The remaster of Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water recently came out, much to the joy of fans who have long awaited some new Fatal Frame content. Once again, survival horror enthusiasts can photograph terrifying ghosts in doll shrines, flooded basements, and dark forests. Enough time has passed though that many of the players missed out on the earlier games. One such game is still the best one in the series, Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly.
The game originally came out in 2003 and followed the story of twins Mio and Mayu Amakura as they try to escape All Gods Village, a haunted village where twins are sacrificed to appease a hell pit. While it has been nearly 20 years since the game came out and three other titles came after it, Fatal Frame 2 is still the best game in the series in terms of story, characters, location, and scary ghosts.
What Makes Crimson Butterfly The Best
Fatal Frame 2 stands unique from all the other Fatal Frames on a number of levels. First off is the fact that the protagonist Mio usually has Mayu along with her. While most would think this comforting at first, Mayu turns out to be just the opposite. The longer they stay in the village, the more Mayu gets possessed by the scariest ghost of all, Sae. She will often whisper ominous lines and constantly switch between being a scared girl to someone dangerous who actually wishes to stay instead of leave. This made Mayu an NPC companion gamers did not soon forget, as they feared her despite needing to protect her. Other games had few, if any, moments with companions and when they did, the moments were not fleshed out with any scares or character-motivated drama.
Secondly, the game takes place in a village rather than one huge mansion or entire mountain. Getting from place to place was far easier than in any of the other titles, with players being able to explore mansions while also being able to step outside to the familiar small village. The size felt just right, with the various homes being contained enough to not get as easily lost in. The first, third, and fourth games all take place in massive buildings with many floors and hallways with no breaks to contain them in the players’ minds. Maiden of Blackwater is especially hard to traverse, to the point that a mechanic was added to know which direction to always go to follow the plot.
Thirdly, the formula of the tragedy is unique because it does not revolve around a woman’s romantic desires. There is nothing wrong with that formula, but it is used for every other Fatal Frame game to the point that it has gotten old and predictable. Kirie in the original game failed to hold the Netherworld shut because she wished to see her romantic interest one last time. The same story goes for Reika in the third game and for Ose in Maiden of Black Water. Sakuya of Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is different, but the game never left Japan so most people do not have access to that title. This made Sae have one of the most unique backstories in the Fatal Frame universe, as she was abandoned by her sister and that was why her ritual failed.
In addition to Sae’s backstory, the ghosts in Fatal Frame 2 were the most fleshed out compared to the other games. For example, there is even a friendly ghost that mistakes Mio for one of his friends and helps out the player by giving them hints on where to go. Sae is not the only person to be sacrificed to the hell pit, and players learn about sacrifices before her such as the Kiryu and Tachibana twins. Players get to know how almost every ghost they meet lived and died and can anticipate meeting certain ones depending on which house they visit.
Last but not least, the game was the scariest of all the Fatal Frame titles. Sae’s laughter echoed the halls, women crawled out of boxes, ghosts would scream and fall from the top of stairs, gamers would seek shelter in closets only to find a ghost child hiding with them, and every room seemed as though it held a horrifying backstory. It was the sort of title that had players press the menu button just because they got too scared, and that was a huge positive.
What Happened To A Fatal Frame 2 Remaster Or Remake
Fatal Frame 2 actually received a remake in 2012, but its release was limited to just Japan and Europe on the Wii. The remake got worse reviews, mostly due to its mechanics being best suited for the Playstation and Xbox instead of motion-control consoles. Other than that, the game was re-released to the PSN in 2013 for the PS3. As such, it has been about 10 years since Fatal Frame 2 got a makeover, making fans cross their fingers that the game will possibly make another return to current consoles soon.
For now, though, fans have the Maiden of Black Water remaster, and it is possible that if sales go well enough for that game, then more remasters of old Fatal Frame titles could be on the horizon. If more remakes and/or remasters do happen, Crimson Butterfly should be at the top of the list. Old fans will surely pick it up, and it can show new players what Fatal Frame can be when it is at its best.
Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is available on Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
