'They sat side by side in forward-facing seats, and her mother settled deep into the seat and fell into a slumber. Nagase tried to look out the window at the night-time landscape along the tracks, but the only thing she could see in the window was her own reflection against the dark background.'
– Kikuko Tsumura, Potosu raimu no fune, 2009 (tr. Kendall Heitzman).
Played with BertKnot, in preparation for my upcoming video essay on the Sumida River and urban watercourses. This game and review evoke situations of suicide, incest and sexual violence in postwar Japan. Reader discretion is advised.
Japanese horror stories have historically been dominated by vengeful spirits (onryō), whose death or tragic circumstances of life cause them to return to haunt the world of the living. Often women, they come to embody the failure of individuals to live up to their moral obligations of respect and altruism (on) to others. The onryō has a special place in this system of obligations, as women are frequently in a subordinate position in the Japanese hierarchy; their revenge is thus associated with an implicit critique of the structural injustice of Japanese society. Female spirits are metaphysical intermediaries between the world of the living and the world of the dead, embodying the faults of the former. It is no coincidence that Japanese horror films have historically been shown during the summer: the Obon festivals, celebrated in August, are considered times when the dead return to family altars to communicate with the living, who must then pay their respects.
Mountains, water and forests: to die among the trees in Japanese fiction
Fatal Frame: Maiden of the Black Water explores common themes in Japanese horror, overlaying them with a Shintō aesthetic in which women are the catalysts for harmony between human civilisation and the natural environment. The player is invited to follow Yuri Kozukata, Ren Hojo and Miu Hinasaki, all three of whom are irresistibly drawn to Mt. Hikami. The site exerts an uncanny attraction, playing on their mental instability. Although Mt. Hikami is a place with traces of urban modernisation, it is best known as a convenient place to commit suicide. The forest in the game is reminiscent of Aokigahara, which is notorious for its high suicide rate. The depiction of Aokigahara is heavily influenced by its description in Seichō Matsumoto's Nami no Tō (1960). Several elements of this detective story have had a major influence on popular culture and beliefs: suicide, steeped in shintō and Buddhist sensibilities, is presented as a positive alternative to real-world suffering [1]. Aokigahara is also described as a place from which no one ever returns.
An epidemiological study of suicide in Aokigahara reveals that people who attempt suicide in this forest do not necessarily do so for religious reasons and are not originally from the region, but admit to wanting to experience a 'pure' death by sharing their last vision with other suicide victims. Remarkably, cases of dissociative amnesia and suicide pacts have also been documented in Aokigahara. For Yoshitomo Takahashi, 'forms of significance attached to suicide in Jukai are symbolic value, imitation, purification of one’s death, reconfirmation of one’s will to commit suicide, sanctuary, the wish to disappear, and the wish to belong' [2]. These socio-cultural phenomena are echoed in Maiden of the Black Water, where the corruption of memory and the desire to rejoin the dead haunt the game's discourse. The more she explores Mt. Hikami, the more vulnerable Yuri becomes to the recollection of her previous suicide attempt, while her ability to see the memories of others builds empathy for those who wish to die on the mountain. Unlike Ren and Miu, who are primarily interested in finding a specific person, Yuri is haunted by the ghosts of a large group of departed souls.
Mt. Hikami's sickly charm is explained by the symbiosis between the ghost of one of the priestesses, whose gaze drives the victim to commit suicide, and the mysterious environment. The dense forest suffocates the player in a gloomy, alienating heat, while the streams, fog and setting sun add to the mystique of the place. A similar depiction can be found in Episode 26 of Mushishi's first season (2005), Kusa o fumu oto, where the mountain is constantly surrounded by fog, the colour of which changes according to the well-being of the region and the Mushi River (kōmyaku) that runs beneath it. Mushishi links the prosperity of the region's inhabitants to the well-being of the mountain; Maiden of Black Water follows suit, making water the symbol of Mt. Hikami's purity. Described as purifying when the rites are properly observed, the water absorbs the memories of its inhabitants and must be constantly cleansed of this corruption (kegare) by women's sacrifices. This cyclicality of human experience – born of water and returning to water – is the primary driving force behind the tragedy, as it is consubstantial with the appearance of curses.
Making and unmaking of the body on Mt. Hikami
Much of postwar Japanese horror is directly concerned with the notion of the body (nikutai) [3], and Maiden of the Black Water instantiates this aspect in a number of ways. The characters' bodies can get wet, making them more vulnerable to ghosts and supernatural phenomena. The rain thus acts as a constant reminder of the corporeality of the protagonists, who cannot escape the contingencies of physical existence. Moreover, Maiden of the Black Water does not hesitate to break and twist bodies in particularly violent ways. The boxes in which the women are placed force them to bend their limbs into uncomfortable positions, as illustrated by the erratic movements of their ghostly forms. The various spirits are disturbingly animated, both in their disquieting immobility and in their sudden motions.
The title manages to convey the circumstances of their death and their regrets through their movement. Each encounter with a ghost instantiates their physical death, contributing to a real sense of malaise. The more action-oriented gameplay of Maiden of the Black Water contributes to this newfound nervousness. The title requires the player to be more mobile and constantly think about the camera angle – with the WiiU version forcing them to move the Gamepad. The horror is no longer so much in the viciousness of the encounters, made easier by the introduction of weak spots and the fact that photographs taken during a Fatal Frame do not consume film, but rather in the depiction of the spirits themselves, which are much more vengeful and aggressive.
Maiden of the Black Water also succeeds in its first half in striking an elegant balance between the introduction of new environments and their repetition. Mt. Hikami uses all the grammar of Japanese gothic horror while blending it with the disturbing grime of urbanisation. The cable car that leads in and out of the forest is used to enclose the horror, suggesting that spiritual experiences can only take place on the mountain. The title, however, subverts this idea by emphasising the physical suffering of the characters, beyond mere nightmares. Even outside Mt. Hikami, the protagonists' bodies are failing, abused by nightmares or numbed by suicidal thoughts. In a way, Maiden of the Black Water is a reminder that the trauma suffered by women leaves indelible marks. Several characters suffer the consequences of sexual violence, while Rui is constantly torn by the weight of gender and social pressures.
New masculinities, femininities and motherhoods in Shinzo Abe's Japan
Ren's representation of ideal Japanese masculinity makes him a disturbing presence: the sections in which he has to defend the shop from ghostly attacks are particularly effective. The appearance of the spirits outside the mountain decisively shatters the idea of a curse confined to Mt. Hikami, while Ren's visits to the rooms where the various teenage girls sleep are bound to cause acute concern. Ren is never voyeuristic, but he serves as a unsettling male avatar, demonstrating that women can never let their guard down around men. Ren highlights both the breakdown of masculinity and the growing social problems in 2010s Japan.
Contemporary Japanese horror is characterised by the dissolution of traditional solidarities in the face of rapid urbanisation. Ada Lovelace argues that recent decades have seen a shift in the representation of the onryō, whose figure is no longer necessarily linked to issues of revenge for violated social norms. The weight of globalisation and Western influences is said to have deconstructed the traditional female monstrosity: 'ghostliness is no longer the figure of anxiety; whether it is the self destructive longing for the abject maternal, or masochistic fetishes for a Westernized woman, women who are not confined to gendered discourse, who are thus monstrous, become the figure of desire' [4]. It seems to me that Maiden of the Black Water mitigates this hypothesis by offering a third neo-traditionalist path.
The suicide pacts of the high school girls, the implication of sexual violence and the incestuous relationships evoke the limits of the social contract in Japanese culture, where the expectations placed on girls are unbearable. The paranormal is precisely one way of highlighting this oppression: the fate of the priestesses illustrates an insupportable philosophy of sacrifice in contemporary Japan – through Shintō rituals – but also the betrayal of the concept of family, as the men fail to live up to the promise they made to the priestesses. The role of Kunihiko Asō and the various men portrayed is particularly telling, as they are both the main causes of the curses of Mt. Hikari, and the people the game chooses to repudiate in its final scenes.
Ikiru
What sets Maiden of the Black Water apart from the other games in the series is its focus on motherhood, guilt and the desire to make amends. Unlike previous titles, the relationship between daughters and mothers – biological or otherwise – is infused with genuine hope. The violence suffered in the past is acknowledged as part of their identity, but the focus is firmly on the future. In the light of the social changes of the 2010s and the new motherhood theorised by Shinzo Abe, the game seems determined to reject the eternal tragedy of the female condition and propose the rebuilding of a family, softening the weight of blood and accepting that a family is not necessarily biological [5]. Maiden of the Black Water reappropriates traditional notions of on to create a new vision of Japanese society with a more peaceful relationship between daughters and mothers. This new representation of motherhood can also be found in recent crime and horror fiction: Paranormasight (2023) is a topical example of this renewed discourse.
The noticeable change in the game's discourse compared to the previous Fatal Frame games gives the series a sense of closure. While it is unclear whether a future project is planned, the absence of a new game for almost ten years supports the idea that Makoto Shibata no longer sees its relevance. It is possible that Maiden of the Black Water was an unintentional way of exorcising the nightmares that plagued his nights and were the source of the various Fatal Frame games. Steeped in the traditionalist aesthetic of Japanese gothic horror, Shibata may have wanted to put an end to the voyeuristic male gaze of female tragedy. This latest title brings to a close the storylines of the series' core characters – Miku Hinasaki finds an answer to her relationship with the world of the living, while Asō is ultimately presented as the cause of all the misfortunes, though he never understood it, being so fixated on himself.
In this newly imagined future, a new Fatal Frame is perhaps unnecessary, as the answers are left to Japanese society itself, whose challenge is to adapt to a modern world and its issues. Maiden of the Black Water is far from a perfect title; less overtly horrific than the first three titles, some chapters suffer from a certain slowness and excessive ghost encounters, while some narrative threads are abandoned too early as the title tries to evoke too many different themes. Nevertheless, the game is carried by a constant flame that begs not to let go of life and not to surrender one's individuality to the pessimism of traditional rituals. Yuri's last tears are filled with sincere empathy; Shibata's voice, mixed with those of Asō and Ren, disappears in favour of an optimistic sisterhood. After thirteen years of suffering, this is perhaps the best way to end Fatal Frame.
__________
[1] Roxanne Russell, 'Views of suicide in modern Japanese literature: a positive portrayal in Nami No Tou', in Southeast Review of Asian Studies, vol. 28, 2006, pp. 199-201.
[2] Yoshimoto Takahashi, 'Aokigahara-jukai: Suicide and Amnesia in Mt. Fuji’s Black Forest', in Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, vol. 18, no. 2, 1988, pp. 174.
