Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake was a surprise announcement for many fans, mainly because the game had already received a remake before, so another one felt like an odd choice. While the remake is visually impressive, with a shift to the new Katana Engine used by Koei Tecmo, it unfortunately does not do much to improve the overall experience.
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake follows the story of two sisters, Mio and Mayu. The game reminded me of the Korean psychological horror film A Tale of Two Sisters, though it has no real connection to it. The narrative itself is fairly simple, but it can be difficult to follow because of how it is presented. The game opens with the sisters revisiting a stream they remember from their childhood. Mio ends up wandering into the forest while chasing a crimson butterfly. Mayu soon catches up with her, and the two enter a house where they find the Camera Obscura before being chased by hostile spirits.
After escaping the house, they arrive at Minakami Village, which was said to have disappeared during a festival long ago but has now mysteriously reappeared. I was not expecting a completely straightforward story, but the game remains intentionally vague and reveals its plot in small pieces. Most of the major twists are explained through cutscenes, in-game files scattered around as part of the lore, and by photographing ghostly spirits, which sometimes reveal more about the history of certain locations. Brief flashbacks hint that there is more going on than what is immediately shown, and everything eventually ties back to a ritual that somehow connects to both sisters, Mio and Mayu. Their relationship remains a central focus, while the remake also adds new content in the form of side stories and additional locations that give more depth to the supporting characters.
I have always enjoyed survival horror games, but with Fatal Frame, the gameplay can feel a bit unusual if you are not familiar with it. Most of the gameplay and action revolves around the Camera Obscura, which allows the player to take photographs of ghosts they encounter, whether they are hostile or simply remnants of their past life. The basic idea is to aim the camera with the left trigger, wait for the frame to align around the ghost, and then take a shot, which damages them. There are other factors involved as well, such as taking a photo at the right moment while a ghost is attacking to deal more damage, or using different types of film.
The gameplay has been tweaked in the remake with features such as camera zoom and a willpower meter that acts as stamina, allowing the player to sprint or perform special shots. Taking a photo at the right moment can trigger a high-damage attack known as a Fatal Frame shot. A shutter chance can also occur when a ghost is low on health, which can then be combined with a Fatal Frame shot to start a Fatal Time multi-shot burst. There are multiple film types to use, and each serves a different purpose. Some reload faster, while others deal more damage. One of the new mechanics allows Mio to hold Mayu’s hand, which restores both willpower and health for Mayu.
Since I played the game on PC, I was also curious to try it on the Steam Deck. Unfortunately, the current performance is disappointing, with the game struggling to maintain 30 FPS. It is still playable, but I would not recommend it in its current state. I also noticed that the HDR can appear too dark at times, and the in-game HDR settings are somewhat confusing. In the end, I left them at their default values since they did not seem to make much difference. I had to increase the brightness on the Steam Deck OLED screen to properly see the environment, though the game looked fine on a regular OLED TV with HDR enabled. The colors appeared vibrant, and while the film grain effect sometimes hurts image quality, it can be turned off.
While Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake has an interesting story and likeable main characters, the game unfortunately is not as fun to play when it comes to combat. It can be frustrating at times because the ghosts move very fast, the environments are often too tight to move around easily, and the character movement itself is quite slow. This combination can make encounters feel more annoying than tense.
I really liked the upgraded visuals, aside from the minor HDR issues, but the performance also raises some concerns. On my desktop with an RTX 3080, the game could not maintain a steady 60 FPS at all times, even though it should have handled it without any trouble. The game is still playable, but the lack of optimization is disappointing. Cutscenes tend to be the most demanding and can cause frame drops, while linear indoor areas generally run much better than the larger open locations.
I really wanted to enjoy Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake. While I respect that it is a solid visual upgrade, aside from the performance issues, the gameplay can still feel frustrating due to flaws that could have been improved. The story is strong, the cast is likable, and I enjoyed the twists in the narrative that hint at something darker beneath the surface. However, if I had to judge it purely on how scary it is, it honestly is not that frightening. If you are a fan of the series, it is still worth playing as long as you can overlook some of its problems, and I am sure longtime fans will continue to appreciate the unique Camera Obscura gameplay.
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake Game Information
- Price: $49.99
- Publisher: Koei Tecmo
- Developer: Koei Tecmo
- Platform: PC (Reviewed)
- Disclaimer: A review code was given by the publisher
