Fatal Frame IV: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse | Review thread

[Darkknight2149]

Release date:
March 8, 2023 (remastered; worldwide)

Synopsis:

Rogetsu Kagura is a festival held once every ten years on Rogetsu Isle in southern Japan.

During the festival, five girls mysteriously disappeared. The girls were rescued by a detective, but all of their memories were lost.

One of the girls that disappeared mysteriously, Ruka Minazuki, had a faint memory of a single melody…

Ten years later, two of the girls that mysteriously disappeared were killed one after another.

Determined to solve the mystery of their friends' deaths, the remaining girls, Misaki and Madoka, agree to travel to Rogetsu Isle.

Ruka decides to follow them to the island. Will they find out what lies beyond their lost memories?

Platforms:
Nintendo Wii (Japan exclusive; original non-remastered)

Nintendo Switch

PlayStation 4

PlayStation 5

PC

X-Box Series X

X-Box One

Developer(s):

Koei Tecmo

Grasshopper Manufacture

Trailer:

Reviews:

The Guardian - 3/5

If you’re looking for a nostalgic J-horror experience, and you’re prepared to put in the effort and work with the control scheme, Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is an enjoyable, highly atmospheric adventure, with many brilliant moments of fear and dread. The spirits are wonderfully designed, and spotting a black-eyed ghost child lurking behind you, or in the corner of a room, never fails to send a shiver down the spine. For those of us who believe the Project Zero series should be as revered as Resident Evil and Silent Hill, it has been a pleasure to step, once again, into its chamber of horrors, with just a camera for protection and the remnants of an ancient ghost story ready to be exhumed.

Kotaku

Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse’s first-ever international release is severely underbaked

Push Square - 6/10

Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is an old school survival horror game for better and worse. It's charmingly old school, and for people who grew up on a healthy diet of Resident Evil and Silent Hill back on the original PlayStation like we did, there'll be something nostalgic to the control foibles and camera issues. But there's no getting away from the fact that this is a game that feels older than it is, and the leaden pace will be off-putting to many.

Video Games Chronicle - 2/5

This remaster finally brings the fourth Fatal Frame game to the west, but the problem is it was a clunky game in 2008 and its upgrades aren't enough to improve its frustrating feel in any meaningful way.

Niche Gamer - Verdict: 8

Whatever happens to Fatal Frame, at least one of the best entries finally came to the west. Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse has some of the best material the series has in it and Suda51’s contributions can be felt with very subtle homages from his work on Moonlight Syndrome. If you can adapt to the unconventional and sluggish controls, then expect to have a frightful time with Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse.

Nintendo World Report

Fans of Fatal Frame who want to experience this lost title in the series will likely find enough atmosphere and story to keep their interest, but newcomers may find some of the game’s shortcomings to be a turnoff as their first experience.

Game Rant - 3.5/5

For fans of Fatal Frame and the survival horror genre, seeing Mask of the Lunar Eclipse have an official English release with a solid localization is like a dream come true. Even if this remaster is hampered by some graphical updates that are barely noticeable and stiff controls, it is easy to look past those issues to experience a solid ghost story with an incredible atmosphere.

Nintendo Life - 6/10

For fans of the franchise, Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse should be a no-brainer. Fifteen years after its original release in Japan, its launch in the west brings some welcome upgrades to the visuals and presentation. That said, you can definitely feel the game's age in the core gameplay and little has been done to bring this more in line with modern sensibilities.

Open Critic:

Rating: Fair

Top critic average: 71

38% Critics Recommend

Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse Reviews

Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is rated 'Fair' after being reviewed by 29 critics, with an overall average score of 71. It's ranked in the bottom 48% of games and recommended by 38%...

opencritic.com

 

[AshHunter216]

I'm a big fan of horror, but the reviews are looking a little shaky. I might just wait for a sale.

 

[adamsapple]

Will play when it lands on a sub service.

 

[Gods&Monsters]

I'm a big fan of horror, but the reviews are looking a little shaky. I might just wait for a sale.

It's a remaster of a wii game. It wasn’t going to review like a GOTY (metroid prime is an exception). I'm glad there is an official english version on modern platforms