Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake was released earlier this month on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2. As its name might imply, it is a remake of the 2002 PS2 horror game, complete with updated visuals, high-resolution textures, and upgraded lighting and shadow contrast. Changes were also made to gameplay to make it more appealing to modern gaming audiences.

The title revolves around the sisters following a mysterious crimson butterfly and entering the long-abandoned Minakami Village. Trapped in what appears to be a never-ending night, Mio gets separated from her sister and must set forth to reunite with her. Along the way, she’ll run into many spirits, with her only real form of defense being the Camera Obscura—a strange camera that seems capable of sealing away hostile spirits.

Publisher Koei Tecmo has described the remake’s take on the Camera Obscura as being reworked to “offer a more intense and rich experience during combat and exploration.” Alongside dealing with spirits by taking photos, players will also be able to use tools like focus, zoom and filters, as well as special shots that can deal extra damage in combat.

In an interview back in February, directors Makoto Shibata and Hidehiko Nakajima revealed that the decision to remake Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly came about thanks to the demands of fans. “When we released recent remasters, we received many requests from fans asking specifically for Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly,” when asked about remaking the game, referring to 2008 Japan-exclusive Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse and 2014 Wii U title Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water. “Responding to those voices was the main reason behind this project,” they continued.

They also spoke about the designs of Mio and Mayu, noting that it was important for the studio to capture the original’s balance of color and overall image while ensuring that their outfits wouldn’t feel out of place in modern fashion.

“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,” they explained. “Players can closely examine these details in Photo Mode, and we paid particular attention to textures and material quality.”

Shibata had revealed more details about the development of Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake in an interview with us, where he discussed new technologies like PSSR, as well as some of the gameplay changes that players should expect from the remake.

In the meantime, players who are curious about Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake can check out a free demo available on all platforms. You can also check out our review – we gave it a seven out of ten, praising the story and visuals while criticizing the combat and performance on PS5.

Along with showing off the horror title’s story and atmosphere, the trailer also gives us a look at gameplay, which revolves around players making use of a strange camera, dubbed the Camera Obscura, to take on the various ghosts haunting the abandoned village that serves as the game’s main setting. Amidst all the flash-cuts and jump scares, the trailer also shows us how Mio can recover some of her health by holding hands with Mayu as they slowly explore the village. As it approaches its end, the trailer also provides hints of the dark secrets that the village has been hiding.

The main story of Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly revolves around Mio and Mayu wandering into an abandoned village that seems to be haunted. During the course of their exploration, however, Mayu goes missing, and it’s up to Mio to save her. Further complicating matters is the fact that both sisters are somehow being forced to relive the village’s final day. The title was originally released on PS2 back in 2003, before also getting an Xbox release in 2004 through a Director’s Cut version, which added a new ending and more difficulty options.

Since the title has long been considered a cult classic, directors Makoto Shibata and Hidehiko Nakajima spoke about how the remake happened thanks to the demands of fans. “When we released recent remasters, we received many requests from fans asking specifically for Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly,” they said, referring to remasters of the 2008 Japan-exclusive Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse and 2014 Wii U game Fatal Frame: Maiden of the Black Water.

“Responding to those voices was the main reason behind this project,” they said. The duo also noted that Team Ninja had to ensure that special care went into the design of Mio and Mayu, and especially their outfits.

“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,” they explained. “Players can closely examine these details in Photo Mode, and we paid particular attention to textures and material quality.”

For more details on Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake, check out our interview with its developers. Also check out everything you need to know before facing its horrors. Players that might want to give the game a shot without committing to a full purchase can also try out the free demo. If you’re still curious, check out the gameplay improvements in the remake over the original, as showcased in its September 2025 trailer.

We touched upon the filter in our own review, lamenting the lack of an option to disable it. While the PC version of the game does indeed allow you to do so, it was a baffling omission on consoles. It’s heartening to see the developers acting quickly to ensure this is addressed as soon as possible, ahead of the game’s March 12 release.

The remake’s demo has been largely well-received aside from a few complaints, with the grain filter featuring prominently among them. However, there has been no indication that the option to disable it is heading to the Switch 2, the last remaining platform where the game is playable. It certainly would be welcome to see the revamped visuals and lighting in all their glory, irrespective of the platform it’s on, after all.

