| “ | Happiness is born from much sorrow. | ” |
—Corpse Party: Blood Drive (Tagline) | ||
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Corpse Party: Blood Drive, released in Japan as Corpse Party: BLOOD DRIVE (コープスパーティー BLOOD DRIVE (ブラッドドライブ) Kōpusu Pātī Buraddo Doraibu) is a survival horror adventure game co-developed by Team GrisGris and MAGES released for the PC, PlayStation Vita, iOS and Nintendo Switch and the third and final installment of the Heavenly Host Saga. The game was published by 5pb. and was released in Japan on July 24, 2014 for PlayStation Vita. It is known under the abbreviation BD in Japan. The English version was released on October 13, 2015 in America, and October 20, 2015 in Europe.
The English release of the game was available at retail for the first time through a limited “Everafter Edition,” which includes a two-disc compilation of songs from Corpse Party, Corpse Party: Book of Shadows, and Corpse Party: Blood Drive, as well as a “Dying Art” book featuring artwork throughout the franchise.
The game was ported for iOS and Android devices and was released on February 1, 2017 in Japanese and English. English port for Nintendo Switch and PC also was also released on October 10th, 2019.
While this game was made at the same time as Corpse Party 2: Dead Patient, it is not to be confused as being the same game.
Plot
Two months after the tragic events of Corpse Party: Book of Shadows, Ayumi Shinozaki had paid the price for her use of black magic and been afflicted with a serious illness. However, she managed to somehow survive with the help of Naomi Nakashima. The grim grimoire, known as the Book of Shadows, now has laid waste to the Shinozaki estate and both the estate and tome vanished, leaving only a plot of land where it once stood.
Before she was hospitalized, a woman had appeared before Ayumi. This woman was an acquaintance of Ayumi's older sister, Hinoe Shinozaki, who belongs to the W.I., the Wicca Institute, an organization that worshiped spirits. There she listened to her words...
"Regain the dark tome known as the Book of Shadows. For generations, the Shinozaki family protected that forbidden book and made it taboo to take it off the premises. In the wrong hands, this book will sink the world into the abyss and throw us all into the brink of chaos."
Ayumi's trail now leads into the once residence of Makina Shinozaki. She decided that it would be best to trust her late sister’s natural ability to sense calamity.
After being discharged from the hospital, Ayumi returned to Kisaragi Academy where Satoshi Mochida and friends gave her a warm welcome. However, the absence of Mayu Suzumoto and Yui Shishido were a constant reminder of their inevitable reality. Now a new teacher's assistant supervises her homeroom. Then later, on her way home, a man approached Ayumi and told her, "If you reclaim the Book of Shadows and use it at Heavenly Host, those who have died there will be revived." The suspicious man's last words especially stuck in Ayumi's mind, "Those who have died there will be revived." Hinoe's and this strange man's words made Ayumi pledge that she will once more take back the Book of Shadows.
The following day, Ayumi went to visit the estate where Makina Shinozaki resided. However, it was run-down and looked to have been closed for a long time; "NO TRESPASSING" tape was strewn up everywhere, blocking entry.
She stared intently at the estate with fierce determination... She couldn't afford to let Satoshi and the others be involved this time.
For Ayumi, it was the responsibility of Shinozaki's bloodline. The lone struggle and legacy of her lineage.
Gameplay
The game ditched the pure visual novel format of Corpse Party: Book of Shadows and return to RPG and visual novel form of Corpse Party. Several features, such as flashlight and stamina system, make a return from Corpse Party 2: Dead Patient, and they were vastly improved. Players can use the flashlight to help them seeing in the dark and exploring the school environment, which are full of deadly traps to be avoided and sharp wires that need to be disarmed. Batteries and bandages are scattered around the school to restore flashlight power and hit points, respectively.
Black shadowy figures may also appear to chase characters down, and characters have to run away from them, or if player has talismans in their inventory, these talismans can repel them away. Characters can't run for too long before they're out of breath and move slower in pace. Several cabinets are provided for hiding from the ghosts that hunt the characters down, however, if they are too close to them, the ghosts might catch the characters in hiding and cause characters to lose some hit points instead.
Darkening also makes a return from Corpse Party: Book of Shadows, which will increase as player interacts with the school environment. To reset the darkening meter, player has to find a wooden doll, which can be found in certain areas.
Several characters are available in player's party at some points, and player now has the option to switch among them as playable characters.
Characters
The majority of the cast of characters are a group of students from Kisaragi Academy and Paulownia Academy High School.
| Characters | Gallery |
| Ayumi Shinozaki The main protagonist of the game who tasks herself with attempting to revive her friends who died in Heavenly Host Elementary School. |
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| Satoshi Mochida Ayumi's classmate and friend. |
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| Naomi Nakashima Ayumi's classmate and friend. |
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| Yoshiki Kishinuma Ayumi's classmate and friend. |
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| Yuka Mochida Satoshi's spoiled little sister. |
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| Satsuki Mizuhara Yuka's classmate and friend. |
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| Aiko Niwa An acquaintance of Naho Saenoki who knows about the existence of Heavenly Host and Book of Shadows. |
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| Kuon Niwa The assistant teacher of Ayumi's class. She speaks with a calm tone and cares for her students, but there seems to be something mysterious about her. |
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| Magari Mizuki A transfer student to Paulownia Academy High School. A member of a black magic cult who seems to be deeply involved with the Book of Shadows. |
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| Misuto Kiriya The mysterious young man who suddenly appears in front of Ayumi and tells her that she can bring her friends back to life if she retrieves the Book of Shadows. |
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Trivia
- Due to fan's feedback, infinite flashlight mode was added in the Japanese version of the game. Pressing 'SELECT' will activate the infinite flashlight mode. This feature is also present in the English version.
- The game has made multiple references to other Corpse Party media, such as Corpse Party: Sweet Sachiko's Hysteric Birthday Bash, Corpse Party CEMETERY0 ~Kaibyaku no Ars Moriendi~, and Corpse Party: Tortured Souls.
- This is the only installment in the Saga that didn't feature any appearances from the Musashigawa trio.
Opening Movies
Videos
Corpse Party Blood Drive - Launch Date Announcement Trailer (Switch)
Nintendo Switch Announcement trailer.