[3] This centrality of the body can be explained by a number of factors. In particular, the atomic bombs are seen as a direct attack on the idealised body (kokutai) of the Japanese nation, while the American occupation has been compared to the sexual violence suffered by prostitutes. On corporeality in Japanese art, see, for example, Fusako Innami, 'The Flesh, Subject, Embodiment in Postwar Japan: Through Nikutai and Gutai', in Gérard Siary, Toshio Takemoto, Victor Vuilleumier, Yinde Zhang (ed.), Le corps dans les littératures modernes d’Asie orientale : discours, représentation, intermédialité, Collège de France, Paris, 2022 ; Ayako Saito, 'Occupation and Memory: The Representation of Woman's Body in Postwar Japanese Cinema', in Daisuke Miyao (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Japanese Cinema, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2014, pp. 327-362.
[4] Ada Lovelace, 'Ghostly and Monstrous Manifestations of Women: Edo to Contemporary', in The Irish Journal of Gothic and Horror Studies, vol. 5, 2008, p. 41.
[5] The game is neo-traditionalist in that it promotes a familial ideal in line with Japan's new political agenda; it should be contrasted with feminist authors such as Sayaka Murata, whose work is characterised by a radical rejection of the traditional family and a defence of asexuality. Although Chikyū seijin (2018) makes no value judgements, it describes the complete dissolution of interpersonal relationships to the point of total social isolation, a sign of the tragedy of women's condition.
– Kikuko Tsumura, Potosu raimu no fune, 2009 (tr. Kendall Heitzman).
Played with BertKnot, in preparation for my upcoming video essay on the Sumida River and urban watercourses. This game and review evoke situations of suicide, incest and sexual violence in postwar Japan. Reader discretion is advised.
Japanese horror stories have historically been dominated by vengeful spirits (onryō), whose death or tragic circumstances of life cause them to return to haunt the world of the living. Often women, they come to embody the failure of individuals to live up to their moral obligations of respect and altruism (on) to others. The onryō has a special place in this system of obligations, as women are frequently in a subordinate position in the Japanese hierarchy; their revenge is thus associated with an implicit critique of the structural injustice of Japanese society. Female spirits are metaphysical intermediaries between the world of the living and the world of the dead, embodying the faults of the former. It is no coincidence that Japanese horror films have historically been shown during the summer: the Obon festivals, celebrated in August, are considered times when the dead return to family altars to communicate with the living, who must then pay their respects.
Mountains, water and forests: to die among the trees in Japanese fiction
Fatal Frame: Maiden of the Black Water explores common themes in Japanese horror, overlaying them with a Shintō aesthetic in which women are the catalysts for harmony between human civilisation and the natural environment. The player is invited to follow Yuri Kozukata, Ren Hojo and Miu Hinasaki, all three of whom are irresistibly drawn to Mt. Hikami. The site exerts an uncanny attraction, playing on their mental instability. Although Mt. Hikami is a place with traces of urban modernisation, it is best known as a convenient place to commit suicide. The forest in the game is reminiscent of Aokigahara, which is notorious for its high suicide rate. The depiction of Aokigahara is heavily influenced by its description in Seichō Matsumoto's Nami no Tō (1960). Several elements of this detective story have had a major influence on popular culture and beliefs: suicide, steeped in shintō and Buddhist sensibilities, is presented as a positive alternative to real-world suffering [1]. Aokigahara is also described as a place from which no one ever returns.
An epidemiological study of suicide in Aokigahara reveals that people who attempt suicide in this forest do not necessarily do so for religious reasons and are not originally from the region, but admit to wanting to experience a 'pure' death by sharing their last vision with other suicide victims. Remarkably, cases of dissociative amnesia and suicide pacts have also been documented in Aokigahara. For Yoshitomo Takahashi, 'forms of significance attached to suicide in Jukai are symbolic value, imitation, purification of one’s death, reconfirmation of one’s will to commit suicide, sanctuary, the wish to disappear, and the wish to belong' [2]. These socio-cultural phenomena are echoed in Maiden of the Black Water, where the corruption of memory and the desire to rejoin the dead haunt the game's discourse. The more she explores Mt. Hikami, the more vulnerable Yuri becomes to the recollection of her previous suicide attempt, while her ability to see the memories of others builds empathy for those who wish to die on the mountain. Unlike Ren and Miu, who are primarily interested in finding a specific person, Yuri is haunted by the ghosts of a large group of departed souls.
Mt. Hikami's sickly charm is explained by the symbiosis between the ghost of one of the priestesses, whose gaze drives the victim to commit suicide, and the mysterious environment. The dense forest suffocates the player in a gloomy, alienating heat, while the streams, fog and setting sun add to the mystique of the place. A similar depiction can be found in Episode 26 of Mushishi's first season (2005), Kusa o fumu oto, where the mountain is constantly surrounded by fog, the colour of which changes according to the well-being of the region and the Mushi River (kōmyaku) that runs beneath it. Mushishi links the prosperity of the region's inhabitants to the well-being of the mountain; Maiden of Black Water follows suit, making water the symbol of Mt. Hikami's purity. Described as purifying when the rites are properly observed, the water absorbs the memories of its inhabitants and must be constantly cleansed of this corruption (kegare) by women's sacrifices. This cyclicality of human experience – born of water and returning to water – is the primary driving force behind the tragedy, as it is consubstantial with the appearance of curses.
Making and unmaking of the body on Mt. Hikami
Much of postwar Japanese horror is directly concerned with the notion of the body (nikutai) [3], and Maiden of the Black Water instantiates this aspect in a number of ways. The characters' bodies can get wet, making them more vulnerable to ghosts and supernatural phenomena. The rain thus acts as a constant reminder of the corporeality of the protagonists, who cannot escape the contingencies of physical existence. Moreover, Maiden of the Black Water does not hesitate to break and twist bodies in particularly violent ways. The boxes in which the women are placed force them to bend their limbs into uncomfortable positions, as illustrated by the erratic movements of their ghostly forms. The various spirits are disturbingly animated, both in their disquieting immobility and in their sudden motions.
The title manages to convey the circumstances of their death and their regrets through their movement. Each encounter with a ghost instantiates their physical death, contributing to a real sense of malaise. The more action-oriented gameplay of Maiden of the Black Water contributes to this newfound nervousness. The title requires the player to be more mobile and constantly think about the camera angle – with the WiiU version forcing them to move the Gamepad. The horror is no longer so much in the viciousness of the encounters, made easier by the introduction of weak spots and the fact that photographs taken during a Fatal Frame do not consume film, but rather in the depiction of the spirits themselves, which are much more vengeful and aggressive.
Maiden of the Black Water also succeeds in its first half in striking an elegant balance between the introduction of new environments and their repetition. Mt. Hikami uses all the grammar of Japanese gothic horror while blending it with the disturbing grime of urbanisation. The cable car that leads in and out of the forest is used to enclose the horror, suggesting that spiritual experiences can only take place on the mountain. The title, however, subverts this idea by emphasising the physical suffering of the characters, beyond mere nightmares. Even outside Mt. Hikami, the protagonists' bodies are failing, abused by nightmares or numbed by suicidal thoughts. In a way, Maiden of the Black Water is a reminder that the trauma suffered by women leaves indelible marks. Several characters suffer the consequences of sexual violence, while Rui is constantly torn by the weight of gender and social pressures.
New masculinities, femininities and motherhoods in Shinzo Abe's Japan
Ren's representation of ideal Japanese masculinity makes him a disturbing presence: the sections in which he has to defend the shop from ghostly attacks are particularly effective. The appearance of the spirits outside the mountain decisively shatters the idea of a curse confined to Mt. Hikami, while Ren's visits to the rooms where the various teenage girls sleep are bound to cause acute concern. Ren is never voyeuristic, but he serves as a unsettling male avatar, demonstrating that women can never let their guard down around men. Ren highlights both the breakdown of masculinity and the growing social problems in 2010s Japan.
Contemporary Japanese horror is characterised by the dissolution of traditional solidarities in the face of rapid urbanisation. Ada Lovelace argues that recent decades have seen a shift in the representation of the onryō, whose figure is no longer necessarily linked to issues of revenge for violated social norms. The weight of globalisation and Western influences is said to have deconstructed the traditional female monstrosity: 'ghostliness is no longer the figure of anxiety; whether it is the self destructive longing for the abject maternal, or masochistic fetishes for a Westernized woman, women who are not confined to gendered discourse, who are thus monstrous, become the figure of desire' [4]. It seems to me that Maiden of the Black Water mitigates this hypothesis by offering a third neo-traditionalist path.
The suicide pacts of the high school girls, the implication of sexual violence and the incestuous relationships evoke the limits of the social contract in Japanese culture, where the expectations placed on girls are unbearable. The paranormal is precisely one way of highlighting this oppression: the fate of the priestesses illustrates an insupportable philosophy of sacrifice in contemporary Japan – through Shintō rituals – but also the betrayal of the concept of family, as the men fail to live up to the promise they made to the priestesses. The role of Kunihiko Asō and the various men portrayed is particularly telling, as they are both the main causes of the curses of Mt. Hikari, and the people the game chooses to repudiate in its final scenes.
Ikiru
What sets Maiden of the Black Water apart from the other games in the series is its focus on motherhood, guilt and the desire to make amends. Unlike previous titles, the relationship between daughters and mothers – biological or otherwise – is infused with genuine hope. The violence suffered in the past is acknowledged as part of their identity, but the focus is firmly on the future. In the light of the social changes of the 2010s and the new motherhood theorised by Shinzo Abe, the game seems determined to reject the eternal tragedy of the female condition and propose the rebuilding of a family, softening the weight of blood and accepting that a family is not necessarily biological [5]. Maiden of the Black Water reappropriates traditional notions of on to create a new vision of Japanese society with a more peaceful relationship between daughters and mothers. This new representation of motherhood can also be found in recent crime and horror fiction: Paranormasight (2023) is a topical example of this renewed discourse.
The noticeable change in the game's discourse compared to the previous Fatal Frame games gives the series a sense of closure. While it is unclear whether a future project is planned, the absence of a new game for almost ten years supports the idea that Makoto Shibata no longer sees its relevance. It is possible that Maiden of the Black Water was an unintentional way of exorcising the nightmares that plagued his nights and were the source of the various Fatal Frame games. Steeped in the traditionalist aesthetic of Japanese gothic horror, Shibata may have wanted to put an end to the voyeuristic male gaze of female tragedy. This latest title brings to a close the storylines of the series' core characters – Miku Hinasaki finds an answer to her relationship with the world of the living, while Asō is ultimately presented as the cause of all the misfortunes, though he never understood it, being so fixated on himself.
In this newly imagined future, a new Fatal Frame is perhaps unnecessary, as the answers are left to Japanese society itself, whose challenge is to adapt to a modern world and its issues. Maiden of the Black Water is far from a perfect title; less overtly horrific than the first three titles, some chapters suffer from a certain slowness and excessive ghost encounters, while some narrative threads are abandoned too early as the title tries to evoke too many different themes. Nevertheless, the game is carried by a constant flame that begs not to let go of life and not to surrender one's individuality to the pessimism of traditional rituals. Yuri's last tears are filled with sincere empathy; Shibata's voice, mixed with those of Asō and Ren, disappears in favour of an optimistic sisterhood. After thirteen years of suffering, this is perhaps the best way to end Fatal Frame.
