In 1996, the gaming world was alive with a future supplied completely by means of 3D graphics. Technical geometric ideas like polygons and vertices had been getting into the gaming lingua franca, and from a mainstream perspective, the world was shifting on from 8- and 16-bit video games.
At the moment, nevertheless, a cult horror traditional was brewing, and on April 22, 1996, gamers acquired their first attractive style of Corpse Occasion. Corpse Occasion is a 2D, 16-bit mix of survival horror and journey, launched for the NEC PC-9801, a Japanese-exclusive laptop system. Corpse Occasion’s status as a recreation exploring darker horror themes slowly grew on the Japanese web. Remakes of the unique recreation for PC and PSP within the late 2000s and early 2010s cemented this status. The PSP model was ultimately translated into English in 2011, giving us nihongo numpties (individuals who don’t know Japanese) our first official probability to expertise the concern.
Naturally, there are lots of variations of Corpse Occasion to play. For this overview, I performed by means of the PS4 model on a PS5. I accomplished the sport twice, as soon as in English and as soon as in Japanese. As we speak, the world of Corpse Occasion, with its quite a few remakes, sequels, and anime/manga spin-offs, gives an expertise fairly in contrast to anything: intelligent plot twists, gameplay that lies between obfuscatory and monotonous, darkish however oddly acquainted environments, and ranges of grotesque horror hardly ever matched throughout all types of inventive expression.
Corpse Occasion facilities round seven highschool college students (Ayumi, Satoshi, Naomi, Yoshiki, Mayu, Sakutaro, Seiko), one center faculty sibling (Yuka, Satoshi’s sister), and a trainer (Yui) on the finish of a stormy faculty day. Mayu will quickly be transferring to a brand new faculty, so Ayumi suggests they carry out a “Sachiko Ever After” ritual to stay linked ceaselessly. This uplifting thought quickly turns right into a torturous nightmare when the ritual goes flawed and everyone seems to be transported to an unfamiliar, dilapidated faculty referred to as Heavenly Host Elementary College.
Throughout 5 chapters, 15 bonus chapters, and one thing referred to as a “flawed ending,” you discover Heavenly Host Elementary College by means of pupil and trainer views. Every chapter has you play by means of a number of viewpoints, with the scholars usually showing in pairs. A specific gameplay loop rapidly turns into obvious: an preliminary dialogue trade between characters, exploration of the varsity, discovering or utilizing an merchandise, and discussing occasions along with your associate or fellow schoolmates who could drop by.
Inside this loop can be the wrong-ending mechanic. This game-over system is usually triggered by apparent actions and different instances by closely obscured ones. On the constructive aspect, flawed endings can present extra lore about Heavenly Host Elementary College and the broader world. On the detrimental aspect, obscure set off factors are very irritating and may ship you again 30–40 minutes in playtime—RIP my already restricted grownup gaming time. General, the wrong-ending mechanic is a pleasant “what if” exploration, executed poorly. That is one space the place a future remake or sequel may benefit from refinement.
Character, story, and horror parts are robust areas for Corpse Occasion, although not with out some caveats. Most characters are properly interconnected (Ayumi–Satoshi–Naomi; Seiko and Naomi), with the total hormonal hues of adolescence on show—angst is enjoyable typically. In different moments, nevertheless, the characterization falls aside; scenes that might really feel real, reminiscent of Seiko’s romantic emotions, are cheapened by one-dimensional sexual innuendo.
Corpse Occasion’s story and plot are considerably perplexing however in the end very satisfying. The narrative is attractive sufficient that you just naturally really feel compelled to uncover extra. Every query you elevate is thoughtfully answered by the tip. Moreover, the sport contains additional chapters unlocked by means of regular development or by attaining particular flawed endings, that are then obtainable from the principle menu. These chapters present extra lore about Heavenly Host Elementary College, will let you discover different views of the principle story, and even develop connections between different Corpse Occasion titles (yeah, there’s quite a lot of these).
The horror parts on this recreation are really on one other stage. I’m an avid horror recreation participant, and a few of the content material—notably its descriptions of violence, human struggling, and despair—is unmatched. I felt deeply uncomfortable studying concerning the nuances of hunger and enduring the size of sure violent scenes (5–10+ minutes). Think about this each a warning and a suggestion, relying in your tolerance for these themes. Lastly, it’s value mentioning that the therapy and characterization of ladies feels considerably outdated. Given the period the sport is from, a few of this criticism could also be moot, however if you’re delicate to gendered violence, you could wish to put aside that crucial lens whereas taking part in.
The graphics and sound are extra strengths. Corpse Occasion was made in RPG Maker, so the environments, sprites, and interface give off a really particular early-to-mid 2000s vibe, which I personally get pleasure from. The character and sprite designs are classically anime-like. What elevates the sport above most titles created with the engine is its world design. The varsity’s structure considerably will increase emotional rigidity—lengthy, sweeping, seemingly limitless halls distinction with cramped one-way corridors and upkeep rooms.
Sound and music additionally play an important position in horror—consider the film Psycho. Corpse Occasion delivers properly on this space, that includes brooding atmospheric tracks, energetic items, and a predominant theme that lingers in your thoughts. Just a few tracks I’d like to focus on are “The Darkish House,” “Well being Room,” “Sword of Steal,” and the chapter opening and shutting themes. The voice appearing can be robust, although considerably grating for one youthful character (YUKA).
After my first playthrough, I switched to the Japanese model of the sport. You are able to do this simply by setting your console’s language settings to Japanese. As a Japanese language learner, I’m at all times searching for good video games to play in Japanese, and Corpse Occasion contains a number of useful options: replayable audio (by way of an audio log), press-to-continue textual content bins, and a really readable kanji font. Nonetheless, the sport does require respectable kanji information or ear to choose up unfamiliar readings. I solely encountered round ten “uncommon” kanji (exterior the jōyō kanji set). In case you have accomplished a considerable portion of kanji programs like WaniKani and have an intermediate understanding of grammar, Corpse Occasion is a superb recreation to attempt — 出来るよ！
General, Corpse Occasion is a superb piece of area of interest horror content material. It harkens again to the times of on-line message boards discussing a cornucopia of J-horror content material, as soon as inaccessible as a result of our incapability to grasp one of many “Tremendous-Exhausting” Class IV languages. Almost 30 years after its authentic launch, Corpse Occasion demonstrates that good horror lies in subverting the mundane and inserting abnormal individuals in extraordinary circumstances. Draw curtains, don headphones, and let this horrific expertise draw you in.
