cj_iwakura
Member
Yoshiki definitely for the guys, Naho from the female side.
Yoshiki should be considered the 'main', as he actually gets things done.
(I loathe Kizami, but I still think he's an awesome character.)
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Corpse Party Book of Shadows |OT| Soup is Good for your Eyes.
- Thread starter InfiniteNine
- Start date
Yoshiki definitely for the guys, Naho from the female side.
Yoshiki should be considered the 'main', as he actually gets things done.
(I loathe Kizami, but I still think he's an awesome character.)
idlethreats
Member
Seiko all the way. The way she treats Naomi is wrong but, idk, there's so few queer women in games/most media that even when they're depicted as molesting/sexually harassing other people, I can't help but gravitate toward em.
Maybe I'll like her more after I finish Book of Shadows, but Ayumi always felt pretty boring to me.
I'm not a huge fan of Seiko either, pretty much for the reasons idlethreats mentioned. She's likeable in many ways, but I don't like the trend in Japanese media towards making queer characters a main source of comic relief. Still, her "circumstances" generally get me the most worked up out of all the characters. Poor girl
For some reason I'm surprised there aren't more people who like Naomi around!
Good to see some Morishige love! He's probably my favorite
I'm not a huge fan of Seiko either, pretty much for the reasons idlethreats mentioned. She's likeable in many ways, but I don't like the trend in Japanese media towards making queer characters a main source of comic relief. Still, her "circumstances" generally get me the most worked up out of all the characters. Poor girl
For some reason I'm surprised there aren't more people who like Naomi around!
Good to see some Morishige love! He's probably my favorite
FrenchMovieTheme
Member
bleh is the gameplay in this one all first person? i liked the first ones style better
I'm not a huge fan of Seiko either, pretty much for the reasons idlethreats mentioned. She's likeable in many ways, but I don't like the trend in Japanese media towards making queer characters a main source of comic relief. Still, her "circumstances" generally get me the most worked up out of all the characters. Poor girl
See, for me, I'm not at all bothered by the portrayal of Seiko. At first it's easy to see her as something of a jokey character, but I think there's real depth to her and her queer-ness. Her "harassment" is only ever targeted at one person, and that's the person she genuinely cares about and longs to be with. Naomi never seems to honestly be bothered by Seiko's playfulness, and it's easy to feel like Seiko does what she does because she doesn't know if she canor shouldtake a more direct approach to showing her true feelings.
I think both of the Corpse Party games show Seiko's feelings towards Naomi to be real and legitimate, which is something rarely see in Japanese media on this level when it comes to lesbian characters. She isn't shown to be a bad person for having those feelings, and she isnt made fun of for feeling how she feels towards Naomi.
I loved Seiko in Corpse Party, and my time so far with BoS only re-enforces that. From how I see the treatment of her as a character, I'm legitimately impressed.
Seiko is awesome. My favorite character in the first game followed by Yoshiki and Ayumi.
I'm hoping to pick this game up sometime this week once payday comes. Is the game scarier than the original? I could play through games like Siren but the first game I actually had to use a walkthrough to get past certain parts.
I'm hoping to pick this game up sometime this week once payday comes. Is the game scarier than the original? I could play through games like Siren but the first game I actually had to use a walkthrough to get past certain parts.
That's exactly how I see Seiko as well. The serious scene between her and Naomi in Book of Shadows chapter 1 (keeping it vague so as to avoid spoilers, but those of you who've played it undoubtedly know what I'm talking about!) is absolutely heartbreaking, and is one of the most successful character-building moments I've ever seen in this sort of story. I'd love to see gaygamer.com review this title, as despite all of her playfulness, I think Seiko's characterization -- when you get right down to it -- is among the most respectful and realistic portrayals of uncertain teenage homosexuality I think I've ever encountered in any Japanese game. I was very impressed with Kedwin's ability to write such a deceptively complex character, both in the first game and in Book of Shadows.
Off-topic, but I was similarly impressed with the character of Cilia in Knytt Underground, another recent title I played. It's not a story-heavy game by any stretch of the imagination, and it definitely has its issues, but there are two fairy characters who follow you around named Dora and Cilia. Both are exceptionally well-developed... and Cilia happens to be a lesbian. And as with Seiko, her portrayal is respectful, deep and genuinely well-written -- and not sexualized in any way, which is a real rarity.
