Here we are at the end of yet another week. For this week’s VGM, I have turned to the second Corpse Party game, Corpse Party: Book of Shadows:
To be honest, I personally felt as if Book of Shadows was a step down from the first game. It had some interesting concepts, such as showing alternate retellings of events in the first games, as well as expanding upon the lore of the series. However, I honestly have to wonder if any of these retellings are going to be relevant in Blood Drive, or if they were a bunch of filler shoehorned into one game in an excuse to put off releasing the actual sequel while still somehow having a cliffhanger for it.
Book of Shadows wasn’t really bad, but a majority of the good stuff was stuff that was carried over from the first game. As such, I don’t personally think too highly of this particular installment. However, I will give it credit when it came to expanding upon certain plot points of the original, hence where this piece of music comes in.
Now, some of you with an ear for classical music may have noticed that this sounds suspiciously like a certain well-known classical piece; Pachelbel’s Canon.
Pachelbel’s Canon is known for being a very beautiful and uplifting piece that is often played at weddings. The version played in game, however, is, instead, much more solemn and sounds like something more fit for a funeral. In a way, it represents the Corpse Party series quite well. The track is a depressing recreating of a majestic and uplifting piece that removes the buildup; which just leaves you with a short loop that builds up sadness the more you hear it. This, of course, is very similar to the sheer depressing and tragic atmosphere that takes a hold of people who were once light hearted and fun loving; and slowly drains away every last ounce of their sanity until they are driven to the depths of despair and anguish.
But wait, there’s more! This theme is the main theme of the chapter starring Morishige. Morishige has a rather disturbing and morbid obsession with all the corpses and gore in Heavenly Host. He photographs several of the corpses he comes across and admires them in great detail like works of fine art. This piece manages to symbolize the disturbing, yet elegant way he describes these corpses. It just goes to show you that some people can use various different tools for the sake of art. Most artists use paint for their art, but Morishige paints with blood.
Lastly, this song can also be applied to the twist ending of this chapter that rivals Shakespearean tragedies in its level of ironic downfall. With something this big, there is no way in hell I am going to spoil this, but it does also touch upon why this song may also be called his “theme of love.”
Well, there you have this week’s VGM. This shows just how a simple approach can yield the best results, and sometimes the simple act of how a song is used can make a huge impact.
