Product ReviewsFatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse (Nintendo Wii, 2008) - Japanese Version

Good game for fans, OK intro for newbies to the series

The fourth installment to the series, Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse maintains the integrity of the series by following the traditional formula set by the previous games: the main character(s) are stuck in a haunted area seemingly connected to some mysterious ritual that went horribly wrong most recently, and it is your responsibility as the player to battle your way through the haunted area and uncover the secrets of the area in order to remedy the situation.

The story centers around Ruka Minazuki and 3 other playable characters: Misaki Asou, Madoka Tsukimori, and Choushirou Kirishima. 10 years prior to the start of the game, 5 girls (Ruka, Misaki, and Madoka included) were patients in a sanatorium on Rougetsu Island. They were kidnapped by a suspected serial murderer but later rescued by Detective Choushirou Kirishima (the 4th playable character). Come present day, Ruka, Madoka, and Misaki suffer from memory loss and cannot remember much from their time spent on the island. The 2 other girls that were part of the kidnapping have mysteriously died, and so Ruka, Misaki, and Madoka return to the island to attempt to regain their memories and find out what happened to the 2 other girls.

In terms of gameplay and controls, this is where the game slightly deviates. As opposed to fixed camera angles as in previous games, this installment is played in a third person over-the-shoulder perspective. You use the Wiimote to point your flashlight around which illuminates objects for you to interact with on the map. The controls may feel a little awkward at first with the nunchuck/Wiimote combo but it isn't too bad once you get used to it.

During combat, you can no longer strafe (due to the absence of a second analog stick). To compromise for this, they have somewhat dumbed down the combat by allowing you to hold the Z button to lock onto the ghost. Wherever they move, you will automatically keep them in the center of the capture circle allowing for easy Shutter Chances and Fatal Frame shots. Fans of the series may be detracted by this facet of gameplay.

The atmosphere and musical score is wonderful as always as most of the time it is just you and the sound of your creepy footsteps (and perhaps someone else's? mwahaha!)

In terms of replay value, there are plenty of costumes and bonus lenses and functions to purchase and equip for your camera, along with additional gallery art and promotional movies to unlock. Only problem is there is a bug present in all copies of the game that prevent you from completing the Ghost List and therefore you cannot unlock some of the bonus equipment.

To wrap this very brief review up, this game will be very familiar to veterans of the series and enjoyable. The storyline is good enough to keep you interested, and the gameplay remains fairly familiar with slight deviations. For those new to the series, it is a good introduction to the series and bears very nearly almost no connection plotwise to the previous games, and therefore can be played as a standalone game.

Ratings
Story: 8.5/10
Music/Atmosphere: 10/10
Controls/Gameplay: 9/10
Replay Value: 8.5/10
Scare Factor: 7/10 (this game is not as scary as the previous installments)

Overall rating: 8.6/10

This game is a worthwhile pickup for veterans of the series, and a good game to get your feet wet if you're a newbie. Hope you all can (or already do) love this series as much as I do!Read full review...

Why is this still Japan-only?

Having played through several hours of the beginning of this game, I am left wondering that. The production value is top-notch, the gameplay itself seems to be just what an American audience would eat up, and although there are a lot of cultural references that maybe "only Japanese would get", I can guarantee you that fans of Fatal Frame, and just survival horror games in general, would still love this for what it is, even if they can't digest every single detail: the title that we have been waiting for since the genre fell into disuse in this past console generation.

The story is a blend of the first two Fatal Frame games' pseudo-real-life location, and the third's multi-character development. Essentially, it revolves around two of five girls that were abducted to an island mansion, but cannot remember why, and the detective that rescued them ten years ago. The disjointed plotline keeps me on edge, wondering just what I'm going to discover next, while keeping clouded the actual events (though, since I've played two of the other three Fatal Frame games, I can make some guesses). However, what really keeps me on edge is the gameplay.

Much like other so-called "survival horror" games nowadays (namely the Resident Evil and Silent Hill franchises, of course), Fatal Frame 4 picks up the pace quite a bit. UNlike them, however, it has managed to keep the core gameplay intact - but speeds it up by a hell of a lot! Granted, it seems much easier to kill ghosts now, but I'm thankful for that, because they float around so much faster now, and attack through walls with more frequency, popping up behind you and keeping you on the move. And because it's being played on the Wii, you get all the little nuances that come with it. Although it flows quite a bit faster than before, you don't feel like you're in an action game at all.

And then there's the sound and graphics... my god is this a beautiful Wii game! I know, right?! It's a survival horror game - it's not supposed to look this great, but it does, and I appreciate all the hard work that has been put into it by Tecmo Grasshopper Studios. There is no fog or static hiding ghosts anymore, the local looks unique from the previous games, textures and patterns on the main characters' clothing and the environment stand out, the look of the ghosts... every inch of it feels like a AAA-title, but plays like a B-Movie!

