Corpse Party: Book of Shadows Critic Reviews

A literary masterpiece that pushes the boundaries of video games being legitimate art with its suspenseful, thrilling, and unique narrative that takes the horror genre to a new level. It is a classic for those Halloween fright nights but just make sure to double check the doors are locked when you turn the lights out.

Not a game for everyone, or even for all horror fans. It will appeal to those in the very narrow center of the horror/visual novel Venn diagram. Those people, however, can expect an extremely well-written, disturbing set of mostly-disjointed tales that are united by the terror they propagate.

Scary and modern in all the right ways, Book of Shadows preserves the feel of its predecessor while improving on its aged gameplay and graphics.

Book of Shadows is a very interesting game. I do enjoy good visual novels, and for the most part, this game tells a rather compelling tale. Granted, it won't be for everyone, but if you don't mind a good amount of gore and some really creepy set pieces, then this game will not disappoint.

Rather, you'll want to avoid playing a game in public that features a scene just a few minutes in that seems like it could get you put on some kind of sex offender registry. Instead, download Corpse Party: Book of Shadows, turn off all the lights in your house, put on some good headphones, and enjoy. And try not to play before meals, because it's definitely going to spoil your appetite.

Book of Shadows holds plenty to love if you enjoyed the first game, but the wavering quality holds it back. Think of it like a good book; you turn the pages with fervor, awaiting the next big reveal, but the problem is you're yawning through boring parts just as much.

Wobbly in the gameplay department, it still packs an eerily disturbing punch.

For $20, it's about the price of a graphic novel, which is exactly what it is. So if you can stomach the gore and overall obscurity, then this super niche PSP title may be worth a checking out.

Despite its sometimes tedious gameplay, Corpse Party: Book of Shadows is a rare horror game that manages to deliver on its intention to frighten its players.

Book of Shadows employs a point-and-click mechanic and objects that can be interacted with are highlighted with a blue hue. It's still tedious, but at least the days of mashing the X button over every pixel in a Where's Waldo-esque fashion are over.

The follow-up to Corpse Party is Book of Shadows, an adventure packed with tons of dialogues, creepy music and the traditional Japanese visual-style. It's worth the try if we didn't have the time to try the first one out.

A few changes made by the development team keep Corpse Party: Book of Shadows from being truly great. It's just as creepy and disturbing as the last game, but it feels like it's held back by being a much more rigid visual novel.

As an interactive video game it’s pathetic. Barely any gameplay, static visuals, and annoying voiceovers mean it gets old very quickly. However as an interactive novel it’s second to none. It’s grotesque, beautifully engrossing and certainly a great horror flick.

In the end after investing a lot of time I liked Corpse Party: Book of Shadows, but I think most would agree it is merely an average to just above average game that belongs in the “cult favourite” category.

Grotesque and disturbing, and that's not just in terms of the tawdry use of Japanese schoolgirls but the result of a flawed but oddly effective horror game.

Corpse Party: Book of Shadows has its moments from a storytelling perspective, but it would have benefited from more interactive features. There's some morbidly creative horror for readers to sink their fangs into, but don't expect to encounter any believable characters or award-winning wordsmithery.

As it stands, this sequel simply continues what the original started, taking no real risks and reaping no real rewards.

As a standalone game for newcomers to the franchise, the story will leave you baffled compared to someone who would have experienced Corpse Party, and in that regard, looking at its way of storytelling comes off as a disjointed tale of horror that can give you a gloomy (in the right way) and uneasy time. However, I see it this way – go play the first Corpse Party and see how you feel about it. If you want more, then jump into Book of Shadows and enjoy it for what it is.

There's enough gore-spillage here to satisfy that Japanese horror hardcore.

Does Japanese horror porn sound appealing to you? Well then this is right up your alley, and you're probably going to enjoy it regardless of its relative quality as a game.