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Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Director's Cut Impressions

Tecmo shows off the enhanced Xbox entry in its unique horror franchise.

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At a press event yesterday evening, held at a haunted hotel in San Francisco, Tecmo showed off the Xbox version of Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly, the second entry in its Fatal Frame series. While the game was released late last year for the PlayStation 2, the Xbox version is much more than just a port. Besides featuring the expected visual upgrades, the Xbox game has a number of gameplay enhancements not found in its PS2 counterpart. We had the chance to try out a 60-percent-complete version of the game that let us get a feel for what the title, dubbed Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Director's Cut, is going to offer.

Japanese twins Mio and Mayu are at the heart of the new Fatal Frame.
Japanese twins Mio and Mayu are at the heart of the new Fatal Frame.

Fatal Frame II is set roughly 30 years before its predecessor and will follow the adventures of twin sisters Mio and Mayu. The trouble begins when the girls visit a village from their childhood. During their visit to the area, the sisters chase a mysterious crimson butterfly into a nearby forest. While searching for it, they discover an abandoned village that, unbeknownst to them, was the site of a disturbing ritual that involved the death of twin girls. It seems that Mayu's psychic powers have left her vulnerable to the evil spirits in the area. You'll play as the younger twin, Mio, who vows to save her older sister. Mayu's possession sets a chain of events in motion that threaten to bring about the bloody ritual, in which the older sister kills the younger one. While it doesn't have any direct links to the first game, Fatal Frame II's story will shed some light on the origins of the camera obscura, the mysterious ghost-busting camera seen in the previous game, and will also feature some little details that fans of the original game will appreciate.

The gameplay in Fatal Frame II will revolve around your use of a camera to fight off evil spirits by taking their picture. At the start of the game, your twin will be following close behind you as you both explore the mysterious village, which serves as a tutorial for the game. Your twin's psychic powers will actually alert you to odd goings-on in the first location. Unfortunately, shortly after you discover the camera obscura, your sister becomes possessed, and the real action kicks in.

Fatal Frame II is a game that's all about shooting ghosts... with a camera.
Fatal Frame II is a game that's all about shooting ghosts... with a camera.

The first thing you'll notice is the addition of a new first-person game mode you can select when starting a new game. In this mode you can play through a graphically enhanced version of Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly. If you prefer the original mode of play, you can select classic mode, which uses a traditional third-person view for the bulk of the action, although the game will still switch to a first-person view for the combat sequences with your camera. The game will also feature a new survival mode, which requires you to go from one point to another. This may sound easy, but there is, of course, a horrible catch. Your path will be littered with ghosts you'll have to defeat or avoid entirely. Though this may seem challenging but manageable, just wait for it. If any ghosts manage to touch you during your run, you lose. The mission mode from the PS2 version of Fatal Frame II is also included in the package, as are brand-new unlockable accessories and costumes for the girls.

The graphics, while not complete, already look sharper than those in the PlayStation 2 game. The environments feature cleaner textures and a higher level of detail. The character models have received a visual upgrade as well and sport an improved appearance. The lighting in the game is being enhanced and tweaked and is headed in a very promising direction. Shading and shadows are also being used to dramatic effect to add to the tension.

You'll see plenty of dead people throughout the game.
You'll see plenty of dead people throughout the game.

The audio in the game, one of the strongest elements of the experience, is suitably unnerving. The ambient effects for your surroundings are well done and make very effective use of moments of silence. The voice works well, with the unearthly chattering from the ghosts you encounter generating some truly creepy moments. The soundtrack is a very fresh mix of Japanese-influenced music that ranges from tracks with a few instruments to richer tracks that take a more traditional orchestrated approach.

Based on what we've played so far, Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Director's Cut is shaping up to be an impressive Xbox game that improves on its PlayStation 2 predecessor. The improved visuals and additional content add up to offer a richer experience that will please fans of the series and is certainly worth a look for newcomers. Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Director's Cut is currently slated to ship this fall for the Xbox. Look for more on the game in the coming months. Until then, check out some exclusive screens from the game on our media page.

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