Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse

Good game design never rusts! Project Zero 4 is a successful survival horror game with a spooky setting and a fun combat system. There are deductions for the partly old-fashioned controls and the story, which cannot keep its suspense to the end.

A fantastic conversion and localisation of a game horror fans have been waiting for for years. Project Zero: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is an amazing horror title with an intriguing story, great visuals and a penchant for being terrifying. It works well on Switch, and, outside of a couple of small control issues, is a worthwhile and recommendable experience for horror game enthusiasts.

Listen. Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is so scary that one night after I played it for about five hours straight, I couldn’t sleep properly as I live in an apartment building. Whenever I’d hear a neighbor shuffling down the hall or someone slam a door too hard, it would jar me awake. I was certain one of these ghosts was going to get me. This is the kind of game it is. It wrecked me in a way past Fatal Frame entries didn’t, and I’m sure once I’m able to rest without seeing some of these ghosts in my mind’s eye, I’ll appreciate that.

Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is an intuitive entry in the franchise that takes everything that makes the other games so great, and cranks it up to 11. The introduction of the spirit torch adds a new dimension to combat, while the photo mode ensures you can create some memories. With little in the way of performance issues, and a story keeps you guessing, this is a game for all horror fans.

Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is a solid and enjoyable experience for fans of old-school survival-horror. It might be a bit too slow-paced and awkward for those who don't have a taste for 2008 game design, but that's the biggest criticism about it. It doesn't break the mold for the franchise, but it's one of the more solid and enjoyable examples of it, and it's a good place to start if you'd like to see what is up with the long-running horror series.

Going into Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse, you have to be prepared for an uncomfortable experience. The combat is a mire of frustration, and the controls really could have used some tender loving care. However, if you’re looking for some classic Japanese horror with a stack of cryptic narrative lore to dig through and you’re aware of what you might be in for, it’s definitely worth diving into.

Project Zero: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is bound to delight series fans, though newcomers not used to traditional survival horror tropes and controls may find it a tougher sell.

Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is remastered version of a cult classic that brings you everything you would expect, including some old and questionable design choices like the save system and slow doors opening animation. But at the same time Mask of the Lunar Eclipse can feel like a true gift for every hardcore horror fan out there.

Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is an impressive remaster of a flawed, but highly original, photo-based horror game.

Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is a must-play for fans of the franchise, as it's the only game they probably haven't had a chance to try yet. However, if you're not a die-hard fan of the series, there are other, better survival horror games on Nintendo Switch. While this game has been updated with some interesting additions, the end result has weaknesses that we can't help but notice, such as too many annoying loading screens. All in all, it's still a very interesting game and a decent instalment in the Fatal Frame franchise.

The Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse remaster is a constantly creepy, often infuriating survival horror game that has the misfortune of following the superior Maiden of Black Water on the Switch. Fans of the series and Japanese horror in general should be glad they finally get to play it, but those with low patience thresholds will do better to not step foot on Rogetsu Isle.

Fans of Fatal Frame who want to experience this lost title in the series will likely find enough atmosphere and story to keep their interest, but newcomers may find some of the game’s shortcomings to be a turnoff as their first experience. That being said, you can put a hat on your character that’s a big Camera Obscura, so in a way, maybe it all balances out in the end.

An intense atmosphere and intriguing story which is unfortunately marred by the age the game was created in. Looking past the clumsiness of the movement, it is still one of the most accessible and fun Project Zero games.

Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse doesn't set out to reinvent the franchise or radicalize what it means to be a Fatal Frame game, but with updated visuals and modernised controls, it does a great job of making an entry in the series from 2008 effortlessly feel like a modern, current-gen debut. The slow and sometimes repetitive pacing of the game will not be for everyone, and some long-winded animations and awkward loading-waits only serve to make that pacing even more of a slog, but if you have the patience for that, you're in for a solid Japanese horror experience that will keep you guessing until the credits roll.

Despite my issues with the game, I’m still delighted that everybody outside of Japan finally got a chance to check out Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse. It’s a gorgeous and horrifying remastered adventure with scares aplenty and an engrossing, dark story. While the old-school controls can occasionally be irritating, and the difficulty is often a bit overwhelming, it still does a fantastic job of telling a truly scary story. If you’re a fan of horror and need something scary before Halloween, I’d say this is your game. And even if you have a hard time with spooky stuff, this is still a worthwhile adventure—just one you’ll probably need to digest one small bite at a time.

The unexpected arrival of a new episode of Project Zero, 15 years after its debut in Japan, in a reworked version translated into French, may delight us to the highest degree, but above all it highlights the urgency of modernizing the gameplay from the series. As it stands, this remaster is therefore only intended for fans of the franchise who have been waiting for a long time for an opportunity to discover this fourth opus.

For fans of the franchise, Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse should be a no-brainer. Fifteen years after its original release in Japan, its launch in the west brings some welcome upgrades to the visuals and presentation. That said, you can definitely feel the game's age in the core gameplay and little has been done to bring this more in line with modern sensibilities. Movement is janky, the camera never quite feels spot on, and the loading between rooms really shouldn't be an issue in 2023. Additionally, the frequent presence of ghosts and the arcade-like combat required to defeat them feels constantly at odds with the otherwise impressive sense of dread felt as you explore the environment, but since this is a core aspect of the series at large, you might be able to overlook this. We definitely recommend checking it out if you're into survival horror, but just know that it comes with a number of quirks that we wish had been ironed out.