Corpse Killer is a 1994 rail shooter video game developed and published by Digital Pictures for the Sega CD, 32X, 3DO, Sega Saturn, Windows and Macintosh computers. An interactive variation on the zombie film genre, it utilizes live-action full motion video in a format similar to other games developed by Digital Pictures. Reviews for the game were mixed, generally criticizing the repetitive gameplay and low video quality, though many reviewers enjoyed the campy nature of the cutscenes. Corpse Killer was the first CD game released for the 32X. with most scenes being shot in Puerto Rico. The actors portraying the zombies wore latex masks.

In their review of the 32X version, the four reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly said that the "campy, bad b-movie" cutscenes are entertaining but the gameplay is dull, and that the graphics are only slightly improved from the Sega CD version. Next Generation commented that the game itself is "decent", but that the improvement in graphics over the Sega CD version "is so small that only an expert could notice." GamePro reviewed that the 32X version retains the elements that made the Sega CD version fun and has far better graphics.

Electronic Gaming Monthly reversed their position on the game's cutscenes when reviewing the Saturn version, with all save Andrew Baran now saying that the scenes are dull and repetitive. They also criticized the substandard video quality of the FMV and the "laughable" gameplay. GamePros brief review, while acknowledging the FMV is grainy, noted it was at least superior to any previous version of the game. The reviewer praised the cursor movement's easy control and concluded, "This'll do for zombified Saturn gamers." A brief review from Next Generation published over a year after the game's release criticized the "Cheesy graphics and extremely repetitious gameplay". In 1995, MegaZone included Corpse Killer in their Top 50 Games In History writing: "Great full-motion video and a silly-but-fun plot."

Re-release

William Mesa, Flash Film Works, and Screaming Villains remastered the game from the original source material in 2019 and re-released it as a "25th Anniversary Edition" for Steam, and PlayStation 4. It was also released in physical PS4 media by Limited Run Games. The new version contained several hours' worth of behind-the-scenes video from the original production as well as hundreds of still images, the original production script and other assorted documents.

References

  • Corpse Killer at Internet Movie Database
  • Corpse Killer at Flash Film Works