The Fatal Frame (also known as Project Zero or simply Zero) franchise has always been a cult classic horror series. One that manages to terrify and deliver excellent stories, yet it’s one that has stayed relatively under the radar, not really achieving the same level of appeal that games like Silent Hill or Resident Evil managed in the same time frame. It’s a shame as well, since Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake is held in high regard, often touted as not only the best in the series, but also one of the best horror games of its time. 

Headed up by Team Ninja, who have just released the fantastic Nioh 3, this remake aims to faithfully recapture the spirit and essence of the original game. Then expand on it with new stories, locations, and gameplay mechanics that make the game feel fresh again. I was a little skeptical that the attempts to remake it would fall flat and that a straight port might be the better option, but I was pleasantly surprised by this one. 

The sisterly bond is the heart of Crimson Butterfly.

Mio and Mayu are twin sisters exploring a forest from their childhood, when suddenly Mayu vanishes. Searching the forest for her sister, Mio stumbles onto a village lost to time, the All-Gods Village known as Minakami. After a ritual known as the Crimson Sacrifice went horribly wrong, the village seemingly disappeared from existence, lost forever, stuck in a never-ending night in a cycle of death and torment. Mio must search the village, find her sister, and escape the All-Gods Village, all whilst avoiding the spirits and wraiths trapped in an endless cycle to complete the mysterious Crimson Sacrifice Ritual.

Right off the bat, Fatal Frame 2 starts with an incredibly strong premise. It’s an incredibly dark and brutal tale, with graphic torture and ritualistic sacrifices that shows the struggle of a village spiraling out of control. Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake has strong emotional beats and a cast of characters you can’t help but feel sorry for- even the most dangerous and sadistic wraiths you encounter have tragic backstories that are slowly revealed throughout the story. I was emotionally hooked from beginning to end. 

The story here is an all-time classic, and Team Ninja has thankfully preserved that here. Although, it’s not a 1:1 recreation, and the team has decided to expand on it. For the most part, the vast majority of the main story has been left alone and for good reason. Instead, the new side quests delve deeper into the past of certain characters and wraiths you will encounter that can take you to entirely new locations, whilst deepening the lore behind some of the game’s most famous locations. 

At times, the remake impresses with some great lighting effects.

While the story remains intact, a lot of the work in this remake has been put into building a new gameplay experience. Instead of the original’s classic fixed-camera angles, this remake uses an over-the-shoulder third-person view, similar to the Wii version. This brings you closer to the horror, and making tracking fast-moving ghosts more challenging. Although, the controls take some getting used to. There’s a level of awkwardness in Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake‘s control schemes that can make some ghost fights annoying, as the ghosts teleport and dodge around the place. They certainly don’t feel as tight as other recent horror remakes, but it does the job well enough. Just prepare for an adjustment curve at the start of the game.

For long-time fans, this is still the Crimson Butterfly you know and love. The level design is almost identical to that of the original release. Iconic locations such as the Osaka and Kurosawa Houses are all there in glorious detail, with interconnected rooms and many pathways to explore. There’s just enough change to make it feel fresh and exciting again. Some objectives have been mixed up a little bit, whilst new areas have been added to the game, expanding Minakami Village in meaningful ways. The level design is absolutely fantastic, and I enjoyed poring over every little detail and actually reading through the notes that build up its rich lore. 

Fatal Frames’ signature feature, the Camera Obscura, is e back and has been expanded with features from later games, as well as some of its own tricks. It has a zoom and manual focus, adding another layer of control and strategy. This tool will not only be able to help you in your investigations into the village, but also fend off the many hostile wraiths you will encounter in your playthrough. Having a camera as your only defense against the otherworldly ghosts is a novel concept that hasn’t grown dull yet. Timing your shots with a ghost attack will cause a Fatal Frame; stunning the target gives you enough time to reposition or trigger a Shutter Chance, which allows you to rapidly fire attacks. You will need to pay attention not only to the viewfinder, which glows red when an enemy is about to attack, but also to the animations, as well, which telegraph the attacks nicely. 

Movie time in the village!

The combat system has always been Fatal Frames’ defining feature. With different film types being your ammunition, Type-07 is infinitely available, but is rather weak and should only be used in a pinch or to finish off a weakened wraith. Typically, you want to use the various other film types scattered around the world, which have different damage and reload values. You’ll find these scattered throughout the world, but don’t worry, feel the need to hoard them. There are plenty of supplies, but you may have to use your camera or flashlight to spot them in the dark.

A new system called Willpower acts as a sort of sanity system for our protagonists. Though unlike other sanity systems, which I’m highly critical of, the usage here is actually quite clever. If you’ve got enough willpower, you will be able to use special attacks depending on the lens that you have. These can be used in both combat and during exploration. In combat, Willpower functions as a sort of armour that will shield you from taking health damage. Once your Willpower has been depleted, you will be much more vulnerable to being knocked down. Playing aggressively and taking more photos using different lenses or using items lets you regenerate Willpower.

