Time to celebrate the resurrection of one of my favourite video game series, Zero (Japan), Project Zero (Europe) or Fatal Frame (USA). The kanji of Zero (零) in Japanese means "number zero", "nothing", and can also mean "spill", "overflow" and "to become visible". It can also be read as "rei", the same lecture of another kanji (霊) that means "ghost", "spirit" and "soul". Project Zero was the name of the series in Europe and other PAL regions from 2002 to 2025, when it was renamed to Fatal Frame worldwide by means of the announcement of Fatal Frame II Crimson Butterfly Remake, whose cover art features the kanji of Zero (零) in a similar fashion as the original release of Mask of the Lunar Eclipse, but in reddish tones as opposed to the moonlight yellow.
MAIN SERIES
1: ZERO (2001)
· Set in 1986.
· Three endings: Normal, Hard and Fatal (Fatal on Xbox only).
· Canonical ending: Normal ending (Easy/normal).
· Original version: PlayStation 2 (published by Wanadoo in Europe) and PS Network (NA).
· Enhanced port "Special edition": Xbox (published by Microsoft in Europe). Features graphical updates, new ghosts, redesigned interface for the camera and a new "Fatal" difficulty which unlocks an art gallery and a third ending.
2: CRIMSON BUTTERFLY (2003)
· Set in July 1988.
· Four endings: Lingering Scent, Crimson Butterfly, Hellish Abyss, Promise (Xbox only).
· Remake's six endings: Long Road Home, Crimson Butterfly, The Abyss, The Promise, Frozen Butterfly, Shadow Festival.
· Canonical ending: Crimson Butterfly (defeat Kusabi in over a minute without having seen the scenes in Chapter 8).
· Original version: PlayStation 2 (published by Ubisoft in Europe), PS Network (NA).
· Enhanced port "Director's Cut": Xbox (published by Microsoft in Europe). Features first-person play mode, survival mode, new ending, enhanced graphics, greater number of alternate costumes to unlock and a gallery/shop.
· Remake: Wii (published by Nintendo). A full remake of the game. It features a dynamic over the shoulder third person camera first used in the fourth game, updated layout of the game, graphics and character models vastly improved, ghosts hands, investigating mechanic with new objects, reworked ghost battles, "Dark Return" blooming, several areas are newly accessible, new costumes, new lines of spoken dialogue coming out of the Wii Remote speaker, mini-maps, reworked maps displaying keyholes. The Camera Obscura has a new viewfinder and re-done controls, a lock on function, a revamped upgrade system, a new way of using lenses, newly created lenses, and the capture circle has been changed from a proximity charge to the standard charge system in every other game. There is a minor two-player mode where a player can take synchro shots and deal double damage as well as hear newly created dialogue come out of the Wii remote. The amount of healing items is decreased and some fights that were optional are now mandatory. A few unexplained occurrences are now resolved and many cutscenes have been added, while several of the original cutscenes have been extended. Endings are no longer determined by what difficulty has been selected but by how you play the game. There are two new endings and a new theme song. A new mode, Haunted House, has been added, a mode in which players slowly walk around a set course in first person and scary events randomly occur, the player can search for haunted dolls while a ghost chases after you, where you can take pictures of ghosts from the game and receive rankings on your spirit level, based on your fear meter that amasses when playing. A second player may attempt to scare you by pressing buttons and causing random events to occur.
· Remake for Xbox Series X|S, Windows, PS5 and Switch 2 to be released on 12 March 2026 (published worldwide by Koei Tecmo). This is the second remake of the second title, and the first time that the series is renamed to Fatal Frame worldwide.
3. THE TORMENTED (2005)
· Set in September 1988.
· Two endings: Normal and Photograph.
· Canonical ending: Photograph ending (complete the Echo Stone Earring side quest during Hour X or Hour XII after you have beaten the game once normally).
· Original version: PlayStation 2 (published by Take-Two Interactive in Europe), PS Network (NA).
· There is no other version of the game.
4: MASK OF THE LUNAR ECLIPSE (2008)
· Set in 1980. Explains what happened in 1970 (kidnapping and rescue) and 1972 (catastrophe).
· Two similar endings depending on difficulty setting (easy/normal and hard). Misaki's fate is either left unknown, or her illness is cured. No information about which is canonical exists.
· Original version: Wii (published only in Japan by Nintendo).
· A fan translation patch for Wii that also fixed the main glitches was released in 2010.
· Remaster released for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Windows, PS4, PS5 and Switch on 9th March 2023 (published worldwide by Koei Tecmo).
5: MAIDEN OF BLACK WATER (2014)
· Set after 1988.
