In October of last year, Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water, the fifth entry in the series, received a port for all consoles and PC after being tethered to the Wii U since its original 2014 launch. However, Mask of the Lunar Eclipse was still missing in the West, a Japanese exclusive on the Wii since its release in 2008. As a whole, the Fatal Frame series has always struggled with its Western localizations, leading to long wait periods between the Japanese release and the Western release and, in the case of Mask of the Lunar Eclipse, the Western localization being canceled altogether.
RELATED: Fatal Frame Producer Wants To Make Another Game in the Series
Fans of the game no longer have to seek out fan translations thanks to Koei Tecmo announcing an official port for Mask of the Lunar Eclipse, meaning that every mainline Fatal Frame game has received a Western localization. Fans should also note that a few new features are coming to this re-release. Koei Tecmo states that Mask of the Lunar Eclipse now comes with a Photo Mode, new and altered costumes, and has been graphically reworked with better shadows, lighting, in-game cinematics, and improved character models. A firm release date has not been given for the game yet, but fans can expect to play Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, and the Xbox family of consoles in early 2023.
Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is considered one of the stronger games in the series, receiving scores in the 70s and 80s from outlets like Eurogamer and Nintendo Life. Many cite the atmosphere and gameplay as the game’s best attributes while docking points for its clunky control scheme. Given how Mask of the Lunar Eclipse will be updated to work with modern controllers and break away from the limitations of the Wii, there’s likely room to fix those criticisms.
Koei Tecmo has been on a spree of porting a lot of the company’s back catalog of games. Along with Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water last year and Mask of the Lunar Eclipse next year, Koei Tecmo has also ported over its popular Ninja Gaiden series of games to new consoles, once locked to sixth and seventh-generation hardware. Many of these ports have received praise for their modern updates and preservation of the original experience, have it be a good or bad one. Regardless of the quality of the original experience, unshackling old games from old hardware and region locks is a big win for accessibility.
Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse launches in early 2023 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X|S.
MORE: Why Fatal Frame 2 Is Still The Best Game In The Series
