Developer: Koei Tecmo
Publisher: Koei Tecmo
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch
Tested on: PS5
Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water – Review
Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water for Wii U was for a long time a rather exclusive title for the Wii U. The collector’s edition is still a coveted item to this day, six years after its initial release. As the Wii U is somewhat disappearing into obscurity, it’s a good thing Koei Tecmo decided to slightly rework the title and rerelease it for the current generation to celebrate the franchise’s 20th anniversary. This means that fans all around the world can now pick up this horror classic for PC, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, and PS5. We were curious to see how spooky this game still was after so many years. Readers from outside of Europe will probably know the game under the name of Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water.
Story
Truth be told, Maiden of Black Water’s story feels a bit unclear and convoluted the moment you start playing. The game situates itself mainly around the infamous Hikami Mountain, where a lot of people are ‘spirited away’ or take their own lives. We reckon this is a not-so-subtle reference to the Aokigahara forest located around Mount Fuji. That being said, the game puts you in the shoes of three different characters (four if you count the extra chapter), who all go on their own investigations, while their stories intertwine. All characters have the ability to see spirits with a special camera, the Camera Obscura, allowing them somewhat safe passage through these locations. They will have to battle and avoid spirits in order to get to the bottom of missing person cases, while also trying to uncover the secrets of what happened here in the past.
Graphics
Graphically it’s immediately clear that this is not a next-gen release, or a high-end PS4 of Xbox One release either. That being said, the game has aged quite gracefully and still looks quite spiffy. We don’t see any big noticeable differences compared to the six-year-old Wii U version and the current PlayStation 5 version. The only thing that seems to have changed is the brightness of the surroundings, some color tones, and slightly crisper visuals. Nonetheless, except for the poor lip-syncing, the game still looks very appealing and this is mainly thanks to the great environmental design. Inspecting things up close will show a few cracks in the otherwise still good-looking picture. We would have perhaps loved a few better textures here and there, and some rough edges being ironed out when it comes to the different characters.
Sound
The game’s sound design is spot-on. The atmospheric sound effects create the proper spooky setting, and the distorted sounds and screams the ghostly apparitions make are quite chilling. Other than that, there is some quality voice acting present, but most of the game’s information is sadly transferred via notes or diaries you find during your outings.
Gameplay
Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water is a classic survival horror experience where you’ll be dropped in environments trying to uncover the truth of things that happened there, while also avoiding or battling ghostly apparitions. The game’s shtick revolves around the Camera Obscura, which is a camera that is able to detect ghosts and ‘lost’ items, while also having the power to damage the spirits that chase you by taking pictures of them. It is oddly enough a very satisfying way of battling the souls that still linger in this world.
The overall gameplay loop of the game is actually quite simple. You’ll be thrown into different environments, where you’ll have to carefully explore your surroundings while solving simple puzzles and avoiding or battling ghosts. Battling will give you points, which will allow you to unlock certain upgrades and/or cosmetic items. The game is fairly clear in what it wants you to do, and this works great to a certain extent. Sadly, the controls feel somewhat clunky and a bit dated. It feels like the developers should have reworked the fluidness of the controls a bit, as everything feels sluggish and imprecise. The controls remind us a bit of the older Resident Evil games, which isn’t something modern-day gamers want to go back to. That being said, everything is clear and still fun to play through. The different characters you’ll play as play virtually the same as one another.
Conclusion
Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water is a great game for those who missed this game when it was released on the Wii U. Those who have already completed this title, or still have it in their possession on the Wii U, might not have that much to return to here, as it’s pretty much the same game. That being said, we still very much enjoyed the spooky atmosphere that this game emanates and we loved the overall gameplay. We did notice that the controls were not extremely smooth and we do regret that this one didn’t get a full remaster (or remake), as that would have truly been amazing. In conclusion, this one can easily be called a classic that is still worth it, especially for those who have never played it before.
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[…] you ever played a Project Zero game, also known as Fatal Frame outside of Europe, you know that these games breathe Japanese horror. […]
[…] in 2021, we took a closer look at Maiden of Black Water when it was rereleased for all current relevant platforms. We quite enjoyed this scary ordeal, and […]