Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse Reviews
If Mask of the Lunar Eclipse has the same success found with Maiden of Black Water's port to modern platforms, then remasters of other Fatal Frame games or even a new game would have a better chance of being released. There is a lot of potential for renewed interest in the franchise, and despite gripes to be had with Mask of the Lunar Eclipse's remaster, the game itself still holds up as a solid horror game.
Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is a disappointing remaster that fails to hide its age under the pretty mask of shiny new character models. While the concept and story are intriguing, they’re impossible to enjoy when you have to wade through the awkward, clunky gameplay at such a snail’s pace. This one was better left on the Wii.
Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is a title previously confined to the annals of gaming history.
A serviceable survival horror game in which three young women and a detective excise ghosts of the past with an occult camera and a flashlight. But while this unique combat may have carried the game's lifeless story back in 2008, this rerelease is nothing more than an expensive reskin of a relic.
For fans of the franchise, Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse should be a no-brainer. Fifteen years after its original release in Japan, its launch in the west brings some welcome upgrades to the visuals and presentation. That said, you can definitely feel the game's age in the core gameplay and little has been done to bring this more in line with modern sensibilities. Movement is janky, the camera never quite feels spot on, and the loading between rooms really shouldn't be an issue in 2023. Additionally, the frequent presence of ghosts and the arcade-like combat required to defeat them feels constantly at odds with the otherwise impressive sense of dread felt as you explore the environment, but since this is a core aspect of the series at large, you might be able to overlook this. We definitely recommend checking it out if you're into survival horror, but just know that it comes with a number of quirks that we wish had been ironed out.
Project Zero: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is a genuinely spooky game, but it's let down by some severe pacing issues.
This re-release of the 2007 Wii horror game has echoes of what make this classic horror series great, but is stifled by a lumbering pace, cumbersome controls, and lack of genuine scares.
Solid and definitely has an audience. There could be some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun.
It is appreciated that this game has finally arrived in the West, because it is a very meritorious and well set survival horror, although at a technical level it accuses the passage of the years.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse doesn't set out to reinvent the franchise or radicalize what it means to be a Fatal Frame game, but with updated visuals and modernised controls, it does a great job of making an entry in the series from 2008 effortlessly feel like a modern, current-gen debut. The slow and sometimes repetitive pacing of the game will not be for everyone, and some long-winded animations and awkward loading-waits only serve to make that pacing even more of a slog, but if you have the patience for that, you're in for a solid Japanese horror experience that will keep you guessing until the credits roll.
Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is an interesting snapshot of a time gone by, but that’s essentially the only intriguing thing about it. More an historical curio than a game worth playing on any kind of merit, its torturous pace and general lifelessness absolutely murder any sense of tension or basic intellectual involvement. A plodding narrative, as well a disgraceful amount of backtracking, serve only to enhance the ennui.
The original was originally launched on Wii 15 years ago and it still offers a highly atmospheric adventure with many moments of fear and dread
Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is remastered version of a cult classic that brings you everything you would expect, including some old and questionable design choices like the save system and slow doors opening animation. But at the same time Mask of the Lunar Eclipse can feel like a true gift for every hardcore horror fan out there.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Survival horror fans, and fans of the broader Fatal Frame series, will find a lot to like about the remake of Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse after the over a decade-long wait. The classic photography-based gameplay and story of Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse make it one of the best in the series, and, with any luck, further Fatal Frame remakes or a continuation of the series will result from this release.
In the end, Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is nice to see. I love that the series is making a comeback. I just wish we could get the original trilogy on modern consoles. Those games are lost to time and would benefit from just a remaster at this point. Still more survival horror is always welcome and we are truly living in an embarrassment of riches in the genre. I wish it was on the same level as others coming back, but for that we need the original trilogy. Make it happen KOEI Tecmo!
Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is an old school survival horror game for better and worse. It's charmingly old school, and for people who grew up on a healthy diet of Resident Evil and Silent Hill back on the original PlayStation like we did, there'll be something nostalgic to the control foibles and camera issues. But there's no getting away from the fact that this is a game that feels older than it is, and the leaden pace will be off-putting to many.
It may not be perfect, but the localization of Fatal Frame: Mask of The Lunar Eclipse polishes the original product in ways that only benefit the package. Some things can't be easily improved, like stiff main characters or combat fundamentals, but this is a solid effort to bring this game stateside. Horror fans will have a great time here, but it might not be enough for everyone to jump into.
Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is an impressive remaster of a flawed, but highly original, photo-based horror game.
With Mask of the Lunar Eclipse, you must take the good it offers along with its regressive design in order to even begin to ride its eerie wavelength. Which, for what it’s worth, is an exceptionally uncanny ride that never puts on the breaks long enough for boredom to ever set in, as even its wildest swings result in some considerably discomforting set pieces (the funeral-themed room inhabited by the hostile spirit Kageri Sendou and her maleficent doll Watashi, while a tad on the nose in its design, is a disturbing highlight). This may not be a game that was made for these modern times, but for those willing to put up with its old-school frustrations, it’s also one that will certainly keep you up at night and stick in your subconscious for weeks to come.
Fatal Frame Mask of the Lunar Eclipse proves to be too conservative, characterized by slow and anachronistic game rhythms. It is true, in any case, that from a purely aesthetic remastering it was not reasonable to expect structural changes. For sure, long-time fans will love the improved graphics, more realistic lighting, controls adapted to a traditional pad and the alternative costume compartment. Instead, those who have never tried a Fatal Frame will hardly digest a visibly dated playful system.
Review in Italian | Read full review