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Platform: PlayStation Vita & PlayStation TV (fully compatible)
Genre: Adventure Horror
Developer: Team GrisGris / 5pb.
Publisher: 5pb. (Japan) | XSEED Games (North America) | Marvelous Europe (Europe & Australia)
Release Date: July 24, 2014 (Japan) | October 13, 2015 (North America) | October 20, 2015 (Europe & Australia)
Rating: M for Blood, Partial Nudity, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence (North America) | PEGI 18 (Most of Europe) | USK 16 (Germany) | MA15+ (Australia)
Size: 1.56 GB
MSRP: 6,480¥ (Japan) | $39.99 (North America) | £29.99 (Europe)
Official Site (Japan) | Official Site (North America) | Official Site (Europe) | Heavenly Host Elementary School - Dedicated Corpse Party Fan Discussion Forum at Zetaboards.com
WARNING
This is the concluding chapter of the original Heavenly Host trilogy of the Corpse Party franchise. As this is a narrative-driven franchise, it is STRONGLY recommended that you have already played through both the original Corpse Party on PSP/Vita/PSTV/iOS (aka Corpse Party Blood covered: ...Repeated fear) and, the followup game, Corpse Party: Book of Shadows on PSP/Vita/PSTV prior to playing Corpse Party: Blood Drive.
The websites linked above and this OT will include references to story spoilers from both of the previous titles so it is strongly advised that you seek out those games first before delving forward with this final installment.
That said, I can assure you that this OT has been crafted with the utmost care to exclude any spoilers from Corpse Party: Blood Drive. When sharing impressions of the game below, please make liberal use of spoiler tags when discussing the story and any plot twists. A spoiler thread for more indepth discussion may be explored if there's sufficient interest.
ABOUT THE GAME
Corpse Party: Blood Drive is the final instalment of the story that began with Corpse Party and continued in Corpse Party: Book of Shadows. Players take direct control of a character or party of characters and explore the ruins of Heavenly Host Elementary and other locations from a top-down 3D perspective.
Along the way, they'll be dodging or disarming traps, running from malicious entities, solving puzzles and directly interacting with the environment to trigger visual novel-style cutscenes that advance the story and lead to one of many endings, with very few of them being happy
Corpse Party: Blood Drive is the first in the series to be released on the PS Vita, and has a wealth of features making it the most comprehensive entry in the series so far:
Highly Detailed 3D Environments with Dynamic Lighting - Players can use an in-game flashlight to experience Heavenly Host Elementary in full 3D for the first time, with all of its formerly 2D environments meticulously recreated and vast new locations added.
New Gameplay Systems for More Exciting Interactions - Run in short bursts, disarm traps, hide in cabinets from pursuers and more; Heavenly Host now has far more ways to kill while also providing far more options for players to fight back.
Previously-Offered Gameplay Elements and Bonus Contents Greatly Expanded - Binaural 3D audio for simulated surround sound and the screen-altering "Darkening" system make their return, along with unlockables like voice actor interviews, art and music, and more.
A Lengthy and Stunning Conclusion to the Heavenly Host Saga - Boasting 11 huge story chapters and 8 supplemental "Extra Chapters," Blood Drive caps off the Heavenly Host storyline in a big way, providing answers and shocking twists in equal measure.
Localization Blog #1 | Localization Blog #2
MEDIA
Announcement Trailer (spoiler warning) | Launch Trailer | 1st Opening Sequence | Localized Gameplay Footage
THE STORY BEHIND BLOOD DRIVE
While some members of Kisaragi Academy's class 2-9 survived their trip to the hellish, otherworldly elementary school known as Heavenly Host, many did not...and those who were unfortunate enough to perish within its halls were doomed to remain there forever, eternally reliving the pain they felt at the exact moment of death. Worse still, all memories and records of their existence were wiped from the face of the earth, leaving only those who survived the ordeal to mourn their loss.
The last hope of reverting these miserable fates rested with an ancient tome known as the Book of Shadows, but Ayumi Shinozaki's misguided attempts to employ its power claimed yet another victim, and the book was forever lost in the chaos.
...Or was it? When an acquaintance of the deceased turns up with a spiritual photograph suggesting the Book of Shadows may now reside in the tattered remains of Heavenly Host, Ayumi becomes obsessed with finding it so she can attempt once more to bring back her lost friends.