· Eight endings: two for Yuri Kozukata, four for Ren Hojo and two for Miu Hinasaki.
· Original version: Wii U (published worldwide by Nintendo).
· Remaster released for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Windows, PS4, PS5 and Switch on 28th October 2021 (published worldwide by Koei Tecmo).
SPIN-OFFS
· Real: Another Edition (mobile, 2004, Japan only)
· Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir (Nintendo 3DS, 2012)
@BlueOcean Appreciate the summary of the entire series! It's too bad that the majority of these games aren't available on newer hardware. Would've loved to play through these games in order as that's my preferred way of getting through franchises. Either way, at least the remake of Project Zero 2 is available on the Wii U eShop and it's only €20. I think I'll play through that game first before tackling Maiden of the Black Water just to see if this series is for me or not since I know next to nothing about it. Hopefully I'll find it to my liking!
@LtSarge No problem, I wrote this for myself but I guess it's better to share it. I'd say that it's fine to play them in any order, I did that the first time but every time that I re-play them, I do it in release order. I find the slow gameplay, the settings and the camera absolutely satisfying! 😊
@LtSarge Yes, especially Resident Evil and Project Zero. I haven't played all Silent Hill games because they say that the 360 releases are rubbish, I have only played Shattered Memories on Wii. I need to play Dead Space 1 and 2. What about you?
@BlueOcean Cool! I'm actually starting to grow fond of the horror genre. Didn't like horror games at all before and now I love them. I enjoy getting scared now due to the rush you get afterwards. It makes playing these games so exciting!
You can pre-order Project Zero/Fatal Frame - Maiden of Black Water now! Game available on 28 October 2021.
EXTRA CONTENT
[Pre-order Bonus]
· Yuri/Miu/Ren Exclusive Costume: Camera Obscura Hat & Yuri/Miu Exclusive Costume: Witch's Hat
Note: This content is included for free with purchases made before October 27th, 2021. It is possible it will be sold separately at a later date.
[Early Purchase Bonus]
· Yuri Exclusive Costume: Ryza Outfit, Ryza Hat
Note: This content is included for free with purchases made before November 11th, 2021. It is possible it will be sold separately at a later date.
[Digital Deluxe Bonus]
● 20th Anniversary Digital Artbook
The special anniversary digital artbook features artwork and BGM tracks from past titles of the PROJECT ZERO series and can be accessed from the game menu.
[Digital Deluxe Bonus]
● Past Protagonists Costume Set
Outfits of various past protagonists of the PROJECT ZERO titles will be available in the game:
· Mio Amakura Outfit (from “PROJECT ZERO Ⅱ Crimson Butterfly”)
· Rei Kurosawa Outfit (from “PROJECT ZERO Ⅲ The Tormented”)
· Miku Hinasaki Outfit 1 (from “PROJECT ZERO”)
· Miku Hinasaki Outfit 2 (from “PROJECT ZERO”)
· Mayu Amakura Outfit (from “PROJECT ZERO Ⅱ Crimson Butterfly”)
· Kei Amakura Outfit (from “PROJECT ZERO Ⅲ The Tormented”)
Koei Tecmo revealed their financial report, Maiden of Black Water sold 340,000 copies worldwide. Not bad for a remaster of the weakest game in the series (excluding the 3DS spin-off). I hope that sales continue and are enticing enough to remaster the older games and release a new one.
@Banjo- Well well, look who I run into again lol. Very nice job with this recap of the series! You spent a LOT of time on this. Great job. Project Zero/Fatal Frame is truly one of the creepiest series with deep storylines intricately woven into sequels without taking you away or making it impossible to follow without playing previous games. Here’s hoping the series continues to move forward with a new release.
As for Resident Evil and Silent Hill as mentioned above, those are some of my favorites as well. That’s how I came up with the name EvilSilentFrame. Took a part of the three horror games names and put it together. RE was probably the biggest in terms of sales and popularity of the three mentioned. Some great puzzles, interested creature designs, fun level designs, and kind of the grandfather of horror games. I know it wasn’t the first, but many followed and tried to recreate.
Silent Hill, yes the 360 games weren’t the best, but I still enjoyed them. My favorite in the series was 2. I know that tends to be the standard of the series and for horror fans alike. There was just a sense of dread and isolation when playing this game. It really hasn’t been duplicated since. There were some other good ones in the series as well. I hope one day Konami wakes up and gives us a new SH that can sit on the shelf next to the old trilogy and not look out of place.
I am a huge fan of Resident Evil as well and hoping that the series slowly goes back to the Resident Evil Remake magic, leaving behind the Resident Evil VII gore and first-person view. I was surprised to see how well The Umbrella Chronicles and The Darkside Chronicles filled in the story and they make me want a Code Veronica remake so badly ever since.
