TheEvilDoctorDoor
Vivacious Visitor
- Joined
- Jul 15, 2018
I have seen a few other threads on prior Fatal Frame games. What interested me on this one, released in 2015, was its decisions around the protagonists by character supervisor Yosuke Hayashi (better known for a series most people here probably know well). They even saw fit to add a few extra mini-missions starring Ayane.
They pretty overtly decided on extending the game's themes of rain and water towards a game mechanic in which characters' clothing can get soaking wet. This makes their clothing translucent, causes flowy cloth to stick to their body, and increases damage both dealt and received to ghosts. Certain attacks increase your "wetness" level, but being knocked down while standing in water will instantly fill the meter (only emptiable through a special item).
Short clip walking around
That's not very ladylike, ghost!!
(Embed format for gfycat would be appreciated)
It could be this is a specific matter of appeal, but one thing I noticed made this game more appealling is the degree to which it's made easier, basically being highly forgiving of experimentation, or simply allowing being attacked while progressing. Many attacks don't deal very much damage to characters, and you'll find plenty of healing items should you "accidentally" get knocked down a lot. What's more, the game follows a mission structure - you begin with a set number of items in one mission. Holding onto them for the next mission has no benefit, and you can replay previous ones. Forewarning, there are no death animations - losing the last of your health instantaneously shows the Game Over screen. This series has also traditionally been light on actual gore, even though it is very centered around death and ghosts.
Characters
Yuri Kozukata is the playable character for 70% of the game. She has psychic abilities, that she feels makes her obligated to help people who only she can find.
Normal Costume (back) (this costume changes the most to drench effects) (resting / resting 2)
Kimono (back)
Schoolgirl (back)
Zero Suit (back) (gameplay / gameplay 2 / gameplay 3)
Bunny Ear / glasses accessories / Bunny Tail accessory
Miu Hinasaki is the other female playable protagonist. During the game's intro, she is captured by ghosts, but becomes playable later on after Yuri pays Blizzard $10 and finds her in a loot box.
Normal Costume (back) (the skirt has cloth physics)
Kimono (back)
Princess Zelda Costume (back) (ingame) (resting)
Glasses / Cat ears / Cat Tail accessory
Ren Hojo is the third playable character. He has fewer missions, but includes an interesting "Paranormal Activity" mission where he sets up cameras through the home house to protect the others from ghosts while they finally get a night's sleep.
Some other side characters are captured by ghosts and routinely found in "Reliquaries", plot-related small boxes just big enough to hold a person. These include Hisoka Kurosawa, the mentor of Yuri, Miku Hinasaki, the protagonist of Fatal Frame 1 (who has somehow raised a child without aging a day), and several others.
Ryona elements during gameplay
Ryona elements during plot/cutscenes
Beating the game unlocks a harder difficulty as well as Ayane's stealth-based chapters, and painstakingly playing through multiple endings will unlock Nintendo-themed Samus and Zelda costumes (or, reward you with a severe lack of clothing if you manage to get the Japanese version).
The Bad News
As tends to be the case with Japanese games of uncertain American interest, Fatal Frame 5 has no physical edition, being only available via the Nintendo eShop. What's more, because of the complicated model it was released (the "game" is free but is a demo. The remaining chapters are a $60 DLC) it's not so likely to go on sale. And to top it all off, it is solely available on Nintendo's least popular console, the AmbulanceNoise (Wii U). It makes good use of the gamepad, but its value compared to recent games is more dubious. It's probably not going to appeal to a lot of people, but I think it was a good purchase.
They pretty overtly decided on extending the game's themes of rain and water towards a game mechanic in which characters' clothing can get soaking wet. This makes their clothing translucent, causes flowy cloth to stick to their body, and increases damage both dealt and received to ghosts. Certain attacks increase your "wetness" level, but being knocked down while standing in water will instantly fill the meter (only emptiable through a special item).
Short clip walking around
That's not very ladylike, ghost!!
