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

"If I were to complain, the lack of graphical options is one area I wish the developers had worked on."

Let’s begin with the visuals. There’s a lot to like on that front, with textures and assets that bring a layer of realism to both indoor and outdoor environments that the PS2 simply couldn’t manage. Mio and Mayu look excellent, although their facial animations could have used a little more polish.

The way lighting works in this game is among its highlights on the visual front, with rays of it streaming through open windows and the foliage of the forest waving so realistically that it automatically makes everything feel more real as a result. And while the new spirit designs might prove divisive, I can safely say that they’re still scary as hell.

If I were to complain, the lack of graphical options is one area I wish the developers had worked on. There’s also a sort of grainy filter operating throughout the adventure, giving you the impression that it was all recorded on an older camera. It adds to the realism, yes, but it can get quite annoying after a while. An option to toggle it on or off would have been much appreciated, but it is what it is.

Moving on from the visuals, the gameplay has also seen some changes. You’re introduced to the new hand-holding mechanic quite early on, and I really liked the added layer it brings to Mio and Mayu’s bond. Holding Mayu’s hand restores both Health and Willpower, which is a nice touch. However, considering how the story often forces the two of you apart, I don’t think I was able to get as much out of it as I’d have liked.

"The Camera Obscura continues to be among the coolest ways to deal with enemies in any game I’ve played."

I’d have liked Mayu to be more involved in the game’s combat, but she continues to be problematic, her injured leg rendering her helpless and terrified in the face of any Spirits that you happen upon. Protecting her in a fight is an easy way to get a couple of free hits in; other than that, she’s largely a liability in combat.

Speaking of combat, the Camera Obscura continues to be among the coolest ways to deal with enemies in any game I’ve played. The remake adds focus, zoom, and filter switching to make it feel more like an actual tool than a simple accessory. The premise is simple: you point it at hostile spirits, wait for it to focus properly, and then snap a photo the moment they attack for serious damage. In theory, that makes things quite easy, and it indeed was simple in the original version. All you had to do was bait out enemy attacks and then click away to give the spirits some well-earned rest.

That isn’t the case in this remake, however, as the spirits are now far more aggressive and mobile in a fight. Features like Shutter Chance, Fatal Time, and filter-based Special Shots should have made encounters more dynamic, but the results are not consistent. They teleport wildly, forcing you to constantly pivot to find them, and move much faster, making lining up your shots a lot harder. I can see what the developers were going for, but it largely made combat a chore rather than a welcome change in the remake, and there are a few reasons why.

For starters, even with the remake’s freer movement and broader control improvements, Mio can still feel too slow once combat gets hectic. While that’s all right on its own (although it did make exploring the village feel too slow for my liking), it’s an absolute pain in combat. I spent half my time avoiding enemy attacks without my camera raised for a counterattack, and the evade doesn’t help matters by much.

"It’s a shame the combat feels so imbalanced, because the rest of the game is genuinely engaging."

It doesn’t let you reposition well enough to get a quick shot with your camera, and often puts you right in the path of a follow-up attack when you’re facing an enemy that does a few of them in a row. As far as moving around the arena is concerned, Mio definitely needed an upgrade, and it’s baffling that she hasn’t received one while her enemies have been dialled up to a hundred.

Mobility problems aside, Mio’s health and Willpower drain too quickly in combat, while healing supplies remain as scarce as they were in the original game. Once again, that’s an imbalance that’s quite costly, as you’re left scrambling to avoid damage as much as you can. It prolongs fights unnecessarily, forcing you into a cautious playstyle that quickly becomes tedious rather than exhilarating.

As it stands, combat in Fatal Frame II is too imbalanced to be fun, and I found myself trying to avoid fights as much as I could instead of taking on Spirits for some fun photographic play. It definitely needs some tweaking to level the playing field. I’m all for a challenge, but it’s a problem when that challenge stems from a game’s mechanics rather than its enemies. You only have to take on an enemy in a closed space to see what I mean.