On the topic of this, Mio can also regenerate both Willpower and Health by simply holding Mayu’s hand whenever she is around during gameplay. It’s such a nice touch to have this feature in the game, as it adds another layer to the sister dynamics during gameplay that directly ties into the game’s narrative and dialogue about not being left alone. Despite having Mayu as a companion, Fatal Frame 2 Remake rarely falls into the escort quest category. Mayu doesn’t follow you around the entire game, and sections with her are few and far between. Whenever you do get into a combat scenario whilst escorting Mayu, you will need to pay attention to her positioning as hostile wraiths can and will attack her. Thankfully, the scenarios the game puts you in aren’t overwhelming enough to become an annoyance, and having Mayu by your side can actually be a net positive if you pay attention.

Going to need a hell of a lot of Willpower to get through this.

That’s not all for the changes, and there are so many more scattered throughout the entire journey. Major parts, like the Kusabi, have been massively reworked to make use of new stealth mechanics in a surprisingly effective sequence as you explore the Kurosawa Estate. New Aggravated Wraiths have become a persistent, more violent threat as they glow crimson, increasing aggression and health regeneration, forcing a more aggressive playstyle. Different lenses interact with the environment in new ways, and there’s a ton more collectables that make use of the camera. Maiden of Black Waters‘ hand-grabbing mechanic is back, which has always been a divisive feature, though I do like the inclusion a little more here. 

Throughout the roughly 15-20 hours it took me to complete the story and a good few side quests, I was constantly hooked into this terrifying world. Every moment I spent exploring Minakami Village was one full of dread. Every door and every new ghost encounter was equal parts terrifying and exciting. Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake is still an incredibly effective horror game. Though it’s not perfect, occasionally drags its feet with exhaustive backtracking. It’s something I’m used to in survival horror, but it does feel like it was pushing it a little too far. Going through the Osaka House was thrilling the first couple of times, but that eventually wore off. Plus, the few puzzles you do encounter are incredibly underwhelming.

Taking a note out of the Resident Evil franchise, there’s a huge emphasis on replayability. A New Game + mode unlocks, allowing you to carry over your upgrades for the Camera Obscura. Then there’s Nightmare difficulty that ramps up the challenge, outfits for both Mio and Mayu, as well as new endings to unlock that are specific to this version of the game. There’s a lot to dig into once done with the story, and I do plan on going through Nightmare mode myself. Whilst the game does have a lot more similarities to the Deep Crimson Butterfly WiiMake, don’t expect all the additions there to appear. 

The Camera Obscura is one of survival horror’s greatest creations.

Fully rebuilt from the ground up using Team Ninja’s own internal Katana Engine, the results for Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake are quite interesting. It’s not got the same photorealistic quality as the likes of the Dead Space Remake, which pushes graphical fidelity to the next level. Instead, the results make for a game that, whilst not cutting edge, does the job well enough. There are some fantastic lighting effects, and the levels are absolutely crammed with details, with plenty of world-building and subtle storytelling. 

Character models fall behind current standards and can look a couple of generations older, especially in the expressions. None of this impacts the game or storytelling, though, and, if anything, it feels like Team Ninja opted to keep the game’s original art direction as much as they could, with some technological advancements that make it more immersive. The biggest upgrades are in the Spectre and Wraith designs, which look more terrifying than ever, especially the Kasubi, who, in retrospect, actually looks kind of goofy by comparison.

However, there are some absolutely baffling decisions that pull the game down. First off, the level of film grain here is absurdly hilarious and does impact visibility. On the base PS5, the game is displayed at native 4K Resolution, but at a relatively unstable 30fps, with noticeable drops during exploration. It’s a shame as well, since the moments where the film grain is less apparent, such as more well-lit areas or during cinematics, I was much more impressed with the visuals. Hopefully, this will be addressed, as this remake can be absolutely haunting when the aggressive post-processing calms down. 

It might be appropriate for a game about a really old camera to have film grain, but they really went overboard.

As for the sound design, this is mostly fantastic, with some great positional audio that makes it easy to explore the world and hear where new ghosts are coming from. Wooden panels creak as you walk over them, and thunder crackles in the background, building the atmosphere nicely. I would recommend switching the voice language over to Japanese for a more emotional and authentic experience.

So is this remake better than the original game? The answer is not that simple. Retelling the same story and expanding the gameplay. It’s a more complex and interesting game for sure, but the tighter pacing of combat and exploration in the original might be better for longtime fans. Both games have their own set of advantages and should stand on their own. With the franchise in a great spot, hopefully, we will see ports of the original game and The Tormented, making the entire franchise playable on modern systems. Maybe we’ll even see a sixth mainline entry as well? 

Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake is better than I expected. Team Ninja has given the game the love and care that it needs, whilst making some bold changes to the core gameplay that make it more exciting than ever before. With tense camera-based combat and a fantastic story that will pull you in from beginning to end. It’s not perfect, and there are a few rough edges, but I urge fans of the franchise and newcomers to check this one out. Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake remains a beautifully horrifying experience. 

Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake is available now on PC, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2. 

Reviewed on PlayStation 5. 

A copy of Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake was provided by the publisher.