Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Want to add more newsletters? Every Friday Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them. Every Thursday GTA 6 O'clock Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts. Every Friday Knowledge From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon. Every Thursday The Setup Every Wednesday Switch 2 Spotlight Every Saturday The Watchlist Once a month SFX Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month! The Fatal Frame games have kept an inexplicable hold on my general mood and psyche despite the fact that most of them received middling reviews at the time of their early 2000s releases and are impossible to play on modern consoles. I'm still perpetually haunted by every bit I've experienced of their faded worlds – I've paid real money for a hairdresser to trim my bangs "like Miu from Fatal Frame," I gravitate toward any cardigan as lacy as Madoka's – and I'm obviously not alone, or else the upcoming Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly remake wouldn't exist. When I ask directors Makoto Shibata and Hidehiko Nakajima over email about why Koei Tecmo decided to rebuild the 2003 sequel now, out of all the other games in a survival horror franchise that's nearly turned into a relic, they tell me honestly: the fans said so. True Japanese horror games respect that "frightening things can be beautiful," Fatal Frame 2 directors say Silent Hill f knows you don't want to see "happily ever after," and its horrific portrayal of womanhood makes it my GOTY "The horror is almost secondary": From Crow Country to Resident Evil 9, here's how horror games keep us scared The standalone Fatal Frame games all toy with the myth that a photograph can steal your soul, and you guide their different pretty, petrified main characters into using the arcane Camera Obscura to destroy wraiths by taking their picture. After so many years, fans like me have decided a remake is the best way to reposition that threat. "Responding to those voices was the main reason behind this project," add Shibata and Nakajima. In another display of being attuned to their many female players' needs, the directors also tell me they've put special care into recreating sisters Mayu and Mio's outfits, the basis for countless analyses on "how to dress like a horror game protagonist." Speaking for myself as a woman, it can be nice to externalize your feelings of cosmic oppression through a clean pair of Mary Janes. "We designed the costumes with reference to the original color balance and overall image, while aiming for clothing that would not feel out of place if worn by someone today," Shibata and Nakajima explain. "Players can closely examine these details in Photo Mode, and we paid particular attention to textures and material quality." That's the kind of fan service I'm looking for. True Japanese horror games avoid "jump scares and graphic violence," Fatal Frame 2 directors say, because they respect that "frightening things can be beautiful."