I hope this trend continues, as I'd really love to see more diversity in games. The medium may be advancing quickly in many respects, but it's still got a long way to go even in terms of gender equality -- much less racial and sexual equality.
You most likely won't need a walkthrough with Book of Shadows. It's much more straightforward. As for whether or not it's scarier... it depends on who you ask. I find it more psychologically unsettling and disturbing, but not quite as "goosebump-inducingly" scary, if you get what I mean.
-Tom
Do you have a save where you can still access the hallway?
If so, you might be in luck. All you need to do to get the true ending in the first chapter is go into that room with the newspaper, get stuck in there for a bit, then get out and continue the chapter.
If you do NOT have a save where you can still access the hallway, however... then yeah, you're screwed. Sorry!
14.99 euros.
-Tom
ULTROS!
People seem to like me because I am polite and I am rarely late. I like to eat ice cream and I really enjoy a nice pair of slacks.
I think a few parts required me to go through a video walkthrough. I believe that was during the Shangri-la chapter (like
where to go after getting the Goya statue
I'd say it's hella lot scarier because you don't what to expect in the next scene or so, like this for example: http://imgur.com/lKg0o.jpg
Not to mention the Mire chapter where
Yuka gets chased down by Yanagihori aka the hammer-wielding zombie man
Yanagihori looks terrifying.
ULTROS!
People seem to like me because I am polite and I am rarely late. I like to eat ice cream and I really enjoy a nice pair of slacks.
The game has a great story and gamers seem to enjoy it (mostly those who are into Ace Attorney, Zero Escape, etc.).
Speaking of CP, I'm on my 3rd playthrough now actually.
It's just a beginner's trap, sadly. Chapter 1 is the only place in the game where you can get shoehorned into a wrong end path so severely and without any indication as to what you did wrong. Chapters 2, 3 and 4 are much more forgiving, and while chapter 5 is likely to shoehorn you into wrong end paths quite a bit, it's also pretty generous with save points and generally gives you some clue as to what you did wrong.
And Book of Shadows is just far kinder in general when it comes to this, too. Not to mention allowing for true save-anywhere functionality.
I guess my advice would be, don't give up on it yet. Chapter 1 is bizarrely rather mean, but if you can get through that, you'll find the game far more engaging even just a short way into chapter 2.
And my other piece of advice is, spread out your saves. Cycle through the five slots it gives you for each chapter, only overwriting save slot 1 when you've got a save-game in slot 5 already.
-Tom
Nooo, it's not. Chill, brah, it's not 'hours' of dialogue. If you skip it all to where you were, it'll probably only take fifteen minutes or so.
I have to say I really like Satoshi in the first game. At first I thought he's your typical, worthless loser who can't do anything, but after a while he's basically the bravest and most rational one of the group. And I think he contributes more to the good ending than Yoshiki.
The girls are too anxious in my opinion and easily lose their mind. Naomi is the only one girl I like most of the time.
Err...Naomi...No
Considering she let the Darkening take over her twice!
Bah I'll give it one more try. With plenty of saves this time.
I hope its worth it.
It took me about 5 tries to get past the first monster.
The first monster!
It's really different from anything else. In terms of story, it's most similar to Fatal Frame I feel, but with less heart. Where Fatal Frame is interested in telling a complete, often poignant story, Corpse Party is purely about crushing your spirits.
I would definitely say that it's worth it. I think it was the end of chapter 1 where it really grabbed me. I definitely wouldn't write it off just yet.
Okay, you and Tom make great points
I still don't like how she expresses her interest in Naomi, but I definitely agree that the way the game treats her feelings and their relationship is a rare thing. When I played the first Corpse Party I really felt like a lot of scenes had a fanservice aspect I wasn't fond of (and still am not), but they did do a surprisingly good job with Seiko. My compassion for her, though I don't particularly "like" her, is probably testament to that! (as compared to my dislike for Yuka and absolute lack of compassion for her, haha)But who else should I choose?
Seiko?
Dies too early in the game.
Dies even earlier than Seiko.
Yui?
Dies too early in the game. However at least she's brave the whole time.
idlethreats
Member
I agree with y'all about the seriousness and depth w/which Seiko's feelings for Naomi are treated and I really do sympathize with the crappy situation she's in - I've pined after many a straight girl in the past, and it sucks, so I completely understand where she's coming from and what she's going through. You get the sense that Seiko acts the way she does as means of testing the waters w/Naomi, to see if maybe Naomi will give her some kind of signal that it's okay to be honest or take things further and, you know, that's human.
