Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse Reviews

Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is ranked in the 40th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
70 / 100
Mar 8, 2023

Mask of the Lunar Eclipse continues the path of what was seen in Black Water. It is a classic horror game that continues to offer that touch of before.

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6 / 10
Mar 8, 2023

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.

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7 / 10.0
Apr 6, 2023

As a remaster of a Wii game only released in Japan, Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse struggles not to show its age and seemingly ancient mechanics. But beneath the grainy surface is a moderately chilling horror game with a unique way to tackle terror.

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78%
Mar 8, 2023

A slow-paced, languid horror remaster, Project Zero: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is not only a chance for western players to finally play a Japan-only entry in the series, but it's also a haunted house experience that delivers on creepiness.

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3.5 / 5.0
Apr 23, 2023

For those that clamour for the modern world of over-the-shoulder shooting and action horror, Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is a hard sell. Your character moves at a glacial pace and the small bursts of action are broken up by a lot of backtracking, puzzles and hunting for shiny objects in dark rooms. Ghost fights can also become an exercise in tedium, especially on higher-difficulty settings.

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Gamersky
Top Critic
7.5 / 10.0
Mar 12, 2023

After its remastered release, Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse has undoubtedly given players more reasons to try this classic horror game. Exquisite and beautiful characters, an intriguing plot, and innovative storytelling make this work seem quite excellent in quality. However, as a game released 15 years ago, many of its mechanics have not been optimised and have been faithfully copied to the PC. Nowadays, some of the systems are outdated and significantly affect the player's experience.

Review in Chinese | Read full review

7 / 10.0
Mar 8, 2023

The Fatal Frame that time forgot finally gets its time in the spotlight, showcasing just enough of the legacy’s qualities, alongside being a perfect introduction to the series itself.

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7 / 10.0
Mar 8, 2023

The Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse remaster is a constantly creepy, often infuriating survival horror game that has the misfortune of following the superior Maiden of Black Water on the Switch. Fans of the series and Japanese horror in general should be glad they finally get to play it, but those with low patience thresholds will do better to not step foot on Rogetsu Isle.

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7.5 / 10.0
Mar 8, 2023

Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is a finely polished, absolutely worthwhile remaster of the fourth game in the franchise, with excellent sound and visuals, fun mechanics, and a genuinely haunting story, held back from a higher score only by its outdated controls and sluggish character movement.

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4 / 5.0
Mar 8, 2023

Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is a title previously confined to the annals of gaming history.

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7.4 / 10.0
Mar 8, 2023

Project Zero Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is probably one of the best episodes in the long-running horror franchise, and even if this remaster leaves something to be desired, it does not fail in brin bringing anxiety and disturbing matters to new audiences.

Review in Italian | Read full review

7 / 10.0
Mar 8, 2023

Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is worth looking into for fans of the series and the genre, especially since this is its first official release in the West, but be warned that it's a game that's held back by several significant issues.

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7 / 10.0
Mar 8, 2023

For better or worse, Project Zero: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse brings an underplayed fifteen-year-old horror game to Western audiences in a well-preserved state. There's a fantastic atmosphere and the horror is well-framed and executed with impressive restraint, but control issues of the time carry through to this remaster.

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8 / 10.0
Mar 8, 2023

Whatever happens to Fatal Frame, at least one of the best entries finally came to the west. Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse has some of the best material the series has in it and Suda51’s contributions can be felt with very subtle homages from his work on Moonlight Syndrome. If you can adapt to the unconventional and sluggish controls, then expect to have a frightful time with Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse.

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8 / 10
Jun 14, 2023

A fantastic conversion and localisation of a game horror fans have been waiting for for years. Project Zero: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is an amazing horror title with an intriguing story, great visuals and a penchant for being terrifying. It works well on Switch, and, outside of a couple of small control issues, is a worthwhile and recommendable experience for horror game enthusiasts.

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7.5 / 10.0
May 26, 2023

Project Zero: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse has fixed all the issues that plagued its demo and is a title with a creepy story and startling moments that will make you jump. Make sure you save often because, with no auto-save, it will be easy to lose progress and items.

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BaziCenter
Amin Balazadeh
Top Critic
7.5 / 10.0
Apr 7, 2023

Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse seems like a masterpiece that should have released 2 or 3 generations ago, as its visuals are dated and its control mechanisms is something that we don't see anymore these days. But on the plus side it offers a mysterious world and atmosphere, a great sense of fear and a solid story. Just the like the old days.

Review in Persian | Read full review

7 / 10.0
Mar 28, 2023

Mask of the Lunar Eclipse mixes fiction and folklore in a blend that can entertain and frighten even 15 years after its original release. The remaster could have been technically better, but at its core, it's still a good game, of which there are not many on the market today. The biggest problem now is mainly the clumsy and awkward controls.

Review in Slovak | Read full review

7.5 / 10.0
Mar 28, 2023

Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is a solid and enjoyable experience for fans of old-school survival-horror. It might be a bit too slow-paced and awkward for those who don't have a taste for 2008 game design, but that's the biggest criticism about it. It doesn't break the mold for the franchise, but it's one of the more solid and enjoyable examples of it, and it's a good place to start if you'd like to see what is up with the long-running horror series.

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7 / 10.0
Mar 8, 2023

The same goes for some of the ghosts, with certain encounters like the sadistic child Ayako repeating several times with multiple characters, which tends to get annoying after the third occurrence or so. Fans of Fatal Frame who want to experience this lost title in the series will likely find enough atmosphere and story to keep their interest, but newcomers may find some of the game's shortcomings to be a turnoff as their first experience. That being said, you can put a hat on your character that's a big Camera Obscura, so in a way, maybe it all balances out in the end.

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