(Embed format for gfycat would be appreciated)
It could be this is a specific matter of appeal, but one thing I noticed made this game more appealling is the degree to which it's made easier, basically being highly forgiving of experimentation, or simply allowing being attacked while progressing. Many attacks don't deal very much damage to characters, and you'll find plenty of healing items should you "accidentally" get knocked down a lot. What's more, the game follows a mission structure - you begin with a set number of items in one mission. Holding onto them for the next mission has no benefit, and you can replay previous ones. Forewarning, there are no death animations - losing the last of your health instantaneously shows the Game Over screen. This series has also traditionally been light on actual gore, even though it is very centered around death and ghosts.
Characters
Yuri Kozukata is the playable character for 70% of the game. She has psychic abilities, that she feels makes her obligated to help people who only she can find.
Normal Costume (back) (this costume changes the most to drench effects) (resting / resting 2)
Kimono (back)
Schoolgirl (back)
Zero Suit (back) (gameplay / gameplay 2 / gameplay 3)
Bunny Ear / glasses accessories / Bunny Tail accessory
Miu Hinasaki is the other female playable protagonist. During the game's intro, she is captured by ghosts, but becomes playable later on after Yuri pays Blizzard $10 and finds her in a loot box.
Normal Costume (back) (the skirt has cloth physics)
Kimono (back)
Princess Zelda Costume (back) (ingame) (resting)
Glasses / Cat ears / Cat Tail accessory
Ren Hojo is the third playable character. He has fewer missions, but includes an interesting "Paranormal Activity" mission where he sets up cameras through the home house to protect the others from ghosts while they finally get a night's sleep.
Some other side characters are captured by ghosts and routinely found in "Reliquaries", plot-related small boxes just big enough to hold a person. These include Hisoka Kurosawa, the mentor of Yuri, Miku Hinasaki, the protagonist of Fatal Frame 1 (who has somehow raised a child without aging a day), and several others.
Ryona elements during gameplay
- The biggest and most direct Ryona (though it's a matter of taste) is wetness. The effects applied to your character through water last infinitely until you use a curative item, and especially for the main character's default costume it looks pretty humiliating and uncomfortable, basically clinging tightly into her butt.
- The primary attacks of most enemies are various hand-to-hand grabs, which put the ghost right in your character's face and causes them to struggle and squeal uncomfortably. However, the camera shifts to the Camera Obscura view in order to retaliate. Some others strike with weapons.
- When knocked down, many enemies will pin you down on the floor to deal more damage.
- Some enemies can grab you from below the floor, pinning your feet
- A hangman woman can put a noose around your character, choking them
- Some characters can apply a poisonous water to your character, covering them in purple-black water and making them walk in a painful posture. (Somehow this clip was achieved without the poison effect)
- Any item you pick up in the game carries the risk of being grabbed by a ghostly hand
Ryona elements during plot/cutscenes
- Characters frequently get possessed by ghosts and wander willingly into dangerous situations. (No direct sexualization)
- The antagonist of the game attacks characters in beds of water by spreading long strands of hair. During the game's intro, these hairs wind straight up Miu's legs underneath her skirt.
Beating the game unlocks a harder difficulty as well as Ayane's stealth-based chapters, and painstakingly playing through multiple endings will unlock Nintendo-themed Samus and Zelda costumes (or, reward you with a severe lack of clothing if you manage to get the Japanese version).
The Bad News
As tends to be the case with Japanese games of uncertain American interest, Fatal Frame 5 has no physical edition, being only available via the Nintendo eShop. What's more, because of the complicated model it was released (the "game" is free but is a demo. The remaining chapters are a $60 DLC) it's not so likely to go on sale. And to top it all off, it is solely available on Nintendo's least popular console, the AmbulanceNoise (Wii U). It makes good use of the gamepad, but its value compared to recent games is more dubious. It's probably not going to appeal to a lot of people, but I think it was a good purchase.
Last edited:
