Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water
Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water | |
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零 ~濡鴉ノ巫女~ Zero: Nuregarasu no Miko Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water | |
Developer(s): | Nintendo / Tecmo-Koei |
Publisher(s): | Nintendo |
Distributor(s): | Unknown |
Release date: | 27 September 2014 (Japan) 20 October 2015 (US) 30 October 2015 (Europe) |
Genre: | Survival Horror |
Game modes: | Unknown |
Ratings: | Japan: CERO D (17+) Europe: PEGI 18 |
Countries: | Japan US Europe |
Platform(s): | Wii U |
Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is the fifth main entry to the Fatal Frame Series. It was released on 27 September 2014 in Japan, exclusively on the Wii U.
Contents
Release Dates
Storyline
Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is comprised of three interconnected stories that converge to uncover the truth behind a recent string of tragic deaths in a forest marred by a history of suicides. As one of three people with the power of the Camera Obscura and the ability to see the shadows of those spirited away, you’ll explore the ruins of an eerie inn, a shrine filled with life-size dolls, and a lake full of dead priestesses. Each shadowy location is connected by a stream of water flowing throughout the mountain, and this once holy water is tied to the darkest mystery of all—the history of death and darkness on Mt. Hikami.[3]
Main Characters
Yuri Kozukata (不来方夕莉)Since her whole family died in an accident, Yuri has had the ability to see that which cannot be see, and sense an object or person's secrets with a touch. She works in Kurosawa Antiques Shop and uses her ability to bring back people who have been spirited away. She is asked to go to Mount Hikami, a mountain visited by those who have chosen death, to find a missing person.
A girl searching for her missing mother, who vanished when she was a child. She's never known the love of parents and feels empty. She heads to the mountain believing her mother is there.
A struggling author who has known Yuri for a long time. He's quite whimsical and is scolded by his assistant for it. He hears of a custom involving burial photos, and goes to the mountain to research for his new book.
Development Info
The game was announced in April 2014 as part of the 2014 Media Mix. It was jointly developed by Nintendo and Tecmo-Koei. The story does not have any connection to the manga, the novel that was published in August, or the film adaptation released on 26 September 2014,[4] but all share some thematic elements, notably the importance of water.
On 13th June 2014, a shadowy image of the main character was released, along with several promotional images from the movie.[5] On 17th July, the game was introduced during a Nico Video live stream, which also featured information about the movie and manga.[6] During the stream, Keisuke Kikuchi presented a game trailer and information about the game's storyline. Several screenshots were published concurrently with the stream.[7]
In a Famitsu article on 28 August, it was revealed that the game's format would be changed. Rather than playing out through chapters as in previous games in the series, the game is arranged into missions. On the first playthrough, completing a mission unlocks the next, and thereafter they can be played in any order. Each mission's ultimate goal is to find a missing person on Mount Hikami.
The Wii U gamepad is used as a map during normal gameplay, and as the viewfinder of the Camera Obscura during battles. The touch system and ghost hands from previous Wii games reappears in Fatal Frame V.[8]
In an interview for Famitsu on 24 September 2014, the developers talked extensively about the planning phase, remarking on the game's themes and new gameplay elements. They created the gameplay systems and story with new players in mind, trying to ensure that it would not be too difficult, and even considered scrapping the Camera Obscura altogether and replacing it with more traditional weapons. It was also revealed that, at the request of Hayashi from Team Ninja, Ayane, a character from Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive, was to appear in her own side mission. She is able to track people with a special ability of her own, and stun ghosts using a Spirit Stone Flashlight, but overall the mission concentrates on stealth rather than combat.[9]
Chapters
- 水籠 / Lurking in the Deep
- 残影 / A Vanishing Trace
- 日上山 / Mt. Hikami
- 弔写真 / Postmortem Photography
- 影見 / Shadow Reading
- 神隠シ / Spirited Away
- マヨイガ / The Veiled House
- 永久花 / Immortal Flower
- 逢世 / Maiden of Black Water
- 大禍刻 / The Witching Hour
- 柩籠 / The Sacred Casket
- 幽婚 / Ghost Marriage
- 夜泉子 / The Shadowborn
- 彼岸船 / To the Other Side
- 禍津陽 / The Dark Sun
- 夜泉ノ花嫁 / Bride from Black Water
Regional Differences
Note on the Title
The title is difficult to translate into English. "Nuregarasu" is an idiom literally meaning "wet crow"; it describes a particularly lustrous black hair which seems to shine with tones of blue and green, like the iridescent feathers on a crow's wing. The translation "Raven-Haired" was in use on 零Wiki and Beyond the Camera's Lens, in an attempt to incorporate at least one aspect of this imagery, but "The Black-Haired Shrine Maiden" was also in use on multiple gaming websites. Another version, "Oracle of the Sodden Raven", appeared in the description of a Niconico stream prior to the game's release, and was adopted by many sites as an official English title. In Chapter 7 of Shadow Priestess, "nuregarasu" is translated as "raven slick".
The translated name for the Western release has been announced as Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water as of E3 2015 on June 16th 2015.
Release
Fatal Frame V is the first game in the series to be available only as a digital download in certain regions. It will be available exclusively on Nintendo eShop in North America.[10].
The physical release in Europe will consist of a Limited Edition bundle, but will otherwise be available only through the eShop, with no standard retail edition.
Other Differences
- Two costumes - Yuri's bikini and Miu's gravure bikini - have been replaced with Nintendo-themed Samus and Zelda costumes in the European and North American release. An in-game cutscene, which showed Miu wearing the bikini while working as a model, has been edited to show her default costume instead.
Book
Box Art
Misc. Info
- Imagery of flowing water is a central motif for the game.
- The image colour is black.[11]
- The theme song is Higanbana, performed by AnJu.
- A new song by Tsuki Amano, 鳥籠 -in this cage-, also features as an ending song when Yuri's kimono is equipped.
Gallery
Links
References
- ↑ Nintendo Direct, April 1st 2015 and Nintendo Everything, August 24th 2015
- ↑ Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water - Limited Edition Trailer and Nintendo Europe Twitter, April 1st 2015
- ↑ Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water official site
- ↑ Fatal Frame/Project Zero Horror Game Gets Live-Action Film, Anime News Network. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
- ↑ Announcement (Japanese), 4gamer.net. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
- ↑ Nintendo Twitter.
- ↑ 4Gamer article
- ↑ BCL forums
- ↑ BCL Topic: Famitsu 24/9
- ↑ Nintendo Everything, Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water confirmed as an eShop-only game in North America, 24th August 2015
- ↑ BCL Topic: Famitsu 24/9