series, and would like nothing more than to continue haunting you all with it. ;)

  • in a week im gonna be waiting for the psn update and buy it instantly :D

  • I bought Corpse Party when the price dropped and loved it. I still need to finish it but I’m currently hooked on Persona 4 Golden. Either way I plan on picking up this game as well.

    • Very cool. I would definitely suggest finishing the first game, however, before playing Book of Shadows. Or at the very least… don’t watch the Book of Shadows intro FMV, and don’t play the Blood Drive chapter until you’ve beaten the first game. Otherwise, you’ll be spoiling the ending for yourself.

  • Corpse Party was by far one of the best PSP games I bought, and I’m glad XSeed decided to bring over the second one. I’ll have to rustle up some money to get it, can’t wait!

    • Yaay! I’m glad you liked it. Corpse Party was my baby, so I’m always happy to read about people enjoying it.

      Book of Shadows shan’t disappoint.

  • bought the first one and loved it, def gettingthis bad boy when it hits the psvita store next week ;)

    • Sweet! If you loved the first one, you’re pretty much guaranteed to love Book of Shadows as well. Looking forward to your comments on it!

  • Only one week? Better fire up the original and refresh myself. Thank you XSeed for bringing this to us!

  • I’m in chapter one of the first one waiting for this :)

  • what about the avatars ?

  • @12

    of course it doesn’t have trophies is a psp game

  • Day 1 Vita compatibility, great news! Looking forward to more Seiko next week :-)

  • I know nothing about this game or series at all, but I do not mind handing xseed money either. I just got a Vita so I don’t have that many games for it, so why not?

    • Yay! Glad to hear we have that effect on people. ;) Do make sure to play the first game first, though! This is very definitely a sequel, and won’t be nearly as enjoyable without having experienced its predecessor.

  • Alright what’s the first game called? Also you have that effect on me because you have great games and I still am very thankful for what you did for us JRPG fans in August ;)

    • First game is simply called “Corpse Party,” and is available on PSN for $19.99 in North America and Europe.

      (In Japan, the first game is called “Corpse Party: BloodCovered: …Repeated Fear,” but we decided to shorten that in order to keep things simple over here.)

  • Will there be bacon?

  • Any ideas if this is planned to be released over Europe too? I bought the first one on the US PSN so I don’t really know who published it on the European store but since I plan to play it on my Vita I’d most likely stick to my everyday account.

    • We’re actually the European publisher as well, and this game is absolutely planned for European release — hopefully not too far behind the North American release, either. We managed to get the first game out on EU PSN a mere two weeks after its North American debut, and can hopefully work similar magic this time around. We don’t have a definitive date just yet, but when we do, we’ll be sure to send out a press release.

  • Thanks a lot for the reply, Tom. I loved Corpse Party and I’m sure I’ll like the sequel just as much. I love the fact that it’s more story of the same characters. Thanks for bringing it out for us. Also, is there 3D sound again?

    Story-centric visual novels are really starting to grow on me lately — especially scary ones. I loved corpse party and 999 and Virtue’s Last Reward — anyone have any other suggestions?

    • Yep, the binaural 3D sound makes its triumphant return. There’s even an unlockable mode which we’ve translated as “EVP Machine,” which allows you to create your own custom conversations using the game’s 3D audio clips. It can be used for much wrongness, too, I assure you. ;)

  • Awesome news then :D
    And this time I’ll definetely review this without letting any coworkers stealing it from me ;)

  • Nice to hear. Lucky I recently got some credit for this US account, I’ll be able to grab it.

    I’m curious, is there any plans for a Aus / NZ release of either game in the future?

    • Well, the AU/NZ ratings board now recognizes mature-themed games, so it’s a definite possibility. There’s a lot of red tape involved with releasing games in a new region, however, so I wouldn’t count on it happening anytime soon.

      Still… it’s a possibility!

  • oh awesome i didn’t know this was coming out already. loved the first game and this will easily be a day one purchase. glad you guys are making sure it works on vita right away.

  • Great price! Maybe you should tell the folks over at D3 how to price their Vita titles (more specifically, EDF 2017) if they actually want to sell a few copies.