__________
[1] Roxanne Russell, 'Views of suicide in modern Japanese literature: a positive portrayal in Nami No Tou', in Southeast Review of Asian Studies, vol. 28, 2006, pp. 199-201.
[2] Yoshimoto Takahashi, 'Aokigahara-jukai: Suicide and Amnesia in Mt. Fuji’s Black Forest', in Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, vol. 18, no. 2, 1988, pp. 174.
[3] This centrality of the body can be explained by a number of factors. In particular, the atomic bombs are seen as a direct attack on the idealised body (kokutai) of the Japanese nation, while the American occupation has been compared to the sexual violence suffered by prostitutes. On corporeality in Japanese art, see, for example, Fusako Innami, 'The Flesh, Subject, Embodiment in Postwar Japan: Through Nikutai and Gutai', in Gérard Siary, Toshio Takemoto, Victor Vuilleumier, Yinde Zhang (ed.), Le corps dans les littératures modernes d’Asie orientale : discours, représentation, intermédialité, Collège de France, Paris, 2022 ; Ayako Saito, 'Occupation and Memory: The Representation of Woman's Body in Postwar Japanese Cinema', in Daisuke Miyao (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Japanese Cinema, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2014, pp. 327-362.
[4] Ada Lovelace, 'Ghostly and Monstrous Manifestations of Women: Edo to Contemporary', in The Irish Journal of Gothic and Horror Studies, vol. 5, 2008, p. 41.
[5] The game is neo-traditionalist in that it promotes a familial ideal in line with Japan's new political agenda; it should be contrasted with feminist authors such as Sayaka Murata, whose work is characterised by a radical rejection of the traditional family and a defence of asexuality. Although Chikyū seijin (2018) makes no value judgements, it describes the complete dissolution of interpersonal relationships to the point of total social isolation, a sign of the tragedy of women's condition.
Fucking fascinating.
Fatal Frame exists in such a specific place in horror game spheres. A little too well-known for a lot of niche fans to rally for it, too obscure to really keep the franchise profitable. A game where you see messages like “Nice shot! 500 points!” in the middle of some of the most terrifying visuals in fiction. And more than anything, it's a horror franchise with a specifically feminine focus. The central protagonists are always young girls, trapped in a bizarre hellscape of unforgiving rules and monsters that can be conversed with but never appeased. Returning home is only a temporary reprieve. The spirits have their sights on you and they’re ready to take you back.
The reputation I understood of Maiden of Black Water is “the horny one.” And that’s certainly true. There’s a noticeable jiggle to how the girls move now that wasn’t present in previous entries. Unlockable outfits include bikinis and track suits (with American WiiU version replacing some costumes with Zero Suit Samus or Zelda). And much of these mechanics connect to the Wetness Gauge, which is the real title. The wetter your character gets, the greater danger you face. Ghosts respawn faster, spectral hands interrupt item pick-ups, and the outfits become easier to see-through.
It's weird. It's uncomfortable. But it's also stupid. And it's easier to laugh at stupid than truly offended. My partner and I spent a solid hour in Snap Mode just rotating protagonists around to see how elaborate these physics got. And when you spend enough time laughing at something, you kinda can’t help but get endeared to it.
And then somewhere along the way, you start to notice the genuinely high quality work.
Characters have always been very demure in the Fatal Frame games, which is still true. But they also interact with each other to a far greater degree than before. There’s less isolation. Characters are exchanging information, covering each other’s weaknesses, keeping watch. And there’s a sense that they’re putting together information in a way that previous Frames generally left to the players alone. Don’t get me wrong, I adore the previous protagonists too! But it feels like I have to do less work to find their internal identity. Although maybe that’s a broader issue of how fandom engages with female characters. Audiences always perceive depth in male characters that they aren’t willing to do for female characters.
The sacrifice is that the ghosts both do and don’t get more focus. An incredible new feature is the “Fatal Glance” mechanic. By taking a very precise photo related to the ghost’s death, you get an opportunity to experience a vision of their demise. It requires careful targeting and focus, and it also requires you to touch the ghost personally as they play out their death animation. Keeping the ghost alive enough to take the right photo and then positioning them in the right position to make sure they don’t die off the map. It provides a solid motivation to fill out the complete ghost list, to uncover all the different tragic circumstances behind their current state.
At the same time, so much effort was put into this new mechanic that some of the other aspects of a ghost’s life sort of fell to the wayside. Journals and diaries no longer have the same personal touch. They’re rote explanations of rituals from academics. There’s not a lot of personal interpretations or micro-stories. Just explaining the Lore and its mechanics. Fatal Frame 5 is a more character focused story, but it often comes at the expense of the identity of the ghosts themselves. I understand their roles within the Mt. Hikami rituals, but their relationships with each other is much harder to pin down. The ending gives both the ghosts and the living a lot of emotional catharsis, but there’s not a lot of information conveyed before that catharsis lands.
Yet this is easier to forgive when the gameplay feels so good. The existing photo mechanics get a special bonus: getting a Fatal Frame (which allows for rapid-fire photos to be taken) now means only the first of your film gets used up. As a result, a lucky shot with one of the more expensive film types can do massive chunks of damage with very little cost. There’s a certain loss of challenge and resource building, but the pure satisfaction can’t be denied.
On top of all that, many of the little experiments the game makes are fantastic additions. Chapters 8 and 13 switch the normal exploration playstyle into a sort of Five Nights at Freddy’s/tower defense game. You’re placed in front of a security system, reviewing the feeds while watching over the heroes. As ghosts invade your home base, your responsibility is to fend them off and protect the cast from these outside threats. It’s a sudden burst of variety that jolts some life into the expected state of play.
The rotating cast of characters also help revitalize revisiting areas. Characters experience different ghosts in the same areas, altering the kind of relationship a protagonist has with a space. Yuri strolling through the Shrine of the Dolls is defined by the search for her friend and how the Shrine’s ghosts are harming said friend. Ren’s journey through the same Shrine is defined more by how much the Shrine ghosts want to capture Ren. People pursuing or avoiding different problems. It shouldn’t make such a profound distinction, but it works.
Above all else, the game is just charming. The flaws make a warmer package in a bizarre way. It's not going to the top of the Fatal Frame ranking by a long shot. But it's easily the most pure fun the games have ever been. Hard to get mad at that.
Fatal Frame exists in such a specific place in horror game spheres. A little too well-known for a lot of niche fans to rally for it, too obscure to really keep the franchise profitable. A game where you see messages like “Nice shot! 500 points!” in the middle of some of the most terrifying visuals in fiction. And more than anything, it's a horror franchise with a specifically feminine focus. The central protagonists are always young girls, trapped in a bizarre hellscape of unforgiving rules and monsters that can be conversed with but never appeased. Returning home is only a temporary reprieve. The spirits have their sights on you and they’re ready to take you back.
The reputation I understood of Maiden of Black Water is “the horny one.” And that’s certainly true. There’s a noticeable jiggle to how the girls move now that wasn’t present in previous entries. Unlockable outfits include bikinis and track suits (with American WiiU version replacing some costumes with Zero Suit Samus or Zelda). And much of these mechanics connect to the Wetness Gauge, which is the real title. The wetter your character gets, the greater danger you face. Ghosts respawn faster, spectral hands interrupt item pick-ups, and the outfits become easier to see-through.
It's weird. It's uncomfortable. But it's also stupid. And it's easier to laugh at stupid than truly offended. My partner and I spent a solid hour in Snap Mode just rotating protagonists around to see how elaborate these physics got. And when you spend enough time laughing at something, you kinda can’t help but get endeared to it.
And then somewhere along the way, you start to notice the genuinely high quality work.
Characters have always been very demure in the Fatal Frame games, which is still true. But they also interact with each other to a far greater degree than before. There’s less isolation. Characters are exchanging information, covering each other’s weaknesses, keeping watch. And there’s a sense that they’re putting together information in a way that previous Frames generally left to the players alone. Don’t get me wrong, I adore the previous protagonists too! But it feels like I have to do less work to find their internal identity. Although maybe that’s a broader issue of how fandom engages with female characters. Audiences always perceive depth in male characters that they aren’t willing to do for female characters.
The sacrifice is that the ghosts both do and don’t get more focus. An incredible new feature is the “Fatal Glance” mechanic. By taking a very precise photo related to the ghost’s death, you get an opportunity to experience a vision of their demise. It requires careful targeting and focus, and it also requires you to touch the ghost personally as they play out their death animation. Keeping the ghost alive enough to take the right photo and then positioning them in the right position to make sure they don’t die off the map. It provides a solid motivation to fill out the complete ghost list, to uncover all the different tragic circumstances behind their current state.
At the same time, so much effort was put into this new mechanic that some of the other aspects of a ghost’s life sort of fell to the wayside. Journals and diaries no longer have the same personal touch. They’re rote explanations of rituals from academics. There’s not a lot of personal interpretations or micro-stories. Just explaining the Lore and its mechanics. Fatal Frame 5 is a more character focused story, but it often comes at the expense of the identity of the ghosts themselves. I understand their roles within the Mt. Hikami rituals, but their relationships with each other is much harder to pin down. The ending gives both the ghosts and the living a lot of emotional catharsis, but there’s not a lot of information conveyed before that catharsis lands.
Yet this is easier to forgive when the gameplay feels so good. The existing photo mechanics get a special bonus: getting a Fatal Frame (which allows for rapid-fire photos to be taken) now means only the first of your film gets used up. As a result, a lucky shot with one of the more expensive film types can do massive chunks of damage with very little cost. There’s a certain loss of challenge and resource building, but the pure satisfaction can’t be denied.
On top of all that, many of the little experiments the game makes are fantastic additions. Chapters 8 and 13 switch the normal exploration playstyle into a sort of Five Nights at Freddy’s/tower defense game. You’re placed in front of a security system, reviewing the feeds while watching over the heroes. As ghosts invade your home base, your responsibility is to fend them off and protect the cast from these outside threats. It’s a sudden burst of variety that jolts some life into the expected state of play.
The rotating cast of characters also help revitalize revisiting areas. Characters experience different ghosts in the same areas, altering the kind of relationship a protagonist has with a space. Yuri strolling through the Shrine of the Dolls is defined by the search for her friend and how the Shrine’s ghosts are harming said friend. Ren’s journey through the same Shrine is defined more by how much the Shrine ghosts want to capture Ren. People pursuing or avoiding different problems. It shouldn’t make such a profound distinction, but it works.
Above all else, the game is just charming. The flaws make a warmer package in a bizarre way. It's not going to the top of the Fatal Frame ranking by a long shot. But it's easily the most pure fun the games have ever been. Hard to get mad at that.
