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.
To sum it all up, Fatal Frame/Project Zero The Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is a wonderful game to enjoy, be it your first time or every successive run as you go for full completion. The gameplay is great, the atmosphere really draws you in and leaves a great mark on you, and the visuals on the areas are well done, all wrapped up in one great package. In the immortal words of Joe Bob Briggs, “Four stars, check it out!”.
It’s been 15 years since Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse launched exclusively in Japan, and the wait has sadly not been worth it.
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.
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 Nowadays, some of the systems are outdated and significantly affect the player's experience.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
Project Zero: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is very eerie experience, but some clunky controls and dated mechanics do hold it back a little. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have fun playing and it does nail that eerie vibe that the series is so beloved for, but it could have done with just a few more refinements to help it stand its own amongst the modern horror releases. Is it a bad game? Definitely not, and I have no doubt that fans of the genre will enjoy it. Just expect some sketchy controls and a bit of backtracking during your creepy adventure through Rougetsu Island.
Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse combines its limited controls with a haunting atmosphere to create a great Japanese survival horror game that still shows its age from time to time.
We would have loved to love Project Zero 4: The Mask of the Lunar Eclipse which, let's face it, is still above the fifth part. But now, by choosing the path of the remaster, Koei Tecmo prevents the game from erasing its flaws of yesteryear.
Review in French | Read full review
Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is top-notch survival horror and an easy recommendation of the genre. With a very polished Japanese horror setting and a very thought-provoking plot, the fourth game in the Fatal Frame franchise is an experience that sticks in the head and can even keep anyone who dives deep into the game awake at night.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse allows us to finally enjoy the terrifying fourth installment of the franchise, the only one that had remained exclusively in Japan and almost 14 years after its release on Nintendo Wii. An adventure that, without being one of the most terrifying, is very fun to play and presents us with a renewed and improved atmosphere thanks to a modest remastering and update for current consoles. A game whose transfer from a console like the Wii, with somewhat special controls, weighs heavily, making itself felt especially in things like the camera and its control. However, and without a doubt, it is a very good opportunity for all Western audiences who wanted to enjoy it in their day and could not and that will keep us very entertained during the 13h of play that lasts approximately, yes, completely in English.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
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!
Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse's English localization has cleaned-up visuals, effective Camera Obscura gameplay, and gyro aiming support on PS5, but the grainy look, confusing story, and dated controls are drawbacks.
While some aspects of the gameplay and exploration disappointed me, Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is an unsettling journey through a haunted island that I found much more enjoyable than Maiden of Black Water.
With a spectacular staging that will undoubtedly please all fans of Japanese horror, we finally get Project Zero: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse. Despite being a remastering, it is not a big change from the Wii version.
Review in Spanish | 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.
Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is made up of mostly good quality photos. The game itself is fun and solid, delivering a competent story and unusual and addictive combat. Exploration and puzzle solving are also strengths, as are the positives brought about by the remastering process. Unfortunately, it didn't rid the game of some very ugly textures and confusing gameplay when trying to control the characters and their lanterns. It also doesn't help that exploration is somewhat slow and plot development requires a lot of reading. Although a remake would perhaps have been a better option, these problems do not compromise the experience, especially for fans of the genre or those who were very curious about this unique and competent proposal.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
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.
Project Zero: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse has always been seen as somewhat of a black sheep of the series as the only title that hadn’t seen an international release. Now that it has, when compared to the other main titles in titles it just feels a little uninspired in the gameplay aspect. That said, it is held together by one of the stronger narratives presented in the franchise. It has some rough textures and an even rougher opening few hours but once you wade through them it’s a textbook Project Zero title almost to a fault. For series newcomers, I would suggest starting with this one and then going into Maiden of Blackwater due to the many gameplay improvements you'll find there. But as a standalone title, it’s a slightly above-average game with a fantastic story.
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.