But Heavenly Host has changed. It's a far darker and more dangerous place than ever before, its walls literally coming to life as the elementary school twists and reshapes itself into hitherto unseen forms of horror. Whole new areas have materialized and old passageways are now infested with malicious entities, virtually guaranteeing an unspeakable death to any who dare intrude. Worse still, the living present new threats of their own, with supernatural collectors and practitioners of a dark order desperately seeking the Book of Shadows for themselves as well - at any cost...
ESTABLISHED CHARACTERS
Ayumi Shinozaki | Voiced By: Asami Imai | Age: 17
Haunted by her failure at the Shinozaki estate, Ayumi is determined to set things right by locating the missing Book of Shadows and resurrecting her friends, but she doesnt want to get any of her living companions involved shes cost enough people their lives as it is...
Yoshiki Kishinuma | Voiced By: Yuichi Nakamura | Age: 17
In stark contrast to Ayumi, Yoshiki believes (perhaps rightfully so) that any further attempts to save those whove been lost will only wind up costing more lives and more pain in the end, so hes determined to stop Ayumi from making another mistake...even if it means shaking her faith in him.
Naomi Nakashima | Voiced By: Rina Sato | Age: 16
Still reeling from the loss of her best friend, Naomis mental decline is fueled by her mothers stalwart insistence that Seiko never even existed in the first place...and it seems like this conflict is taking its toll on the mother as well, creating a dangerous standoff within the Nakashima household...
Seiko Shinohara | Voiced By: Satomi Arai | Age: 16 (Deceased)
Forgotten by her three siblings, her father and the rest of the world, the once cheerful and energetic Seiko is only remembered by her dear friend, Naomi, and the rest of the Heavenly Host survivors. Seiko's darkened photo on Naomi's cell phone remains one of her few remaining vestiges of sanity.
Satoshi Mochida | Voiced By: Hiro Shimono | Age: 17
Ever the everyman, Satoshi finds himself caught in the midst of another supernatural excursion while his home life quickly transforms into anime hijinks 101. Although hes still as scared as ever, the women in his life all find themselves counting on him for support, so hell need to man up fast in order to get his friends (and family) through this difficult time.
Yuka Mochida | Voiced By: Eri Kitamura | Age: 14
Still haunted by her experience in Heavenly Host, Yukas been suffering irregularities within her body that no doctors can treat, and has become overprotective of her big brother. The only people capable of soothing her spirits seem to be Naomi, Ms. Kuon and her best friend from school, Satsuki.
Mayu Suzumoto | Voiced By: Yuka Nanri | Age: 16 (Deceased)
All Mayu wanted was to make one final lasting memory with all of her friends before she transferred away from Kisaragi Academy to another school. What she got was one final short-lived memory being tortured by the corrupted spirits of Sachiko's past victims and splattered outside of the Heavenly Host infirmary wall.
Sakutaro Morishige | Voiced By: Tetsuya Kakihara | Age: 16 (Deceased)
Affectionately referred to by Mayu as "Shige-nii", Sakutaro reveled in delight at his exposure to a literal "corpse party" upon arriving at Heavenly Host. However, the realization that his most celebrated corpse was that of his treasured friend apparently drove him to take his own life by leaping out a window. But is that really how Morishige's fate was sealed?
Sachiko Shinozaki | Voiced By: Pikachu... errr, Ikue Ōtani | Age: 7 (Deceased)
Heavenly Host should have been tied to Sachiko, and when Sachikos spirit was appeased, the school shouldve vanished. But it didnt...so does that mean Sachiko still dwells within its halls? Or is there more to this story than meets the eye...?
Yuki Kanno | Voiced By: Hiromi Igarashi | Age: 11 (Deceased)
Yuki's murder along with the murders of Ryou Yoshizawa and Tokiko Tsuji would lead to the closure and demolition of Heavenly Host Elementary prior to its spiritual manifestation at the hands of their murderer, Sachiko. After being appeased by Ayumi and Yoshiki, Mayu's killer became a trusted ally... first, allowing the duo to escape Heavenly Host and then bringing them back to assist in the appeasement of Sachiko and the rescue of their friends. The color of her dress turns a crimson red as the Kisaragi crew escape indicating that she has been designated as Sachiko's replacement.
