Fatal Frame 4: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse - so close but so far

Pictured: Ruka with the iconic Camera Obscura.

Fatal Frame 4: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is a good game with some interesting mixes to the series’ formula. The focus this time around is on an area named Rougetsu Isle off of the coast of mainland Japan. The story is split into three main focuses, all happening simultaneously, and primarily occur within the Isle’s local hospital/sanatorium area.

The first game to take place in a semi-modern setting, FF4 feels fresh and new in ways the other games didn’t. Instead of haunted manors and abandoned villages, you’re running around a recently abandoned but still super haunted hospital. As the protagonists progress further the spirits they encounter become more akin to those from previous games, i.e.: closer to the traditional stylings of the series ghosts in kimonos and sacred garb.

The game uses a dual-tone scheme of soft gold colors and deep blue-blacks, with Ruka being emblematic of that. The save points as well give off a comforting golden glow, and can be spotted from a ways away.

Being that the game is exclusively voiced in Japanese, I can’t really comment on the quality of it, though it sounds good to me. Maybe those fluent in it feel differently, but I enjoyed it regardless.

Graphics are also a step above the past games, (granted, I played the remaster and not the original), and the eeriness of Rougetsu’s hospital is felt fully. Character and ghost models look great, and the ghosts’ faces are animated in ways they couldn’t be in prior games. Unfortunately, that intricate animation wasn’t extended to the protagonists, as they have a somewhat confused/dreamlike response to a lot of things. Perhaps it was intentional, but it makes some of their reactions feel a bit flat at times.

As far as story…Five girls were found on an abandoned-overnight island, and years later they felt the pull to return there. This is where the story kicks off. Ruka and Misaki, two of the five girls, are our focus this time around along with a brief glimpse at what their third friend Makoto is going through. At the same time, a private detective named Chōshirō is here to look for the once-again-missing girls. Later parts of the plot feel forgotten about or neglected, but the story overall is still fairly strong (specifically Ruka’s sections).

FF4 adds some new mechanics and features, and changes the fixed camera angles into a more modern over-the-shoulder perspective (a shame, honestly) and adds autosaves in specific parts, but the overall difficulty only greatly spikes in the last parts of the game. Multiple frustrating encounters lead to frustration during that final chapter or so.

It’s a solid game, but plotlines left unfinished and ghost designs that, while good, end up feeling tame in comparison to previous entries make for a game that feels like it’s just missing a few of those strong pieces. I’d still recommend it, and I’d still say it’s enjoyable.

Onto Maiden of Black Water, oh boy!

Pictured: Chōshirō on the case.