Possibly one of the biggest surprises to come out of E3 2021 was thatFatal Frame: Maiden of Black Waterwill be seeing a modern remaster later this year. Originally a Nintendo Wii U exclusive, the horror game willarrive on modern platforms just in time for Halloween, and the team is hopeful that said release will result in a new entry being made.
Speaking with Japanese outlet Famitsu (as translated by Nintendo Everything), producer Keisuke Kikuchi (who has worked on theFatal Frameseries since the first game as well as multiple other Koei Tecmo titles) was asked if the series could be revived ifMaiden of Black Waterperforms well. While there is no guarantee, Kikuchi certainly hopes so, suggesting that it’s something the whole team would love to see happen, especially with 2021 marking its 20th anniversary.
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“That’s what I’m hoping. We’re releasing this game to commemorate the series’ 20th anniversary, and we’re hoping a lot of fans will take take the opportunity to play the game. We’d love this to lead to a new title.”
Maiden of Black Wateris the fifth mainline entry in the series and released back in 2014. At the time it was met with mixed reviews and while there are no exact sales numbers for it, it had a somewhat odd release that may have negatively affected said sales. Aside from it only being available on the Wii U (which itself suffered from low sales), it was also a digital only release, with a limited edition physical version only releasing in Europe and Australia.
With it soon to be available on multiple, and more popular, platforms, it certainly stands a better chance of selling well nowadays than it did back in 2014. And while strong sales don’t always guarantee a sequel, they certainly improve the odds of Koei Tecmo giving the go ahead for a follow up.
While there may not be as much of a demand for aFatal Framerevival as there is forSilent Hill(which, coincidentally, is what inspiredFatal Framein the first place), the series has consistently received critical acclaim and considered to be on par with other horror series likeSilent HillandResident Evil. Each entry offers a different story and characters, but the common thread throughout is the Camera Obscura, an item that is used by the player to capture and pacify spirits.
Although it originated on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, the series seemed to make a new home at Nintendo for a period. The fourth game released as a Nintendo Wii exclusive in 2008, followed by a Wii remake of the second game in 2012, and thenMaiden of Black Waterfor Wii U. One of the main protagonists of that last game, Yuri Kozukata, can be spotted inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimateas well as an Assist Trophy.
Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Waterreleases for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on October 28th.
