Project Zero: Lunar Eclipse Mask

The Fatal Frame / Project Zero series started an interesting career in the PlayStation 2 era. Unlike the competition, it offered a fresh and mixed approach to gameplay. The fusion of the third and first perspectives has become the flagship of the brand. Although the series did not reach the peak of popularity, it was not frightened by the quality of workmanship and gameplay. Not all seasons have made it outside of Japan. Project Zero: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is a chance for the rest of the world to catch a glimpse of the fourth installment, directed by Suda 51 himself. Feel free to review.

Project Zero: Lunar Eclipse Mask – The Fifth Element

The revised title is a restored version of Fatal Frame IV. Officially, the game came out in 2008 exclusively for Nintendo Wii. A case of dual historical significance. First, Mask of the Lunar Eclipse has never been released outside of its home country. Secondly, Nintendo finally got its killer frame. The project was directed by Goichi Suda with his Grasshooper Manufacture team. Fans developed an English translation of the game in 2010. With the advent of Project Zero: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse, the title received a full official translation. The developer has provided interesting content, written in many notes set in the rather intimate reality of Rogetsu Isle, which is the main place of action. The lunar eclipse mask is a story, not one.

The story goes back to 1970. Five girls are kidnapped on Rojitsu Island. The perpetrator turns out to be an alleged serial killer. The girls were found thanks to Detective Hoshiro Kirishima. Two years later, a terrible catastrophe befell the island, in which its inhabitants lost their lives. The actual action of Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse begins ten years later. The events begin with the arrival of two of the five surviving women – Madoka Tsukimori and Misaki Aso.. This introduction also teaches you the basics of gameplay. Be warned that Fatal Frame is quite a ‘slow’ title, the pace of the game is designed to keep you in suspense, although Mask of the Lunar Eclipse does offer some significant tweaks compared to the rest of the series. After another period of time, the fifth survivor, Ruka Minazuki, arrives on the island, with whom we will spend most of the time in Project Zero: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse. Mari and Tomoe died under mysterious circumstances, and Madoka and Misaki never returned from Rojitsu. Roca decided to check what really happened.

The focus of this review is the story. In the entries along the way, we’ll learn more about the Kagura Festival and the ritual instructions for reviving the titular mask. The scenario also combines several points of view. We will be playing Ruka in one chapter and Misaki in the next. The girls have the same gift of seeing ghosts and all kinds of evil spirits, unfortunately they are rarely friendly. The abandoned Luna Sedata Sanitarium is a den of cursed spirits. It must be admitted that the story is very exciting, while the truth discovered about the events on the island tempts you to reach the end of this many-hour adventure.

Project Zero: Lunar Eclipse Mask – with camera between apparitions

Already revised in 2008, the game made significant changes to the gameplay. Due to the Nintendo Wii’s exclusivity (Nintendo was also the publisher, not Tecmo Koei), a different character control system was developed. For the first time, the camera has been placed slightly higher than the correct profile of the character (hello, Resident Evil 4!), the ability to quickly rotate backwards has been added (very useful when more than one ghost appears), rudimentary navigation has been introduced to orient yourself faster, Especially when the indicator at the top of the screen suggests to us that a different kind of presence is drifting through the room. Of course, a flashlight is absolutely necessary. It illuminates the way and the things hidden in the dark, which once light shine forth constantly until we collect them. As for picking things up off the ground, it’s not so simple. To pick up an item, you need to hold down the appropriate action button and after a short sequence the item you are interested in will be in your inventory. There are still some risks associated with this maneuver, but I won’t spoil the surprise for you. In the original version of the game, the Wiilot’s motion sensors were responsible for controlling the flashlight. The version, rebuilt to current standards, provides navigation with a flashlight using the right analog stick. Practical and does not interfere with the game at all.

