Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Review

Fatal Frame II, a sequel to a horror game by the same name, takes place in the “Lost Village�. You play as two adolescent girls, who must work in cooperation to retreat from the haunted village where they grew up.

The story is given through newspaper articles, journals, and apparitions. A massacre happened in the “Lost Village� where everyone was wiped out. Statues in the forest lead people to the village. Once you pass through gates to enter the village, there is no return. The village eternally relives the night of the massacre.

The camera obscura allows you to exorcise spirits by taking photographs of them. You control Mio, while your twin, Mayu tags along. She will sometimes stop if something catches her eye.

Two main gauges are present on the screen; health bar and filament. You already know what a health gauge is, but the filament bar shows if a ghost is in the room. It will turn blue for non-violent ghosts and red for violent ones.

The graphics re absolutely horrific. The environments are dark, moody, and you feel successfully frightened. Lighting (or lack of it) combines with eerie sounds, voices, and photos, all of which make FFII a horrific experience.

The visuals, both the game itself and the cut scenes, combine with the eerie music to successfully fright anyone who plays it. The environments are dark and creepy, while sounds in the background intentionally try to raise your hair up. Every aspect of the ghosts, such as facial expressions, is designed to make you hit the panic button. The PS2’s most scary gaming experience is Fatal Frame II. I suggest picking this title up, that’s if you can handle the amount of pressure it will put on you and your nerves.