TL;DR
I have quite a few issues with the clunky movement and a few of the gimmicks introduced; but for the most part it's quite a solid horror experience still. I would still easily consider this the "worst" game in the Fatal Frame series. However, seeing how it's mostly detached from the rest of the games' stories, this is actually a decent starting point. If this is your first Fatal Frame game, then things only go up from here.
Details:
Fatal Frame 5 is mostly pretty ok. There were quite a few really well-done, really unnerving sections. My first time visiting the Shrine of Dolls and Womb Cavern were incredibly spooky. Also the Unfathomable Forest is always suitably dark, oppressive, and unpredictable; it's a great setting. The sound design is pretty good, and it really elevates this game.
Unfortunately, the characters were all....REALLY uninteresting. I really had no personal or emotional investment in any of the characters except for Miu since her mom is Miku, the character from the first game. However, I did really enjoy the backstory of what happened on the mountain and the rituals that the villagers practiced, setting all this in motion. Piecing together the horrible things that happened has always been one of my favorite aspects of these games.
The gameplay was pretty serviceable. If you've played a Fatal Frame game, you basically know what to expect at this point, aside from the few new things. The general combat and encounters felt pretty good to play and were often tense. Just make sure if you're using a controller, to turn up that camera sensitivity (in-game AND Camera Obscura) a fair bit.
Unfortunately, the movement controls feel incredibly clunky, way clunkier than I remember the other games' movement feeling. There's a few short instances where the Maiden of Black Water will chase you, and if you touch her then it's an immediate game over and you have to restart the chase sequence. The first time it wasn't bad because she was almost always behind you. However, the second time this happens, she teleports AHEAD of you, and with the very clunky movement controls, you will find yourself running into her instead of deftly sidestepping like you feel like you should've. However, despite the clunky movement controls, doing a dodge always feels quite reliable, I assume it gives you a good handful of i-frames or something because this game runs at like 25-30 FPS on Switch.
Furthermore, opening doors is so fucking slow and drawn out. This is done for the sake of suspense, but they only ever actually capitalize on it ONCE and it's not until way late into the game. There's also the item pick-up gimmick where a disembodied ghost-hand can grab you, but it got old after the third or fourth time. Every time after that, it was just a nuisance.
Also if you accidentally find yourself backed into a corner by 3+ ghosts, get ready to get stun-locked for a good 30 seconds or so. This happened to me only twice, but god was it frustrating. One time I kept getting chain-grabbed. I'd get grabbed, do a counter-shot, and IMMEDIATELY get grabbed by another ghost that was on-top of me.
I will say though that the Spirit Photography of "bonus" ghosts was a huge highlight for me, like in the other games. Sometimes NOT having something to fight is scarier; seeing something watching you, passing you by, or even leading you some place is better horror than another ghost ambush. They really help build the creepy atmosphere wherever you are and are a constant reminder that no matter how alone you seem to be, you're actually not alone, and that's way scarier in this case. The "Fatal Glance" mechanic was also neat too. Getting a few vague tidbits of lore via a grainy VHS cutscene from touching a defeated enemy is really good & spooky.
Another complaint: this game's camera upgrade system REEKS compared to the first three games. Everything costs so many more points to upgrade, and you have TWO cameras to upgrade this time around on top of that. I know this is mostly to encourage replaying the missions on Nightmare difficulty, but honestly I do not want to fuck with that, and it kinda hurts the overall feeling of progress in terms of camera strength.
Last thing: the Ayane DLC missions were kinda boring. It's a damned good thing there's only four of her missions and that they're as short as they are. Her magic flashlight gimmick and the """stealth""" would not have lasted beyond another mission or two because of how half-baked and boring it feels. KT forcing Fatal Frame to share a universe with Nioh/Ninja Gaiden/DOA seems kind of unnecessary. Ayane's hot though I guess, so there's that?
Edit According to the Fatal Frame wiki, in a Siliconera interview, this DLC with Ayane was added at Nintendo's behest. So for some reason, Nintendo really wanted DOA representation in Fatal Frame?
I have quite a few issues with the clunky movement and a few of the gimmicks introduced; but for the most part it's quite a solid horror experience still. I would still easily consider this the "worst" game in the Fatal Frame series. However, seeing how it's mostly detached from the rest of the games' stories, this is actually a decent starting point. If this is your first Fatal Frame game, then things only go up from here.
Details:
Fatal Frame 5 is mostly pretty ok. There were quite a few really well-done, really unnerving sections. My first time visiting the Shrine of Dolls and Womb Cavern were incredibly spooky. Also the Unfathomable Forest is always suitably dark, oppressive, and unpredictable; it's a great setting. The sound design is pretty good, and it really elevates this game.
Unfortunately, the characters were all....REALLY uninteresting. I really had no personal or emotional investment in any of the characters except for Miu since her mom is Miku, the character from the first game. However, I did really enjoy the backstory of what happened on the mountain and the rituals that the villagers practiced, setting all this in motion. Piecing together the horrible things that happened has always been one of my favorite aspects of these games.
The gameplay was pretty serviceable. If you've played a Fatal Frame game, you basically know what to expect at this point, aside from the few new things. The general combat and encounters felt pretty good to play and were often tense. Just make sure if you're using a controller, to turn up that camera sensitivity (in-game AND Camera Obscura) a fair bit.
Unfortunately, the movement controls feel incredibly clunky, way clunkier than I remember the other games' movement feeling. There's a few short instances where the Maiden of Black Water will chase you, and if you touch her then it's an immediate game over and you have to restart the chase sequence. The first time it wasn't bad because she was almost always behind you. However, the second time this happens, she teleports AHEAD of you, and with the very clunky movement controls, you will find yourself running into her instead of deftly sidestepping like you feel like you should've. However, despite the clunky movement controls, doing a dodge always feels quite reliable, I assume it gives you a good handful of i-frames or something because this game runs at like 25-30 FPS on Switch.
Furthermore, opening doors is so fucking slow and drawn out. This is done for the sake of suspense, but they only ever actually capitalize on it ONCE and it's not until way late into the game. There's also the item pick-up gimmick where a disembodied ghost-hand can grab you, but it got old after the third or fourth time. Every time after that, it was just a nuisance.
Also if you accidentally find yourself backed into a corner by 3+ ghosts, get ready to get stun-locked for a good 30 seconds or so. This happened to me only twice, but god was it frustrating. One time I kept getting chain-grabbed. I'd get grabbed, do a counter-shot, and IMMEDIATELY get grabbed by another ghost that was on-top of me.
I will say though that the Spirit Photography of "bonus" ghosts was a huge highlight for me, like in the other games. Sometimes NOT having something to fight is scarier; seeing something watching you, passing you by, or even leading you some place is better horror than another ghost ambush. They really help build the creepy atmosphere wherever you are and are a constant reminder that no matter how alone you seem to be, you're actually not alone, and that's way scarier in this case. The "Fatal Glance" mechanic was also neat too. Getting a few vague tidbits of lore via a grainy VHS cutscene from touching a defeated enemy is really good & spooky.
Another complaint: this game's camera upgrade system REEKS compared to the first three games. Everything costs so many more points to upgrade, and you have TWO cameras to upgrade this time around on top of that. I know this is mostly to encourage replaying the missions on Nightmare difficulty, but honestly I do not want to fuck with that, and it kinda hurts the overall feeling of progress in terms of camera strength.
Last thing: the Ayane DLC missions were kinda boring. It's a damned good thing there's only four of her missions and that they're as short as they are. Her magic flashlight gimmick and the """stealth""" would not have lasted beyond another mission or two because of how half-baked and boring it feels. KT forcing Fatal Frame to share a universe with Nioh/Ninja Gaiden/DOA seems kind of unnecessary. Ayane's hot though I guess, so there's that?
Edit According to the Fatal Frame wiki, in a Siliconera interview, this DLC with Ayane was added at Nintendo's behest. So for some reason, Nintendo really wanted DOA representation in Fatal Frame?
of the many mid fatal frame games this is probably the most interesting since it’s deliberately taking from the book (and by extension the genuinely amazing movie adaptation of it) — they even got eiji otsuka as a story advisor on this one. still manages to feel totally flat by the end like most of these. can’t recommend the movie enough, which approaches most of the interesting ideas here with much more depth and feeling
Uma parada que mais aprecio na série Fatal Frame é como todo o misticismo e espiritualismo por trás é articulado de uma forma tão complexa, a ponto de ser tão atraente e imersivo, como se estivéssemos estudando e compreendendo algum tipo de sociedade antepassada, cujo os seus ritos foram com o tempo se transformando em costumes e brincadeiras. Agrega-se isso ao tema de morte tão essencial para a franquia, que vai se desdobrando em cada jogo num tema específico, como o luto no terceiro jogo. No caso do quinto jogo da série, Maiden of Black Water, o suicídio vai ser o cerne da experiência, trazendo desde questões pessoais até uma perspectiva mais religiosa e simbólica (no caso japonesa) por trás do suicídio.
É muito complicado quando uma obra aborda temas sensíveis como suicídio, são assuntos delicados e que, dependendo do desenvolvimento, podem trazer por vezes uma interpretação bem problemática (só olhar para a merda que é Platinum End). Dito isso acho que Fatal Frame V sabe lidar de certa forma com o tema, abordando como a sensação de pertencimento, de união, e, consequentemente, de conforto são essenciais e podem ajudar as pessoas a passar por momentos mais delicados da vida. Há toda essa construção empática com os arcos dos personagens e o sistema de Glance ao longo do jogo. Não há tanto essa perspectiva mais maniqueísta e objetiva de bem e mal, mas uma espécie de relativismo que desagua na seguinte reflexão: “pessoas são complicadas”. Isso é algo que os antecessores da série abordam. Entretanto, aqui é muito mais forte e bem mais presente. Contudo, na medida em que toda essa questão da união é construída, o jogo se torna bem mórbido quando se trata da solidão, aqui mais especificamente na questão do luto, tema que como comentado antes já foi abordado no terceiro jogo. É recorrente essa ideia de que é melhor morrer junto com aquilo que você ama do que morrer solitário. Isso fico bem notório em alguns momentos de relação entre os personagens e no ritual do “Ghost Marriage”, no qual o que torna o “Pilar” forte é o noivo que vai ser soterrado junto. Como eu disse antes a maneira como se aborda um assunto delicado pode trazer interpretações bem problemáticas, e esse conflito bem mórbido da união e da solidão, bem... acho que nem preciso explicar. Porém entretanto deveras contudo E todavia, ai longo do jogo e, principalmente, no final (dependendo de qual pegou né) consegue trazer uma boa resolução para tal conflito, sem necessariamente ficar muito ambíguo, mostrando que nunca de fato estamos sozinhos, sempre vai haver alguém para nos confortar e dar força, e que é melhor viver com aquilo que ama do que o contrário.