And of course, what horror game would be complete without a haunting background of creepy sounds? As well, some things can only be heard through the Wiimote's speakers, or in addition to them - such as a captured ghost's final scream. There are others, but I won't spoil them ^-^

The only two major drawbacks I've found so far are that the game is only available in Japan, and thus the characters only speak Japanese, and it cost me 75 dollars to buy just a used copy, as of writing. An English patch is also required if you wish to play on a Wii that is not from Japan (as well as if you want to understand what they're saying, though for now it's all subtitles - which is fine by me), but this is easy to do compared to some fixes for other games. Another minor nitpick is that the game does experience moments of slowdown, but only during transition points (such as going through a doorway), and is never continuous for more than a few seconds afterwards.

All in all, I would recommend this to anyone who loves survival horror games, and doesn't mind a bit of before-hand setup. You won't regret it!!Read full review...

Fatal Frame 4 is a respectable and worthy addition to the series.

The game is a great evolution on the PS2 formula of Fatal Frame. The atmosphere is foreboding and scary, and the graphics are a good balance, only noticing some slow down when an area is loading during a new room's entry. The controls are, however, harder to figure out, with an odd control scheme of nunchuck for left and right movement, and wiimote movement for up and down movement. The story's compelling! Very unsettling to see the tragic story of these girls unfold as their twisted past becomes unravelled for the player. Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: portjapanexusa_1

Why this should be released in America

This game is just as good as the rest in the series. It's unfortunate that they took out the fixed camera because that's what made the game so much horrifying. With the fixed camera, the player would have to pull up their camera to see if there is a hidden item in some of the corners of the rooms, sometimes pulling up the camera has a ghost waiting right when you pull it up. Other than that, the game is still good, a little easier because you can hold Z to track the ghosts after a fatal frame shot. It's good for the pros while welcoming new players to delve into the feeling of dread that Tecmo gives in all of their fatal frame environments.Read full review...

My Favorite Video Game Right Now

First off, I am not a fan of the wii, except for this game.
This was my absolute favorite Fatal Frame of the series, and my favorite video game at the moment.

A lot of people do not like this one compared to the others but I just think everything about it is amazing. People say this one is less scary but I disagree. The controls are awkward at first, but you get used to them after the 1st chapter. The small details everyone hates (ex: main girl Ruka grabbing her chest, or panting after running for a while) are realistic and should be looked at as such.
The difficulty varies throughout the game
It was absolutely worth all the money I paid for it. Just make sure it can work on your wiiRead full review...

One of the Wii's best! It's the sorta game that makes the wii worth owning!

Easily one of the most tense and frightening games i've played in a while, the Wii's controls really lend themself to the game's immersion and experience.

The Story has kept me quite interested, with a real sense of supense and mystery it has no problem drawing you in!

and graphicly it's one of the nicest looking games on the wii with great lighting, detailed character models and top art direction.

I certainly can't give enough praise, Temco have always excelled in making great games!Read full review...

Great buy

Fast and amazing!

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: luna_kuro

brings a new kind of horror only on wii

i love all the fatal frame series but this one is awesome just wish they would release a directors cut on 360 or ps3 in hd.

Exactly as depicted

Fatal Frame 4, which is only in Japan. Came quickly, within two weeks. Through a patch online I will be able to play this with subtitles on my American Wii.

A Brilliant Horror game that you shouldn't miss!

This game is the reason why i created an Ebay(/Paypal) account and it was pretty expensive too but you know what?it worth the money,the game is brilliant and if you are a Fatal Frame/project zero fan(like me) then you will love it!While the game was brilliant it has its flaws though so this is my + & - for Fatal Frame IV!

Good things:
1)Really interesting Storyline
2)Creepy atmosphare & the game takes place in a completely diferrent place with other FF games.
3)Four Playble Characters.
4)The Ghosts are VERY aggresive and when they attack they are scary.
5)Great Voice-Acting
6)Probably the bigger Fatal Frame game to date.
7)Exploration is very satisfing.

Bad things:
1)You need to download and install the homebrew channel so you can be able to use the patch that a group of fans made to play the game in English.They did a great work though.
2)One of the most laggy games you have ever played,you are unable to complete a quest(Ghost List) so you are unable to unlock an item.There are many framedrops too and rarely(only 1 time happened to me it freezes).*Although the team that created the English patch has created an Update in which you are able to cmplete the ghost list.
3)WHile the Storyline is indeed great and very VERY interseting at the end you will end up having alot questions.Questions that people are still trying to find answers for them in the game's forums.
4)This is a negative thing that all the Fatal Frame games have,there is not alot replayabillity but as i said before it is the longest fatal Frame game.
5)WHile the Ghosts are very agressive the game is too easy,they die to quickly.Although you fight them in tight corridors and that makes it alot harder.

If you are a horror fan you really can't miss this game,it is great!Read full review...