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Project Zero II: Crimson Butterfly Review - Xbox

For years Xbox owners have waited for a true horror game to come along. Sure, they got the Silent Hill games, but there was something in those games that just lacked the total horror that true horror fans require to be scared. Along came Project Zero. Based on a true story, the game was bound to be a success if people took it seriously. Upon receiving a mixed reaction from the critics, Tecmo decided to create Project Zero II: Crimson Butterfly – a prequel sequel to the original game, explaining how things came to be thirty years earlier. As you follow the young twin girls through the haunted village, you’ll discover the true meaning of fear, as Crimson Butterfly truly flourishes on the Xbox.

Some of you may know this game as Fatal Frame, but over in the PAL territories we like to call it Project Zero. The sequel is named Crimson Butterfly because Mayu wonders off to investigate a very pretty butterfly. Mio of course follows Mayu as she doesn’t want to be left alone in the forest, and the Crimson Butterfly leads them to what’s left of a mysterious lost village no longer inhabited by anything human. For Project Zero fans, you’ll be pleased to know that in this game the proper origins of the Camera Obscura will be explained. For those new to the series, you may be surprised to know that there are no weapons to take out those scary ghosts apart from the camera. Upon taking pictures with the camera, the ghosts will disappear and you will score points. Sounds simple enough, if you have the nerve to boldly go into the next room.

Moving around the game is quite similar to a game like Shenmue II. You can’t bolt around the game, and the camera definitely won’t let you see around every corner. This allows the developers to create a larger sense of fear however, as you’ll go around a corner, the camera will follow, then there’ll be a loud haunting noise and you’ll see a ghost wander through a wall. It really is quite a scary sight if you have all the lights out, and we recommend that you don’t go playing this game all by yourself!

Tecmo really build around the twin girls, making you feel for them. In any other situation if you saw two pre-teen girls in a lost village all alone, you’d tell them to get the hell out of there as quickly as possible, but in Crimson Butterfly they show that they’re willing to search the whole place, which makes you, the gamer, feel like you have to show that you’re more gutsy than the pre-teen girls and therefore take control of them throughout the game. Tecmo are a bit strange with this game though, as you can unlock different costumes. For some reason one of the costumes is a bikini. Let’s just (continued next page)