Parents' Guide to Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse

When it comes to older games being updated, some survive and even flourish, while others end up feeling outdated in a landscape that's long outgrown them.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.