Project Zero / FATAL FRAME: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is a Japanese horror adventure released now onto Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Windows PC via Steam.
First released in 2008, this newly remastered version of the game has had an upgrade with improved in-game movies and character models. In addition, the graphics have been improved to give you a more realistic horror experience.
The storyline in Mask of the Lunar Eclipse takes place ten years after the disappearance of five young girls during a moonlight festival on Rogetsu Isle located in southern Japan, where two of them are found dead days apart. In an attempt to unravel the mystery behind their friends’ deaths and their own hazy memories, the three remaining girls, now teenagers, return to the eerie island. As you progress through the game, you will encounter terrifying spirits that inhabit Rogetsu Isle, but you can use your trusty Camera Obscura to repel and capture them through photography. Later on in the game, you will get access to another tool, the Spirit Torch, which utilises moonlight stored in a spirit stone to subdue the spirits.
The storyline gives some hints at the dark and frightening world you will encounter in Project Zero / FATAL FRAME: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse but to get a real flavour, check out the preview video, which also gives you a closer look at some of the game’s mechanics, including Photo Mode. This allows you to capture all of the haunting memories and moments throughout your adventure on the island.
Features of the game include:
- -Improved Graphics – In-game movies and character models have been improved to make the story and characters more appealing. In addition, the graphics have been improved for each platform. The rendering of shadows and the beam of the flashlight has been refined so players can experience more realistic horror.
- -New Snap Mode – Pose characters and ghosts freely to create haunting memories in the new snap mode. Perhaps you may even take unexpected spirit photos by accident…
- -New Costumes – The original costume lineup has been altered slightly, and new costumes have been added, allowing you to change the characters’ costumes to experience the investigation in different ways.
As well as horror, the other major theme of the game seems to be fashion, with lots of chances to kit the teenage protagonists of the game in a variety of alternative costumes. Everyone knows that ghost hunting needs several outfit changes – you don’t want to meet a ghost underdressed.
Want to know how to get your hands on these fashion goodies? First off, anyone who purchases the Standard digital copy of the game by March 22, 2023 will have the ability to download the early purchase bonus: Ruka Exclusive Costume “Marie Rose Outfit” from the Dead or Alive series.
There is a special save bonus costume for fans who have already played Project Zero / FATAL FRAME: Maiden of Black Water. Play FATAL FRAME: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse on the same device that has saved data from FATAL FRAME: Maiden of Black Water saved to receive the Save Data Bonus, the “Camera Obscura Hat”.
If you plump for the Deluxe Digital Edition, you will get more extras including a Digital Artbook, which features artwork and the soundtrack, accessed within the game. Also included is the Rogetsu Isle Dinner Party Costume Set, which enables you to dress the characters in swimsuits or an evening dress.
As always, digital downloads for the Standard Edition (£39.99) and Deluxe Digital Edition (£53.99) are available to buy on the Xbox Store, playable on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, as well as the relevant stores for PlayStation and PC too.
Keep your wits about you and your eyes open for our full review of Project Zero / FATAL FRAME: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse coming soon.
DLC Description:
PROJECT ZERO: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse” was released in Japan in 2008 as the fourth game in the PROJECT ZERO series. Following the remastering of “PROJECT ZERO: Maiden of Black Water,” the series masterpiece is being brought back to life with upgraded graphics. A group of children mysteriously disappeared during a festival on Rogetsu Isle. Although they were found, they had lost their memories. Now they have returned to the island as teenagers. The girls rely on the Camera Obscura, a camera with the power to capture and seal away unthinkable horrors, and the faint beam of their flashlight while exploring various locations and fending off the ghosts that attack them as they attempt to discover the truth of their haunting past.
