Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse was originally released in Japan in 2008 as the fourth game in the Fatal Frame series. Following the successful remastering of another game in the series. This one is being brought back to life with upgraded graphics and new features. Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is a Japanese horror, adventure game.
The Mask of the Lunar Eclipse will be available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One and Windows via Steam. Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is set to be released on March 9, 2023.
Storyline
Rogetsu Kagura is a festival held once every ten years on Rogetsu Isle in southern Japan. During the festival, five girls mysteriously disappeared. The girls were rescued by a detective. Although they were found, they had lost their memories. One of the girls that disappeared mysteriously, Ruka Minazuki, had a faint memory of a single melody – Girls playing instruments surrounded by masked people, and a masked woman dancing in the moonlight as though possessed.
Ruka has lived with that thought in her mind ever since. Ten years later, two of the girls that mysteriously disappeared were killed one after another. They were found with their faces covered, in a tragic demeanour. Now they have returned to the island as teenagers.
Determined to solve the mystery of their friends’ deaths, the remaining girls, Misaki and Madoka, agreed to travel to Rogetsu Isle. Ruka decides to follow them to the island. The girls rely on the Camera Obscura, a camera with the power to capture and seal away unthinkable horrors, and the faint beam of their flashlight while exploring various locations and fending off the ghosts that attack them as they attempt to discover the truth of their haunting past.
Here is the Story trailer:
Characters
Ruka Minazuki
A 17 year old girl from Rogetsu Isle that is learning to play the piano. She has lost all memories of her life before her mysterious disappearance. Whenever she plays the only melody she can remember, fragments of her lost memories come back to her. Beyond those memories she cannot recall much. She travels to Rogetsu Isle, ignoring her mother Sayaka’s warning, in order to recover what she has lost.
Misaki Aso
A selfish and strong-willed 17 year old girl. She is one of the five people who mysteriously disappeared, and a descendant of Dr. Kunihiko Aso, the creator of the Camera Obscura. Guided by the words of a girl dressed in black reflected in a mirror, she heads to Rogetsu Isle with Madoka.
Madoka Tsukimori
A timid 17 year old girl who tends to do what her friend Misaki says. She is worried about the change in Misaki’s behaviour after the two other girls, Tomoe Nanamura and Marie Shinomiya, mysteriously died one after the other.
Choshiro Kirishima
A private detective. When he worked with the police, he tracked down Yo Haibara, a suspect in a series of murders. When he travelled to Rogetsu Isle, he encountered the case of mysterious disappearances and found the girls. At the request of Sayaka, Ruka’s mother, with whom he had become acquainted through this incident, he sets off for Rogetsu Isle to track down Ruka.
Sayaka Minazuki
Ruka’s mother. Former last name is Yomotsuki. She is very sickly and bedridden most of the time. When she found out that her husband Soya was involved in Ruka’s disappearance, she left him and moved to the main island of Japan.
Soya Yomotsuki
Father of Ruka and ex-husband of Sayaka. He is a mask-maker who makes masks for the Rogetsu Kagura, a festival to comfort the dead. He is pursuing the path of making masks, and was a strict father to Ruka when she was a child. He is obsessed with perfecting the “Mask of the Lunar Eclipse”, the ultimate mask made by his ancestor, Soetsu.
Yo Haibara
A slender man with cold eyes that seem to see through everything, and the son of Shigeto
Haibara. He is a native of Rogetsu Isle, and established the Haibara Clinic in Tokyo. He is wanted for a human experiment that turned into murder at his clinic. Kirishima, the detective who was in charge of the case, is after him.
Girl dressed in black
A girl dressed in black who is visible only to Misaki Aso. She often appears in front of Misaki and asks her if she has forgotten about her.
Ayako
A girl with Moonlight Syndrome. She was admitted to the Haibara Infirmary by Shigeto Haibara, the director of the infirmary. She has a very brutal personality and a violent streak.
Setting
Explore the dimly lit Western-style mansions and abandoned hospitals on the island. Progress the story by interacting with items and places that spark your interest. From past newspaper articles and notes, you uncover the vile secrets of the past, unravel the lost memories of the protagonist, and discover the truth.
Haibara Infirmary
An old infirmary on Rogetsu Isle. It is now in ruins. It is said that various experiments were repeatedly conducted by Director Haibara for the purpose of curing “Moonlight Syndrome”, an endemic disease found in Rogetsu Isle.
Rogetsu Hall
A luxurious sanatorium built for the treatment of Moonlight Syndrome. It is connected to Haibara Infirmary. The islanders call Rogetsu Hall the “new building” and the Haibara Infirmary the öld building”.
Yomotsuki Residence
This is the home of a respected mask-maker who makes the masks used in the Rougetsu Kagura. It is the birthplace of the Ruka Minazuki, and visiting this house brings back important memories.
Cape Tsukiyomi Lighthouse
A huge lighthouse on Rogetsu Isle. It is the closest point to the moon in Rogetsu Isle. The top of the lighthouse has a special meaning for this Isle that worships the moon, and an ancient shrine has been relocated to the top of said lighthouse.
Temple of the lunar eclipse Rogetsu Antechamber.
A room adjacent to the Rogetsu Kagura where preparation for the Kagura performance is made.
Gameplay
Exploring Rogetsu Island
Explore the dimly lit Western-style mansions and abandoned hospitals on the island by relying on the moonlight and a flashlight.
Camera Obscura
This is an old camera with the ability to repel vengeful ghosts and seal away their power by photographing them. As such, it is an indispensable item throughout the game. The Camera Obscura can be used as a weapon against ghosts by spotting them through the viewfinder and taking photos of them to inflict damage. Equip stronger lenses and change out different films to capture even more powerful photos. It also plays a major role in the girls’ investigation, as its special power allows them to see the keys that allow them to find their way through new areas.
Spirit Torch
A new device to aid you on your investigation. Depending on the protagonist, you can use a spirit torch instead of a camera obscura. A spirit torch is a machine that uses moonlight stored in a spirit stone to subdue spirits. It captures the spirit within its illumination range and radiates moonlight to inflict damage.
New Photo Mode
Pose characters and ghosts, and place them freely for haunting memories in the newly added photo mode.
New Costumes
The original lineup of costumes has been slightly altered, and new costumes have been added.
Change the characters’ costumes to experience the investigation in different ways.
Features
Improved Graphics
In-game movies and character models have been improved to make the story and characters more appealing. In addition, the graphics have been improved for each platform. The rendering of shadows and the beam of the flashlight has been refined so players can experience more realistic horror.
New Snap Mode
Pose characters and ghosts freely to create memories in the new snap mode.
New Costumes
The original costume lineup has been changed and new costumes have been added.
Final Words
So do you think you’ll be amongst the players out there that will purchase this thrilling game when it finally becomes available to the public on the 9th of March, 2023?
Resource: Koeitecmoamerica.com