You can check out the tweet below as you wait for the game to drop if you’re thinking of joining Mio and Mayu on a chilling adventure that takes them to some very dark places.

https://x.com/KoeiTecmoUS/status/2031402292059222478

“Nioh 3 is a great game, but it’s not perfect,” said Yasuda. “I think there are a lot of things that we could improve upon. We want to take that knowledge that we gained with Nioh 3 and open-field elements and to be able to work on that, and hopefully incorporate and improve upon that in future titles as well.”

Further in the interview, Yasuda discussed some of the improvements that could be made to Nioh 3 going forward. Yasuda spoke about the game’s narrative and environmental storytelling as being particular vectors for improvement. While he acknowledged that the game’s density and immersion are well done when it comes to telling the world’s story, the studio wants to go into deeper details about the yokai. He wants the Nioh franchise to be more about just going to a place to beat some yokai and getting new loot.

“While we were successful with the immersion as well as the density of the game itself, I think in terms of being able to convey a lot more about the world, the narrative element, I think we could improve upon that,” he explained. “As well as the artistic elements, to give it a more distinctive look. Really understand why the yokai, or why that particular yokai, is in that environment. And why does that environment look like that? I think we could have done a lot more to really convey that aspect.”

“It’s not just a game where you sort of go in there, defeat the yokai, obtain the equipment or items in that area. There’s a little bit more to the narrative that we could have added. And I think that’s what we can see in some other titles that really give more to that experience as well. So that’s something that we saw that we could improve upon, and something that we do hope to do more in the future.”

Producer Kohei Shibata, on the other hand, believes that the studio could have done better with the variety of enemies it presents throughout its world. He noted that the studio tried to bring in brand new enemies based on Japanese folklore, as well as yokai that had popped up in previous Nioh titles. When it comes to variety, however, he said that “we do hear the criticism.”

“We are aware of the criticism on this,” he said. “In terms of how we respond to that, I think, with the yokai, these are creatures that have existed, in Japanese folklore, even before wild animals, even before humans had existed. These are creatures that existed much earlier. There is that element, that they appear as things that have been here in Japan before. We also wanted to incorporate some of the enemies that were in previous games, and we tried to make sure that there was a lot more variety to the battles against them so they didn’t feel repetitive.”

“But some people might have felt that there was a little bit of variety lacking there. So we do hear the criticism, and we do hope that, if there’s future titles, we can improve upon this. We would like to take that opportunity to look into that and see what we can do better.”

Nioh 3 is available on PC and PS5. For more details, check out our review. Also take a look at our thoughts on how it stacks up against FromSoftware’s Elden Ring.

Without giving away too many surprises from The Two Masters DLC, the trailer shows off some of the new enemies that protagonists Ryu Hayabusa and Yakumo can take on with the help of the new additions to their respective arsenals. Ryu can get his hand on a pair of Serpent Gauntlets called Jakotsumon, while Yakumo can get a massive new scythe, Solitaire, that allows him to pull off wide, sweeping attacks.

Much like base Ninja Gaiden 4, The Two Masters will be filled to the brim with enemies to take on in violent, blood-soaked combat, before our two heroes can take on the primary antagonist.

Along with a host of new levels and story content, The Two Masters also brings with it the new Abyssal Road mode, which becomes available after finishing the DLC’s story on any difficulty. The mode is essentially a massive gauntlet of enemies for either of the heroes to take on, with the fights getting more and more challenging as you get deeper into the Abyssal Road’s layers.

The Two Masters DLC was announced back in October 2025, shortly before the game’s release. At the time, PlatinumGames producer and director Yuji Nakao and Team Ninja director Masazaku Hirayama had described the new weapons as offering “distinct qualities” and a “plethora of mechanics” for both Ryu and Yakumo. The story itself is set after the events of the base game, and involves both of the protagonists working together.

Ninja Gaiden 4 was released across PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. In our review, we gave the title a score of 8 out of 10, praising its combat system, responsive controls, and new mechanics. However, we also criticized the lack of excitement offered by Ryu’s levels, and the repetitive nature of a few encounters.

The game is our introduction to a brand new hero, Yakumo. The story is set a few years after the events of Ninja Gaiden 3, with Yakumo exploring a futuristic version of Tokyo that has been cursed by the Rain of Darkrot. However, before he can get rid of the curse, Yakumo first has to deal with the Divine Dragon Order. Things take a turn when Ryu is discovered to be working with the Order to protect the curse’s seal.

