Review | Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake

A review in the dark

Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly is a survival horror video game developed by Tecmo for PlayStation 2. It is the second entry in the Fatal Frame series, and was published by Tecmo in 2003 in Japan and North America, and by Ubisoft in Europe in 2004. Crimson Butterfly was praised by critics for its narrative and gameplay, later being called a classic of the survival horror genre. A remake for the Wii was released in 2012 in Japan and Europe. This is the second remake; it comes out March 12th, 2026 for Nintendo Switch 2 | PlayStation 5 | Xbox Series X|S and PC (Steam).

Now, you're wondering — a second remake? Yeah, it's happening. I'm sure it did, but first things first. This game has some serious issues with dark scenes due to a heavy film grain effect. I was playing on PS5 Pro, and apart from not being able to choose a game mode, I wasn't able to turn off this awful film grain. It led to having to tone down the brightness because otherwise this grain looks really bad and bright, degrading image quality so much that it feels like a game-breaking bug. Add to that only a 30 FPS mode on consoles (even on PS5 Pro there is nothing different than for the base version), and we are off to a rough start. I'm sad to even see this, because my recent game was RE9 and that game is one of the technical masterpieces, so this one feels really dated even though it's a brand new game.

I sure hope they will fix these issues because the game is awesome. Sure, there are some hiccups here and there, but the overall tone is still here, and to this day it's one of the scariest games ever made. My experience was heavily influenced by that film grain, so many dark scenes (and everything is mostly dark) were too dark to properly enjoy the game how it's meant to be enjoyed. Moving the game from the original camera angles to a full Resident Evil type of view was a success (although that was already in the Wii remake version), but some things like this grain should stay in the past. Or at least give us the option to remove it!

PS - The game works and looks better with HDR option off, with brightness around 35 or so. It still shows the grain, but it looks better.

It was really hard to pick some images because I had to tone down the brightness due to film grain issues.

Story and the characters

If you love Silent Hill and that psychological aspect of storytelling, I think Fatal Frame is somewhere on that level, but slightly different. This is a story about two sisters that will experience real horror. And I mean real. This is a damn good story that is shared between Mayu and Mio — Mio being the protagonist. They both get stuck in a haunted village full of ghosts, reliving the past that led to sacrifices and many obscure sceneries that are slowly becoming part of your sanity.

I simply love the story. I love every part of it, but I also kind of miss the expanded lore of how the girls even got up here. The rest is fine; it's even expanded with the addition of side quests that come in the form of expanded lore. Mayu gets possessed by the past of the previous two sisters that were part of the sacred sacrifice ritual, and everything will keep Mayu away from you, while you try to save her and leave this forsaken place. The remake graphics are decent enough, but maybe better character models with better facial expressions, plus better lip sync chould be present.

I read every diary, explored every part of the game, and everything fits perfectly, but the somewhat weird progression with side content led me to backtrack a lot, and due to combat being remade, I've felt like my time was a bit drained by enemies being sponges and running to the same place over and over again. Better marking on the map and maybe some hints here and there could help progress alongside the main story, but in my run I was constantly backtracking to finish side quests (even though I loved completing them). This game still feels a bit dated, but apart from the backtracking, I kind of like that I had to invest in it.

I love when you reach for items and a ghost grabs your hand. Every situation is scary.

Game design, exploration

The game feels like early Resident Evil titles — linear, and I wouldn't want it any other way. You explore Minakami Village, collect health restoratives, files — and fight off hostile ghosts with the... camera! Yes, a camera: Camera Obscura to be exact. Using the Camera Obscura when ghosts appear, the game switches to a first-person perspective where Mio must take photos of ghosts to damage them. There are a couple of puzzles to solve (nothing special), but mostly it's a narrative-driven experience where you bring up the map and venture further and further.