Yoshie Shinozaki | Voiced By: Ikue Ōtani | Age: 27 (Deceased)
Makina Shinozaki | Voiced By: Mika Kanda | Age: Unknown (Deceased)
Sachiko's mother, Yoshie, and Yoshie's aunt, Makina, are members of the cursed Shinozaki family bloodline. Ayumi is a member of the Shinozaki clan as well... having stumbled upon this revelation while investigating the house where Sachiko grew up in the final chapter of Book of Shadows. The opening chapters of Blood Drive will delve deeper into the back story of this troubled family lineage.
Yoshikazu Yanagihori | Voiced By: Daisuke Matsuo | Age: 32 (Undead)
Cursed by Yoshie after her murder at the hands of his father, Yoshikazu would become Sachiko's mindless and unwitting servant in life and in undeath. He was a fearful accomplice for Sachiko as she took the lives of Yuki, Ryou and Tokiko and would later hang himself in the school basement. He would serve as a secondary antagonist in both Corpse Party and Book of Shadows, wandering the halls of Heavenly Host wielding his trusty sledgehammer.
Yuuya Kizami | Voiced By: Tomokazu Sugita | Age: 17 (Deceased)
Kizami was a malevolent sociopath with no concept of morality, affection, social interaction, or the value of life... and that was before he arrived at Heavenly Host. He would also serve a role as secondary antagonist in the earlier games often stalking and tormenting the school's many trapped students including his classmates and Satoshi's sister, Yuka. Impressed by his twisted nature, Sachiko elects to keep Kizami around after his murder at the hands of Yoshikazu, skinning half his corpse and re-animating him as the anatomical model in the science lab.
Naho Saenoki | Voiced By: Ayano Yamamoto | Age: 17 (Deceased)
Naho's obsession with her mentor, Kou Kibiki, led to her twisting of the "Sachiko Ever After" charm to provide him with "samples" to study during his research of the occult energies surrounding Heavenly Host. This selfish and callous act effectively facilitated the deaths of most everyone in the first two games by ferrying Sachiko an endless stream of victims. In "gratitude", Naho's memory was not erased upon her death to ensure her blog could continue to exist and spread word of the "Sachiko Ever After" ritual.
Sayaka Ooue | Voiced By: MAKO | Age: 17 (Deceased)
Radio personality Sayaka made her debut in Book of Shadows as Naho's devoted best friend. Their scenes together provided Naho with some long overdue personality outside of her twisted obsession with Kibiki and urban legends. Sayaka wound up as a hapless victim and left abandoned in Heavenly Host after providing Naho with the means of an accomplice that would perform the "Sachiko Ever After" charm with her to allow her to chase after Kibiki.
Yui Shishido | Voiced By: Miyuki Sawashiro | Age: 23 (Deceased)
Ms. Yui was a teacher. She loved to teach. She sacrificed herself to save Ayumi.
Hinoe Shinozaki | Voiced By: Rei Matsuzaki | Age: 27 (Deceased)
Hinoe was a famous psychic. She loved to give psychic readings. She sacrificed herself to save her sister, Ayumi.
NEW CHARACTERS
Misuto Kiriya
Voiced By: Jun Ohsuka
Age: 25
A mysterious boy whos always sporting his favorite parka, Misuto seems to have ample supernatural knowledge and ability, but to what end he plans on using either is anyones guess. His most notable trait is his absolute disregard for common courtesy, including the constant use of foul language, constant berating of those around him and a wholly dismissive attitude in general. Yet somehow, he still elicits a certain sense of trustworthiness...
Kuon Niwa
Voiced By: Saori Hayami
Age: 24
The woman whos taken Ms. Yuis place as class 2-9s T.A. in this version of reality. By day, Ms. Kuon teaches, but by night, she works as the CEO of a highly successful company that produces and sells spiritual charms and knick-knacks. Because of her business status and her highly personable nature, she has subordinates ready and waiting to do her bidding, no matter how preposterous that bidding may be. And given her many whims and talents alike, her biddings typically are quite absurd indeed...
Aiko Niwa
Voiced By: Rikako Yamaguchi
Age: 17
A self-proclaimed supernatural intelligence agent whose sole purpose in life seems to be the collection of spirit items objects possessed by the vengeful spirits of those who died in agony. She has a generally jovial and upbeat personality, but uses it almost solely to strike business deals in order to further her collection. She technically lives with her sister, Kuon, but due to Kuons busy lifestyle, the two siblings rarely ever cross paths.
