Recs.
Updated
Corpse Party is an indie horror RPG that sees the player trying to solve the murders of their friends that are caused by accidentally performing an occult ritual.
The gameplay consists of top down RPG elements presented in an interactive novel story with a classic pixel art style,
SpecsUpdate
Pros
Pro Deep interactive storied gameplay
While there are no battles in the game (as one would expect from the RPG look of the title), the game does feature a deep interactive story that sees the player control different characters in different horror scenarios. Throughout the game you will be searching for clues and investigating mysterious events. The choices made throughout the game will affect the outcome, which makes for not only a good reason to replay the title but also a unique way to explore the story being told.
Pro Minimal style creates tension through imagination
Corpse Party is based off of an old release from 1998 that was created with RPG Maker. This port uses that design and as such has a lot of text and sound effects due to not being designed around flashy graphics. This means the text and sound effects are what creates the atmosphere of horror in the game, which makes the player use their imagination to fill in the blanks of what is happening. This can actually work out to even more horrific scenarios when imagined over just being shown, which makes for an old school feel that requires the player be invested in order to get the most out of the game.
Cons
Con Overly familiar premise
For those familiar with Japanese horror games, the plot in Corpse Party should be pretty familiar. A group of school kids have accidentally performed an occult ritual and are now stuck in a haunted school trying to solve the mystery of who is killing off their friends. Basically, a haunted school horror RPG. While the gameplay is pretty good, making an effort to present a solid package, the plot itself is pretty hum drum and will be all too familiar for many.