Tecmo Koei and Nintendo of Japan have announced Fatal Frame 5: The Black Haired Shrine Maiden as a Wii U exclusive survival-horror game at a NicoNico live stream today. The release date in Japan is September 27th, 2014, where the game is known as “Zero: Nuregarasu no Miko”. Although no international release has been confirmed, it’s already known as Fatal Frame 5: The Black Haired Shrine Maiden in America and as Project Zero V in Europe and other PAL regions.
Watch the creepy Japanese Fatal Frame 5 announcement trailer here:
International Release Possible?:
Although the previous Fatal Frame game in the main series — tentatively titled Fatal Frame 4: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse & Project Zero IV — never made it out of Japan since its 2008 Wii release. There are three indicators we might see an English translation of this fifth game…
• Indicator #1: The Fatal Frame spin-off game Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir got a worldwide release in 2012. This bite-sized survival-horror adventure made use of the 3DS’ gyro sensors and cameras, similar to those in the Wii U. Sales of the portable title would have given Nintendo a good indication of interest in other Japanese horror games.
• Indicator #2: During the NicoNico live stream today the game’s producer, Keisuke Kikuchi, made an appearance along with Shigeru Miyamoto to talk about the game, indicating they’ve got big plans for the title. Although, those plans may simply involve cross-promotion between the below listed multimedia expansions.
• Indicator #3: Your comments. Developers are known to look a online articles about their games to gauge interest in international releases. Do you want Tecmo Koei & Nintendo to allocate Fatal Frame 5/Project Zero V to the American & European/PAL regions? Let them know in the comments section!
Fatal Frame 5 Features:
• The theme revolves around the fear of getting wet. There’ll be lots of rain and water on the mountain (including a big lake and graves) in order to create a feeling of uneasiness for the player.
• It won’t only take place in Japanese mansions. It will feature more open areas than previous games in the series. Some of these open areas are spiritual places that are said to test your courage.
• It uses the Wii U GamePad like a “Projection Machine”, which acts like a regular camera, used to see & seal evil spirits as to check your surroundings for these spirits’ positions & movements! Facing the spirits with the camera/GamePad is your sort-of weapon. You can even record what’s going on, which is said to bring a new sense of fear to the gameplay.
• The game’s setting is Hikayama Mountain, better known as the mountain of death, since it’s visited by those who choose the path of death. Oooooh shadowy foretelling name.
• The game’s protagonist Yuri Kozukata has a ghost-seeing ability she’s had since childhood. In fact, she can bring invisible spirits from another realm back to this world. The story begins after she accepts a request to find a certain someone, and she steps foot into the mountain that the game is set in.
Fatal Frame Multimedia Expansions:
• A Fatal Frame Live-Action Movie has been confirmed for a Fall 2014 release! Coming from Kadokawa Corporation, the live-action film stars Seventeen magazine models Ayami Nakajo and Aoi Morikawa. It’s in production with director Mari Asato (of Bilocation fame).
• An original Fatal Frame Novel has been confirmed for an August 2014 release! Coming from author Eiji Otsuka (of Kadokawa Horror Bunko, Multiple Personality Detective Psycho & The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service fame).
• A Fatal Frame Comic Book is in the planning stages. It’s coming from writer Shin Kibayashi AKA Tadashi Agi (of Kodansha & Kindaichi Case Files fame).
Credits: NicoNico & Famitsu.