Magari Mizuki
Voiced By: Maaya Uchida
Age: 17
An elite member of a dangerous cult, Magari has an extraordinarily foul mouth, beautiful skin (which she loves to show off), a sharp scythe that she can shrink down to fit in her pocket, and a profound sense of superiority to literally every other human being on the planet. Shes not someone to be crossed, but unfortunately, she seeks the same thing Ayumi Shinozaki is after: the Book of Shadows. Which means, sooner or later, sparks are surely going to fly...
Azusa Takai
Voiced By: Yukana
Age: 17
Azusa is a second year student at St. Cruz Girls' High School, a preparatory school for missionaries. She has divine powers which she can use to defeat evil spirits. She has a mature personality and her hobbies include reading shoujo manga.
For context, you may want to scope out her canon EX Chapter set during the timeline of the original game that was included with Hysteric Birthday 2U.
Satsuki Mizuhara
Voiced By: Yumi Hara
Age: 14
Yukas best friend from school. Endlessly peppy, utterly shameless and overall pleasant company, Satsuki is constantly munching on potato chips from one of several bags she keeps hidden in her skirt. Although she seems like a highly simplistic person at first glance, Satsuki has a complicated home life which she regularly brushes aside when asked about, claiming her mother and father to be entirely hands-off when it comes to parenting, allowing her to run free and do as she will. Somehow, though, it seems like there may be more to it than that...
Haruyuki Inumaru
Voiced By: Tomohiro Yamaguchi
Age: 17
Inu is the Japanese word for dog, making Inumaru a very apt name for this endlessly loyal, obedient and energetic classmate to Naho Saenoki and Sayaka Ooue. Hes as attached to his beloved Sayaka as a pet dog would be to its master, and will do literally anything for her, whether she likes it or not. His one-track mind gives him a certain air of dim-wittedness, but in actuality, hes a man with greatly honed psychic powers, and a highly receptive spiritual medium to boot.
TROPHY LIST
Courtesy of Exophase (be mindful as some of these do directly reference story spoilers; a blind run is advisable)
REVIEWS
Digitally Downloaded - 8/10
COG Connected - 7.5/10
Attack of the Fanboy - 7/10
DarkZero - 7/10
RPG Site - 7/10
PlayStation LifeStyle - 6.5/10
ZTGD - 6.5/10
EGM - 6/10
Hardcore Gamer - 6/10
Push Square - 4/10
We Got This Covered - 4/10
Genre: Adventure Horror
Developer: Team GrisGris / 5pb.
Publisher: 5pb. (Japan) | XSEED Games (North America) | Marvelous Europe (Europe & Australia)
Release Date: July 24, 2014 (Japan) | October 13, 2015 (North America) | October 20, 2015 (Europe & Australia)
Rating: M for Blood, Partial Nudity, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence (North America) | PEGI 18 (Most of Europe) | USK 16 (Germany) | MA15+ (Australia)
Size: 1.56 GB
MSRP: 6,480¥ (Japan) | $39.99 (North America) | £29.99 (Europe)
Official Site (Japan) | Official Site (North America) | Official Site (Europe) | Heavenly Host Elementary School - Dedicated Corpse Party Fan Discussion Forum at Zetaboards.com
WARNING
This is the concluding chapter of the original Heavenly Host trilogy of the Corpse Party franchise. As this is a narrative-driven franchise, it is STRONGLY recommended that you have already played through both the original Corpse Party on PSP/Vita/PSTV/iOS (aka Corpse Party Blood covered: ...Repeated fear) and, the followup game, Corpse Party: Book of Shadows on PSP/Vita/PSTV prior to playing Corpse Party: Blood Drive.
The websites linked above and this OT will include references to story spoilers from both of the previous titles so it is strongly advised that you seek out those games first before delving forward with this final installment.
That said, I can assure you that this OT has been crafted with the utmost care to exclude any spoilers from Corpse Party: Blood Drive. When sharing impressions of the game below, please make liberal use of spoiler tags when discussing the story and any plot twists. A spoiler thread for more indepth discussion may be explored if there's sufficient interest.
ABOUT THE GAME
Corpse Party: Blood Drive is the final instalment of the story that began with Corpse Party and continued in Corpse Party: Book of Shadows. Players take direct control of a character or party of characters and explore the ruins of Heavenly Host Elementary and other locations from a top-down 3D perspective.
