Fatal Frame: Maiden of the Black Water Reviews
Fatal Frame continues to treat the split between shooting and running as a productive tension, with results that are equally exciting and scary.
Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water certainly delivers when it comes to scaring the player witless, and its use of the Wii U GamePad is commendable. If only other developers had been so bold with their ideas, Nintendo's console might not be in the dismal commercial predicament it currently finds itself in.
There are certain aspects to Maiden of Black Water that I can't help but question, but overall, it's a solid addition to the series, and finally provides gamers with the feeling of holding a Camera Obscura with the help of a GamePad. And that pushes the gameplay a long way. If it's a scarefest that you're after this Halloween, Fatal Frame is worth the download. Just make sure you have an external hard drive set up first – it's a massive 13GB.
Although it's not a terrible game, the Wii U's edition of "Fatal Frame" feels awfully dated, with sloppy controls and the type of presentation you would have expected a few console generations ago.
With all this said, Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is easily one of my favorite Wii U games to date. It feels like an old-school horror game but has the modern twists such as GamePad use and HD graphics to make it stand out in the gaming world today. It's a shame that this game didn't get a physical release, because I fear that it might hurt sales for this game. Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is a must own title for Wii U owners, and horror fans in general might want to pick up a Wii U just for this game – it's that good.
Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water's full price tag might shy away some would-be buyers since it's only available in North America as a digital release, but veterans of the series or survival horror fans in general will certainly have a good time having an otherworldly photo shoot at Mt. Hikami.
Maiden of Black Water is decidedly an example of a game where genre experience and fandom has everything to do with its appeal. Games like this are fan service at this point, and Maiden of Black Water strikes all the correct notes.
Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is a unique entry in the horror genre that provides players with a different experience from the norm. Admittedly, certain aspects of the game feel dated and the storytelling doesn't quite bring out the full potential of its promising plot. The game's combat mechanics, however, are stellar with the Wii U providing the best implementation of the series' camera controls to date. If you're itching for a classic horror game that's different from the norm, this one's worth a shot — pun so totally intended.
One of the best horror games in recent times and a compulsory element in the collection of anyone willing to be plunged into a world of fear where they have nothing to rely on other than their wits and a camera.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Overall, Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water is a superb return for the series, and while it will undoubtedly frustrate most players with its archaic and downright atrocious control scheme, it makes up for its shortcomings with a fun and intuitive combat system, a scary and obscure story and stunning sound and art direction.
...a thrilling, quite pleasurable experience that, while the answers may not always be satisfying, will leave you guessing until its conclusion. I can only hope this remaster is the start of a new turn for the series. Flaws and all, the Project Zero franchise is more than worthy of another shot in the spooky spotlight.
Excitement over the prospect of a new Fatal Frame game was quickly extinguished by the reality of a new Fatal Frame game. Rejecting genre conventions once allowed Fatal Frame to stand alongside Siren, Silent Hill and Resident Evil, but declaring antiquated ideas sacrosanct leaves it, ironically, in a modern version of the same company. Survival horror hit a wall, and Maiden of Black Water isn't the one to overcome it.
Overall, aside from the visual upgrade, Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is far from a suitable remaster as it fails to change many of the original issues. However, while it's also far from the best Fatal Frame game, it does still offer players the signature enjoyable camera combat and some surprisingly fitting aesthetic.
Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is undoubtedly a excellent horror game, sexy and beautiful characters, interesting plot. It inherited and optimized the unique battle style--using camera fighting with ghosts. The Janpanese-style horror atmosphere shaping makes the game have a very outstanding performance in the horror game genre.
Review in Chinese | Read full review
I do believe it is great to see Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water moved to the current generation devices and away from Nintendo's sadly failed Wii U console, but more could have been done for this re-release.
While there are several better titles in the Fatal Frame series, Maiden of Black Water has aged surprisingly well and can still deliver those scares and great fun.
Have you ever wanted to explore the most haunted and deadly mountain in Japan? Grab your camera and pack your swimsuit, it's time to discover the horrible secrets of Mt. Hikami! Just be mindful of the locals - they may want you to stay forever.
Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water is one of the games that makes the most intelligent use of the Nintendo Wii U's screen controller. Its name as a "terrifying game", however, is swept away by an interesting story that proceeds extremely slowly and dispersively, through topics and folkloristic elements that are difficult to understand for a Westerner. Nevertheless, certain sequences are really disturbing, and in some moments we were disturbed by what appeared on the screen.
Review in Italian | Read full review
A lazy remaster and just passable new controls cannot hurt the charme of an intoxicating psychological horror. This will make your Halloween that much scary.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The new version of Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water comes with improved graphics and some new content, but it would be a game worth playing even without them. Although it's occasionally more frustrating than scary, the clever gameplay and its dedication to tone and story make it one of the best survival horror games available for the Switch.