Fatal Frame V é um jogo mórbido e delicado ao mesmo tempo, contêm uma direção de arte espetacular, cada cenário é bem construído e estupidamente muito belo (e imersivo a ponto de se cagar para um caralho), e, surpreendentemente, não é um jogo tão horny como as pessoas falam, a menos que, sei lá, você simplesmente aumenta em 200% os peitos das minas.
Em conclusão, os caras realmente fizeram um puta trabalho na parte das roupas molhadas, tô nem zoando, sem machismo ou coisa do tipo, puta merda, depois falam que jogo não é arte.
É muito complicado quando uma obra aborda temas sensíveis como suicídio, são assuntos delicados e que, dependendo do desenvolvimento, podem trazer por vezes uma interpretação bem problemática (só olhar para a merda que é Platinum End). Dito isso acho que Fatal Frame V sabe lidar de certa forma com o tema, abordando como a sensação de pertencimento, de união, e, consequentemente, de conforto são essenciais e podem ajudar as pessoas a passar por momentos mais delicados da vida. Há toda essa construção empática com os arcos dos personagens e o sistema de Glance ao longo do jogo. Não há tanto essa perspectiva mais maniqueísta e objetiva de bem e mal, mas uma espécie de relativismo que desagua na seguinte reflexão: “pessoas são complicadas”. Isso é algo que os antecessores da série abordam. Entretanto, aqui é muito mais forte e bem mais presente. Contudo, na medida em que toda essa questão da união é construída, o jogo se torna bem mórbido quando se trata da solidão, aqui mais especificamente na questão do luto, tema que como comentado antes já foi abordado no terceiro jogo. É recorrente essa ideia de que é melhor morrer junto com aquilo que você ama do que morrer solitário. Isso fico bem notório em alguns momentos de relação entre os personagens e no ritual do “Ghost Marriage”, no qual o que torna o “Pilar” forte é o noivo que vai ser soterrado junto. Como eu disse antes a maneira como se aborda um assunto delicado pode trazer interpretações bem problemáticas, e esse conflito bem mórbido da união e da solidão, bem... acho que nem preciso explicar. Porém entretanto deveras contudo E todavia, ai longo do jogo e, principalmente, no final (dependendo de qual pegou né) consegue trazer uma boa resolução para tal conflito, sem necessariamente ficar muito ambíguo, mostrando que nunca de fato estamos sozinhos, sempre vai haver alguém para nos confortar e dar força, e que é melhor viver com aquilo que ama do que o contrário.
Fatal Frame V é um jogo mórbido e delicado ao mesmo tempo, contêm uma direção de arte espetacular, cada cenário é bem construído e estupidamente muito belo (e imersivo a ponto de se cagar para um caralho), e, surpreendentemente, não é um jogo tão horny como as pessoas falam, a menos que, sei lá, você simplesmente aumenta em 200% os peitos das minas.
Em conclusão, os caras realmente fizeram um puta trabalho na parte das roupas molhadas, tô nem zoando, sem machismo ou coisa do tipo, puta merda, depois falam que jogo não é arte.
This is the definition of an average game i think.
Uninteresting exploration (the game guides you everywhere never letting you go). It might be good for some but it wasn't for me, there's not a lot you gain from not following a linear path the game chose for you.
So many recycled enemies, i swear i've taken 1000 photos of the same tall maiden.
Coupled with a very uninteresting story i tried to finish as quickly as possible.
But you know, i had fun. Not with the main purpose but dressing up characters. My playthrough was entirely with Yuri as Ryza and Miu as a goth maid. Too cute.
Uninteresting exploration (the game guides you everywhere never letting you go). It might be good for some but it wasn't for me, there's not a lot you gain from not following a linear path the game chose for you.
So many recycled enemies, i swear i've taken 1000 photos of the same tall maiden.
Coupled with a very uninteresting story i tried to finish as quickly as possible.
But you know, i had fun. Not with the main purpose but dressing up characters. My playthrough was entirely with Yuri as Ryza and Miu as a goth maid. Too cute.
Quem cresceu jogando no PlayStation 2 sabe o quanto era incrível a quantidade de jogos de Survival Horror daquela época. O Fatal Frame Certamente era um desses e com uma proposta muito diferente, onde você basicamente era um fotógrafo de fantasmas. Infelizmente, por ser um jogo japonês, durante muitos anos ele ficou restrito ao mercado japonês, com várias limitações seja por falta de tradução ou exclusividades nos consoles da Nintendo, como o Wii e o Wii U. Esse é o caso de Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water, que estava na minha lista de desejos desde o seu anúncio em 2014 e só agora, em 2023, tive a oportunidade de testá-lo e jogar.
Resumindo minha experiência com o jogo, senti uma diferença gigante em relação aos jogos clássicos da franquia. Começando pela dificuldade, achei que estava facil. No que diz respeito ao fator Survival Horror, senti que deixou muito a desejar. Muitos elementos presentes nos jogos anteriores aqui foram bastante ausentes, como puzzles e missões, dando a impressão de que o jogo se aproxima mais de um survival horror com elementos de ação do que um survival horror puramente dito, como nos jogos antigos da franquia.
Apesar de o jogo manter muitos elementos característicos de Fatal Frame, como a própria câmera e o combate com ela, tenho a sensação de que, tanto as pessoas que já jogaram jogos anteriores da franquia quanto aqueles têm certa experiência com jogos do gênero vão considerar o terror do jogo bem fraco... Joguei por exatamente 12 horas e em nenhum momento, repito, em nenhum momento, tomei um susto ou tive um medo genuíno, o que me deixou surpreso, pois os jogos antigos realmente assustavam bastante.
Ainda assim, mesmo com menos sustos e medo, você olha para o jogo e ali está o Fatal Frame que você conhece. outro aspecto que me incomodou muito em relação ao jogo foi o seu port para a atual geração. Achei que o jogo foi muito mal portado, os controles são lentos e travados, além de ser um pouco frustrante estar em uma luta com um fantasma e seu personagem se movimentar como um poste ambulante que mal se mexe. Isso realmente me desapontou. Além disso, para aqueles que jogarem no computador, principalmente com teclado e mouse, a experiência será ainda pior. O port para teclado e mouse é uma das piores coisas que já vi na minha vida, o que demonstra total desleixo e falta de consideração com os jogadores de PC. Não é a primeira vez que vejo empresas japonesas fazendo isso, com um péssimo port para computadores. Resumindo, se for jogar no computador, é melhor ter um controle para jogar.
Pontos Positivos
- Terror razoável
- Enredo denso e envolvente
- Design de inimigos e cenários interessantes
- Gráficos adequados para o que se propõe
Pontos Negativos
- Sistema de episódios que quebra um pouco o clima do game
- Falta de puzzles e missões
- Jogo relativamente facil
- Port dos controles extremamente decepcionante
Resumindo minha experiência com o jogo, senti uma diferença gigante em relação aos jogos clássicos da franquia. Começando pela dificuldade, achei que estava facil. No que diz respeito ao fator Survival Horror, senti que deixou muito a desejar. Muitos elementos presentes nos jogos anteriores aqui foram bastante ausentes, como puzzles e missões, dando a impressão de que o jogo se aproxima mais de um survival horror com elementos de ação do que um survival horror puramente dito, como nos jogos antigos da franquia.
Apesar de o jogo manter muitos elementos característicos de Fatal Frame, como a própria câmera e o combate com ela, tenho a sensação de que, tanto as pessoas que já jogaram jogos anteriores da franquia quanto aqueles têm certa experiência com jogos do gênero vão considerar o terror do jogo bem fraco... Joguei por exatamente 12 horas e em nenhum momento, repito, em nenhum momento, tomei um susto ou tive um medo genuíno, o que me deixou surpreso, pois os jogos antigos realmente assustavam bastante.
Ainda assim, mesmo com menos sustos e medo, você olha para o jogo e ali está o Fatal Frame que você conhece. outro aspecto que me incomodou muito em relação ao jogo foi o seu port para a atual geração. Achei que o jogo foi muito mal portado, os controles são lentos e travados, além de ser um pouco frustrante estar em uma luta com um fantasma e seu personagem se movimentar como um poste ambulante que mal se mexe. Isso realmente me desapontou. Além disso, para aqueles que jogarem no computador, principalmente com teclado e mouse, a experiência será ainda pior. O port para teclado e mouse é uma das piores coisas que já vi na minha vida, o que demonstra total desleixo e falta de consideração com os jogadores de PC. Não é a primeira vez que vejo empresas japonesas fazendo isso, com um péssimo port para computadores. Resumindo, se for jogar no computador, é melhor ter um controle para jogar.
Pontos Positivos
- Terror razoável
- Enredo denso e envolvente
- Design de inimigos e cenários interessantes
- Gráficos adequados para o que se propõe
Pontos Negativos
- Sistema de episódios que quebra um pouco o clima do game
- Falta de puzzles e missões
- Jogo relativamente facil
- Port dos controles extremamente decepcionante
It's not very good, unfortunately. It plays fine, but suffers from acute "play through this stage again as a different character" syndrome, and feels like it's repeating itself throughout. Also too much sexy dress-up play for my liking. That doesn't work on me, Koei!
This is one of the most average games I played in recent memory. The lore is interesting, but the story itself not only takes a long time to get going, but also suffers from the disconnected nature of the individual character arcs that cause a bit of confusion. The English voice acting leaves a lot to be desired as well.
The gameplay is fun and the most dynamic out of the 5 main entries of the series.
The antagonist is sadly weak compared to previous entries and I honestly struggled to find a good reason to pursue one of the good endings for a specific character, because of the lack of context that would push me to make that choice.
Overall, an enjoyable game that suffers from being a bit too slow and repetitive.
The gameplay is fun and the most dynamic out of the 5 main entries of the series.
The antagonist is sadly weak compared to previous entries and I honestly struggled to find a good reason to pursue one of the good endings for a specific character, because of the lack of context that would push me to make that choice.
Overall, an enjoyable game that suffers from being a bit too slow and repetitive.
Pretty interesting if stretched and inconsistent feeling.
The combat mechanics are great and maybe the best part of the gameplay which makes up for a lot. There's a lot of great visual design and the graphics are all around quite pretty. The game really excels at pushing an oppressive and restless atmosphere making an initial walk through areas feel just right.
However, the game ends up getting pretty repetitive. There's a lot of very clear attempts to stretch the gameplay and it ends up hindering the pacing and the scares more than it helps. There's a lot of weird retreading through the same handful of areas one after another. The game will make you go through a new cool looking area at least 4 more times before it changes it up again.
Some of the level design is also a direct hinderance to the combat too. Switching from third person to first person comes with the cost of not being able to see what's around you as well and you end up getting stuck up against a wall or piece of furniture which can lead to some annoying encounters with more aggressive ghosts.
Also this game for as tender as the characters are, is just kind of annoyingly horny. The rain model on the clothes looks fantastic, except it also comes with the addition of making the character's clothes hug every curve of their body and it's pretty convenient that the two main female characters are wearing white shirts. In addition to some really absurd jiggle physics, it really kind of takes something away from these characters.