It doesn’t help that the controls feel clunky when you’re in a fight, which is a very irksome issue when combined with Mio’s slow movements. Instead of an experience where you’re carefully lining up shots and timing them well to maximize the damage you’re dealing, you’re left chipping away at enemy health bars while hoping you can get out of the way when they teleport and come at you from another angle.

I really hope that the developers introduce some fixes on the combat front ahead of the final release. It desperately needs them.

"The game performs reasonably well, although limiting the framerate to 30fps across consoles might not be a choice that everybody would agree with."

It’s a shame the combat feels so imbalanced, because the rest of the game is genuinely engaging. I found myself going out of my way to find hidden lore drops that further flesh out Minakami Village’s dark history, while much-needed upgrade materials for the Camera Obscura remain cleverly tucked away in nooks and crannies that only the most diligent explorers are going to find.

The audio design is another highlight, with the remake adding 3D audio support that really helps offset an enemy’s aggressive teleporting shenanigans to a large degree when you’ve got a good pair of headphones on. Your camera’s reload gets a distinctive sound effect, and the game does a good job of telling you when you’re ready to launch your next attack. The soundtrack effects are also spot on, working well with the visuals to set a grim tone and moody environment.

The game performs reasonably well, although limiting the framerate to 30fps across consoles might not be a choice that everybody would agree with. I might have forgiven it if the framerate didn’t drop quite often on a base PS5, especially during combat, but it is what it is. A higher-framerate console option would have improved the experience considerably.

The side stories are another area that I loved about this one, introduced so organically that it can get hard not to let the game steer you away from the main story in favor of discovering more about the moody, grim world that the sisters have found themselves in. The story is as good as it’s ever been, and if you haven’t played the original, I cannot recommend it enough. This is a game that isn’t afraid to take you to some very dark places, both literally and metaphorically. There’s a new ending for you to unlock; however, there are reports that the Haunted House Mode or Deep Crimson Butterflies endings are not included in this remake.

Despite its many strengths, Crimson Butterfly Remake’s tedious combat holds it back from being a title I can recommend easily. While it’s going to have its takers, mostly die-hard fans of the franchise eager to dive back into its excellent world and narrative, I wouldn’t take this one on until it gets some much-needed adjustments to enemy aggression and your character’s movement speed.

However, if those issues aren’t likely to bother you, this is still a remake worth exploring, and one whose atmosphere remains difficult for other horror games to emulate. It’s unique, interesting, and as absolutely terrifying as it was in the past.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

“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.

Your progress carries over to the full release once it drops next week, so you might want to make the most of the head start that this demo offers. If you haven’t played this classic back in the day, it’s quite the trip. Blending chills and thrills as you step into the shoes of Mio and Mayu Amakura, this one had us quite hesitant to turn the lights off. Narratively, it’s as morbid as the abandoned village you explore, its inherent eeriness seeping into every moment you spend navigating the alleys and dilapidated buildings.

The remake has made several changes to the original experience, though, and series producer Makoto Shibata was happy to outline some of them in this interview from last month. A brand-new perspective and reworked approach to the story and side content should make this one a surprise for franchise veterans and newcomers alike. You can also check out our impressions from a preview build here.

Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake launches on March 12th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2.

https://x.com/KoeiTecmoUS/status/2029557698606276839

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.

Yakumo gets a new scythe, Solitaire, and based on its appearance, you’ll be able to enhance it with Bloodbind Ninjutsu. On the other hand, Ryu has Jakotsumon, a pair of Serpent Gauntlets, which provide some much-needed variety to its limited arsenal. They’ll both take on new enemies, including a sick jetpack demon and Trials.

There’s also a new challenge mode, Abyssal Road, which should further push players’ skills to the limit. Based on the brief image at the end of the trailer, it’s seemingly set in Purgatory, but you might be in for more than just a higher difficulty setting to existing missions.

Ninja Gaiden 4 is available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC alongside Game Pass. It’s the long-awaited mainline sequel in Team Ninja’s hack-and-slash series, co-developed with PlatinumGames. While its story is a bit iffy (don’t even get me started on Ryu’s stages), it’s still a pretty fun action game. Check out our review for more details.

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.