Even the atmosphere from the original trilogy feels perfectly recreated. After years of watching Silent Hill and Resident Evil struggle with maintaining their identities while also trying to update themselves to more modern audiences, it’s wonderful to jump into a game that’s so in love with its heritage. The menus make the same sounds the music sounds the same, and the controls are almost identical to the way they worked in the original games. The first thing that will jump out to any fan of the series is how much it sounds and feels like a Fatal Frame game. It’s a great story, and it even has a few connections to the previous titles, although I won’t spoil what those are or how much they impact the universe. The story unfolds like a classic Fatal Frame title, complete with the jarring black and white memory moments that had left me scarred as a teen. Research for his latest novel is what drives him into the mountains, looking into a mysterious tradition local to the area. Finally, there’s the author Ren Hojo, who is friends with Yuuri. Next on the list is Miu Hinasaki, who has gone searching for her lost mother, is the second playable character, and has seemingly no connection to Yuuri. Her boss at the antique shop has gone missing, and she has ventured out on her own to find her. The game stars Yuuri Kozukata, who has a mysterious power that allows her to be able to pull objects and people out of the spirit world into our reality. Unlike previous entries in the series, we play as three separate characters all looking for answers, connected by a mountain known for claiming the lives of the suicidal. After exactly ten years without a new title in the West (other than the 3DS spin-off, Spirit Camera) I am so, so very happy to say that the new title, Maiden of Blackwater, is almost perfect. I played Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly even before Silent Hill or Resident Evil, and while I don’t play the franchise as often, it’s always been the one that scared me the most. The original trilogy on PlayStation 2 and Xbox was one of the franchises that shaped the way I feel about horror and the sorts of games I play. It’s so wonderful to be able to talk about a new Fatal Frame being a Western fan.
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