Leading up to the game’s release, Xbox Game Studios, Koei Tecmo, Team Ninja and PlatinumGames had released a video where they teamed up with master swordsmith Yuya Nakanishi and the Masahiro Tantoujou Sword Forge to forge real-life replicas of Ryu’s Dragon Sword and Yakumo’s Takeminakata. Along with the forging itself, we also get a history lesson on katanas, which first showed up around 900 years ago, in the later Heian period.

This Nioh 3 guide is an exhaustive list of every boss to be beaten in the game, their locations and eras, along with some basic tactics to do so. Note that you will encounter some bosses in multiple distinct eras and locations, but their attacks and your counter tactics will usually remain the same, with a few exceptions such as Hattori Hanzo.

Those are all 81 known bosses in Nioh 3 with the eras and locations they are encountered in, as well as the recommended tactics to defeat them.

Team Ninja’s Division 2 will split into the new Division 1 and 2, which isn’t confusing at all. Kohei Shibata, who serves as producer for Nioh, Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive, will lead Division 1. It’s unknown who’s in charge of the new Division 2 or which division will handle what projects, though it seems a given that Shibata will spearhead the new Dead or Alive. All of these changes go into effect from April 1st.

While the future of the Atelier series remains unknown – especially after the underwhelming Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories and The Envisioned Land – Team Ninja is firing on all cylinders for other projects. Ninja Gaiden 4 will receive its first paid DLC, The Two Masters, in early 2026, while Nioh 3’s first DLC, Hell Rising, is out in September.

The studio is also working on Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake, which launches on March 12th. A free demo is available on March 5th, with a Silent Hill f collaboration scheduled for sometime after launch.

Fatal Frame is an iconic survival horror series with roots going back to the PS2 era. How are you approaching this remake to introduce a new generation of players to the franchise while still respecting what long time fans love about it?

From a development standpoint, we were able to leverage Koei Tecmo’s proprietary game engine along with the action game development expertise that Team NINJA has built over the years. Using a modern development environment, we recreated the atmosphere of the original Crimson Butterfly while delivering a visual update. The team also includes staff who are passionate fans of the Fatal Frame series, as well as members who worked on the original title, and the game experience was rebuilt by incorporating their ideas and perspectives.

This is the second remake, so, beyond visual upgrades and audio improvements, what other changes should players expect in Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake?

The biggest changes were the controls and camera perspective. In the original game, fear was often created through camera switches that revealed the presence of Wraiths as the player moved. In this remake, the game uses standard TPS controls with a continuous camera and no cuts. To support this, we reworked the staging and map design to focus on the fear that comes from players discovering something terrifying on their own. This creates a slightly different kind of fear, but we believe it significantly enhances immersion and presence.

"In the original game, fear was often created through camera switches that revealed the presence of Wraiths as the player moved."

Will any story beats, pacing choices, or cutscenes be reworked to keep the experience feeling fresh, or is the narrative being preserved as closely as possible?

While some adjustments were made to better connect cutscenes with in-game camera transitions, the cutscenes themselves largely follow the original. Some scenes that were previously cutscenes have been converted into in-game events. This change was made to create a more seamless experience using the in-game camera and to further enhance immersion.

What kind of post game content can players look forward to in the remake?

This title features multiple endings, and we encourage players to experience them all. To make it easier to view different endings and gather various collectible items, the game includes chapter select and a New Game mode that carries over upgrades. As in the original version, the high-difficulty NIGHTMARE mode can also be unlocked. In NIGHTMARE mode, players can further enhance the Camera Obscura, so we encourage those seeking a challenge to give it a try.

If this remake performs well, are there plans or interest within the team to remake other entries in the Fatal Frame series?

If this remake is well received, we would like to consider remaking other entries in the series. In doing so, it will be important that the title resonates not only with longtime fans, but also with players who actively enjoy a wide variety of modern horror games today.

"If this remake is well received, we would like to consider remaking other entries in the series."

The original Fatal Frame 2 built a gritty, tense atmosphere partly because of PS2 era technical limitations. With higher fidelity visuals, how are you preserving that grounded, oppressive tone rather than making the game feel too clean or polished?

In the original game, we carefully controlled screen noise and blur to create an analog, slightly old-film feel and a sense of atmosphere. In this remake, we maintain a subtle layer of noise during exploration so the visuals never appear overly clean. When Wraiths appear, the noise intensifies to convey a noticeable shift in the air and tension.