I'm curious to see what those Silent Hill rumours bring, considering the disappointing Silent Hill HD Collection that includes glitchy versions of 2 and 3. We might get the definitive Silent Hill versions after many years. The Wii reimagining is the only game I've played but I liked it and I'm ready for more.
I'm really desperate for re-releases of all the old Project Zero/Fatal Frame games... I'm hopeful because of Maiden of Black Water's recent success. This is an incredibly subtle and captivating franchise.
@Banjo- I also would like RE to leave behind the first person view. I didn’t dislike RE VII, I just felt like it’s getting too “action” again and focusing less on the “horror” aspect. To me, it felt a lot like RE 4. I know that tends to be a fan favorite, though I liked the game, it’s far from my favorite. After playing it, I missed the zombies. I missed the strange creatures I battled in the previous games. RE VII was intended to try and recapture some of that.
Bringing in “werewolf and vampire“ type creatures did catch my attention. I was curious how they would fit into the RE storyline. I think the vampires were over sexualized. My oldest was more into this game than any previous RE game, but that’s because him and his friends were thirsty for Lady Dimitrescu. This was the fourth game in a row where somebody was following you around in the game and you couldn’t kill them in the stage they were in. She was less threatening than Jack Baker and Mr. X.
The Lycans had their moments when I was battling them but after awhile, I didn’t want to fight them anymore. RE wasn’t intended to be guns blazing. It was slow moving creatures coming for you. They would throw a fast moving one from time to time, but still it was a slow horror. The Lyans were running, jumping, and climbing walls. The older games you’d get a licker or two, but the lycans were everywhere.
They had the skeletons that were more “zombie” like. It was a welcome addition but they wore armor and wield swords. Playing this game made me miss the RE of old. And then the whole chapter with Chris was not needed. Nothing but run and gun, no thank you. He wasn’t like that in the old games, don’t change him up like that.
We know they are remaking RE 4 as the rumors and info keeps leaking out on the game. I’d rather they remake Code Veronica. It’s next in the series that follows the main timeline of Chris and Claire Redfield. I want them to hold off on 4 and after CV, remake zero and the original again. This will give time for 4 to feel more dated. It would also give RE new fans a reason to play and follow the story of the older characters. They look at the old games and all I hear is “look at those bad graphics.” I can play them and I’m forgiving, the new generation only want to play games that look pretty. Too soon for RE4.
As for RE 9, it’s rumored to close out the storyline of a lot of the old characters. I’m hoping they are not all run and gun like Chris. I want back that slow moving horror. I’d also like the option to choose to play in either first or third person view. I prefer third person, but it give those who prefer first a way to play and enjoy the game.
As for the new SH rumors, I think some of them are true. With Konami taking down the leaked pictures, makes me believe they do have something going on there. Supposedly, there’s three games in development. I doubt there’s that many. SH wasn’t a huge seller. Konami is not into putting money into games anymore, so the idea of three SH games at one time just seems out of place to me though I’d like to be wrong. First rumor is a new game in the series by a Japanese developer with some of the original team. Second is a remake of SH 2 by Bloober. Third has a series of short stories. Supposedly the man who did the music for the old games is also working of music for new. Don’t know if that’s all of them or one or two.
A new game in SH is one I would be most looking forward to. Especially if it’s by some of the same people who created the original trilogy. Yes some of them worked on 4, but Konami made them rush it and it didn’t hold up as well as the first three. A new game today I feel can be truly terrifying. SH might have had weaker combat compared to RE and PZ/FF, but the hardest part of SH was just being brave enough to play through the game. An empty town dispersed with some of the the scariest creatures, humans you come across that are fractured and empty on the inside, challenging puzzles, and unsettling atmosphere and sounds…. If they can capture that, they could have an incredible game on their hands. Throw in an interesting story and it’s a huge win for horror fans.
The remake of SH 2 by Bloober I am skeptical of. I played Layers of Fear, and part of The Medium. I think they have the atmosphere down, and they worked with the guy who did the music for SH. Their combat is next to non existent. I know SH didn’t have great combat but you need something. Maybe they’ll be paired up with a team that knows a thing or two on that. Together maybe they can create the game, but SH 2 is considered by so many to be a masterpiece. Possibly the best horror game ever created. To try and recreate that, it has HUGE shoes to fill. It can very easily tank really badly, or if lightning strikes twice, come away with a new reimagined horror masterpiece. I would like for the better, but not getting my hopes up high. It’s also rumored to be either time exclusive or totally exclusive to the PS5. I’m hoping it’s not. My preference is on my Xbox. This would make me try harder to find a PS5, but I’d rather play it on my Xbox.