  • i can’t wait but i have two questions

    1) any chance Sachiko appearing in Playstation All stars? Corpse party is a psp exclusive right? besides it’s old computer version.

    2) as for the music tracks does it come with music from the first game?

    • Oh man, Sachiko in PlayStation All-Stars sounds like the greatest idea ever! I don’t think there’s any chance of it happening, but we sure would love to see it. That would be entirely in Sony’s hands, though.

      Regarding music, there are some returning themes from the first game, but most of what you’ll be hearing is new (though composed by the same person as before, Mao Hamamoto). And sadly, the game’s sound test mode only includes the new (or newly-arranged) tracks.

  • I’d say if you want your characters in PS All Stars you tell SuperBot Entertainment :)

  • I wasn’t expecting this to come so soon! I’ll have to muster up the courage to finish the first game before next week.

  • HELL YES!! I’m close to beating the first! I got hooked on it sooo bad! I got it on sale but I think I won’t hesitate getting this day one! :D

    Is their anything new in this one?

    • Erm, the whole game is new. ;) Or did you mean gameplay-wise? If so, the gameplay is actually 100% different. This game plays out more like a point-and-click adventure meets a board game meets a visual novel. Speaking, searching rooms, etc. is done in “search mode,” which basically plays out like a point-and-click adventure. When you want to move to another room, you can press the L button to bring up the school map, which looks kind of like a board game. Choose your square, then watch as your character walks to the new location screen-by-screen, dropping back into search mode when he/she gets there OR dropping into a story scene if he/she is interrupted along the way.

      Game features a message log, save-anywhere functionality (including during conversations!) and even fast-forwarding, and also has a “Darkening” system that distorts the screen and causes minor gameplay changes as your character becomes more frightened, sometimes triggering additional wrong ends.

  • What about us Australian gamers, will we get to enjoy this amazing game?

    • I actually addressed this in my response to comment 37:

      Well, the AU/NZ ratings board now recognizes mature-themed games, so it’s a definite possibility. There’s a lot of red tape involved with releasing games in a new region, however, so I wouldn’t count on it happening anytime soon.

      Still… it’s a possibility!

  • I’ll await the next Vita Xseed game. I’m not really interested in psp games anymore.

    • The platform doesn’t matter if the game is good. Especially when the game is playable on the platform you like, which this is.

      If you’re into Japanese-style horror, the Corpse Party titles are absolute must plays. They could be released on the 3DO or the Virtual Boy, and I’d still give them my highest recommendations. ;)

  • That is awsum! The Darkening system sounds like a real addition to the horror, kinda like Clock tower! :D
    Can’t wait for this!

  • I have been waiting for this game to make use of my PS Vita. I ordered the limited edition of this a while back just to get a hold of Naomi and Seiko figures. Game remains untouched but seeing as this is being released just in time before the school semester starts, I will definitely pick it up and make it my top priority. I’m feeling generous so I will pick up 3 extra copies to share with friends! Once again, phenomenal job XSEED and I thank you and your staff for the hard work you guys put into delivering games like these.

  • Well said Mr. Tom Lipschultz but just like Ryumoau said “I’ll await till the next Vita Xseed game. I’m not really interested in psp games anymore”. Honestly the game looks super cool but without no vita features or trophys I just wont support!

    • But isn’t gaming about the games? Trophies and features are nice, sure, but the game is what really counts. If you make your gaming experience about nothing but getting trophies and playing around with system-specific features, then you’re not really a gamer at all — you’re just a tech enthusiast. ;)

  • Are you thinking or ANY releases with Trophies? or even with vita enhanced features?

  • Will there be a demo? After buying the first one and never playing past a few minutes due to the over liberal translation Xseed did, I am very weary of buying another from you without testing it.

    • “Over-liberal”? Japanese is not a language that lends itself to direct word-for-word translations. We pride ourselves in translating not just the words that are being spoken, but the feeling and intent of the language as well. Our goal is to create a script that reads as naturally in English as the original does in Japanese. So if you thought the original’s text was too liberal, I can virtually guarantee you’d feel the same way about Book of Shadows. Sorry to say, but those are just the kinds of localizations we do!

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