To get people excited for Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake, Koei Tecmo released the complete first chapter as a free playable demo (you can carry your progress to the full game when it releases on March 12). While it isn’t exceptionally long, those who want to see how it compares to the original game will be pleasantly surprised.
The over-the-shoulder camera and in-game maps are a big help when it comes to taking in the atmosphere and exploring the world
Right off the bat, the over-the-shoulder, third-person camera gives you more control over exploration and combat. Iconic areas such as the Minakami Village overlook can be seen in their full splendor, rather than through the fixed camera angles of the original. This makes them easier to navigate as Mio Amakura and her tag-along sister, Maya.
The camera also makes searching for items less frustrating, which is good considering several key item locations in the original have changed in the demo. Aside from exploration, the new camera makes aiming at ghosts much easier (more on that later).
Aiding you in navigation are a map (which can be opened in the menus) and a mini-map (which can be found on the top-right corner of the screen during gameplay). They aren’t the most detailed game maps, but they help with getting your bearings in large and multi-leveled areas.
One thing that might turn some players off is that the maps auto-update with icons. After obtaining a key required to open a lock in the demo, a small yellow dot appears on the maps, showing your next objective. Those who want a more streamlined experience will appreciate this feature, but others who prefer figuring things out for themselves might not like it.
The remake retains the unique combat of the original
Apart from item searching and sisterly hand-holding, one of the things that makes Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly so memorable is the Camera Obscura – a special camera that lets the user see and exorcise ghosts by taking pictures of them. There are two types of ghosts: unhostile specters that repeat the actions they did while they were still alive, and hostile wraiths that will actively attack you. Both types can be found in the demo, but you’ll be spending most of your film on the wraiths.
As with the original, there is more to combat than just pointing and shooting your camera. After locating your quarry using the third-person camera, a quick input allows you to whip out your Camera Obscura and enter a first-person aiming mode. This process is more intuitive than in the original, where you have to point Mio in the direction you want to aim the Camera Obscura at and hope she looks the right way.
Allowing the camera to focus before taking a shot does more damage, as does keeping the wraith’s key features in frame. Taking a picture during the last moment of an enemy’s attack will capture a Fatal Frame which stuns the wraith. The camera charges between shots, further adding to the tension of being a supernatural photographer.
Dealing enough damage to a wraith triggers Shutter Chance, allowing you to deal extra damage to it. Taking a Fatal Frame during Shutter Chance triggers Fatal Time, which lets you take several high-damage photos of the wraith at the cost of film.
A few more caveats about the demo
The remake’s demo showcases a few more advantages and disadvantages of updating a 2003 title for the modern age. Thanks to the improved graphics, ghosts are clearer and much easier to see, even without the help of the Camera Obscura. This not only reduces the impact of the game’s most important item, but lessens the overall scare factor.
On the flip side, Koei Tecmo lets everyone take advantage of the remake’s graphics by including a photo mode in the demo. Whereas most developers would reserve this feature for the full game or a later update, adding it this early for free is a welcome surprise.
If you’re still on the fence about Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake, be sure to give the free demo a shot. Though some areas (like navigation and combat) have been improved upon, others (such as having to drag Maya around) have largely been unchanged and might not be for everyone.
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake is set to release on March 12 for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam).