Which there should be way more of, but the story of the game sorta is and is not there. Things just sorta happen often and it again leads to a lot of repetition. You get back from the mountain and IMMEDIATELY go back to the mountain. It's some real Benny Hill bullshit.
Still, there's a good amount of stuff I liked about the game. There's some good solid emotional moments, the fatal glances are sick as hell (and have a great found footage presentation to them), the atmosphere is thick, the combat is great, and when it's not wasting time, it's a good solid horror game.
It just needed some reeling in and a bit of TLC to give the story and level design a better polish.
The combat mechanics are great and maybe the best part of the gameplay which makes up for a lot. There's a lot of great visual design and the graphics are all around quite pretty. The game really excels at pushing an oppressive and restless atmosphere making an initial walk through areas feel just right.
However, the game ends up getting pretty repetitive. There's a lot of very clear attempts to stretch the gameplay and it ends up hindering the pacing and the scares more than it helps. There's a lot of weird retreading through the same handful of areas one after another. The game will make you go through a new cool looking area at least 4 more times before it changes it up again.
Some of the level design is also a direct hinderance to the combat too. Switching from third person to first person comes with the cost of not being able to see what's around you as well and you end up getting stuck up against a wall or piece of furniture which can lead to some annoying encounters with more aggressive ghosts.
Also this game for as tender as the characters are, is just kind of annoyingly horny. The rain model on the clothes looks fantastic, except it also comes with the addition of making the character's clothes hug every curve of their body and it's pretty convenient that the two main female characters are wearing white shirts. In addition to some really absurd jiggle physics, it really kind of takes something away from these characters.
Which there should be way more of, but the story of the game sorta is and is not there. Things just sorta happen often and it again leads to a lot of repetition. You get back from the mountain and IMMEDIATELY go back to the mountain. It's some real Benny Hill bullshit.
Still, there's a good amount of stuff I liked about the game. There's some good solid emotional moments, the fatal glances are sick as hell (and have a great found footage presentation to them), the atmosphere is thick, the combat is great, and when it's not wasting time, it's a good solid horror game.
It just needed some reeling in and a bit of TLC to give the story and level design a better polish.
trash
Pretty great even if it feels really budget constrained. Level design could definitely be better but the chapters structure doesn't help. More fun than Fatal Frame 3 though and more focused. The parts were you play with Yuri are great, highlight of the entire series, the parts with Ren (and his camera) not so much.
This is the definition of a mid/average game to me. There's a lot of things I like, but just as many things I dislike too.
Let's start with the positives.
The story was the best thing about the game. I really liked the folklore Japanese horror, lots of interesting exotic concepts like the mythology of water, shrine maidens and ghost marriages among other things which make for a very interesting horror story. The cast of characters were also interesting and had good back-stories. The atmosphere was great at times and very creepy.
Now for the negatives.
First of all the movement is incredibly stiff and clunky and the gameplay is very repetitive. While I like the combat system and found it very unique essentially being an FPS but instead of shooting things you use a camera, it got very repetitive by the end of the game because all the ghosts are very health sponge-y and I was just running past a lot of ghosts because I didn't want to fight them.
Speaking of the ghosts, the first time you fight one is cool and scary, but the enemy design is very rehashed and reused and it ruins the atmosphere, like I can only be scared of the same ghost so many times lmao.
The level design is also very bland and rehashed, going to the same level over and over with multiple characters just gets so tedious and boring. Exploration is also another thing that just feels pointless in the game because it's super linear with a few dead ends that have some items here and there, but you always have more than enough items so you never need to go out of your way to pick up the ones in the levels.
Oh and the English dub was not very good, all the characters were super monotone and while I liked the characters, the monotonous robotic voice acting made it harder to connect with them at times.
At the end of the day I have a lot of complaints about the game and there were times where I just downright wasn't having fun playing it, but it's still far from a horrible game and I am glad I played it due to the interesting story and unique (yet repetitive) gameplay, but I wouldn't really recommend it unless you're a big fan of Japanese folklore style horror and can deal with clunky gameplay and a lot of rehashed game designs.
Let's start with the positives.
The story was the best thing about the game. I really liked the folklore Japanese horror, lots of interesting exotic concepts like the mythology of water, shrine maidens and ghost marriages among other things which make for a very interesting horror story. The cast of characters were also interesting and had good back-stories. The atmosphere was great at times and very creepy.
Now for the negatives.
First of all the movement is incredibly stiff and clunky and the gameplay is very repetitive. While I like the combat system and found it very unique essentially being an FPS but instead of shooting things you use a camera, it got very repetitive by the end of the game because all the ghosts are very health sponge-y and I was just running past a lot of ghosts because I didn't want to fight them.
Speaking of the ghosts, the first time you fight one is cool and scary, but the enemy design is very rehashed and reused and it ruins the atmosphere, like I can only be scared of the same ghost so many times lmao.
The level design is also very bland and rehashed, going to the same level over and over with multiple characters just gets so tedious and boring. Exploration is also another thing that just feels pointless in the game because it's super linear with a few dead ends that have some items here and there, but you always have more than enough items so you never need to go out of your way to pick up the ones in the levels.
Oh and the English dub was not very good, all the characters were super monotone and while I liked the characters, the monotonous robotic voice acting made it harder to connect with them at times.
At the end of the day I have a lot of complaints about the game and there were times where I just downright wasn't having fun playing it, but it's still far from a horrible game and I am glad I played it due to the interesting story and unique (yet repetitive) gameplay, but I wouldn't really recommend it unless you're a big fan of Japanese folklore style horror and can deal with clunky gameplay and a lot of rehashed game designs.
I really enjoyed that game. But I can tell it's a bit clunky and repetitve. Levels are empty and the story leaves some to be desired. However it still had my interest a little bit. I should go back and try the original trilogy.
The highlight of Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is its engaging story, captivating as its predecessor. It is precisely the good narrative construction that makes the player want to finish the game, although, approaching the final arc, the repetition of enemies and some scenarios make the experience less enjoyable.
O ponto alto de Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water é sua história envolvente, tão cativante quanto a de seu antecessor. É justamente a boa construção narrativa que faz o jogador querer finalizar o jogo, apesar de, aproximando-se do arco final, a repetição de inimigos e de alguns cenários tornarem a experiência menos agradável.
O ponto alto de Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water é sua história envolvente, tão cativante quanto a de seu antecessor. É justamente a boa construção narrativa que faz o jogador querer finalizar o jogo, apesar de, aproximando-se do arco final, a repetição de inimigos e de alguns cenários tornarem a experiência menos agradável.
Esse jogo é um misto de sentimentos, pois tem muitas coisas ruins e coisas boas tbm
Começando pelas boas, a ambientação, o jogo não perde o Survival horror apesar de não ser tão assustador como o 1, a gameplay e o combate com a câmera são bons com vários acréscimos, a historia é boa apesar de umas coisas sem necessidade
Agora as ruins, começando por uma coisa q eu terei q falar mas esse jogo sexualiza demais as personagens incluindo até as fantasmas, outra coisa e a duração q ficou muito longa e no final acabou se tornando maçante pq tu passa o jogo inteiro indo e vindo nos mesmo lugares, e as animações lentas até pra abrir portas são um saco
O saldo é positivo pra mim, e por algum motivo eu pulei do 1 pra esse então não sei o quão grande é o salto de cada jogo.
Começando pelas boas, a ambientação, o jogo não perde o Survival horror apesar de não ser tão assustador como o 1, a gameplay e o combate com a câmera são bons com vários acréscimos, a historia é boa apesar de umas coisas sem necessidade
Agora as ruins, começando por uma coisa q eu terei q falar mas esse jogo sexualiza demais as personagens incluindo até as fantasmas, outra coisa e a duração q ficou muito longa e no final acabou se tornando maçante pq tu passa o jogo inteiro indo e vindo nos mesmo lugares, e as animações lentas até pra abrir portas são um saco
O saldo é positivo pra mim, e por algum motivo eu pulei do 1 pra esse então não sei o quão grande é o salto de cada jogo.
This was my first Fatal Frame Game so I'm kinda new to the Franchise.
I think it was a mediocre remaster because it has many problems like the controls which are awful or the gameplay which gets boring fast. The fights against the ghost take just way too long. The Drops are really drawn out and the only thing you do is run to "this location" to find this Key just so you can run the whole way back afterwards to use this key. This wouldn't be a problem if the map wasn't a labyrinth and the map wasn't completely useless(maybe I'm just too dumb to read it) and let's not about the ghost hands which grab you every second time you pick up an Item, it's so annoying. But the atmosphere is good and the characters are likable. So I recommend you to play one drop at the time. This way I still enjoyed the game. The rating benefits from the fact that I borrowed the game from a friend. Otherwise it would probably have turned out worse.
I think it was a mediocre remaster because it has many problems like the controls which are awful or the gameplay which gets boring fast. The fights against the ghost take just way too long. The Drops are really drawn out and the only thing you do is run to "this location" to find this Key just so you can run the whole way back afterwards to use this key. This wouldn't be a problem if the map wasn't a labyrinth and the map wasn't completely useless(maybe I'm just too dumb to read it) and let's not about the ghost hands which grab you every second time you pick up an Item, it's so annoying. But the atmosphere is good and the characters are likable. So I recommend you to play one drop at the time. This way I still enjoyed the game. The rating benefits from the fact that I borrowed the game from a friend. Otherwise it would probably have turned out worse.
my opinion about this game shifted as every day passed by and i think this is the most reasonable rating. first of all, this is my first fatal frame game so idk if there's any lore i should know beforehand but nevertheless. the game has really fun combat and setting tbh and i love exploring BUT i think the writing is really mid. ren had potential to be such a good character but they really made him incompetent. yuri is the main character as far as i can tell, but her part was really boring because of the whole backtracking and her personality is a wet mop lol. miu is okay?? though i think i need to play other games to get a better grasp of her but nothing special. the thing that bothered me tho is how come every character looks lowkey the same. miu's mom looks like her twin. it's really silly. also the boob mechanic. i have to laugh boobs do not work like that. but yeah some endings were really nice, i have to do like two more endings and that additional chapter, i'm not really impressed but yeah. buy it on a big sale, otherwise not really worth.
Lord what a journey this ended up being to get the platinum trophy for this game. I will get this out the way this platinum trophy was horrible and insanely tedious to go for and REALLY punished you for not 100% the game first playthrough which I didn't because I always have my first playthroughs be my casual playthroughs. BUT I got it and I feel a weight off my shoulder now LOL
Anyways onto the game and I have to say I really enjoyed my time with this game overall. I have never played a fatal frame game before so yes this is my first FF but if anything I now want to go back and play 1-3 and luckily I own all of them on PS2 ( My sister is a Fatal frame fan and bought them all as they came out) so I do not have to worry about hunting down copies.