Along the way, they'll be dodging or disarming traps, running from malicious entities, solving puzzles and directly interacting with the environment to trigger visual novel-style cutscenes that advance the story and lead to one of many endings, with very few of them being happy
Corpse Party: Blood Drive is the first in the series to be released on the PS Vita, and has a wealth of features making it the most comprehensive entry in the series so far:
Highly Detailed 3D Environments with Dynamic Lighting - Players can use an in-game flashlight to experience Heavenly Host Elementary in full 3D for the first time, with all of its formerly 2D environments meticulously recreated and vast new locations added.
New Gameplay Systems for More Exciting Interactions - Run in short bursts, disarm traps, hide in cabinets from pursuers and more; Heavenly Host now has far more ways to kill while also providing far more options for players to fight back.
Previously-Offered Gameplay Elements and Bonus Contents Greatly Expanded - Binaural 3D audio for simulated surround sound and the screen-altering "Darkening" system make their return, along with unlockables like voice actor interviews, art and music, and more.
A Lengthy and Stunning Conclusion to the Heavenly Host Saga - Boasting 11 huge story chapters and 8 supplemental "Extra Chapters," Blood Drive caps off the Heavenly Host storyline in a big way, providing answers and shocking twists in equal measure.
Localization Blog #1 | Localization Blog #2
MEDIA
Announcement Trailer (spoiler warning) | Launch Trailer | 1st Opening Sequence | Localized Gameplay Footage
THE STORY BEHIND BLOOD DRIVE
While some members of Kisaragi Academy's class 2-9 survived their trip to the hellish, otherworldly elementary school known as Heavenly Host, many did not...and those who were unfortunate enough to perish within its halls were doomed to remain there forever, eternally reliving the pain they felt at the exact moment of death. Worse still, all memories and records of their existence were wiped from the face of the earth, leaving only those who survived the ordeal to mourn their loss.
The last hope of reverting these miserable fates rested with an ancient tome known as the Book of Shadows, but Ayumi Shinozaki's misguided attempts to employ its power claimed yet another victim, and the book was forever lost in the chaos.
...Or was it? When an acquaintance of the deceased turns up with a spiritual photograph suggesting the Book of Shadows may now reside in the tattered remains of Heavenly Host, Ayumi becomes obsessed with finding it so she can attempt once more to bring back her lost friends.
But Heavenly Host has changed. It's a far darker and more dangerous place than ever before, its walls literally coming to life as the elementary school twists and reshapes itself into hitherto unseen forms of horror. Whole new areas have materialized and old passageways are now infested with malicious entities, virtually guaranteeing an unspeakable death to any who dare intrude. Worse still, the living present new threats of their own, with supernatural collectors and practitioners of a dark order desperately seeking the Book of Shadows for themselves as well - at any cost...
ESTABLISHED CHARACTERS
Ayumi Shinozaki | Voiced By: Asami Imai | Age: 17
Haunted by her failure at the Shinozaki estate, Ayumi is determined to set things right by locating the missing Book of Shadows and resurrecting her friends, but she doesnt want to get any of her living companions involved shes cost enough people their lives as it is...
Yoshiki Kishinuma | Voiced By: Yuichi Nakamura | Age: 17
In stark contrast to Ayumi, Yoshiki believes (perhaps rightfully so) that any further attempts to save those whove been lost will only wind up costing more lives and more pain in the end, so hes determined to stop Ayumi from making another mistake...even if it means shaking her faith in him.
Naomi Nakashima | Voiced By: Rina Sato | Age: 16
Still reeling from the loss of her best friend, Naomis mental decline is fueled by her mothers stalwart insistence that Seiko never even existed in the first place...and it seems like this conflict is taking its toll on the mother as well, creating a dangerous standoff within the Nakashima household...
Seiko Shinohara | Voiced By: Satomi Arai | Age: 16 (Deceased)
Forgotten by her three siblings, her father and the rest of the world, the once cheerful and energetic Seiko is only remembered by her dear friend, Naomi, and the rest of the Heavenly Host survivors. Seiko's darkened photo on Naomi's cell phone remains one of her few remaining vestiges of sanity.
Satoshi Mochida | Voiced By: Hiro Shimono | Age: 17
Ever the everyman, Satoshi finds himself caught in the midst of another supernatural excursion while his home life quickly transforms into anime hijinks 101. Although hes still as scared as ever, the women in his life all find themselves counting on him for support, so hell need to man up fast in order to get his friends (and family) through this difficult time.
Yuka Mochida | Voiced By: Eri Kitamura | Age: 14
Still haunted by her experience in Heavenly Host, Yukas been suffering irregularities within her body that no doctors can treat, and has become overprotective of her big brother. The only people capable of soothing her spirits seem to be Naomi, Ms. Kuon and her best friend from school, Satsuki.