So, basically, you run through the dark (for most of the time, if not the whole time), explore a couple of family houses (each family has a part in the story), use the camera to get rid of ghosts while collecting different types of film, and just try to survive throughout 10 chapters. It's a well-known survival horror formula that I love, but be aware that this is not meant to be like modern titles; it's mostly a trip back to the past with updated visuals and gameplay mechanics. During exploration prepare to take photos, because there are like 100+ moments of past events emerging in different places and you need to take a quick photo to capture that scenery — love that.

In this remake you will find 2 brand new locations to explore (although one is optional, and both are small). The camera functions are also updated (more on that in the section below), side quests are introduced, and combat feels more agile, but I also think the game is poorly balanced (mostly due to a shortage of better camera films) and the enemies are sponges, especially early on until you upgrade the camera.

Constant fear is what makes this experience different from other games. Revealing multiple secrets is also a big plus, and this game is full of them.

Combat

When it comes to combat, I'm a bit divided, at least here. I love the combat. From the first game in the series I was hooked, but to me this feels like a step back, even though there are more refined options now. The camera comes with 4 filter types, each serving a purpose. There are long-distance lenses that can capture past events, a reveal lens that you use to slow enemies or reveal secrets, regular ones, and ones you can charge to remove seals or deal heavy damage to enemies. The basics of the combat are that you need to take pictures of ghosts in critical moments such as when they're about to attack, or during certain moments to deal critical damage or to stun them. I love the concept! It's a very unique and dynamic 3D-style combat approach.

All of this is great, but each fight feels like a drag for some reason. I was playing on Normal difficulty. Enemies have a ton of HP, and if you have only default film (ammo) in your camera, prepare for a long fight. The ghosts tend to aggro, which heals them, buffs their moves and defense. It takes a couple of shots to remove that status, or if you're fast they will not even aggro (good luck with that). It all works on paper, but due to respawn mechanics and not a lot of ghost enemy variety, it starts to feel like a drag quite soon. The enemies need to be easier. Even with agile movements, dodging and whatnot, it still feels like you're just waiting for some fights to be over.

The whole idea of having side quests fits here as well, as you need to re-track some ghosts by backtracking, which means combat all over again, but without any additional ammo supply. It's a poor design, often leading to frustrating moments and just ditching parts of the content.

The charms that you can equip and boost with points given in combat are cool, but not much to say. Camera upgrades are also way too expensive and upgrade items are not enough to make your first run smooth. I've expected more from this segment. At least we can hold hands with Mayu to restore willpower (stamina) and health!

Hold hands with Mayu to regenerate your willpower and health. And try to avoid ghosts while doing so.

Side Content

Side content is chasing 5 different endings and solving side quests. Quests are triggered by collecting crystals left behind by ghosts or in some locations. They are tied to an NPC that is part of the main story, simply expanding the lore. That makes you want to do them, but good luck finding them all. The items shine only if you use your flashlight or camera directly where they are, otherwise you have no idea that you can pick something up.

My biggest issue was the backtracking to the same locations like 10 times, even though everything is close in this small village. I did love the quests and getting some optional files this way. It's a good direction, but executed a bit weirdly if you ask me.

The rest is trying to take pictures of all event ghosts as you play, replaying chapters after beating the game, beating the game on Nightmare difficulty... There is plenty to explore. Somewhere around the 20-hour mark will be enough for the majority of a single playthrough, but an extra 20 hours can be added to collect and find everything (with a guide, because, well, good luck on your own).

I just wish for them to fix the grain issue so I can crank up the brightness and see what I'm playing!

Conclusion

Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly remains one of the most unique and terrifying horror experiences ever made. The story, atmosphere, and unsettling exploration of Minakami Village still work incredibly well, and the remake successfully modernizes many aspects of the original while keeping its identity intact. Unfortunately, technical issues like the aggressive film grain, lack of performance options, and some questionable combat balancing hold the experience back more than they should. The sound design is great, especially the ending song and 3D audio!

Even with those problems, the core of the game is still excellent. If the developers address the visual issues and improve performance, this remake could easily become the definitive way to experience one of the greatest survival horror stories ever told. For now and for the sake of this review, I'm taking all tehnical issues into consideration, so if they solve them just add +5 to the grade.