After getting lost in the woods, twin sisters Mio and Mayu stumble upon the lost Minakami Village. This land is gripped by an otherworldly curse that stems from a failed ritual, which the sisters now find themselves doomed to repeat. Assailed by vengeful spirits and wrathful wraiths, Mio must harness the mystic properties of the Camera Obscura to save Mayu before the ritual completes.
Some would say that Fatal Frame 2 is the best game in the series, and I would be among them. I have a ton of nostalgic memories of playing this game on my old PS2 in a dark room with friends, trying not to drop the controller out of fear whenever we got spooked. Suffice to say, I had a high bar of expectations going into the remake, and I was thrilled to get the chance to play the first four chapters in this preview build.
For newcomers, the gameplay of Fatal Frame is largely centered around exploration as you slowly unwind the dark narrative, fighting back against spirits using not a weapon, but a camera. Shortly after descending into the lost village, you'll come across the Camera Obscura, a photography device that has the ability to exorcise spirits. This means that you'll need to properly line spirits up for the perfect photo, including focus and framing to deal max damage. This creates some seriously tense moments as your enemies creep and saunter towards you with malicious intent, especially considering spirits can now become enraged in similar fashion to how they would in FATAL FRAME: Mask Of The Lunar Eclipse.
Narratively, the remake stays well within the lines of the original while opting to explore additional lore through the use of side stories and new areas. These act like sidequests, giving the player an opportunity to explore off the main path to learn more about the dreadful fates that befell the villagers in the past. I enjoyed how these were layered neatly and optionally into the overarching story, and I'm looking forward to discovering more in the full game.
The most conspicuous change in the remake is, of course, the camera. No, not the one that can be wielded against spirits (although there are changes, more on that later), but rather the player-perspective camera. The original game used fixed camera angles for each scene, utilizing the tank controls that fans of horror games from the PS2-era are all too familiar with. The remake has opted for a modern control scheme and UI (minimap included), and the player camera is now in an over-the-shoulder perspective. While I do think that the fixed angles of the original created some suspenseful and terrifying moments, the updated controls and graphical upgrades both feel great to interact with.
The gameplay isn't the only thing that got upgrades either, as the visuals have also undergone a complete overhaul. The tattered halls of the abandoned homes and ritual sites are eerie, and recognizable settings from the original like The Kurosawa House look fantastic. Mio and Mayu look especially great, and you can functionally hold hands now, a neat little mechanic that was scrapped from the original that allows you to regain health as you wander through the darkness together. Despite the sisters looking great, I felt some of the ghosts I encountered weren't as menacing as their PS2 counterparts (I'm still haunted to this day by the woman in the kimono box). Thankfully, the big bad Kusabi is absolutely unnerving and a force to be reckoned with, which is a huge plus.
As mentioned earlier, the Camera Obscura has also received some modernization. You've still got the typical functions, like being able to swap out different film types and upgrading lenses for special shots, but now there are also swappable camera filters that have a variety of functions. The Camera Obscura has also received some quality of life upgrades, like automatically using the lowest grade film when taking pictures of non-hostile spirits. There is also a new willpower system, which functions like a stamina bar and is also spent when using the camera's special shots. These filters and special shots are applicable for both exploration and for combat, making them feel more dynamic and introducing new ways to use the camera. The one I found myself using often was the radiant filter, which can deal a blast of damage to enemies or clear away binding wards on doors and locked items. The preview build only had a handful of these to play with, but even during the short time I had with the game I can already tell these are certainly going to change how I use and tailor my Camera Obscura.
While my time with the preview build has been short, I absolutely cannot wait to dive back in when the full game releases. The updated graphics and controls make it easy and accessible to jump into for new audiences, and the new additions make a great game even better. Even if I prefer the grungier look of some of the spirits from the original game, I believe I have room in my heart to love both games, and I'm sure fans will too.