The story is very interesting , depressing and is good at getting you very invested into the characters as you go throughout this journey with them all. By the end I was just wondering how it would all wrap up and I found the ending for each character to wrap up nicely. With that being said there are multiple endings for each character so you will have to replay the final mission 4 times if you want to get them all but if you just rush the mission when going for the endings it doesn't take way to long.
The gameplay as well gets the job done I found myself having fun trying to angle shots to get a perfect hit on the ghosts for max damage and points and also debating on when to use certain camera roll shots. I would say my only complaint with the gameplay is the game never once felt challenging to me even when I replayed the game on its highest difficulty setting there was never a time here I got stuck on a enemy that I really had to take my time with the game overall was very easy to me at least.
Exploring each area was also very fun since there was always something to find in each corner may it be a collectible or a ghost that you need to take a quick pic of and it made exploring the areas more enjoyable knowing there might be something around the corner.
Overall I am not sure why I never got into Fatal frame up until this point but I am now fully on board with this series and cannot wait to play Fatal frame 1-3 and the new one coming to the west next year!!
Anyways onto the game and I have to say I really enjoyed my time with this game overall. I have never played a fatal frame game before so yes this is my first FF but if anything I now want to go back and play 1-3 and luckily I own all of them on PS2 ( My sister is a Fatal frame fan and bought them all as they came out) so I do not have to worry about hunting down copies.
The story is very interesting , depressing and is good at getting you very invested into the characters as you go throughout this journey with them all. By the end I was just wondering how it would all wrap up and I found the ending for each character to wrap up nicely. With that being said there are multiple endings for each character so you will have to replay the final mission 4 times if you want to get them all but if you just rush the mission when going for the endings it doesn't take way to long.
The gameplay as well gets the job done I found myself having fun trying to angle shots to get a perfect hit on the ghosts for max damage and points and also debating on when to use certain camera roll shots. I would say my only complaint with the gameplay is the game never once felt challenging to me even when I replayed the game on its highest difficulty setting there was never a time here I got stuck on a enemy that I really had to take my time with the game overall was very easy to me at least.
Exploring each area was also very fun since there was always something to find in each corner may it be a collectible or a ghost that you need to take a quick pic of and it made exploring the areas more enjoyable knowing there might be something around the corner.
Overall I am not sure why I never got into Fatal frame up until this point but I am now fully on board with this series and cannot wait to play Fatal frame 1-3 and the new one coming to the west next year!!
I had a really great time with this game. I loved the different possibilities with the optional ghost photos and I also really liked the sort of older films when touching the ghosts. The story was neat and I liked the character switching. The combat could be a little finicky but overall I had a great time.
It's funny as hell that Ren tried to protect the girls and failed twice because he went to sleep lmao
A very good game, but it's not the best fatal frame game. The game was a lot more linear, didn't have ANY mini puzzles, and the survival part of the survival horror isn't really important.
But, the game isn't bad. It has very likable characters, an interesting plot, beatuiful graphics, and some of the best combat fatal frame has seen yet.
As this is Fatal Frame 5, it is much suggested not to start with this game, and to at least play fatal frame 1 first, as there are a large amount of references to that as well as returning characters.
Overall I'll give it a 4/5 because I really liked it, but I am somewhat sad to know that the gameplay of getting lost until you eventually find the door the key is for is gone.
I hope that someday, koei tecmo will release a 6th entry, even if it's in this style. This franchise is so awesome.
But, the game isn't bad. It has very likable characters, an interesting plot, beatuiful graphics, and some of the best combat fatal frame has seen yet.
As this is Fatal Frame 5, it is much suggested not to start with this game, and to at least play fatal frame 1 first, as there are a large amount of references to that as well as returning characters.
Overall I'll give it a 4/5 because I really liked it, but I am somewhat sad to know that the gameplay of getting lost until you eventually find the door the key is for is gone.
I hope that someday, koei tecmo will release a 6th entry, even if it's in this style. This franchise is so awesome.
I can't say I didn't have fun, it's definitely a comfortable game and I had no issue playing it all the way through... but I do feel like the whole experience was maybe a little... lacking? You have quite a large map spread out across a mountain, broken into areas, but you end up revisiting areas and fighting the same ghosts a LOT. Which feels especially weird because a lot of the game revolves around just going back and forth between the mountain and your home, rather than the typical survival horror of "I'm stuck in this place until the game ends and then I escape" - this would've been FINE if you were visiting new spots every time you left and came back, or if it gave you more freedom to explore a somewhat open world with new objectives in new places with different ghosts upon each outing.
Hoping the rest get ported to Steam!
Hoping the rest get ported to Steam!
Yeah it's bad. At least on Switch.
15/20 fps all through the game, weird camera, not so nice graphics and wet tshirt contest without any reason.
I must admit that I did not finish this game because I had no fun at all.
15/20 fps all through the game, weird camera, not so nice graphics and wet tshirt contest without any reason.
I must admit that I did not finish this game because I had no fun at all.
I stopped playing when the cute twink character turned out to be a girl
I liked the game at first but the recycled content and constantly retelling the same plot points got old fast. The game is just too long to support what's there and should've been cut way shorter. Not a bad game, perse, but a disappointing one.
Review on Reddit with Images
IMPORTANT THINGS TO NOTE
-Survival Horror
-There's Combat
-Over the shoulder 3rd Person view during exploration, but 1st Person view in Camera combat
-Chapter Select available at the start
-Multiple Endings
-No Puzzles
-Motion controls optional
-4K/60 fps for PS5. No idea on other consoles.
-JP/ENG audio options
INTRODUCTION
The Fatal Frame series has a long history dating back to 2001. The first three games were published on the PS2 with ports of the second game making it to the Xbox and Wii. However, Nintendo bought the rights to the series afterwards. The 4th game was a Wii Exclusive and never released outside of Japan. The 5th game, Maiden of Black Water was originally released on the Wii U back in 2014. It was localized to the West then, but the series had been dormant since until late 2021 when the Remastered version was released on all current gen platforms.
STORY
Maiden of Black Water takes place mostly on Hikami Mountain, which had been a tourist attraction years ago, but is now abandoned. In the present day, the mountain is filled with malicious spirits and ghosts. Due to personal reasons, the three protagonists make their way to the mountain and gets caught in the supernatural nature that now envelops the mountain.
The story itself is mostly told through the various journal entries and notes that players can find around the areas. Fans of the series will feel right at home with the story and lore. For new players, the story can be interesting as they unravel the mystery of what happened on the mountain. There isn't much in the ways of plot twists, but the story is simple so that it can be easily understood and followed.
One issue that I had with the story is that there are certain segments that do not add much to the overall story and feel like filler in the end. Then there's also the controversial story development that didn't sit well with fans. Overall though, I did found the story enjoyable, but as mentioned above, finding notes and journal entries are very important to feel in the gaps.
The game does take place in the same universe as the other games and does some references with them including a character that appeared in those games. The game does spoil part of that returning character's story, but for the most part, new players to the Fatal Frame series can still enjoy it as a standalone.
CHARACTERS
As a survival horror game, the game isn't populated with characters so there aren't many character interactions throughout. The three main characters all have their unique backstories, but lack a lot of depth. Oftentimes, they come off surprisingly inexpressive. Overall, they aren't too different for Fatal Frame characters. They work well with the story and setting, but don't expect great written characters. I did liked Yuri's development though.
GRAPHICS
Even though the game was originally on the Wii U, the Remastered version does look quite nice (PS5 version). It has decent environmental lighting during some segments. The main characters do look great at times particularly when they do close ups of their faces. I really liked the water and rain effects. That said, it is not a AAA game so it's not comparable to something like the modern Resident Evil games.
GAMEPLAY
The Fatal Frame formula hasn't change much throughout the series and this one is the same at its core. Since the third game, the game has been using multiple protagonists and alternating them between chapters.
Other than fighting ghosts on your way to the destination, you can pick up Camera Film (ammo), healing items, journal entries and notes. You can also take pictures of "Traces" which are remnants of spirits left behind at certain locations.
There are some new elements like the "Glancing" mechanic. After defeating a Ghost in battle, you have a limited time to "touch" them. If successful, you get to see a short clip of how the ghost died.
The game itself is pretty linear for the most part. Despite the many paths leading to different areas, the game will forcefully prevent you from going out of the mission area (which is fairly big though), but there are minor forks you can go down to find items for some added exploration. Unlike the previous entries, there's rarely ever a concern about getting lost. With the hit of a button, you get a spirit image that shows you where to go next. It isn't available during certain segments, but it is available most of the time when the objective is to follow and find a specific person.
COMBAT
A lot of Fatal Frame's combat remains the same. Taking pictures of Ghosts will deal damage and taking the photos at certain points will deal more damage. Before, focusing on a Ghost will continuously charge the shot. The longer the Ghost remains in focus, the more damage you dealt when you finally press the trigger. That element is now gone.
In its place, the combat revolves around taking a photo with multiple parts of a ghost's weakness. The more of its parts you get in one shot, the more damage you deal. At a max of 5, you get the Shutter Chance which will deal a large amount of damage and knock them back. To make things easier, all 5 of the parts don't have to be from the same ghosts. You can use other ghosts to fill up the quota as well.
By extension of the new Parts mechanic, you can rotate the view and angle it in a certain way to get more parts in the photo.
The Fatal Frame shot also returns. This deals the most damage and also allows you to chain multiple shots upon success. As always, a Fatal Frame shot is the most difficult to get since it only works during certain frames where the ghost is just about to land their attack on you. The window can be as short as a mere second or less. You can also initiate a dodge when you're just about to get attacked.
Along with upgrading the camera to improve its various functions (power, range, reload time, etc...), you can equip various lens that you find for added effects. They function as basically special camera shots and can drain health, stun, or slow the ghost to name a few. They do cost spirit energy which can be accumulated during battle.
I personally prefer the charge mechanic from the previous games, but I did got used to this new one by the end. The controls aren't very good with some of the buttons placed at strange locations. The new "Action" scheme layout does made it better for me and closer in line with third person shooters.
ATMOSPHERE AND HORROR
A key component of survival horror games are the atmosphere and the horror factors. The atmosphere is generally good. You spend most of the time in the dead of night in dark forests and buildings. There's also a number of jump scares throughout with sudden appearance of ghosts.
However, the game doesn't feel as scary as it should be. The forest and outside segments lack a lot of tension from other games. Part of the problem is probably from the brighter lighting where the surroundings are more visible than needed. This is especially true at the mountain peak where it looks like daytime.
The areas within the abandoned buildings and shrine do provide more of the tension fortunately. The small corridors and rooms feels oppressive there. The footsteps are more audible, but the time you spend in such places are fewer in comparison. There wasn't any place that made me want to hurry the heck out just because how scary and creepy the place was.
The sound direction is not as good either. What it does do well is making things really quiet or silent for some segments which is expected and the minimum for a survival horror. On the other hand, it lacks creepy sounds and noises that makes your skin crawl.
