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MONSTER
Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water
Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is a survival horror video game developed by Koei Tecmo and published by Nintendo for the Wii U. The fifth main entry in the Fatal Frame series, it was released in Japan in September 2014 and worldwide in October 2015. As with previous games in the series, players navigate areas filled with hostile ghosts which must be fought by taking photographs using the Camera Obscura, which is directly controlled using the Wii U gamepad. A post-endgame story featuring Ayane, a character from the company's Dead or Alive series, is also available featuring altered gameplay mechanics. The story, which is set on the fictional Hikami Mountain, focuses on three protagonists who are drawn into supernatural events revolving the area, including an ancient ritual to seal away Yomi, a malevolent force corrupting the surrounding spirits that is tied to the fate of the titular shrine maiden Ouse Kurosawa. Planning for the game began in 2011, during the projection of the Wii remake of Crimson Butterfly. The game was first proposed by series co-creator Keisuke Kikuchi when he saw the Wii U hardware and the possibilities of the gamepad becoming the Camera Obscura. The game was a joint production effort between Koei Tecmo and Nintendo Software Planning & Development, with Kikuchi and fellow co-creator Makoto Shibata returning as to their respective posts of producer and director, together with staff from the previous series entry Mask of the Lunar Eclipse and developers new to the series. The cast went through several revisions during development, while the staff experimented with the capacities of the new hardware. As with previous games, it features a theme song by Tsuki Amano. Upon release, the game received critical acclaim for its use of the gamepad and dark atmosphere, while opinions were mixed on its story, portrayal of its female characters, and other aspects such as its pacing and controls.
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Reviews
78 reviews found100
Digitally Downloaded
Oct 27, 2021
Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water is so deeply Japanese that you’ll come away from it learning a bit about the wonderful horror storytelling tradition that the culture has. While some might find themselves at odds with a game that is so steadfastly traditional about how a horror game should play (especially on the back of the very modern Resident Evil: Village this year), if you go in with an open mind, understanding the cultural context that has lead to the game turning out this way, then you’re going to find it to be a really remarkable and enlightening bit of art. It’s not unlike going to an art gallery for a yurei exhibition, really.
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90
Pure Nintendo
Oct 27, 2021
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.
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90
GamingTrend
Oct 27, 2021
Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is a uniquely thrilling horror experience. Armed with only a camera and your wits, the tension is palpable and oozes out of every nook and cranny of Mt. Hikami and the surrounding areas. The camera serves to be as trusty of a weapon as a gun and adds a distinct tension to the action that few games could replicate. The atmosphere, level design, and story all work in tandem to create a surprisingly tense and beautiful experience, despite relying a bit too much on backtracking and having a rather thin story.
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Shindig
Oct 27, 2021
Summary and quote unavailable.
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Gamersky
Dec 2, 2021
Summary and quote unavailable.
80
Video Chums
Oct 27, 2021
FATAL FRAME: Maiden of Black Water blends its haunting world with rewarding gameplay to craft one outstanding horror experience. Is anything scarier than traversing dim hallways while ancient Japanese ghosts chase you? Probably but here's Shadow Corridor anyway. Next up, we have another game that incorporates ancient Japanese culture into its horror aesthetic but unfortunately, it's not nearly as good.
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NintendoWorldReport
Oct 27, 2021
Overall Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is a fun action horror adventure to play through, with the specters of Mt. Hikami providing an interesting backstory and a fun combat experience. While the characters are more bland than I had hoped, this doesn't necessarily take away from the story all that much. Some control issues do get annoying over time, but even they couldn't stop me from continuously returning to the beautiful and creepy environments of the mountain. If you're a fan of horror games with a bit more of an action feel, you could certainly do a lot worse than Fatal Frame, and now might just be the perfect time to dive in.
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