Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly REMAKE by developer Team Ninja and publisher Koei Tecmo America—Microsoft Xbox Series X review written by Nick with a copy provided by the publisher.
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Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Given that the Fatal Frame series is my favorite horror game franchise of all time, the release of Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly REMAKE has been incredibly welcome. It’s hard to believe that the first game in the series released over two decades ago now, but Team Ninja put a lot of thoughtfulness into this game, bringing the same tense horror to life for a new generation of console with mostly positive results.
So as a bit of background, Fatal Frame II was actually my introduction to the series. My wife and I loved it so much that we went back and found part one to play and anxiously bought part three on its release day to play through it as well. I’ve since reviewed pretty much every release since, and have generally enjoyed my time with the games quite a bit. Still, Fatal Frame II has always been my favorite in the series, and the opportunity to go back to Minakami Village has proven to be an exciting one.
To begin with, Team Ninja’s done a fantastic job with the visual and sound design. I often feel as though audio is more important than graphics in horror games, and while both are excellent, the sound design is a standout here. Creepy, atmospheric music, subtle ambient sound effects and more really help to create a fantastic sense of tension throughout the proceedings. Visually, Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly REMAKE is excellent as well. The ability to control the camera as opposed to the forced perspectives of the original game really breathes a lot of life into the exploration of the environments, and the lighting effects demonstrate just how far graphics have come since the title’s original release for the PlayStation 2. Inky shadows, subtly shifting environments and great use of lighting all really make the experience so hauntingly memorable. The one drawback here is that the 30fps limitation does feel a bit tangible at times. It’s forgivable given how excellent everything looks, but I wish it could have been 60.
However, the presentation was not what has made the Fatal Frame series so unique throughout the years. It’s the use of the Camera Obscura. Similar to games like Resident Evil or Silent Hill which shared the horror space at that time, the Fatal Frame series relied on third-person perspective as you traversed the environments. Movement was intentionally slow and tank-like. What separated Fatal Frame from those other titles is that combat did not also take place from this third-person perspective. Bringing up the Camera Obscura pushed combat into a tense, first-person view that made the threats somehow much scarier and threatening. Not just because you were looking at them straight on in greater detail, but because you often did not know what was potentially coming at you from the sides or from behind as well.
In terms of other updates from the original game, there are several. One is that there are some new filters that are available with the camera this time around, and that part is appreciated as they bring some new wrinkles to the core gameplay. Movement is improved upon from the original, but it can still feel like a slog. There is a flashlight which can be hit or miss. It feels like a horror game staple, but one that sort of takes away from the shadowy environment and the need to use the camera as part of exploration.
I do fear however, that Team Ninja made some miscalculations when it comes to combat in this remake. There are three things that compound these combat issues. The first is when you have too many spirits to contend with at once – either in a fight or just back-to-back battles that drag down the pacing. I could be wrong, but it just seems like there’s more enemies now than in the original. It’s just less scary and more tedious at that point. The second is that enemies felt like they were a bit too durable to begin with, but now there’s an enraged state they can enter. This aggravated state is a new feature to this release, but it makes the battles last even longer as a result. Some ordinary battles took close to ten minutes, which just feels like too long. Third an lastly, while movement has been improved, it’s still pretty rough at times and that really shows up when you’re dealing with multiple spirits at once. It makes sense from a vulnerability standpoint, but that doesn’t help reduce some of the battles becoming somewhat of a chore to complete.
I know action is sort of Team Ninja’s thing, but exploration and puzzle solving suffers a bit from too much action, too often, and that lasts too long. It’s a pacing issue, and while it’s hardly a deal-breaker in an otherwise excellent game, there were times where it went from providing quality scares to providing more of a sense of annoyance. It’s not necessarily bad, it’s just that at times it’s simply not as much fun as I’d have liked.
From a story standpoint, the core of it is the same – and that’s a good thing. It is an excellent, creepy narrative that’s well told throughout. However, additional side stories / quests add depth to the backstory here, and the collectibles you can find along the way are welcome flavor as well. It feels like there’s some extra cutscenes and exposition as well from what I recall, and it really does a great job of tying everything together even further.
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly REMAKE is a great example of a horror remake done right. This gives me so much hope that we can get parts one and three with the same treatment. The adventures of sisters Mio and Mayu as they find themselves exploring this fascinating haunted village are among the best in the horror genre, and it all holds up today. The presentation is excellent and the Camera Obscura still makes for a compelling game mechanic all these years later. Unfortunately, there are a few rough spots to be had, with combat being the most notable one. It’s an important part of the gameplay, but it overstays its welcome at times and the pacing and proper tension are hurt because of it. My suggestion would be a patch to provide an option to tone down how spongy the enemies are and maybe even to reduce the enemy count at times. It’s not even that they’re hard – they are just too resilient too many times. Outside of that however, Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly REMAKE is still a compelling game for horror fans and I would personally like to see more.
Score: 8.5 / 10
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