Beebom Score
Fatal Frame has been one of the biggest horror franchises in gaming. It’s a franchise that continues to stay immersed in Japanese horror, banking on creating an eerie, unsettling atmosphere over cheap jump scares. However, recent Fatal Frame games haven’t made a big enough impact to onboard new players to the classic horror franchise. To revitalize the franchise, KOEI Temco is now banking on the remake of its most popular entry, Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly. This game is hands down considered the best in the franchise, but is the remake worth the hype?
Although I have played many horror games growing up, delving into Silent Hill, Amnesia, and Resident Evil, Fatal Frame has been a franchise that has evaded me all these years. This remake is my first experience with the franchise. So, my Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake review not only touches on the ‘replayable value’ of the game, but also what the franchise can offer to new players in 2026.
A Haunting Tension That Never Lets the Story Breathe
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly remake mixes the old-style Japanese horror aesthetics with new-gen graphics. From the very first minute, the game feels old, but it appears new. And that isn’t bad for a horror game. The old-style aesthetic masterfully creates this unsettling tenseness that very few modern horror games have nowadays.
The game starts by introducing two twin sisters, Mayu and Mio, who are stuck in a weird haunted village, at least that’s the initial perception. You have to control Mio and unravel the secrets of the village. Why Mio? Because Mayu herself is a big problem. She constantly gets weird visions and is often led away by ghosts or sometimes butterflies…yeah, she can be a hassle.
As Mio, you have to move from one house to the other, solve mysteries, open blocked doors, and either guide Mayu or look for her. That’s basically the entire gameplay loop. It may sound simple, but what makes it worthwhile is the gripping storyline that keeps you invested.
Some Stories Are Meant to End in Sacrifice
The village has something extremely wrong with it. You learn about this festival/ritual early on, which requires two twins, and it refers to the gates of hell. By following the main storyline, you only get a glimpse of one side of the story. To understand everything, you have to complete side stories, which are tales of other people who are stuck in the village. These are fully fleshed out stories that not only add flavor but are crucial beats you shouldn’t miss.
For example, the first side story tells you about this woman who is constantly searching for a man. It appears as if she has already been abandoned by him. But when you read the story from the man’s perspective, you realize that the woman was sick, and he kept her hidden as he explored the village. Both stories conclude very interestingly, which raises more questions than answers. To find those answers, you have to complete other side stories.
So, not only do you get invested in the overarching story of Mayu and Mio, but you also get invested in learning the fates of other characters. I often found myself simply drifting away, completing side stories. Thankfully, many of them are tied to the main story, so running away on a different tangent doesn’t bring your progress to a complete halt.
Other than story significance, there is one more reason to do these side stories. That is to encounter unique wraiths. Wraiths? Yes, these are ghosts that act as the main enemies. But unlike other games, you cannot shoot or stab them. Instead, you have to take pictures.
The Fatal Frame That Makes You a Ghost Paparazzi
I was not expecting combat specifically in this horror title at all. Being someone who was completely blinded by the quests, I was not familiar with how Fatal Frame’s combat worked. Instead of traditional methods like shooting or stabbing, here you have to use a unique Camera to exorcise ghosts. How? By clicking pictures, of course.
Focusing the camera on the ghosts and correctly shooting their picture will damage them. The damage you deal to the ghosts depends on the clarity of the photo, the camera reel, and the filter. Clicking last-minute photos before the wraith lands an attack that leads to a ‘Fatal Frame.’ This can be seen as a parry of sorts and feels extremely satisfying to execute.
When the wraith does land an attack, they take away your sanity and then your health. You can move around to kite these attacks or use the dodge key. However, doing either consumes sanity. So, even though the fight happens in real-time, it often feels very tactical and slow. Each movement you make has to be deliberate, and mistakes can be quite costly.
Taking shots of the wraiths’ reward points, which can then be used to buy items or charms from the shop. So, the game does incentivise combat, something I really liked.
The Camera Obscura also has many different power shots, one for each filter. These can be used to slow, dispel, or deal massive damage to wraiths. However, I personally focused more on using different reels, each having different exorcism strength, to take care of enemies over special shots.
Wraiths Show Up Looking Freaky But Fold Like Cheap Lawn Chairs
Initially, I was enjoying fighting every wraith that blocked my way. Each appeared to have a different style, and learning their attack patterns was really fulfilling. Sadly, that didn’t last long. Once I figured out the basics of the Camera Obscura, most encounters became the same.
At some point, I even started to dread fighting another wraith the same way, finding it more of a waste of time. Even new wraiths that appeared were essentially the same, with very few differences. The only wraiths that I saw as a challenge were the ones tied to the side stories or eventual bosses in the main storyline.
