Operation Backlog Completion 2025
Nov 222021
 

Although I didn’t finish in time for Halloween like I planned, this weekend I finally finished Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water.

You might be wondering why I say “finally.” Well, that’s because I bought Maiden of Black Water at launch for the Wii U. And yes, that’s the version I stubbornly decided to play.

The Wii U is practically made to order for Fatal Frame. A game about fighting with a camera, played on a system in which you’re holding a second screen in your hands already? I couldn’t pass up playing Fatal Frame this way, and while the two screens weren’t as different as I would have liked, angling the GamePad to get a better shot of a ghost made it worth it.

(I’d have re-bought it when the remaster came out if we got a physical copy this time…)

If you’re unfamiliar with the Fatal Frame series, the concept at the heart of the gameplay is that you have a special camera known as the Camera Obscura that allows you to damage ghosts by taking pictures of them.

Taking the shot right as the ghost is attacking deals more damage, and Maiden of Black Water also has you deal more damage for getting five or more targets in the shot at once. This includes spirit orbs that appear as you photograph the ghosts. Ghosts often disappear and reappear elsewhere, turning combat into a frantic affair as you try to keep track of enemies and time your shots.

You earn points for your photographs, which you can use to improve your camera, along with special lenses and upgrades you can equip for additional effects and bonuses.

Unfortunately, I didn’t really find Maiden of Black Water scary. Combat could be intense, and the story had its share of creepy and disturbing moments, but it didn’t have that same sense of dread and tension that the first game had.

(I haven’t played 2 or 3 yet, so I can’t make comparisons to those.)

Water plays a key role in the story and lore, and there’s a gameplay mechanic where getting wet makes it more likely that ghosts will appear. Of course, the game frequently puts you in situations where it’s raining or you have to wade through a river. This should add tension, but I never found water to feel like as big of a threat as it wanted me to.

The whole game feels significantly different from the older games in the series, and not just because of the modern controls and over-the-shoulder camera. If you’re expecting the classic survival horror approach to exploration, puzzle-solving, and unlocking new areas, there’s only a small amount of that here.

There is exploration, as you visit a number of large areas ranging from forests to shrines, with film and healing items to be discovered as you explore, along with ghosts to photograph. But you also revisit these areas, and going through the same area to find more items made it feel less like I was exploring an area to discover it, which took away from the atmosphere and reduce the amount of exploration I did later on.

Maiden of Black Water is divided into chapters. It follows three main characters, each delving into the secrets of the sinister and somber Mt. Hikami for his or her own reasons. At the end of each chapter, you’re given a grade and a chance to spend points on additional items before starting the next chapter. Items also don’t carry over between chapters (and I was halfway through the game before I realized that). The characters always seem to return from the mountain at the end of a chapter, so each new chapter begins with them setting out again for one reason or another.

All of this makes the game feel very different, very segmented compared to the exploration-driven focus of survival horror, and I wasn’t a big fan.

Story-wise, it was fine. You find notes throughout the game providing more details about what’s at work on the mountain, and it had enough unsettling and emotional moments to be interesting enough despite a few questionable choices. I enjoyed it as a ghost story, even if I didn’t enjoy it as a survival horror game.

My final feelings on Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water are mixed. It was a fine ghost story and some parts were fun, but it wasn’t quite what I hoped for from Fatal Frame. If and when we get a Fatal Frame 6, I hope it follows the survival horror structure more closely.

Aug 042021
 

As announced during E3, Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is getting a second chance at life later this year.

The Wii U exclusive will be remastered for all major platforms on October 28, although sadly it’s still digital-only in the West.

While I have Maiden of Black Water on the Wii U, I was thrilled to see the news because it increases the chances that the Fatal Frame series will make a comeback… and it sounds like Koei Tecmo wants that, as well.

According to Siliconera, Fatal Frame producer Keisuke Kikuchi said in an interview with Famitsu that the performance of the upcoming remaster could help pave the way for future Fatal Frame games.

In particular, by releasing it on multiple platforms to celebrate the series’ 20th anniversary, they hope to bring it to many more players and “connect it to the next title.”

So Fatal Frame is still alive! Not only is the latest entry being remastered, but there’s a good chance we could still see a Fatal Frame VI!

Are you planning to pick up Maiden of Black Water?

Oct 142015
 

The past few days have been filled with news on some of our favorite Nintendo games, so let’s discuss Ace Attorney 6, Yo-Kai Watch, and Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water.

Ace-Attorney-6-Yokai-Watch-and-Fatal-Frame-V

Ace Attorney 6 News

New details for Ace Attorney 6 were revealed in the latest issue of Famitsu, as Siliconera reported yesterday.

Ace Attorney 6 will not be set entirely in the Kurain Kingdom, but parts take place in Japan (which will most likely still be awkwardly localized to America in the English version).

Athena-CykesIt’s unclear who will be in Japan, since the trailer that revealed Apollo seemed to show him in Kurain. However, since the new Famitsu article refers to Phoenix and Apollo as the game’s two protagonists, that may have been a trick.

This news highlights one important question: will Athena Cykes be in Ace Attorney 6? Some view it as a sign that her role will be diminished, but since Apollo wasn’t shown in Dual Destinies promotional material for quite some time, it’s still too soon to say.

(Also, Blackquill cameo, please!)

Gaspen Payne, meanwhile, went to Kurain and earned a reputation as an undefeated prosecutor. That Phoenix Wright follows him there just shows the kind of luck the Paynes have.

Of course, Ace Attorney 6 rumors continue to fly. The latest fan theory suggests Princess Leifa is dead and being channeled by Maya. That could be an interesting twist, but we’ll see what Capcom has in mind.

Yo-Kai Watch News

I didn’t watch the Yo-Kai Watch anime, but I’ve heard a positive reception to it so far. While the series continues to expand in Japan, the first game will arrive here on November 6–and a demo will be available next week.

This is great news, especially since so many people still seem unclear about what Yo-Kai Watch is. Maybe this will finally stop the accusations that Yo-Kai Watch is a generic Pokemon clone.

I can’t wait to try the demo on October 22, and I hope you join me.

Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water News

Speaking of October 22, the Yo-Kai Watch demo isn’t the only thing hitting the eShop. The fifth Fatal Frame game, Maiden of Black Water, also comes out on October 22. While it’s still digital-only for North America, it got quite a bit of attention yesterday after the latest trailer.

Fans weren’t pleased Nintendo intentionally called the trailer “spoopy,” until it made Fatal Frame start trending on Twitter.

Yes, in a marketing move that could have been a disaster, those maniacal geniuses at Nintendo drew more attention to Fatal Frame than it’s had in a long time. I saw fans who didn’t know Fatal Frame V even existed learn about it through this stunt.

Maybe I should be celebrating all things spoopy instead?

Share your thoughts on the latest Nintendo announcements in the comments below, and let me know which of these three games you’re most interested in!

(Also, unrelated to Nintendo, Tales of Zestiria pre-orders on Steam will include Symphonia as a bonus. Sylvarant here I come!)