That said, ultimately Seiko does sexually harass Naomi on multiple occasions, and no matter how much I empathize with her predicament, I don't think that absolves her of wrongdoing in her behavior. Naomi seems to have more or less made peace with Seiko's assaults as a part of their friendship, but she never consents to the gropings, for example, is always taken by surprise and repeatedly expresses her discomfort and tells Seiko to stop. I feel like, if Seiko were a guy we'd be less forgiving of her "quirks," but because she's a girl and because we feel bad about her unrequited queer feelings, she gets something of a pass and that does bother me somewhat. She is a great queer character and I'd like to see more like her in games, but it's also pretty dang fucked up how she treats Naomi.
EDIT:
Just to clarify, I'm not necessarily bothered that this is how she's portrayed - I agree w/apricot that seeing queer characters and their feelings treated as comic relief on a regular basis is not a good thing (though I'm not sure how much this is a really an issue in Japanese media because it's not uncommon to see characters of any gender and sexuality act this way towards their object of affection) - but I think Seiko is handled w/enough nuance that she's not a one note comic relief character. I guess I just think it's important to recognize that Seiko is a deeply flawed individual who does messed up things that she shouldn't be given a pass on.
I'm not exactly sure how I'm meant to interpret chapter 3
Finished the game now, but I still can't make sense of that one bit.
Who is the old woman who approaches Yui, and where did she come from? What does it mean when she appears again later in the chapter after "dying" in the hospital?
Finished the game now, but I still can't make sense of that one bit.
The identity of that individual is revealed in the next game. And yes, I mean the romantic comedy with the comically long title, "Corpse Party: Sachiko's Game of Love ~Hysteric Birthday 2U~." It's goofy, but it still has SOME story merit to it.
I completely agree with this. In fact, this is actually one of the things I like about Corpse Party: no one in the game is idealized. Everyone is flawed and imperfect, as humans generally are.
It's surprisingly a lot rarer to see than one might think.
In Seiko's case, I think she realizes that what she's doing is wrong, but she also realizes she can get away with it due to the way modern society works... so she shamelessly takes full advantage of that fact.
It's not something to be proud of, but it's the sort of thing a lot of people would do given the same opportunity.
-Tom
Chance Hale
Member
Finished the first chapter and enjoyed the idea behind it, the ending in particular had me gasping and laughing at the same time. Brilliant stuff although I knew it was coming for someone given the
wasn't removed like it was with the first set. Haven't found the 2nd wrong end though, did get the one with everyone's favorite little girl taunting you with your failures. Have to say, Corpse Party had some amazing sound work but the fly sound in Book of Shadows really blew me away. So creepy and really put me on edge.
Perhaps I'll get used to it but not digging the new movement/gameplay system so far. To be honest the point and click elements aren't that bad, and I enjoyed getting a new perspective on familiar environments but moving is a real hassle. The load times between each square are a bit long for my liking and by the end I was getting a bit annoyed. Hopefully I get used to it.
wire
Perhaps I'll get used to it but not digging the new movement/gameplay system so far. To be honest the point and click elements aren't that bad, and I enjoyed getting a new perspective on familiar environments but moving is a real hassle. The load times between each square are a bit long for my liking and by the end I was getting a bit annoyed. Hopefully I get used to it.
You can speed up the transitions by holding the r-button (and speed up cursor speed with []...). But yeah, even then the search mode intro could have been way shorter.
Chance Hale
Member
Think that's the thing that really frustrated me, every time before you can look around you have that 3 or so second "Search mode" thing pop up. We get it!
cj_iwakura
Member
The identity of that individual is revealed in the next game. And yes, I mean the romantic comedy with the comically long title, "Corpse Party: Sachiko's Game of Love ~Hysteric Birthday 2U~." It's goofy, but it still has SOME story merit to it.
So to know the true story, we need that localized too! Get busy.
The last 'wrong end' of Shangri-La was amazing. I wish that was the true end.
idlethreats
Member
And you're going to bring it out over here, riiiiiiight? ;-)The identity of that individual is revealed in the next game. And yes, I mean the romantic comedy with the comically long title, "Corpse Party: Sachiko's Game of Love ~Hysteric Birthday 2U~." It's goofy, but it still has SOME story merit to it.
I dunno about this, I rather hope that most people would not molest someone that they care about just because they had the opportunity...
cj_iwakura
Member
I feel the same way, like the comedy front is just one massive Sachiko trap.