For example, one of the wraiths appears on a bridge over a river. She appears from under the bridge and flows into the water, making it very hard to follow with the camera. During the second encounter with this wraith, its aggravated state would literally submerge you in water, making it even harder to spot.
Some of these unique wraiths were interesting encounters, but sadly, very few left a lasting impression. Still, I really liked the combat style of the Camera Obscura, as it felt unique from every other horror game I have tried before.
The Same Old Fatal Frame…With Less Reasons to Terrify You
Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly remake does a decent job of revitalizing the same gameplay style with new-gen graphics. But by doing so, it misses out on something essential that made it truly terrifying back in the day. After completing my playthrough of the remake, I decided to go back and take a look at the old game to make some comparisons and also to confirm specific suspicions I had. And like I expected, many of them were true.
First, even though I was heavily invested in the game from start to finish, enjoying the storyline and tense adventure, at no point was I truly terrified during my playthrough. As a horror game, failing to terrify even once should be counted as a big failure. Initially, I assumed that it was just that Japanese-style horror that emphasizes creating a creepy atmosphere over jumpscares.
However, taking a look at the old game, I realized that it wasn’t true. The original Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly appeared much more menacing and terrifying. The old-style graphics heightened the terrifying atmosphere in the original that felt half-done in the new remake. It was clear that the mix of the old and new-gen graphics did not carry over the true horror elements of the original. Although the wraiths appeared as a good challenge, they were not even close to the monstrosities I witnessed in my recent playthrough of Resident Evil Requiem.
But that’s not the entire reason. The biggest change I noticed was in the audio design. The original Fatal Frame II’s audio track alone raised my goosebumps when rewatching old playthroughs. Compared to that, the remake’s audio design felt lacking, appearing more soothing than terrifying. Don’t get me wrong, the audio design is not bad. It is just not enough to always keep you unsettled. You won’t even pay attention to it if you are playing the remake without playing the original.
Performance: The Game Runs Well, But the Real Horror Is ‘That One Bug’
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly looks amazing. The visuals, atmosphere, and reimagining of the old iconic locations are spot on. Sadly, that’s not the case for the enemy design. It feels like the entire game got a rework it deserved, but the developers forgot to redesign the wraiths completely. The wraiths, specters, and other supernatural beings appear very out of place compared to the terrific atmospheric design in the game.
When it comes to performance, there is not much to say as the game is programmed to run either at 30 FPS or 60 FPS. My PC easily handled the game at a constant 60 FPS on max graphics.
My Setup
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7900x
CPU Cooler: CORSAIR H150 RGB
Motherboard: GIGABYTE B650M Gaming X AX
GPU: MSI Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB
RAM: 32GB (32GB x 1) ADATA XPG DDR5 5600FSB LANCER
SSD: 1TB AORUS Gen 4 5000E NVMe storage
Monitor: 1080p @ 165 Hz
When it came to bugs, I barely encountered any throughout the game, until I reached a bug that bricked my entire playthrough…almost. At one point in time in the main storyline, you will have to find three doll parts. After searching for hours, I only found two, with the third hand appearing nowhere to be found. Eventually, I realized that it might be a bug. Thankfully, my history of game testing came to work, as I quickly reloaded one of the many old saves, something I always do to avoid such shenanigans. And just as I imagined, it was a bug that prevented me from finding the third body part.
If I hadn’t planned ahead, this would have destroyed my playthrough. The only reason I am not cutting more points for this is that it was the only bug I found in the entire game. I am putting my faith in the developers to fix it with a day-one patch.
Verdict: Fatal Frame II Remake is When Horror Becomes A Very Moody Photoshoot
As someone new to the franchise, Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly remake’s storytelling pulled me in and kept me entertained throughout. Although I never truly got scared, the tempo and atmosphere kept me intrigued and invested in the game. The Fatal Frame Camera Obscura combat system is truly unique and something I really enjoyed for the most part.
What I disliked was the lack of unique enemies, which made combat repetitive for the second half of the game. Still, for a new horror fan, Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly is a great introduction to the franchise.
Now, what makes the remake worthwhile for old players? The game is a clear reimagining of the old game, with most missions even playing out the same. However, there is a clear contrast in horror elements, and I feel those who have previously played the original would be slightly disappointed with the remake. Still, it is a great entry to jolt back your nostalgia and rekindle the flame for Fatal Frame’s upcoming entries. Also, the game does add a new hidden ending, which sadly I couldn’t get to, but maybe you can do it.
That’s the end of our Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly remake review. What’s your take on the game? Let us know in the comments.