Finally, I found the breast jiggle physics distracting for me. They occur during some sudden camera shifts which leads to breasts jiggling in a comical fashion. It doesn't last long, but is very noticeable and does momentarily reduce the tension. There's also breast physics for some ghosts too for whatever reason.
FINAL REMARKS
The game does feel more casual than before which is both a good and bad thing for me. The good is that it is probably the easiest of the Fatal Frame games to just pick up at various time. Item and ammo are abundant and you can use points to purchase more at the start. To make things even easier, items and ammo are reset to a chapter default each time so you always start off with a decent amount. The items themselves are very hard to miss and not only do they shine brightly, you have light indicators that show their proximity when they are out of focus. The same is true of Ghosts in and out of battle. On the other hand, all of these aspects do take away from the dread and tension from the game.
The game isn't too long which isn't really bad. It is roughly 10-13 hours for a first playthrough. The game is also on the easy side, but the Nightmare difficulty that's unlocked afterwards do provide a decent challenge.
The story isn't as strong as some of the others in the series, but I still enjoyed it overall despite the controversial story development. It didn't have enough horror that I'd liked, but it still stands out as a quality survival horror these days and is a good recommendation to horror fans alike.
IMPORTANT THINGS TO NOTE
-Survival Horror
-There's Combat
-Over the shoulder 3rd Person view during exploration, but 1st Person view in Camera combat
-Chapter Select available at the start
-Multiple Endings
-No Puzzles
-Motion controls optional
-4K/60 fps for PS5. No idea on other consoles.
-JP/ENG audio options
INTRODUCTION
The Fatal Frame series has a long history dating back to 2001. The first three games were published on the PS2 with ports of the second game making it to the Xbox and Wii. However, Nintendo bought the rights to the series afterwards. The 4th game was a Wii Exclusive and never released outside of Japan. The 5th game, Maiden of Black Water was originally released on the Wii U back in 2014. It was localized to the West then, but the series had been dormant since until late 2021 when the Remastered version was released on all current gen platforms.
STORY
Maiden of Black Water takes place mostly on Hikami Mountain, which had been a tourist attraction years ago, but is now abandoned. In the present day, the mountain is filled with malicious spirits and ghosts. Due to personal reasons, the three protagonists make their way to the mountain and gets caught in the supernatural nature that now envelops the mountain.
The story itself is mostly told through the various journal entries and notes that players can find around the areas. Fans of the series will feel right at home with the story and lore. For new players, the story can be interesting as they unravel the mystery of what happened on the mountain. There isn't much in the ways of plot twists, but the story is simple so that it can be easily understood and followed.
One issue that I had with the story is that there are certain segments that do not add much to the overall story and feel like filler in the end. Then there's also the controversial story development that didn't sit well with fans. Overall though, I did found the story enjoyable, but as mentioned above, finding notes and journal entries are very important to feel in the gaps.
The game does take place in the same universe as the other games and does some references with them including a character that appeared in those games. The game does spoil part of that returning character's story, but for the most part, new players to the Fatal Frame series can still enjoy it as a standalone.
CHARACTERS
As a survival horror game, the game isn't populated with characters so there aren't many character interactions throughout. The three main characters all have their unique backstories, but lack a lot of depth. Oftentimes, they come off surprisingly inexpressive. Overall, they aren't too different for Fatal Frame characters. They work well with the story and setting, but don't expect great written characters. I did liked Yuri's development though.
GRAPHICS
Even though the game was originally on the Wii U, the Remastered version does look quite nice (PS5 version). It has decent environmental lighting during some segments. The main characters do look great at times particularly when they do close ups of their faces. I really liked the water and rain effects. That said, it is not a AAA game so it's not comparable to something like the modern Resident Evil games.
GAMEPLAY
The Fatal Frame formula hasn't change much throughout the series and this one is the same at its core. Since the third game, the game has been using multiple protagonists and alternating them between chapters.
Other than fighting ghosts on your way to the destination, you can pick up Camera Film (ammo), healing items, journal entries and notes. You can also take pictures of "Traces" which are remnants of spirits left behind at certain locations.
There are some new elements like the "Glancing" mechanic. After defeating a Ghost in battle, you have a limited time to "touch" them. If successful, you get to see a short clip of how the ghost died.
The game itself is pretty linear for the most part. Despite the many paths leading to different areas, the game will forcefully prevent you from going out of the mission area (which is fairly big though), but there are minor forks you can go down to find items for some added exploration. Unlike the previous entries, there's rarely ever a concern about getting lost. With the hit of a button, you get a spirit image that shows you where to go next. It isn't available during certain segments, but it is available most of the time when the objective is to follow and find a specific person.
COMBAT
A lot of Fatal Frame's combat remains the same. Taking pictures of Ghosts will deal damage and taking the photos at certain points will deal more damage. Before, focusing on a Ghost will continuously charge the shot. The longer the Ghost remains in focus, the more damage you dealt when you finally press the trigger. That element is now gone.
In its place, the combat revolves around taking a photo with multiple parts of a ghost's weakness. The more of its parts you get in one shot, the more damage you deal. At a max of 5, you get the Shutter Chance which will deal a large amount of damage and knock them back. To make things easier, all 5 of the parts don't have to be from the same ghosts. You can use other ghosts to fill up the quota as well.
By extension of the new Parts mechanic, you can rotate the view and angle it in a certain way to get more parts in the photo.
The Fatal Frame shot also returns. This deals the most damage and also allows you to chain multiple shots upon success. As always, a Fatal Frame shot is the most difficult to get since it only works during certain frames where the ghost is just about to land their attack on you. The window can be as short as a mere second or less. You can also initiate a dodge when you're just about to get attacked.
Along with upgrading the camera to improve its various functions (power, range, reload time, etc...), you can equip various lens that you find for added effects. They function as basically special camera shots and can drain health, stun, or slow the ghost to name a few. They do cost spirit energy which can be accumulated during battle.
I personally prefer the charge mechanic from the previous games, but I did got used to this new one by the end. The controls aren't very good with some of the buttons placed at strange locations. The new "Action" scheme layout does made it better for me and closer in line with third person shooters.
ATMOSPHERE AND HORROR
A key component of survival horror games are the atmosphere and the horror factors. The atmosphere is generally good. You spend most of the time in the dead of night in dark forests and buildings. There's also a number of jump scares throughout with sudden appearance of ghosts.
However, the game doesn't feel as scary as it should be. The forest and outside segments lack a lot of tension from other games. Part of the problem is probably from the brighter lighting where the surroundings are more visible than needed. This is especially true at the mountain peak where it looks like daytime.
The areas within the abandoned buildings and shrine do provide more of the tension fortunately. The small corridors and rooms feels oppressive there. The footsteps are more audible, but the time you spend in such places are fewer in comparison. There wasn't any place that made me want to hurry the heck out just because how scary and creepy the place was.
The sound direction is not as good either. What it does do well is making things really quiet or silent for some segments which is expected and the minimum for a survival horror. On the other hand, it lacks creepy sounds and noises that makes your skin crawl.
Finally, I found the breast jiggle physics distracting for me. They occur during some sudden camera shifts which leads to breasts jiggling in a comical fashion. It doesn't last long, but is very noticeable and does momentarily reduce the tension. There's also breast physics for some ghosts too for whatever reason.
FINAL REMARKS
The game does feel more casual than before which is both a good and bad thing for me. The good is that it is probably the easiest of the Fatal Frame games to just pick up at various time. Item and ammo are abundant and you can use points to purchase more at the start. To make things even easier, items and ammo are reset to a chapter default each time so you always start off with a decent amount. The items themselves are very hard to miss and not only do they shine brightly, you have light indicators that show their proximity when they are out of focus. The same is true of Ghosts in and out of battle. On the other hand, all of these aspects do take away from the dread and tension from the game.
The game isn't too long which isn't really bad. It is roughly 10-13 hours for a first playthrough. The game is also on the easy side, but the Nightmare difficulty that's unlocked afterwards do provide a decent challenge.
The story isn't as strong as some of the others in the series, but I still enjoyed it overall despite the controversial story development. It didn't have enough horror that I'd liked, but it still stands out as a quality survival horror these days and is a good recommendation to horror fans alike.
jiggle physics are insane
I’ve never had the chance to play any of the ‘Fatal Frame / Project Zero’ games, as I never owned any of the consoles needed for the previous episodes, so, being a huge survival horror fan, I was really happy when they announced ‘Maiden of Black Water’ coming to PC. I went in completely blind, knowing almost nothing about the plot and gameplay, and all in all, I was mostly satisfied. There were a few annoying issues, though.
First of all, the numerous back and forths you need to do, and the cumbersome controls can drive anyone insane after a while. I suggest you play one chapter at a time, so you don’t get bored with the same locations too quickly, and use a keyboard and mouse instead of a controller – for me, that made taking photos at least a bit easier. I wasn’t a huge fan of the character designs, either, especially the facial expressions: the protagonists look like porcelain dolls devoid of all and any emotions, and, unfortunately, the poor voice acting doesn’t help, either.
At least the rest of the graphics looks fine, I guess, and the atmosphere is spot on. The story might not be that strong, but I found the various Japanese legends and folklore behind it very interesting. It reminded me of movies like ‘The Grudge’ or ‘Ringu’, or the creepy visual novel series, ‘Spirit Hunter’.
In summary, this is definitely not a great game, but I wouldn’t call it bad, either. Not as scary as ‘Silent Hill’, not as action-packed as ‘Resident Evil’, but still OK.
First of all, the numerous back and forths you need to do, and the cumbersome controls can drive anyone insane after a while. I suggest you play one chapter at a time, so you don’t get bored with the same locations too quickly, and use a keyboard and mouse instead of a controller – for me, that made taking photos at least a bit easier. I wasn’t a huge fan of the character designs, either, especially the facial expressions: the protagonists look like porcelain dolls devoid of all and any emotions, and, unfortunately, the poor voice acting doesn’t help, either.
At least the rest of the graphics looks fine, I guess, and the atmosphere is spot on. The story might not be that strong, but I found the various Japanese legends and folklore behind it very interesting. It reminded me of movies like ‘The Grudge’ or ‘Ringu’, or the creepy visual novel series, ‘Spirit Hunter’.
In summary, this is definitely not a great game, but I wouldn’t call it bad, either. Not as scary as ‘Silent Hill’, not as action-packed as ‘Resident Evil’, but still OK.
I never played any Fatal Frame before and because is the favorite franchise of my best friend, I give a try for 5. I understand how legendary is the series so I was in hype. Is a very good game in basic levels, you have probably the best gameplay for classic survival horror here, cool levels and three characters. Not all levels are unique but they use really well. Yuri is a great character and Ren too, with the game even using his traumas without notice to do the horror. I agree with people who say the only problem is the horny, the game is just a solid 8. Will give a try to the rest of the franchise someday for sure