Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse announced for Nintendo Switch

Dare you return to Rōgetsu Isle?

Today’s Nintendo Direct gave Switch owners a lot to look forward to, and amongst the more exciting announcements is that KOEI TECMO is finally bringing Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse to western audiences in remastered form.

The original 2008 Wii release was exclusive to Japan, but will now be available worldwide for multiple consoles, including Nintendo Switch.

FATAL FRAME: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse takes place a decade after five girls mysteriously disappeared at a festival on Rōgetsu Isle, an island in southern Japan. While all of the girls were eventually rescued, their memories were lost, with only the faint remembrance of a single melody and a seemingly possessed masked woman dancing in the moonlight. Now, ten years later, with still no memory of the events surrounding their disappearance, two of the five girls have died — discovered with covered faces and found in a tragic, crying pose. The remaining three girls now head off to the eerie island to solve the mystery of their friends’ death, while also unlocking the mystery of the memories left behind.

As the girls explore the western-style mansions and abandoned hospitals on Rōgetsu Isle, they will rely on the moonlight and a faint flashlight to search for clues. The story progresses by discovering relics like old newspaper articles and notes that help the girls unravel the island’s secret past. While exploring, the girls will also be confronted by a series of spirits. They will need to use a FATAL FRAME franchise classic, the Camera Obscura, to repel vengeful ghosts, sealing away their power by photographing them. Throughout the game, the girls will need to equip stronger lenses and change out different films in order to capture the most powerful spirits, while also using the camera to capture “things that cannot be seen” to help them find the evidence they need to remember their haunting past.

As is customary with the series—including last year’s remaster of Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water—the remastered version of Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse will include an all-new Photo Mode, new and altered (queue the goofy censorship “concerns”) costumes, and enhanced graphics to deliver “…a more immersive and frightening experience.”

In addition, in-game movies and character models have been brushed-up to deliver a story that shines, both narratively and aesthetically as the three remaining girls attempt to rediscover their past before becoming victims once again.

No official release date has been announced, but we’ll be sure to let you know when KOEI TECMO updates the current “early 2023” designation. Until then, fans can keep an eye on  www.koeitecmoamerica.com/fatalframe/mask/ for more information.