The third game is supposed to be short stories. Not much is known on this one. I don’t know if it’s a Japanese developer, but a game of shorter stories in the SH universe could work. You get a variety of stories, probably a variety of different creatures, and access to a variety of different locations in SH. I never thought of short stories taking place in or around the town, but it could be something new and work for the series. I’d take almost anything at this point. It’s been way too long.
Nothing new for us Project Zero/Fatal Frame fans. I was glad to get the rerelease of Maiden of the Black Water. Of course I want something new but I’d take rereleases of 1-4 any day. I never had the chance to play 4. It didn’t some out here in the States but I’d gladly give it a go. Fingers crossed that we hear something soon!
It's always a pleasure to read you as we are almost soulmates . Resident Evil 4 is quite interesting, especially the first half but, as you said it's not as intriguing and magical as the old games. I somewhat dislike VII a bit more because, although it's a great game, it's extremely gory and the first-person view is not what I want in Resident Evil. It's focused and it does a lot of things well such as the UI and the inventory but it's almost a Resident Evil spin-off. I think you're talking about VIII, though, because that's what you're describing and yes, it's inspired by 4's action.
We know they are remaking RE 4 as the rumors and info keeps leaking out on the game. I’d rather they remake Code Veronica. It’s next in the series that follows the main timeline of Chris and Claire Redfield. I want them to hold off on 4 and after CV, remake zero and the original again. This will give time for 4 to feel more dated
.
100% agreed. Code Veronica MUST be next from a technical and chronological point of view and let's not forget that 4 was updated for the last generation. Code Veronica is a masterpiece with the most fascinating story in the series and with classic zombies and characters. I also agree that both 2 and 3 remakes are equally excellent (you said this somewhere else).
I also said that, if first-person view is liked then also offer third-person view because it's also liked and let players choose. Third-person view and slow gameplay is best. The classic characters are necessary and Zero in particular brought unique characters and filled in many gaps. The characters that everybody loves should be back whether in the present or in the past or both. I love your idea of remaking Zero and 1 again because the essence of 1 is perfect and Zero is a perfect story expansion.
I'll welcome anything Silent Hill with open arms. I also played Layers of Fears and The Medium from Bloober. The Medium is more game than Layers of Fears but has little and messed up gameplay. However, if they are to remake Silent Hill, the original ideas should make for better results. I expect these Silent Hill projects to reach Xbox eventually.
Finally, I really hope that we get more Project Zero/Fatal Frame after Maiden of Black Water's success. Zero 4 is very good, I bought the Japanese version and played with the fan-made patch applied on the fly. Fingers crossed that we hear something soon, indeed!
@Banjo- yes, I totally meant RE VIII. My apologies, I left out one extra “I.” As for RE 7 (I’m doing it that way so I don’t make a roman numeral mistake again.) I also agree it was very gory. It’s far from my favorite. What I did like from the game is it brought back “horror” to the RE series. It also brought back some claustrophobia that some games before it started lacking. The older RE games could have been considered “gory” as well. Zombies with skin hanging off and guts and blood on the floor, but it was more of a fantasy gore I’d guess I’d call it where RE7 was more realistic gore, and for me, it was a bit much. It reminded me very much of “Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” Though that movie is pretty old now, I still find it one of the scariest movies I’ve ever see. It was truly terrifying at times. I feel the same about RE7. It was disgusting and disturbing and at times I wanted to put the controller down and just walk away.
Being trapped with the Baker family was so unsettling. Jack chasing you around was pretty scary. I would run to safe rooms and find places to hide. He was what nightmares are made of. Marguerite Baker was absolutely haunting and disgusting. I don’t know if I’ll ever be the same after the boss fight with her and having to shoot her in her Pikachu. It was a bit much. Lucas Baker was different to RE as he set up traps for you to figure out. Kind of like Jigsaw from the “Saw”movies. I wasn’t sure if I liked or disliked his section of the game. RE is like a giant puzzle game so I guess he kind of fit.
Then the second half where you ended up on the boat felt like it took forever. At that point, I just wanted the game to be done. I didn’t hate RE7, but I didn’t love it. I appreciate that it saved the series, but I longed for my zombies to return.
What I would love for Capcom to do is to give us three options when it comes to camera view. I also am not a fan of first person. I’d like them to give us the options of first person or third person over the shoulder. Then for an extra option, give us some third person fixed camera angles. I was actually hoping for that for the remakes. Though I liked RE2 and 3 over the shoulder and it’s my preferred option, for nostalgic reasons, I would have liked an option for fixed camera angles. I might have ran through it once with that one just for old times sakes.
