The Fatal Frame series has always tried to find the right balance between scary moments and action gameplay. The new remake, Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly, still faces this challenge, sometimes creating a truly unsettling atmosphere and other times featuring enemies and combat that feel strangely out of place, like something from an old, forgotten arcade game.
Okay, so I’m a huge fan of the Fatal Frame games, and what really sets them apart is how you fight ghosts – with a camera! It’s so different from other horror games where you’re trying not to look at the scary stuff. Fatal Frame actually makes you face the ghosts head-on, and honestly, it forces you to really see the terrifying details, which is what makes it so effective. It’s a really unique way to experience horror.
Fatal Frame II, first released in 2003, built upon the original game by addressing player feedback. The new remake, Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly, takes things even further by updating the graphics and gameplay, and most notably, moving away from the fixed camera angles of the previous versions to create a more immersive and frightening experience.
Making the Jump to True 3D
Image Via Team Ninja
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake follows sisters Mio and Mayu Minakami. During a visit to the countryside, Mayu is captivated by a red-winged butterfly, leading them to a deserted mountain village.
The brother and sister quickly discover they can’t escape the village. They find pieces of old diaries revealing that others were also unable to leave, always being turned back by the surrounding mist.
The villagers aren’t just stuck – they discover the seemingly deserted place is actually haunted. Spirits roam the streets and have the terrifying ability to steal the life from anyone still living.
Exploring these creepy, run-down buildings, I started getting these weird flashbacks – images of ancient rituals and sacrifices, super disturbing stuff. It felt like I’d actually been there before, which was really unsettling. And everywhere I looked, there were twins… like, twin statues, twin symbols. It quickly hit me that Mayu and I didn’t just stumble into this village by chance; something brought us here, and it’s connected to all this creepy stuff.
The streets are haunted by spirits who can steal the life energy of anyone they encounter.
Okay, so the biggest improvement in the Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly remake? Definitely the graphics. Everything looks amazing – the environments and characters are all updated for modern consoles. But it’s more than just a visual facelift! The original game felt 3D, but still used those old fixed camera angles, like in the early Resident Evil games. You only got free control of the camera when you were actually using the Camera Obscura. This remake gives you a fully 3D experience all the time, which is a huge upgrade!
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake boasts stunning graphics that are a significant improvement over the first game. The switch to a fully 3D camera creates a fresh experience, even for longtime fans of the series, making it worth revisiting.
Pokémon Go or Pokémon Ghosts?
Image Via Team Ninja
Mio was lucky to discover a remarkable weapon hidden in the town’s collection: the Camera Obscura. This antique film camera can not only reveal glimpses of the past, but also possesses a supernatural power that allows her to defeat the undead.
In Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake, you defeat ghosts by taking their pictures. Higher quality photos inflict more damage. You’ll use different types of film like ammunition – some deal more damage, others reload quicker – but film is limited, so you’ll need to find more as you play.
Mio isn’t quite as skilled in combat as Leon Kennedy, but she can still protect herself. She can either run away from enemies or dodge their attacks at the last moment. Both of these actions use up her Willpower, which she replenishes by defeating ghosts. The less Willpower Mio has, the more damage she’ll take from ghosts.
In Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake, you defeat ghosts by taking their pictures.
During our preview of Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake, we found that you often play as Mio by herself. However, there are moments where you need to protect her sister, Mayu, who has a leg injury that slows her down. You control Mayu’s movement by holding a button, and this requires you to balance protecting her with taking pictures of the ghosts.
Arcade Action Vs. Scares
Image Via Team Ninja
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake’s combat involves a few connected systems. When using the Camera Obscura, players are guided by five dots – the more red dots visible, the more damage they’ll inflict. Special shots consume Willpower but offer additional effects, like briefly stunning enemies.
In Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake, timing is key. A light above the camera screen shows where nearby ghosts are and flashes red right before they attack. If you snap a picture when the light flashes red, you’ll block the attack and open the ghost up for a powerful counter-attack.
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake requires a delicate strategy. You weaken ghosts by taking clear photos, but it’s tricky when they’re constantly moving. While using the Camera Obscura, you’re vulnerable and your dodges are a bit slow, leaving you open to attacks that can drain your health.
The game’s combat feels more like an arcade shooter, similar to House of the Dead, which clashes with its intended horror atmosphere. Players are scored on how well they perform, and can use those points to buy health and helpful items when saving their progress. The sound design is also over-the-top – even the Camera Obscura sounds like a weapon from a sci-fi game like Half-Life.
Combat is Slow and Too Reactive to Enemy Movement
Image Via Team Ninja
The main problem with the combat in the Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake is its sluggish pace, particularly during some battles. You feel very reliant on the enemy’s actions, because you need a clear view of them to inflict damage or even briefly stun them.
The game’s combat feels more like an arcade shooter, similar to House of the Dead, which clashes with its intended horror atmosphere, unlike the more psychological approach of Silent Hill.
Honestly, the game looks great, but a lot of the enemies are just so slow to attack! I was fighting this ghost at the end of the demo – a woman who’d drowned – and she just kept kind of… dancing around, not actually doing anything. I seriously thought the game was broken! I was practically pleading with her to attack me, because I couldn’t damage her and I was stuck in the area. It was really frustrating!
Enemies in the game often strike very quickly, which wouldn’t be a problem if they didn’t also move instantly around the battlefield to catch you off guard, then disappear from view. It’s like when you see a cat doing something adorable, try to get your phone out to film it, and then the cat stops being cute – that’s exactly what every enemy does in Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake.
The combat would feel more like a classic arcade game if enemies attacked more directly instead of relying on quick, evasive movements. Right now, Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake feels conflicted – it’s unclear whether it wants to be a truly scary, atmospheric horror game or a more over-the-top, action-packed experience with lots of visual effects.
While some players may enjoy the unsettling atmosphere of Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake, the combat can be irritating. The game requires you to watch ghosts for a long time to understand how to defeat them, and if you don’t, you’ll quickly be defeated. This extended observation actually reduces how frightening the ghosts are.
I’m really loving the setting of the Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake – the world they’ve rebuilt is absolutely gorgeous. I found myself completely hooked on the story and desperate to uncover all the creepy secrets of the village. Honestly, the most terrifying part isn’t the ghosts, it’s the thought of spending another 10 to 15 hours mastering that combat system! It might be a bit too intense for me, but in a good way.
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2026-02-13 04:11