Among the many Japanese-style videogame sagas released over the years, PROJECT ZERO is undoubtedly one of the most interesting. The franchise created by KOEI TECMO GAMES combines horror and folklore to create a title capable of instilling fear and at the same time fascinating for its ethereal but terrifying atmospheres. Unfortunately, however, over the years this saga has been somewhat set aside, becoming a true niche phenomenon, and only recently has the software house decided to take back its horror title par excellence. This is the case with PROJECT ZERO: Mask of the Lunar Eclipseborn as an exclusive for Wii thanks to the collaboration with Grasshopper Manufacture and remained confined in Japan for fifteen years.
Fortunately after all this waiting we can get our hands on a new version of the title embellished by a totally renewed graphic sector and adapted controls in order to work best even on current platforms. But will these improvements be enough to make it attractive despite the past years? Find out in our review of PROJECT ZERO: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse!
- Title: PROJECT ZERO: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse
- Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC (Steam)
- Analyzed version: Playstation 5 (EU)
- Type: Survival Horror
- Players: 1
- Publisher: KOEI TECMO GAMES
- Developer: Grasshopper Manufacture, KOEI TECMO GAMES
- Tongue: English (text), Japanese (dubbing)
- Exit date: March 9, 2023
- Availability: digital delivery
- DLCs: it is possible to purchase the upgrade package to the Digital Deluxe Edition which includes additional costumes and accessories for the protagonists
- Note: it is an improved version of the original Zero: Tsukihami no Kamen released in 2008 on Wii and never released from the borders of Japan until today
We reviewed PROJECT ZERO: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse with a PlayStation 5 code provided to us for free by KOEI TECMO GAMES via PLAION.
It has been years since the tragic accident that occurred on therogetsu island during which five girls were kidnapped. Shortly after their discovery, a catastrophe struck the island, causing the death of all its inhabitants. After the death of two of their friends in mysterious circumstances, the survivors Misaki And Madoka they decide to leave for the island in search of answers. A little later Ruka, also a survivor of the kidnapping, decides to join them to understand what happened to her friends and fill a void that has been inside for years. In fact, the girl cannot remember anything from her past and this seems to be connected to a mysterious disease linked to the folklore of her native island: the Moonlight Syndrome. In addition to the three girls also the detective Choshiro he is on the island, commissioned by Ruka’s mother who is afraid something terrible might happen to her daughter. And his hunches were right, something dark is hiding in Rogetsu and the four are about to find out the hard way…
Strike in poses
Gameplay-wise PROJECT ZERO: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse makes the most of the unique style of the franchise, thanks to which we will have to rely on the iconic Camera Obscura in order to survive. In fact, thanks to this particular camera we will be able to defend ourselves from the attacks of the vengeful spirits that infest the structures of therogetsu island, taking pictures of them to chase them away and be able to continue on our way. The amount of damage done and therefore the speed with which we will be able to defeat a given enemy will depend both from the enhancements made to the Camera Obscura and from the type of film usedit will be up to us to decide when to use certain films since it will be rare to find them scattered around the island.
In battle, our skill as photographers will also count, given that depending on our timing we will be able to carry out a Fatal Frame. If used correctly, this very powerful attack will allow us to take more photos continuously, doing massive damage to enemies. The Camera Obscura can then be equipped with special lenses capable of conferring unique powerssuch as the ability to slow down time for surrounding enemies or push them away from us, as well as improvements that will make it easier for us to explorefor example by making sounds when we approach the collectibles.
However, the Camera Obscura will not be the only weapon at our disposal. Choshiro in fact he will use another mysterious object to defend himself from ghosts: the Spirit Flashlight. It is a torch whose power will recharge over time and which will allow us to take advantage of the light it emits to eliminate any danger. We will therefore not need films to use it, but we will have to be careful not to download it too quickly when we are surrounded by enemies. Even the Spirit Flashlight can be equipped with unique lenses, so that Choshiro also has a wider variety of attacks at his disposal to defeat the ghosts that will try to hinder his path.