Silent Hill is a whole different beast. There were so many comparisons between RE and SH back in the day but the games couldn’t have been more different. SH was so mental. The game would mess with you psychologically. I never experienced that from any other game or series. Then each game in the series also focused on a different fear or phobia. SH1 was fear of losing somebody and cult/religion fear. SH2 was more intimacy or relationship fear. SH3 I’d have to play again, it’s been so long. SH4 was claustrophobia. The monsters and atmosphere all resembled the phobia. The team used a different phobia for each game but still made the games feel like they belonged to the same series though they didn’t always connect in terms of story. They were nothing like RE games.
As for The Medium and Layers of Fear, I didn’t finish Medium. It left gamepass before I was done. Thought I still had some time left to complete it. If I ever see it cheap on a sale, I might pick it up just to finish. I thought the atmosphere was pretty good, but I felt like everything else needed a bit more work. The movements were a bit stiff. The combat didn’t exist. I don’t know if the gameplay ever picked up, but I try and finish what I start. Layers of Fear I beat. I thought it was just okay. I liked the concept of what they were trying to do with the game. I just felt like they missed it though. I think both games felt like they needed a bit more time and polish.
So with the thought of Bloober possibly working on SH2 remake is concerning to me. I wouldn’t mind if Bloober worked on the atmosphere. I think they have an eye for it. They just have it down. There’s a lot left to a game that needs to be there that I don’t think Bloober has yet. They are a newer studio and still learning. I can see the growth they have made. But to work on SH2, I worry because it’s one of my favorites ever.
Any of the other two SH games, I am so psyched for. I am hoping it’s true and that they are coming. Having leaked pictures and Konami taking them down makes me think that there is something there. I don’t know if it’s as many as being reported on. SH was never a huge seller and for Konami to have three made all of a sudden makes me question if it’s just one game or multiple games.
I don’t want them bringing back Pyramid Head. The 360 Silent Hill game Homecoming did that. I can’t remember if Downpour did. Though I was like an excited schoolgirl seeing Pyramid Head again, it didn’t make sense. Silent Hill taps into your fears, and Pyramid Head was James Sutherland’s vision of his punisher. We should be seeing new enemies in the new games. Unless we are playing as James again, I don’t want Pyramid Head in it.
I was tempted to buy the Japanese version of Zero 4, but I wasn’t sure how to get the whole patch working. I’m not a very technical person. I didn’t know if it was easy to do or not. So I just skipped out on 4 hoping one day Nintendo would come to some sort of agreement with Koei Tecmo and publish the game outside of Japan. Guess I lost out on that one. I watched a play through of 4 online. It’s not the same as playing it but I have a better understanding of it.
Was gonna get this the other week in the sale. What's it like performance wise guys? Played on a wii u emu and it was good. I've just finished all the resi's (Bar 7-8) and am looking for another good horror game.
@GarbonZoni Absolutely recommended! Also, a release worth supporting if you want to see more.
@EvilSilentFrame Totally agreed. The old Resident Evil were gory of course but it was somewhat fantasy. Resident Evil Remake has a hardcore early scene but, in general, they don't abuse gore and it's used as story bits here and there. RE0 and 4 did a bit of that, too. Resident Evil VII has that kind of Saw gore that I hate, focused for long, repeated, explicit. It also has a lot of good things such as the atmosphere and the gameplay is generally good. The demo in particular is very scary and I don't remember it being gory (it was a long time ago so I might be wrong). I think the realistic gore went crazy in VII and the first-person view make it worse. So yes, there are some things I like about VII but I dislike two of the most important things: the tone and camera.
Silent Hill and Project Zero/Fatal Frame are much more psychological and although I still have much Silent Hill to play, Project Zero is one of my favourite franchises, just like classic Resident Evil.
@GarbonZoni performance wise, it’s stepped up from the Wii U visually and in terms of controls. The Wii U version was good but I prefer playing on a more traditional controller. I wasn’t taken out of the game by having to look at a the gamepad.
@Banjo- Though the SH games are older now, I highly recommend them. They have the classic gore that RE had, but the games themselves were truly terrifying.
@EvilSilentFrame I'm holding off playing the SH games until the rumoured games/remakes but I'm willing to play all of them eventually whether old or remade.
Can't play first person games like i used to. seem to get motion sickness a lot, though could be an age thing lol. So bounced off 7-8. Will pick up Project Zero when it hits the sale again. I got the silent hill collection when that was on sale. Haven't played them yet though. I've been spending more than usual lately as there has been a sale on Xbox since January in one form or another.
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