Project Zero: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is primarily focused on exploration and battles with ghosts. Camera Obscura is used for this. We necessarily get it after a few minutes and the game system will offer us a short instruction manual. And there is nothing complicated here. Despite the simple process, fighting against ghosts with the camera can be complicated. Project Zero: Lunar Eclipse Mask It has something out of the famous “tank control”. Although the character is responsive, it does not have much wiggle room due to the limited control framework and the intimate structure of the site. Ghosts usually haunt cramped rooms or narrow corridors. Usually in Japanese, to intensify the role of victim in which heroines are constantly placed. We start the camera under the lower right trigger (on the PS5 version simply L2). Of course, we can move and take pictures at the same time. However, we recommend that you stand in one place and wait for the Encore to arrive. The controls are hard to understand when it comes to using Camera Obscura evenly and escaping. You can get lost even though it looks simple. The fun begins when two “ghosts” appear.

In the reviewed game, we’ll drop dead easily if we allow ourselves to be touched (you can break free by shaking both handles, but your health will still be lost). In order to inflict maximum damage on the exorcists, you need to hold them in the lens for a while so that the film indicator is fully charged. The longer the moment in the image, the more effective the attack and the points awarded. Project Zero: Lunar Eclipse Mask awards a score. On the other hand, classification works on the basis of currency. We save the state of the game in the placed lanterns, which also serve as a store. A little bit of Devil May Cry is patented. You can also make improvements to the camera. For this purpose, we collect crystals – red or blue, so Dante once again bows to us. In addition, it is worth buying other types of clichesWhich translates to greater efficiency. If we snap a picture of a ghost at the perfect moment, Fatal Frame follows, acting like a Critical Strike. It’s hard to capture and sometimes it seems random, but the more pictures we take, the more we get, the more likely we are to succeed.

Project Zero: Lunar Eclipse Mask – Against the Times

The revised Project Zero: Mask of Lunar Eclipse received obvious technical improvementsj. The characters have become more visible, although the Japanese gamedev aura does not leave us even for a moment. This is a typical Japanese school of game development, with a graphic style characteristic of Sudy 51 and Tecmo games. In the most stressful moments, the camera can go crazy if we try to escape and use the camera at the same time. It takes some getting used to, but fans of Japanese horror will feel right at home. Ghosts are not scary anymore, but they make terrifying sounds (whispers, whispers, howls, screams). In addition to the ghosts that await the heroines, there is also a poltergeist that shows some situations from the past. Then it is worth quickly clicking on the picture to get additional points. Sometimes nightmarish music would play from the speakers, other times something would be talking to us behind our backs. Although these are very corny tricks – they build the atmosphere.

Environment Lighting makes up for it in design rather than quality. The textures still recall the Wii days, just pulled up to a slightly higher resolutionThe rooms i dirty though. The views of children’s rooms or old libraries are unforgettable. Clocks tick rhythmically in the main halls, curtains fly from the shutters. Outside the windows we can see only tree branches. In other words, every living thing is exotic here. Oh, and no one forgot the occasional puzzle. They often come down to find the keys in the area shown in the picture. There is a lot of roaming around the hallways and checking closed doors every so often. The map is useful, though I rarely use navigation in survival-horror games myself. Project Zero: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse doesn’t lead us by the hand, it grabs us more often than not, quite literally. The animation is also a reflection of oriental technical thought, but this is the charm of the game. The game is played at a slow pace, even running is a bit like brisk walking. It is also worth looking into the database of ghosts, each of which has its own paragraph about “lifetime” events.

accept Project Zero: Lunar Eclipse Mask It is a very good title in its category. It’s a production rooted in the old standards of the genre, but offers interesting variations. You won’t find intense action here, but the combat seems to be a plus to the whole story. However, to catch all the ghosts, complete the side quests and discover all the endings, you will spend more than a week in sessions on Rogetsu. However, you need to understand the prevailing patterns and rules here. Fans need no convincing, after all, it’s the official Fatal Frame IV out of Japan. The rest will have to overcome some ancient ruins.