Combines visual novel style storytelling with the moment-to-moment action of survival-horror to deliver a fascinating and twisted narrative. Despite not having played the previous titles (this is the third chapter in one of those rare horror game series that tells one continuous story), I had no trouble following anything that was going on and I had only done a modicum of research before hand. The plot does get a bit convoluted and occasionally gets distracted with anime fan service tropes, but I remained engaged throughout thanks to the strong character work and gruesome outcomes. I wasn't as enthralled with the actual gameplay however. Too often it falls prey to some of the genre's oldest and most irritating pitfalls.
Expect a lot of aimless wandering without so much as a map system to help you get your bearings. It is not uncommon to find yourself unaware of where you're supposed go next, which wouldn't be so much of a problem if getting lost and stumbling into the wrong rooms didn't attract the attention of lingering spirits. The biggest threats to your health aren't the scattered booby traps or broken floorboards, but rather the restless ghosts that are absolutely relentless in their pursuit of you. The only ways of escaping a phantom once they have you in their sights are to get far enough ahead of them and hide in a cabinet without being seen, or by dispelling them with a talisman should you happen to have one in your inventory. Both methods being easier said than done due to the limited amount of stamina you have while running and the fact that getting off track to actually find one of these talismans is likely going to be what causes the specters to spawn in the first place.
With save points being spaced so far apart from each other death can be a huge setback. Not so much because it forces you to replay lengthy sections of the game upon your untimely demise (although that is a factor), but more so due to the fact that it can cause you have to sit through large portions of dialog multiple times in a row because of how the story is told. You can speed up text by holding the right trigger, but the animations must still play out at their usual pace so cutscenes often take a while to get past even when rushing. There are also some other, more minor flaws such as loading screens when entering and exiting the pause menu.
All of this makes Blood Drive a frustrating chore to play at times without a guide, especially if you want to hunt down every collectible and ending. It's worth it for the plot though. Particularly if you've been following the series up to this point. It's a strange and very brutal tale that I had a hard time putting down once I got sucked in. It's chibi graphics prevent it from being scary in the traditional sense, but the way it uses language ensures that it's quite disturbing nonetheless. Making it an interesting option for your PS Vita provided you don't mind reading.
7/10
Expect a lot of aimless wandering without so much as a map system to help you get your bearings. It is not uncommon to find yourself unaware of where you're supposed go next, which wouldn't be so much of a problem if getting lost and stumbling into the wrong rooms didn't attract the attention of lingering spirits. The biggest threats to your health aren't the scattered booby traps or broken floorboards, but rather the restless ghosts that are absolutely relentless in their pursuit of you. The only ways of escaping a phantom once they have you in their sights are to get far enough ahead of them and hide in a cabinet without being seen, or by dispelling them with a talisman should you happen to have one in your inventory. Both methods being easier said than done due to the limited amount of stamina you have while running and the fact that getting off track to actually find one of these talismans is likely going to be what causes the specters to spawn in the first place.
With save points being spaced so far apart from each other death can be a huge setback. Not so much because it forces you to replay lengthy sections of the game upon your untimely demise (although that is a factor), but more so due to the fact that it can cause you have to sit through large portions of dialog multiple times in a row because of how the story is told. You can speed up text by holding the right trigger, but the animations must still play out at their usual pace so cutscenes often take a while to get past even when rushing. There are also some other, more minor flaws such as loading screens when entering and exiting the pause menu.
All of this makes Blood Drive a frustrating chore to play at times without a guide, especially if you want to hunt down every collectible and ending. It's worth it for the plot though. Particularly if you've been following the series up to this point. It's a strange and very brutal tale that I had a hard time putting down once I got sucked in. It's chibi graphics prevent it from being scary in the traditional sense, but the way it uses language ensures that it's quite disturbing nonetheless. Making it an interesting option for your PS Vita provided you don't mind reading.
7/10