In an interview with Japanese magazine Famitsu (translation via DeepL), Fatal Frame Producer Keisuke Kikuchi explained why the release of a Fatal Frame HD Remaster had not been considered for the series’ 20th anniversary.
The latest entry in the series, Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water has been announced to release on the 28th of October for modern consoles. Kikuchi says in the interview that he believes that they believe that Maiden of Black Water is the best showcase of the series to newcomers.
No. First of all, we wanted to focus on getting as many people as possible to play “Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water”, the latest title in the series. This is because we are proud to say that this title will be a fresh surprise for players who are playing the “Fatal Frame” series for the first time.
He has also stated that while Maiden didn’t sell that well at launch (partially because it was a Wii U exclusive) we believe the game has seen a much better reception upon the announcement of its re-release.
To be honest, I was a bit worried because it was announced a long time after the original version was released in 2014. However, the reception was much warmer than I expected, and I was honestly happy. We have also received a lot of anticipation from people in North America and Europe, as well as from the Asian region where we will be releasing the game for the first time. I felt once again that Japanese-style horror is being accepted overseas as well.
Kikuchi was also asked about what he believed made the Fatal Frame series so appealing which he stated was that it delivered a unique take on traditional Japanese horror. Also, cute girls.
The “Fatal Frame” series is a game that offers a condensed experience of the gradual scares of Japanese-style horror. It’s not only scary, but you can also enjoy solving mysteries and fighting using the “Camera Obscura,” a camera that can seal spirits. Also, there are many attractive characters in the game, so even though it is a horror game, I believe that many players will find it easy to get involved.
This title [Maiden of Black Water] focuses on the fear of getting wet, so one of the highlights is how the characters change as their clothes get wet and they become scarier. The setting and story are another attraction. The setting of this game is like a condensation of haunted places from all over Japan into a single stage called “Hikamiyama”. In this setting, mysterious keywords such as “mountain of death,” “ghostly marriage,” and “divine concealment” are gradually revealed. “Since the game deals with the serious topic of suicide, it is not something that can be enjoyed casually, but I believe that it is a title that will leave something in the hearts of those who play it.
There are five current main series entries in the Fatal Frame franchise, plus a remake of the second game. Fatal Frame 1-3 are available on the PS2 or PS3 through the Playstation classics.
Started with the fourth game, the series has since had a rough history of finding localisation outside Japan which we have previously been spoken about in coverage of another interview with Kikichi where he spoke about the possibility for future sequels in the franchise.
Perhaps one day we’ll get a Fatal Frame HD Remaster, perhaps even with the fourth game finally officially translated but for now, at least the series is still going forward with the fifth entires new re-release.
Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water will be available on October 28th for Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and PC. It will be released digitally in all regions with the exception of Japan and Asia.
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