TheFatal Frame/Project Zeroseries has long been considered one of the best in the survival horror genre. The iconic franchise started in the Playstation 2 era and is developed by Japanese studio Koei Tecmo, and with the March 2023Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipseon Playstation, Xbox, and PC, the series will finally be completely accessible to Western audiences.
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Originally only available on Wii U, thismulti-platform releasefeatures improved visuals and character models as well as significantly improved environmental textures and lighting effects, adding to the suspense and atmosphere of an already dark horror game. With renewed hype around the franchise, it is worth remembering each of the games in the series and how they compare to one another.
5Fatal Frame 4: Mask Of The Lunar Eclipse
Originally released in 2008,Fatal Frame 4: Mask of the Lunar Eclipsewas a departure from theoriginal seriesin that it featured all-new characters and the setting of a Japanese Mental hospital. Two surviving girls from a strange drowning ritual return to uncover the fates of their fellow students, with a third detective character also adding further layers of complexity and perspective to the narrative. Visually the game is a noticeable improvement on its predecessors, though it abandons the fixed-camera cinematography of the earlier games.
Widely criticized for its poor controls on Wii U, the release of this game on modern consoles did elevate it to a higher status, with a host of graphical and technical improvements also being promised. Along with the successful 2021 port ofFatal Frame 5: Maiden of Black Water, this modern release suggests the future looks promising for this franchise, even if neither game is fantastic.
4Fatal Frame 5: Maiden Of Black Water
The latest proper installment (not countingMask of the Lunar Eclipse’s re-release),Fatal Frame 5: Maiden of Black Wateris the most visually pleasing and modern-looking game of the series. Originally released in 2014 as a Wii U exclusive, the game came under a lot of criticism for its frustrating controls until it was laterported to PC and consolesin 2021. The story primarily follows Yuri, a girl with supernatural gifts, and takes place in the forests and shrines of Mount Hikami, which is loosely inspired by the Aokigahara suicide forest.
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While this game is considered to be less scary and engaging than other entries in the series, it is still liked for its own unique qualities, characters, and setting. This is perhaps the most approachable entry for newer players to begin with since it is not tied so deeply with the lore of the otherFatal Framegames.
3Fatal Frame 3: The Tormented
Tying together many elements from its prequels,Fatal Frame 3: The Tormentedfollows Rei Kurosawa and her dreams of her deceased husband. Revisiting many locations from the original two games, this entry also gave players the choice of multiple endings for the first time in the series.The Tormented’s decision to bring backMiku from the first gameand add more to her story also proved a popular decision with fans and helped to enrich the series further as a whole.
Criticism for the game was largely directed toward poor sound design, which does not hold up well to modern standards, but given that it was released back in 2005, it is actually an incredibly impressive and well-rounded experience.
2Fatal Frame
Set on the grounds of an abandoned mansion, the first installment in theFatal Frameseries follows Miku Hinasaki, a young girl with supernatural proclivities, on her search for her missing brother, Mafuyu. Armed with the Camera Obscura, Miku must face malevolent spirits and an ancient curse dating back to the Edo period. Thisharrowing journeyis stylistically rendered with a true sense of horror. Fixed camera angles and sepia tones are overlaid with heavy graining, giving the game the impression of a cult 90s Japanese horror movie.
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For its time,Fatal Frameis a truly magnificent work of art, but with that time being over 20 years ago, many fans are desperate for a remaster. Occasionally clunky mechanics along with some questionable audio effects, mixing, and voice acting are the main drawbacks for modern players. Nonetheless,Fatal Framestill holds up relatively well for the Playstation 2 era, and aremastered versionon modern consoles would likely be a fantastic success.
1Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly
All the games in theFatal Frameseries are well-written and conceived, but perhaps the most cohesive, emotional, and disturbing narrative is to be found inFatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly. Twin sisters, Mio and Mayu, are playing in the forest when they stumble upon the haunted Minakami Village. Unbeknownst to them, the village was the epicenter of a disastrous event known as The Repentance, in which a botched sacrificial ritual led to an outpouring of Darkness from the Hellish Abyss. With every villager killed and now inspirit form, the village is stuck in a time loop on the night of the disaster, and it is up to the girls to figure out how they will ever leave the village alive.
This game feels the most deeply entrenched in the franchise’s lore and atmosphere. A gripping story and the relationship of one sister to another – who is slowly becoming less and less like herself – along with vast technical improvements on its predecessor, leading many fans to rank this as thebest game in the series.
Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipselaunched on Jul 07, 2025 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X|S.