Mayu Suzumoto | Voiced By: Yuka Nanri | Age: 16 (Deceased)
All Mayu wanted was to make one final lasting memory with all of her friends before she transferred away from Kisaragi Academy to another school. What she got was one final short-lived memory being tortured by the corrupted spirits of Sachiko's past victims and splattered outside of the Heavenly Host infirmary wall.
Sakutaro Morishige | Voiced By: Tetsuya Kakihara | Age: 16 (Deceased)
Affectionately referred to by Mayu as "Shige-nii", Sakutaro reveled in delight at his exposure to a literal "corpse party" upon arriving at Heavenly Host. However, the realization that his most celebrated corpse was that of his treasured friend apparently drove him to take his own life by leaping out a window. But is that really how Morishige's fate was sealed?
Sachiko Shinozaki | Voiced By: Pikachu... errr, Ikue Ōtani | Age: 7 (Deceased)
Heavenly Host should have been tied to Sachiko, and when Sachikos spirit was appeased, the school shouldve vanished. But it didnt...so does that mean Sachiko still dwells within its halls? Or is there more to this story than meets the eye...?
Yuki Kanno | Voiced By: Hiromi Igarashi | Age: 11 (Deceased)
Yuki's murder along with the murders of Ryou Yoshizawa and Tokiko Tsuji would lead to the closure and demolition of Heavenly Host Elementary prior to its spiritual manifestation at the hands of their murderer, Sachiko. After being appeased by Ayumi and Yoshiki, Mayu's killer became a trusted ally... first, allowing the duo to escape Heavenly Host and then bringing them back to assist in the appeasement of Sachiko and the rescue of their friends. The color of her dress turns a crimson red as the Kisaragi crew escape indicating that she has been designated as Sachiko's replacement.
Yoshie Shinozaki | Voiced By: Ikue Ōtani | Age: 27 (Deceased)
Makina Shinozaki | Voiced By: Mika Kanda | Age: Unknown (Deceased)
Sachiko's mother, Yoshie, and Yoshie's aunt, Makina, are members of the cursed Shinozaki family bloodline. Ayumi is a member of the Shinozaki clan as well... having stumbled upon this revelation while investigating the house where Sachiko grew up in the final chapter of Book of Shadows. The opening chapters of Blood Drive will delve deeper into the back story of this troubled family lineage.
Yoshikazu Yanagihori | Voiced By: Daisuke Matsuo | Age: 32 (Undead)
Cursed by Yoshie after her murder at the hands of his father, Yoshikazu would become Sachiko's mindless and unwitting servant in life and in undeath. He was a fearful accomplice for Sachiko as she took the lives of Yuki, Ryou and Tokiko and would later hang himself in the school basement. He would serve as a secondary antagonist in both Corpse Party and Book of Shadows, wandering the halls of Heavenly Host wielding his trusty sledgehammer.
Yuuya Kizami | Voiced By: Tomokazu Sugita | Age: 17 (Deceased)
Kizami was a malevolent sociopath with no concept of morality, affection, social interaction, or the value of life... and that was before he arrived at Heavenly Host. He would also serve a role as secondary antagonist in the earlier games often stalking and tormenting the school's many trapped students including his classmates and Satoshi's sister, Yuka. Impressed by his twisted nature, Sachiko elects to keep Kizami around after his murder at the hands of Yoshikazu, skinning half his corpse and re-animating him as the anatomical model in the science lab.
Naho Saenoki | Voiced By: Ayano Yamamoto | Age: 17 (Deceased)
Naho's obsession with her mentor, Kou Kibiki, led to her twisting of the "Sachiko Ever After" charm to provide him with "samples" to study during his research of the occult energies surrounding Heavenly Host. This selfish and callous act effectively facilitated the deaths of most everyone in the first two games by ferrying Sachiko an endless stream of victims. In "gratitude", Naho's memory was not erased upon her death to ensure her blog could continue to exist and spread word of the "Sachiko Ever After" ritual.
Sayaka Ooue | Voiced By: MAKO | Age: 17 (Deceased)
Radio personality Sayaka made her debut in Book of Shadows as Naho's devoted best friend. Their scenes together provided Naho with some long overdue personality outside of her twisted obsession with Kibiki and urban legends. Sayaka wound up as a hapless victim and left abandoned in Heavenly Host after providing Naho with the means of an accomplice that would perform the "Sachiko Ever After" charm with her to allow her to chase after Kibiki.
