Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly

"Stick with the original."

I have a certain fondness for the original Fatal Frame for the Playstation 2. It is really the only survival horror game I had ever played. I now own the original, and consider it to be one of the best games I have ever played. So, when I realized that there was a sequel to it, I did not hesitate to go out and rent it. The result is a mixed game, a product that does not live up to the standard set by the previous game.

Graphics: The graphics for the original are very well done, for the time that it came out. From the looks of this game, it seems that little was done to enhance the graphics. The outdoor environments still look about the same as the previous game. The indoor environments, while nice, show little improvements as well. The use of light and shadow is well implemented into this game, though. That is one of the plus sides. The other is the cutscenes, which are both shocking and technologically impressive. There hasn't been much improvement here since the original, which is a disappointment. 8-10.

Sound: Voices are well done. I cannot complain about the voices, when I have the desire to listen to them. The moans of the ghosts are the same as before. There is really no in-game music, save the cheesy theme song. I prefer to listen to my own music while playing a game, so I do not keep the volume up unless I need to. Good, but not essential. 8-10.

Gameplay: The meat and bones of any good video game. Even if the graphics and sound in a game is excellent, the entire experience can crumble down in the gameplay does not meet the same standards. This is the case here. While the sound and graphics may be above average, the gameplay falls short of the mark set by the original. First, let's start by what this game actually is. This is a survival horror game, with some RPG elements mixed into it as well. This may sound like a perfect combination, but not so. The environment is a village, instead of a solitary mansion like the original. However, gameplay normally takes place within the houses of the village, so there is very little difference. Often, ghosts appear in the surroundings, whether they be attacking or just vanishing ghosts. Vanishing ghosts can be photographed for points. Attacking ghosts attack you, which brings us to the next gameplay issue: the camera. To kill ghosts, the player has to take pictures of them. This sounds like a good concept, and to anyone who has played the original, you know that it can be implemented well. In this new game, the challenge of battles has been eliminated completely. Instead of holding the camera on the ghost for a period of time to charge up a meter, all you have to do is get close to it. This gets rid of any challenge. Also, you get special bonus powers, which make the game even easier. Also, the variety of ghosts is very limited, with only a couple exceptions. Film and health are easy to find, unlike the original. Because of this lack of challenge, the atmosphere of the game diminishes. While there are vanishing ghost appearances that will shock you, they don't occur nearly as often. Also, this game is longer, but can be completed in the rental time easily. I was disappointed, because I had expected to see a better game than the original. What I got was mediocrity. 5-10.

Replay value: Actually pretty good. There are special ghosts that you can only capture the second time through. Also, there are two separate endings, as well as extra costumes. Pretty good. 9-10.

+ Good graphics
+ Good cutscenes
+ Good sound
+ Good replay value
- Mediocre gameplay
- Too easy
- Camera not used nearly as well as original
- Short: about 8-10 hours first time through

This game isn't a total waste. There are some moments in this game that keep it from being a total failure, and some of the cutscenes are absolutely shocking and disturbing. But, the bad far outweighs the good. Not recommended for fans of the original, and only recommended as a rental for casual gamers. This isn't what I expected.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 04/08/04