Doll Parts
But these two artifacts will not only be useful for combat, as they will prove to be essential in being able to reveal all the secrets of PROJECT ZERO: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse. In fact, during the exploration we will have to use the Camera Obscura or the Spirit Flashlight to solve environmental puzzlesdiscover hidden codes to be able to continue with the adventure or break the curse of Hozuki Dolls. These dolls will be one of the collectibles of the game, by photographing them we will be able to free them from what afflicts them and based on the number of dolls found we will go to unlock new accessories and costumes for the protagonists. And speaking of collectibles, they cannot be missing the peaceful spirits that roam Rogetsu Island which, once photographed, will guarantee us points to spend in the shop and will be cataloged in the Ghost List.
Once the main adventure is completed we will go to unlock the New Game +thanks to which we will be able to keep all the upgrades made to our weapons and some of the consumable items we collect and face the game again allowing us to choose difficulty levels not available before. Not only in this way will we be able to complete all those elements that we failed to obtain during our first game, but depending on the selected difficulty we will go to unlock unique items that would otherwise be impossible to obtain.
Last, but not least, the Mission Mode. It too will be available after completing the game for the first time and will allow us to once again face some of the most dangerous enemies met during the main adventure. During each mission we will have at our disposal a pre-selected loadout and a limited timeand depending on our skill and speed in defeating an enemy we will be rewarded with many very useful objects.
Total Eclipse of the Mask
From a technical point of view PROJECT ZERO: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse has undergone a real facelift compared to its original counterpart. The graphics sector has in fact been quite updated, not only will it offer a higher resolution than in the past but the software house has carried out a great job to improve the textures of the environments and the light effects present in the game. icing on the cake i new polygonal models of protagonists and enemieswhich make the game even more contemporary and do not feel the 15 years that have passed since its original release at all.
Even the audio sector is truly spectacular, thanks also to the soundtrack created by Masafumi Takada. The two songs created by the artist are also fantastic Tsukiko Amano for the game: NOISE And Zero no Chouritsu. But one of the most important details of the audio sector concerns the incredible sense of atmosphere that the software house has managed to create thanks to it. In fact, every little noise present within the game will be able to make our skin crawl, immersing us further in the thrilling settings of the Rogetsu island.
The storytelling is no less, thanks to the return of franchise veterans such as Makoto Shibata And Masahiro Yuki in addition to the collaboration of nothing less than Goichi Suda. The main plot is in fact extremely fascinating, and the narration from three different points of view it will allow us to gradually discover all the secrets of Rogetsu Island and its dark practices. The company has managed to perfectly mix fear and curiositygiving the player the right motivation to move forward in this terrifying place where danger is always around the corner.
Who do we recommend PROJECT ZERO: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse to?
If you are a fan of Made in Japan horror made of dark corridors and ghostly creatures ready to attack you at every corner PROJECT ZERO: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse it’s for you! The title perfectly combines the folkloric aspect that made the franchise famous with fun gameplay and a story full of emotions and secrets to discover. Sure, the controls feel a little dated at times given the age of the game, but nonetheless we’re faced with one of the best chapters of the saga that will delight all horror lovers.
- Breathtaking plot full of twists and turns
- Eerie and truly immersive environments
- Lots of graphical improvements…
- …But the controls are sometimes dated
- Some battles can be a little frustrating
PROJECT ZERO: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse
An intensely pleasurable terror
I believe that every gamer has, at least once in their life, hoped that a title that remained exclusive to Japan would finally arrive in the West. Well, PROJECT ZERO: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is one of the games that I have waited the longest for a localization and I have to admit that the wait was abundantly rewarded. Not only does the title have a very solid foundation, thanks also to the collaboration with Grasshopper Manufacturebut the new features implemented by KOEI TECMO for this remastered version they manage to make it visually modern and attractive even on current platforms. Of course it’s still there some control issueswhich can sometimes be a bit too cumbersome compared to more recent titles, and sometimes fighting in narrow corridors without much movement against ghosts capable of crossing any wall around us will be a bit frustrating, but nevertheless we find ourselves in front of one of the best chapters of the franchise with a story that will keep us glued to the screen thanks to its twists full of emotions. Definitely PROJECT ZERO: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse it’s a must-have title for all lovers of survival horror and terror stories set in Japan, which will be able to give a shiver of fear to even the bravest players.
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