Yui Shishido | Voiced By: Miyuki Sawashiro | Age: 23 (Deceased)
Ms. Yui was a teacher. She loved to teach. She sacrificed herself to save Ayumi.
Hinoe Shinozaki | Voiced By: Rei Matsuzaki | Age: 27 (Deceased)
Hinoe was a famous psychic. She loved to give psychic readings. She sacrificed herself to save her sister, Ayumi.
NEW CHARACTERS
Misuto Kiriya
Voiced By: Jun Ohsuka
Age: 25
A mysterious boy whos always sporting his favorite parka, Misuto seems to have ample supernatural knowledge and ability, but to what end he plans on using either is anyones guess. His most notable trait is his absolute disregard for common courtesy, including the constant use of foul language, constant berating of those around him and a wholly dismissive attitude in general. Yet somehow, he still elicits a certain sense of trustworthiness...
Kuon Niwa
Voiced By: Saori Hayami
Age: 24
The woman whos taken Ms. Yuis place as class 2-9s T.A. in this version of reality. By day, Ms. Kuon teaches, but by night, she works as the CEO of a highly successful company that produces and sells spiritual charms and knick-knacks. Because of her business status and her highly personable nature, she has subordinates ready and waiting to do her bidding, no matter how preposterous that bidding may be. And given her many whims and talents alike, her biddings typically are quite absurd indeed...
Aiko Niwa
Voiced By: Rikako Yamaguchi
Age: 17
A self-proclaimed supernatural intelligence agent whose sole purpose in life seems to be the collection of spirit items objects possessed by the vengeful spirits of those who died in agony. She has a generally jovial and upbeat personality, but uses it almost solely to strike business deals in order to further her collection. She technically lives with her sister, Kuon, but due to Kuons busy lifestyle, the two siblings rarely ever cross paths.
Magari Mizuki
Voiced By: Maaya Uchida
Age: 17
An elite member of a dangerous cult, Magari has an extraordinarily foul mouth, beautiful skin (which she loves to show off), a sharp scythe that she can shrink down to fit in her pocket, and a profound sense of superiority to literally every other human being on the planet. Shes not someone to be crossed, but unfortunately, she seeks the same thing Ayumi Shinozaki is after: the Book of Shadows. Which means, sooner or later, sparks are surely going to fly...
Azusa Takai
Voiced By: Yukana
Age: 17
Azusa is a second year student at St. Cruz Girls' High School, a preparatory school for missionaries. She has divine powers which she can use to defeat evil spirits. She has a mature personality and her hobbies include reading shoujo manga.
For context, you may want to scope out her canon EX Chapter set during the timeline of the original game that was included with Hysteric Birthday 2U.
Satsuki Mizuhara
Voiced By: Yumi Hara
Age: 14
Yukas best friend from school. Endlessly peppy, utterly shameless and overall pleasant company, Satsuki is constantly munching on potato chips from one of several bags she keeps hidden in her skirt. Although she seems like a highly simplistic person at first glance, Satsuki has a complicated home life which she regularly brushes aside when asked about, claiming her mother and father to be entirely hands-off when it comes to parenting, allowing her to run free and do as she will. Somehow, though, it seems like there may be more to it than that...
Haruyuki Inumaru
Voiced By: Tomohiro Yamaguchi
Age: 17
Inu is the Japanese word for dog, making Inumaru a very apt name for this endlessly loyal, obedient and energetic classmate to Naho Saenoki and Sayaka Ooue. Hes as attached to his beloved Sayaka as a pet dog would be to its master, and will do literally anything for her, whether she likes it or not. His one-track mind gives him a certain air of dim-wittedness, but in actuality, hes a man with greatly honed psychic powers, and a highly receptive spiritual medium to boot.
TROPHY LIST
Courtesy of Exophase (be mindful as some of these do directly reference story spoilers; a blind run is advisable)
REVIEWS
Digitally Downloaded - 8/10
COG Connected - 7.5/10
Attack of the Fanboy - 7/10
DarkZero - 7/10
RPG Site - 7/10
PlayStation LifeStyle - 6.5/10
ZTGD - 6.5/10
EGM - 6/10
Hardcore Gamer - 6/10
Push Square - 4/10
We Got This Covered - 4/10
