Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly REMAKE

Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake is an incredibly atmospheric and legitimately unsettling experience brought low by clunky, often infuriating combat and trial-and-error stealth sections. As such, it’s difficult to recommend to anyone but existing fans of the series. However, for those who can push through its more irksome elements, there’s a fantastically macabre tale that will haunt you long after the credits roll.

Fatal Frame II: The Crimson Butterfly Remake certainly has its flaws, but it also manages to show an uninitiated player like myself why the series has earned its place in horror history, even if it can't quite measure up to the latest offerings from its famous relatives.

Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake does a lot of things right in its effort to modernize a classic for a new generation of gamers. Its story is a highlight, while the revamped visuals and sound design really help sell the experience. It's a pity, then, that the revamped combat system feels so wildly imbalanced that it makes a crucial chunk of the game feel tedious rather than engaging. We'd recommend waiting for a few patches before taking this one on.

Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake successfully builds on the original game, adding new mechanics that enhance the gameplay and more. It's just a shame that its inventive camera-based combat can be frustrating at times, and its stealth sections can feel a little trial and error.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time with Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake. While it may not necessarily be as scary as the original released in 2003, it does have its moments of greatness when it comes to scares, and there will be times that even the biggest survival horror fans have to take a breather. The stars of the show here are the atmosphere and story, both of which are so incredibly well-made, do the original justice, and validate the need for this remake to see the light of day. However, the combat is a major let down and definitely won't be for everyone. The controls feel outdated, the movement speed is excruciatingly slow, and those two mixed together can make for a rather frustrating experience at times. Still, if you were a die-hard fan of the original Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly, you'll enjoy what Team Ninja and Koei Tecmo have created here.

Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake is arguably one of the scariest games we’ve ever played. Team Ninja has somehow managed to make an already terrifying game even more so, turning Minakami Village into a visually striking and tense playground for fear. The Camera Obscura combat remains novel and unique, but clunky controls and some drawn-out encounters can frustrate.

Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake captures the haunting atmosphere and emotional core that made the original a cult classic, but its slow pacing, repetitive combat, and technical issues keep it from reaching the heights of modern horror remakes.

Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake indicates that there is still a lot of potential in the series’ unique flavour of occult paranormal J-horror. Unfortunately, this experience is marred by tedious combat encounters, inconsistent pacing, and technical issues that keep it from reaching the heights of its modern horror remake contemporaries.

A conflicted return of a cult horror classic that excels in atmosphere, story, and audiovisual presentation, but falters significantly in gameplay. While the eerie Japanese village and its gradually uncovered dark past rank among the genre’s highlights, frustrating and unbalanced combat, confusing navigation, and technical issues heavily undermine the experience. A game with immense potential and a strong core, but one that can only be recommended to the most dedicated horror fans.

Fatal Frame II Crimson Butterfly Remake improved a lot on the gameplay, but almost forgot about the optimization, causing what could have been a legendary horror experience to be held back quite a bit by its technical problems.

Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake still retains the outstanding atmosphere and story of the original, but severe technical issues and an outdated design that hasn’t been sufficiently modernized seriously undermine the overall experience. In the end, this remake feels more like a reminder that some things from the past might be better left there.

Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly remains an unmissable experience for fans of survival horror. But like a spectre captured in the background of a photograph, this remake has lost the finer details which brought the original so vividly to life. Mio and Mayu’s intertwined descent is an immensely engrossing journey of discomforting discovery. I just don’t think this is the best version in which to enjoy it.

Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly, the original, is a classic any survival horror fan would recommend, but it’s also a game that has aged quite a lot. This remake does an impressive job of refreshing its presentation and delivers an unmatched atmosphere that will delight fans of classic Japanese horror cinema. The gameplay, however, remains stuck two decades in the past, and the improvements aren’t enough to make the combat less stiff or more enjoyable, turning every encounter with an evil spirit into an exhausting ordeal.

For all the beautiful moments of art direction and atmosphere it offers, the charm of Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake is too often broken by combat hampered by arbitrary new mechanics that drag on and make the experience frustrating and tedious, without the player's skill being able to do anything about it. Aside from the less-than-optimal fluidity (we'd forgotten what 30 frames per second was like), Koei Tecmo has clearly spared no effort in modernizing this installment in both substance and style, giving it a new depth that is reflected in its genuinely solid length. The side quests and new exploration mechanics are among these worthwhile additions that tip the scales in its favor. But despite its 25 years of existence, Fatal Frame still seems to have some work to do before finding the balance that will allow it to join the ranks of the great names in horror games.

In attempting to line up the perfect horror remake shot, Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake takes a number of steps forward and a few steps back. The ghosts and environments are scarier, aided by new appearances and sound design. On the flip side, in chasing realism, the camera gameplay struggles under the weight of too many mechanics. As a game, Fatal Frame II Remake feels overdeveloped, though its horror elements are practically picture-perfect.

While Crimson Butterfly’s next-gen glow-up adds subtle touches like floating dust particles, fluttering kimonos, and a sound mix thrumming with the wails of the damned, not every modernization feels additive.

A compelling and atmospheric story of twin girls exploring a haunted village is marred by its gameplay. Had Fatal Frame II Crimson Butterfly Remake been a more straight forward third person combat adventure I may have enjoyed it more, but I found the first person camera-based combat disorienting, cumbersome, frustrating and repetitive.

Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake is a modern rendition of a certified classic survival horror game, and while I believe it should be praised for building a solid atmosphere with superb sound design, the game itself, as it is on console, is a tough task to recommend. In many ways, this remake is a distant departure from what made the original game so breathtakingly horrifying, sacrificing all the subtlety that made you feel at unease and replacing it with cheap tricks. But ultimately, it undermines the oppressiveness of its story with a repetitive gameplay loop filled with constant backtracking and a lack of challenge in either combat or puzzle solving.

The Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake is an excellent example of how to remake a beloved classic. It keeps what made the 2003 original special, whilst adding to it in meaningful ways, even if the source content can heavily weigh it down at times.

Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake is frightening with its near-constant jump scares, oppressive atmosphere, difficult enemies, and arguably too much darkness. But more so than fear, the emotion I frequently grappled with was frustration.