Despite being a big fan of survival horror, Fatal Frame remained a blind spot for me. It wasn’t until I played the new Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake that I got to appreciate what made the series and this entry so special and influential. Despite my initial apprehension for such rereleases, this feels like a more complete version of what Fatal Frame series creator Makoto Shibata intended back in the PS2 era. It stays very true to form, even if feels a bit bloated compared to its lean, original version.
Mio and Mayu Amakura are identical twin sisters. One day, while visiting the forest where they used to play as children, the siblings are spirited away to the long-lost village of Minakami, where identical twins are at the center of the village’s dark, complicated, and cursed legacy. Playing as Mio and armed with the Camera Obscura shortly after reaching the village, we as the player are tasked with defending our sister Mayu, and finding a way out of Minakami. Coming into the game, I already knew about the plot and its secrets. Even so, I was still deeply impressed with the interpersonal stories of Minakami village and that of the Crimson Sacrifice ritual.
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake is a visually stunning rendition of the original 2003. The original fixed camera angles are gone, which is always a bit sad as a fan of that style. However, the translation to third person over-the-shoulder feels seamless, even though it’s a very different adoption from that of the Wii remake. The character models are very expressive and the environments follow suit. The first area where I took control as Mio is lush with vegetation and detail, obscured in a thick darkness with only the sharp moonlight cutting through it.
However, compared to the original, the remake makes some important changes to its visual identity. While doing some research for this review, I noticed that the environments in the PS2 version were a lot more decrepit and dingier. They looked emptier and more threatening. Surely, a result of hardware constraints. The higher fidelity of the remake makes the world look a lot prettier and almost inviting. I didn’t mind this change, but I can imagine it being divisive among purists. The trade-off here is the improved lighting. As I advanced throughout the game, the aforementioned moonlight dimmed through clouds and fog and darkness became oppressive. By the end of the game, I was very impressed with the directorial choices regarding the use of color moonlight. Returning fans will also enjoy it. Won’t say more.
The visuals go hand in hand with the sound design. Walking around Minakami, I was always under the impression that an extra pair of feet was walking behind me. It’s truly unnerving. The sounds of the crickets in the night, the tense ambiance and combat music, and the moans of the wraiths add various layers to the sound, each one a different type of uncomfortable. I played with the Japanese dub, which was gorgeously acted. Likewise, the original ending song “Chou” by Tsukiko Amano is an incredible track and I’m glad they kept it.
While I’ve talked about visual changes, the gameplay side switches things around as well. Combat in Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake is slow and methodical, but attempts were made at making it more proactive. The Standard, Paraceptual, Exposure, and Radiant filters substitute the lenses of the original, while remixing the properties of its special shots — now done by spending Willpower, a sort of stamina meter. Each one serves one function inside combat and for exploration.
The Paraceptual filter is good for long-range shots, to deal bonus damage to unaware wraiths. The Exposure filter has a fast reload rate, and I changed to it every time to avoid being caught defenseless. But my bread and butter was the Radiant filter and its massive damage — its trade-off being its short range. A caveat is that the colors of the Paraceptual and Exposure filters look ugly, and I would have liked them to be a bit more vibrant and interesting, like the Radiant filter. You can also equip charms, but these truly shine on New Game+ when attempting new endings, as you can equip more than one, and the item shop truly opens up.
I really enjoyed the addition of side stories that flesh out the inhabitants of Minakami village and make it feel more lived in. However, I’m not sure if due to these or other changes to the game, but what was originally a relatively short game took me about 17-18 hours to complete. In that sense, it reminds me of Silent Hill 2 Remake and how that game padded its time a bit compared to its original. On that end, your mileage might vary. On the other hand, the cutscenes and everything regarding the story in Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake is a 1:1 recreation of the original, something that I find an improvement over almost every other recent survival horror remake.
I’m usually a sceptic about remaking influential video games. However, I think Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake walks a fine line between revamping an old title, with its improved systems and added side stories, and keeping everything that made the original PS2 game a special and deeply influential experience at the time. It remains a very special game, and there’s more to chew on for fans.
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake comes to the Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC via Steam on March 12, 2026. A demo is available.
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake keeps everything about the original PS2 title that made it so heartbreaking and influential. PC version reviewed. Review copy provided by company for testing purposes.
Pros
- At first, I was conflicted about the stealth and stalker sections, but I’ve since warmed up to them. They feel in line with the PS2 original.
- NG+ opening up the point shop incentivized me to try the highest unlockable difficulty.
- More survival horror games need to add a Chapter Select like this game did (or an equivalent).
