At this rate, the horror genre might just single-handedly carry the gaming industry. Because after Resident Evil: Requiem‘s success and the positive reception to remakes prior, we now have Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake to continue the trend. It’s safe to say that Koei Tecmo’s remake of one of the most underrated (and unique) horror games ever is here to add to the growing list of horror genre success stories.
With that said, for Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake or Fatal Frame 2 Remake, its success is more nuanced compared to the bigger title remakes. It’s a great love letter for longtime fans, but newcomers looking to check what the fuss was about two decades ago might feel initially overwhelmed due to challenges that weren’t present in the original.
Now, for potential new fans, the Fatal Frame series is best known for its twist to the horror genre, where you exorcise ghosts using nothing but a camera. You snap photos of ghosts to “damage” them. Obviously, a camera is a far cry from a gun, despite all the shooting, but the premise allows for creative ways to spook players, which is something Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly or Fatal Frame 2 became known for. The 2003 horror sequel from Tecmo is often considered the best in the series.
Almost Everything That Made the Original Good is Intact
Developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo, Fatal Frame 2 pairs its unique camera gameplay with a story that’s worthy of a live-action movie. You play as Mio, who, along with her twin sister, Mayu, stumbles into a decrepit and haunted village. The provincial village is a horror cliché of sorts, and its departed residents are up to no good; their ghostly goals and hostility toward the twins will unfold as you progress. Still, the way the mystery unravels ought to keep any player emotionally invested in the twin sisters.
There’s plenty of environmental storytelling, along with actual cutscenes and creepy dialogue, and the overbearing sense of dread remains much the same as in the original. I would say, however, that the atmosphere feels more gripping here, thanks to the visual update and the more realistic environment, paired with the more ominous music and spatial audio. The game is notoriously good at building tension and fakeout scares, sometimes even catching me off guard, even when I expected a surprise.
My minor gripe about the story, however, was the over-reliance on long notes for exposition. While Fatal Frame 2 Remake has adequate cutscenes and visual storytelling, I wish it had utilized its photography-horror premise more creatively when revealing its lore; more showing and less telling would’ve been better appreciated, and I daresay would’ve improved exploration considerably.
Some of the Wraith Redesign is Polarizing
Not all remained intact in Fatal Frame 2 Remake‘s quest to give the old game a shiny new coat of paint. The style or design of some wraiths will likely be a point of contention for many fans. Some wraiths in Fatal Frame 2 Remake have an almost holographic appearance with a bluish hue. While it does make the wraiths appear more phantasmal or wispy, I much prefer the grungy early 2000s J-horror ghouls of the original, as I thought they appeared less human and thus, more terrifying.
It’s a subjective design change, of course, and some might prefer the new wraiths, but I feel like a toggle that lets players switch between the two wraith designs would’ve been the more thoughtful choice for a remake, especially for such a dramatic overhaul. After all, it’s a horror game about photographing ghosts, and monster design in horror games is paramount to scaring players.
Regardless, the wraiths of Fatal Frame 2 Remake can still spook horror veterans like me well enough, though certainly not on the same level as the monsters of other horror games I played, such as in Amnesia: The Bunker or Outlast. The “monster” design fear factor in Fatal Frame 2 Remake falls somewhere between the Resident Evil remakes and Silent Hill 2 Remake (with the latter being scarier in this short comparison spectrum).
Point-and-Shoot Gameplay is Now Snappier Than Ever
Fatal Frame 2 Remake lives up to its namesake with its gameplay improvements; there are plenty of them to keep even old and jaded fans invested or excited. The biggest gameplay additions were for the combat system, where you can now dodge enemies. The developers also overhauled the camera’s focal points, where you have to ensure your shot is as clear and as focused as possible for damage, which makes gameplay more high-risk and high-reward.
The wraith enemies now also have a more dangerous state called “aggravated,” which seems to happen randomly, though the trigger chance is higher when a wraith is nearing defeat. While aggravated, wraiths will regenerate, be more resistant to damage, deal more damage, and attack more frequently. Talk about a huge buff for the enemies.
In addition, there’s also some kind of mana or stamina system called Willpower, separated from the health bar, which governs how far you can run from wraiths, how often you can dodge, or whether their attack will knock you down. Combat now has an almost Soulslike implementation, and therein lies what I consider the biggest issue with Fatal Frame 2 Remake.
Combat is Aggravating at First
Because of the gameplay changes, combat in Fatal Frame 2 Remake is initially harder compared to the original. Players do get a damage buff system for their camera to level things out, but you’ll have to deal with layers of janky camera combos, technical gameplay jargon, and confusing signals. It didn’t help that the tutorial was mostly a series of PowerPoint presentations that you might need to re-read to apply well in actual gameplay.
Hence, for the first few hours, combat was frustrating, especially when the game starts throwing in multiple enemies too soon or when it expects you to keep track of wraiths that keep teleporting, phasing through walls, healing, and attacking your twin (whom you have to babysit in some gameplay segments). The semi-Souls-like combat is also disorienting sometimes, since you need to be in first person to use your attack, while dodging is in third person, making it hard to judge distance.
Thankfully, once you get used to this rather bizarre combat system and once you find more powerful camera upgrades, the combat– and to some extent, the exploration– turns more rewarding. Fatal Frame 2 Remake will emotionally satisfy players who power through under pressure, and that’s the mark of a true horror game. There’s a moment when the new combat will click for you, and when it does, you’ll be asking for more of what Fatal Frame 2 Remake has to offer.
Back from the Dead?
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake has many smaller flaws, but the ones I mentioned above can be the deciding factor for many players. For example, the new feature where you get to hold Mayu’s hand for healing felt wasted, how the UI can be a mess, or how some auto checkpoints are frustrating. These are minor and easily forgiven once you see how much has improved in the remake and how fun the new features are once you get used to them.
It’s not quite on the same level as Silent Hill 2 Remake or Resident Evil 4 Remake, which are overwhelmingly better than the original (arguably), but Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake proves it has what it takes to revitalize the franchise, hopefully even past cult status. While some changes might raise the eyebrows of loyal fans, almost everything is better while being simultaneously faithful to the spirit of the franchise.
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake (PC Reviewed)
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake made some bold changes, but despite the some dramatic overhauls, it remains faithful to the original. The game continues the trend of good horror genre remakes and has the quality to satisfy vigilant old fans and invite newcomers to the franchise.
The Good
- Faithful to the original, mostly
- More immersive than the original
- Memorable story and characters
The Bad
- New combat can be an acquired taste
- UI could be better
- Ghost design can be polarizing