Well, it's not simply a matter of having the opportunity, but having the opportunity AND having it be "socially acceptable" (more or less) and generally free of consequence. Yeah, it's still morally wrong... but it's kinda like the more repressive aspects of Japanese society inadvertently gave Seiko a "get out of jail free" card on that one (because they're both girls, so clearly it's just innocent horseplay!). It would be hard to resist, I think, if I were put in her place. I believe I probably still WOULD resist... but I'd be tempted. And that's sort of what this game does: it plays on all those dark little temptations we feel. The ones we're embarrassed to admit, but can't really deny are there.
-Tom
cj_iwakura
Member
Yeesh. Don't play the start of Chapter 6 anywhere in the public eye.
Thanks for the tip... I'm planning on playing this on a plane today, haha
Dark Schala
Eloquent Princess
welp
Chapter 3 was an interesting experience.
;___;
Chapter 3 was an interesting experience.
;___;
InfiniteNine
Rolling Girl
Welp back from my no camera place! Need to continue this some and I'm having trouble finding the last two Wrong Ends in Chapter 2. x:
cj_iwakura
Member
I finished Mire, and god. I am taking a break.
I have to wonder: if Sachiko hates Yuka so much, why the hell did she save her from Kizami? He would've done much worse.
InfiniteNine
Rolling Girl
I can't help but think of Yoshiki as Ryuuji since he has the same bad boy look and wears a school uniform aside from having the same VA.
Hint: There is a trinket that changes the perspective on everything.
Answer:
Don't pick up the charm dropped by the soul at the beginning of the Chapter. Help her out, but then just grab the wood plank and leave.
You have to grab the notebook, otherwise the game won't let you leave the room. I avoided grabbing the charm at the beginning and that triggered the wrong end path at the end.
Well, first, Seiko isn't a guyand for good or bad, a guy making those kinds of advancements on a girl, and a girl doing the same, are often looked up differently in society.
I think another thing to keep in mind is that all of this is coming from a Japanese perspective on things. I'm not saying the concept of sexual harassment doesn't exist in Japan, but I've seen a number of relationships between female Japanese friends that work in different ways than such friendships might in the west. Culturally, Japanese players might not look upon that situation as sexual harassment, where as folks in the West might.
And, I'll be honestwhen I was in high school, I had friends with whom we'd mutually do things that could nowor by an outsiderbe considered some form of sexual harassment. Some friendships exist where things like that happen, and it's something both parties are okay with, even if one side seems to protest. I never get the sense that Naomi is legitimately bothered by Seiko's antics, or else those antics might bother me.
On another note... I'm not sure I'm liking Book of Shadows, and that really makes me sad. I love the chance to experience these characters more, and the fleshing out of their stories, but I just don't like the gameplay compared to the first. Exploration feels like a chore, and I hate having characters talk without any representation on-screen. I just feel detached from the world and the characters to some degree, which I never felt in the first game. Also, I'm finding it really hard to visualize the school as more than pieces of background art to be stepped through.
I'm not far enough to really pass proper judgement yet, but BoS isn't connecting with me like a lot of other Japanese ADVs doand certainly not like the first Corpse Party did. At this point, more than giving me the experience I was hoping for, it's making me hope XSEED hurries up and announces and English version of Corpse Party 2.
ULTROS!
People seem to like me because I am polite and I am rarely late. I like to eat ice cream and I really enjoy a nice pair of slacks.
Just wondering about the Mire chapter:
Also about the Shangri-la Chapter:
Is it an alternate tale to Yuka's wrong end or something? I don't remember where this part starts off in Corpse Party Blood Covered.
Also about the Shangri-la Chapter:
I wish it was more fleshed out, it felt like it ended abruptly. I wish it showed how Morishige was killed off or something.
Yeah,
it's the wrong end you get if you allow Yuka to be captured by Kizami in chapter 5 of the first game. The photograph is a dead giveaway as well, since that also ties into the wrong end from the first game.
It took me a while to figure this out, but I came to realize that all characters who speak ARE typically represented on the screen EXCEPT the chapter's main character him/herself, since that's the person through whose eyes you're supposed to be seeing everything (er, is that proper grammar?).
Exceptions are made, of course, for "off-camera calls" -- if the chapter's main character hears someone talking outside of his/her line of vision, there's no accompanying character portrait.
-Tom
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