Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse
Scary horror adventure remaster stumbles but entertains.
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Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this game.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is a downloadable single-player survival horror game available for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows-based PCs. This is a remaster of 2008's Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse, which was previously a Wii exclusive. Players will rotate through a few characters who have all found their way to Rougetsu, an island where a great tragedy occurred eight years prior to the beginning of the game. Then, the ghosts arrive to prevent your characters from learning the truth, which boils down to either scaring characters or trying to bring them into the afterlife. There's little blood and no gore, but the game can be immensely scary during some moments. Much of the game's setting takes inspiration from the architecture of Japanese houses and hotels, and the main cast itself is largely Japanese with female characters making up the bulk of the playable protagonists. As for the controls, moving your character around can be a task as they move incredibly slow, even while running. Encounters with ghosts can also be cumbersome as you'll have to constantly manage where your character is vs. where the ghosts are, then fumble with the camera with the hopes of coming out on top.
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What’s It About?
In FATAL FRAME: MASK OF THE LUNAR ECLIPSE, two girls, Misaki and Madoka, return to Rougetsu island in an effort to find out the truth of their past. Neither of them can quite remember what happened to them on the island eight years ago, and two of their friends have died terribly under mysterious, bizarre circumstances. Soon, they find themselves coming face to face with the ghosts of those who came before, and it quickly becomes clear that something unspeakably horrible happened – not just to the girls, but to all the island's former inhabitants. Things spiral out of control, and a few more souls find their way to the island with hazy memories and a desire to uncover the truth. Will Rougetsu's morbid secrets come to light, or will those who seek answers end up suffering the same fate as the ghosts that haunt their former home?
Is It Any Good?
When it comes to older games being updated, some survive and even flourish, while others end up feeling outdated in a landscape that's long outgrown them. Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse falls directly in the middle of that spectrum with controls that feel two decades out of style while being so utterly unique that it's difficult to write it off completely. Controlling the protagonists can feel useless, especially when you're wielding your ghost-slaying camera in a cramped hallway and vicious wraiths are breathing down your neck. In those instances, your character moves like a tank rather than a person. While there's a quick-turn option, you can only use it when you aren't actively holding the camera, so you'll constantly have to leave the viewfinder mode, reorient your character, and go back to the viewfinder. If you find yourself facing two or more ghosts, it becomes less about fearing rogue specters and more about fighting to even get a ghost in the camera's sights.
That being said, if you let yourself get used to the dated controls and ghost encounter headaches, there's an endearing game beneath the surface. It may not be as "scary" after the hundredth time a cutscene telegraphs a ghost appearance. But for an older survival horror game where storytelling often took a backseat to the scares, Mask of the Lunar Eclipse has a captivating plot with many dark twists, turns, and tragedies. The ghosts are presented as if they'd had extensive lives and strong personalities before their untimely demise, adding a great deal of character. Also, as you progress, new mechanics are introduced that keep the gameplay fun and exciting. Even the initial frustration you may feel in the opening hours eases up once you understand what you're doing, which makes some of the ghost encounters simultaneously terrifying and oddly rewarding. Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is far from perfect, but it has a lot of heart and spirit if you're willing to pick up that camera and give it an earnest try.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the depiction of children in the horror genre. As Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse carries some dark implications surrounding some children without outright showing anything violent, is it appropriate for a story to even imply violence against children regardless of its fictional nature? Does it push the boundaries of a T-rated game that teenagers could easily get their hands on? Why or why not?
Can a piece of media have objective flaws and still be enjoyed and adored? Where would you personally draw the line between loving or hating a property or something meant to entertain when it comes to walking away with a positive outlook despite there being definite issues? Can children comprehend such a level of nuance when enjoying something an adult might deem as deeply flawed?
Game Details
- Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4
- Pricing structure: Paid ($49.99)
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: Koei Tecmo
- Release date: March 9, 2023
- Genre: Survival Horror
- Topics: Adventures, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires, Science and Nature
- ESRB rating: T for Violence, Blood & Gore, Mild Suggestive Themes, Mild Language
- Last updated: March 8, 2023
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