Fatal Frame: Maiden of the Black Water Reviews
Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is not your typical jump-scare-laden horror game. It blends classic survival horror elements with Japanese ghost stories that focus on the feelings of terror and dread. There's no point where you'll be horrified into leaving or quitting. Instead, you'll be subjected to a constant feeling of unease, waiting for the jump scares that may never come and wondering if you really saw something or if the game is just getting to you.
Like I said, a diehard Project Zero fan may find something to like here, and if you do find yourself enjoying shooting ghosts with film instead of bullets, there are plenty of collectibles to be earned by getting high scores (including some very out-of-place Nintendo-themed outfits). If you're that hardcore of a fan, you probably bought Maiden of Black Water on day one - so if you didn't, you may want to give it a pass.
Koei Tecmo clearly hasn't missed a beat with this venerable horror franchise, as the fifth main entry plays as well as ever, with nice new touches spread around to make it a great and terrifying trip for any horror fan out there.
A creepy game with creaky controls
Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water may start out slow-paced with about a dozen tutorials before the real action begins, but if you stick with the game for long enough to get settled in this is a fun adventure into the unknown. If you're a fan of horror games but aren't a fan of cheap jump scares then this is the perfect game for you. Just make sure to leave the lights on.
The lack of care put into this maligned entry suggests that maybe higher ups at Koei Tecmo do not care about Fatal Frame. Maybe it should be laid to rest. If it can’t be allowed to be great, then perhaps it would be better off as nothing.
At its best, playing Fatal Frame feels like a more interactive version of movies like Ju-On, putting the player in a terrible place where the only relief is the occasional pause before inevitable doom. The situation is slightly more optimistic, but the feeling of inevitability is hard to shake. Even the few supposedly safe spaces (Ren's study, Yuri's apartment) feel like flickering candles in a world of ever-growing darkness. At its worst, Fatal Frame is bogged down by repetition and a frustrating, if inspired, combat system. Your ability to overlook this will likely depend on your appreciation of candlelight.
Fatal Frame: Maiden of the Black Water brings a world of nostalgia and pleasure for old gamers who grew up with Resident Evil and Silent Hill.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Although somewhat lacking on the horror front, PROJECT ZERO: Maiden of Black Water is a fun time with an interesting story and gorgeous graphics. The audio could use some improvement, but the pros far outweigh the cons.
The ABC of horror games is that they tend to be frightening, but Maiden of Black Water is not only true to that, but also fails to stand up to Fatal Frame name and delivers a simple, average experience on every level.
Review in Persian | Read full review
The remastered version of Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water offers improved visual effects, additional costumes, and a new photo mode that is quite deep. The problem is that in everything else the game fails. Despite the fact that its initial premise is very intriguing, the game fails to develop its plot with good pace. There is too much repetition in many of its main mechanics. All in all, the fact that the franchise has returned to Xbox after fifteen years is a credit.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
As successful as it is in presenting an extremely frightening and mysterious atmosphere, the game moves just as far back in presenting some of its structural components.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water is the weakest of the Fatal Frame games and this remastered version fails to address its biggest issues, namely clunky traversal mechanics and a seriously wooden cast of characters. However, look past these shortcomings and, especially for fans of the series, there's still a lot to enjoy in the solid ghost-snapping action on offer here. It may not be the best game in the franchise, but this remaster will still give your spine a good tingle if you let it.
This port of the clever and under-appreciated Wii U J-Horror game might feel a little old, but is a terrific example of a familiar genre given a unique spin.
Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water isn't the best game in the series, much less made for the new generation, but it's a step forward in hopes that a new version of the classic will come out to non-Nintendo consoles. If you've never played a title in the series, you might like it, but I recommend waiting for a good sale to buy it. If you're a fan, it's best to keep the good memories from the past and avoid it for now.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Maiden of Black Water is still a great survival horror game, but its PC port is a mess and it doesn't look very good.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water is a truly wonderful horror game, and it’s a delight to see it finally available to a broader audience. Here’s hoping it does as well as it deserves this time around — perhaps well enough that we see at the very least a remaster of the earlier games in the series, and maybe even a new one sometime soon.
We take a look at the newly remastered version of Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water, now available on all consoles and PC.
Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water is the weakest main installment of the series and an average survival horror, although the unique combat system and climate can tempt many fans of the genre.
Review in Polish | Read full review
The haunting atmosphere of Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water means that it’s definitely worth a play for horror fans on the whole. It’s just a shame that more hasn’t been done to improve its gameplay over the original Wii U version. Combat is fun for the most part, and also rather spooky. But during the many bouts of exploration in between, you’ll become frustrated due to the clunky controls that make moving the trio of characters involved quite simply a pain.