"A unique survival horror that will have fans of the genre saying "cool""

Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly for the Playstation 2 is a new kind of survival horror that takes the genre for a spin. Fatal Frame 2 has a lot of new features than the first game in the series as well as an entire new story line that will leave players chilled and excited.

The graphics in the game are better than the first, but it could have been better. But you cannot be mad over the very well done character models as well as the scenery once you explore outside the village, which is the main setting for the game. The rooms you explore, the graveyards you run through, and even the underground tunnels and cellars are done well, but a little bit more time and detail could have been put into them.

The gameplay has some new features that were not found in the first game and some features from the first game have been upgraded and more stuff added to them to make the gameplay a better experience. Some new features that have been added are more upgrades for the camera, a new storyline, new spirits and ghosts to vanquish, and frightening visuals and sounds that add a unique atmosphere to the game. The spirit radio also has more stones and spirits to use and listen to.

Another good thing about the gameplay is that it has an auto lock on to ghosts and spirits when they flash on the screen or only appear for a short time. This makes it extremely easy to catch certain ghosts and spirits that are hard to get. Although, there are some that will be to fast for you to auto lock on, which means you might need to play through the game again so you can add them to the spirit list. There are some ghosts and spirits that require the sense function on the camera, which is unlocked after finishing the game once.

The storyline is about twin sisters Mio and Mayu who venture through a forest one day and pass through the boundaries of an evil village where everyone disappeared on the day of a secret ceremony. As you control Mio throughout the game, you will venture through the village, whether it is tracking down your twin sister, vanquishing ghosts so you can access certain parts of the village, or finding out what just happened in this evil village.

The replay value in the game is better than most games, but it could have had a few more things to access and unlock and some of them are pointless, but none the less fun to see. You can access movies and artwork, as well as unlock camera functions, costumes and even a secret ending that may take a while to unlock. There are four difficulty modes to play on which will keep you buy for a while.

Overall, the game is a new approach to the survival horror genre, but fans of the genre and series should not be disappointed. If you are new to the genre, then this may not be the best game to start the genre off, there for it should be a rental to those that are new to the genre. With lots of difficulties to play on and things to unlock, this will keep fans of the series and genre playing for a long time.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 08/01/06