CORPSE PARTY (2021) Review for Steam

Corpse Party (2021), by developer MAGES. and publisher XSEED Games, is a dark indie horror game that takes place in an abandoned and decrepit elementary school. The story revolves around a group of high school students who are transported from their school to another dimension that houses an abandoned elementary school called, Heavenly Host Elementary. Your job is to walk around the school to find a way to reunite with your friends, then maybe you’ll find a way out of this nightmare. But beware the spirits trapped in the halls and heed the warnings of those who came before you or your fate won’t be much different than theirs.

When you first start Corpse Party (2021), you open up to a group of high schoolers telling a scary story about a school that predates theirs. Then, after that, the group moves on and talks some more and they end up performing a ritual so that they can bind themselves together as friends forever, all seems fine until an earthquake happens and everyone falls through the floor. Upon waking you’ll find yourself playing as one of the girls now in this weird abandoned school from the scary story that was told. When you actually start getting into playing the game is when the unsettling nature of it starts to pick up.

The atmosphere and sound effects make you worried that at any time something may pop out and get you, which can and will happen. The graphics of the game are akin to a top down pixelated RPG game, but at certain points when something significant happens on the screen you’ll see a very well drawn picture of the scene. Even with its simple graphics the sense of fear and dread hangs very well in the air, especially with all the dead bodies and secret notes you can find. There is a lot to explore and many endings to find, most of which happen when you do things that you are warned not to do, and that is the kind of stuff I do because I’m too curious of what will happen. I can’t just walk away from an obvious deathtrap or bad idea. The game itself is interesting and well put together, I love the atmosphere and the unsettling sense of dread that hangs in the air.

While Corpse Party (2021) is well put together in its setting, there is something to be said about its story pacing and guidance. The introduction to the story is very long and at many points it feels more like you’re reading a book rather than playing a game; in some cases, that can be a good thing, I mean that’s what a visual novel game is really. But Corpse Party (2021) is framed like an RPG game and with how well done the setting is I’d think you’d want to actually get more of a chance to play. That as well as when you do get deeper into the gameplay, it’s very easy to get lost or not know where to go as you end up wandering around a lot just waiting for something to change or pop out at you. In moderation, the mechanic of wandering around confused can add to the horror experience, but it can also get very frustrating at times.

Corpse Party (2021) is the latest version in the Corpse Party franchise, featuring more refinement and broader playability. This horror game revolves around suffering and despair, and is not for the faint of heart. It features an amazing atmosphere that keeps you on edge, and has a lot of secrets to explore and uncover. While the game features an amazing setting, the pacing of the story and the guidance of where to go is lacking and can be very frustrating at times. I’m giving Corpse Party (2021) a 7 out of 10 because as long as you can get past the frustration of getting lost a lot, it can be a fun and interesting experience with an amazing atmosphere.

Check Out the Corpse Party (2021) Steam Trailer:

Corpse Party (2021) is available in North America for $19.99 for PS4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and globally on Windows PC via Steam, GOG, and Humble Store by Humble Bundle. The Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch releases of the game have been rated “M for Mature” by the ESRB; the PC release has not been rated.

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