Classic survival horror can sometimes be known for puzzles that feel overly opaque. Are you making any adjustments to puzzle readability, hinting, or quality of life, while still keeping the challenge intact?

The original version did not place much emphasis on story reminders, but since this project is a full remake, the system was completely redesigned to better suit modern players. Objectives are clearly displayed so players understand what to do next and can easily recall their progress when resuming play. A glossary has also been added.

Fatal Frame 2 already features multiple endings. Will there be any new surprises for returning players, whether that is new scenes, new collectibles, or additional unlockables?

Yes. In addition to the remade story experience, following the newly added side stories reveals new details, and gameplay has been updated through collectible elements scattered throughout the village, as well as expanded Camera Obscura functions and upgrades. Even players who experienced the original will find new elements to enjoy.

From a developer perspective, what are your thoughts on the PS5 Pro, and how does the added GPU power affect development compared to targeting the base PS5?

Elements that were previously constrained can now be fully realized thanks to improved hardware capabilities. We have released many titles on PlayStation 5, and that experience makes it a developer-friendly platform for us.

"Elements that were previously constrained can now be fully realized thanks to improved hardware capabilities."

What are your thoughts on PSSR, and what kind of opportunities does it open up for this remake?

It’s something that we hope to make more use of in the future.

What performance targets are you aiming for across platforms in terms of resolution and frame rate, including Switch 2 in docked and handheld modes, PS5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, and PS5 Pro?

The game was developed at 30 fps to maximize visual quality and the overall horror experience. On PC, while a certain level of performance is required, players can switch to 60 fps. Across platforms, high-resolution technologies are used, with output at 2160p on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X; 1440p on Xbox Series S; and 1080p on Nintendo Switch 2. For more details, please refer to the official website.

“When we released recent remasters, we received many requests from fans asking specifically for Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly,” they said when asked about why they decided to bring this particular game back through a remake. The directors are referring to the remastered releases of the 2008 Japan-exclusive Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse and the 2014 Wii U title Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water.

“Responding to those voices was the main reason behind this project,” they continued, before going on to note that there was special care that went into the design of protagonists Mio and Mayu, and especially their outfits.

“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,” they explained. “Players can closely examine these details in Photo Mode, and we paid particular attention to textures and material quality.”

Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake will be the first time that the survival horror classic is playable on modern systems since the original’s 2003 release on PS2 and 2004 release on Xbox. The remake is coming to PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2 on March 12th. The release date was announced back in November with a trailer.

Just last month, Koei Tecmo and Team Ninja had announced that a demo for the Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake is coming to all platforms on March 5th. Not too many details about the demo had been revealed, aside from the fact that it will focus on earlier parts of the game. Whether or not progress from the demo will carry over into the full release is also unknown. Along with this, the companies announced a collaboration with Konami to feature costumes for its characters based on Silent Hill f protagonist Hinako Shimizu.

We also got a massive trailer that went into detail about the gameplay of Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake, including “combat” that revolves around using the Camera Obscura, and how players can use Special Shots that can have added benefits, from blinding hostile spirits, to dealing more damage.

Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake will feature a host of improvements over its predecessor. Alongside brand new visuals, we will also see modernized gameplay, and new mechanics, like “Holding Hands With Mayu”, essentially allowing Mio to heal up by holding hands with her sister throughout the harrowing events of the game.

For more details about Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake, here is everything you need to know. Also check out a trailer showcasing some of the biggest improvements it is getting over the original PS2 release.

An accolades trailer has been released to celebrate this milestone, and you can also check out our review – we gave it a nine out of ten, praising Nioh 3’s open field levels, combat system, and boss battles. As a reminder, Nioh 2 sold over a million units in a few days, having launched on March 12th in Japan and March 13th worldwide on PS5. Koei Tecmo hasn’t provided a time frame for the sequel’s sales.

Of course, there’s more to come for hardcore fans of the hack-and-slash, Yokai-slaying title. Team Ninja has yet to outline what its free updates will include, but two paid DLC are in the works: Hell Rising and Bloody Insurrection. The former launches in September, while the latter is available in February 2027.

Both add new stories, enemies, loot, and bosses, and if they follow Team Ninja’s traditions with the series, you can expect higher difficulty levels, new endgame activities and fresh weapon types.