Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake has undergone a complete overhaul to offer a haunting experience, which has been beautifully reborn thanks to enhanced graphics, sound and controls elements.

The graphical enhancements offer a higher level of detail with refined textures, striking lighting and shadow contrast, generating a more haunting and realistic atmosphere than ever before. The sound has been revamped to offer spatial audio that will immerse players deep into the action, allowing them to enjoy a more authentic experience. Not only will they hear and feel the presence of spirits more intensely, but wraiths will appear when least expected, such as trying to grab the protagonist’s hands when reaching for an item or waiting in the shadows. Players will have to react quickly to escape these attacks. Failure to do so will inflict Willpower Damage, leading directly to intense combat.

The gameplay mechanics of the Camera Obscura, a signature feature of the Fatal Frame franchise, have also been reworked to offer a more intense and rich experience during combat and exploration. Players will still be able to attack wraiths by taking photos, but managing to align the focus point with their target will inflict more damage. If the damage dealt exceeds a certain threshold, players will be able to activate Shutter Chance state, where they will then be able to deal significant damage with one single picture within a brief period – making it crucial for fans to be precise and to perfectly time their shot.

Players will be able to trigger a Fatal Frame by taking a shot at the perfect moment, which will interrupt and stun their opponent. If fans manage to trigger a Fatal Frame during a Shutter Chance state, they will activate a Fatal Time, a limited window that will allow them to take several shots in quick succession to inflict significant damage.

To confront the spirits lurking in the shadows of Minakami Village, players will be able to rely on new Camera Obscura features such as focus, zoom and filters. By lighting up the focus points on the screen, players will focus on their target and deal more damage to the spirits if they manage to light more focus points. By using the zoom feature, players will be able to attack a spirit from a distance while taking cover and being undetected and will also be able to attack multiple targets at once by zooming out. The zoom of the Camera Obscura will also help players during exploration as they will be able to photograph specific objects.

Koei Tecmo and developer Team NINJA announced that a demo for Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake will be released March 5, 2026 on PS5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC via Steam.

Fans were also treated to the announcement of a collaboration with Silent Hill f as well as the release of new details about the remake of the classic Japanese horror adventure game.

To celebrate the start of Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders, the team also unveiled a trailer featuring music by popular artist Tsuki Amano.

In Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake, twin sisters wander into an abandoned village infested with vengeful spirits, and use the Camera Obscura, a device that can capture and seal away the impossible, as their only weapon. This complete remake of the second title in the FATAL FRAME franchise introduces new gameplay elements, including a brand-new ending featuring the song “Utsushie”, composed by Tsuki Amano, along with new side stories and new locations to explore.

During their haunted journey, players will be able to use Broken Spirit Stones to delve into the past of various characters and discover new side stories, expanding the lore of Crimson Butterfly. Players will also explore new locations such as the Umbral Mound, an ominous burial site tightly bound with ropes and hidden within dense bamboo groves, and the candlelit hall of Eikado Temple, with its pair of twin statues tied together by sacred cords.

The deeper players delve into the mystery of the haunted village, the more danger they encounter. Evil spirits grow more desperate to attack, sprouting wings. In this state, spirits are shrouded in crimson malice, rapidly regenerating health while attacking more frequently and with even greater strength.

To help defeat the spirits lurking in the shadows, players can use Prayer Beads to enhance the Camera Obscura in battle, increasing the number of focus points and improving the reload speed. Players can also find Reversion Beads as they explore to reset all unlocked upgrades. 

Using the Camera Obscura, players can take new Special Shots to fight vengeful spirits. Equipping different filters applies unique effects to Special Shots, allowing players to adapt their strategy to any situation. For example, the Paraceptual Filter allows players to activate the Special Shot ‘Blinding’, which temporarily blinds their target, allowing the player to escape. Another filter, the Radiant Filter, allows players to use the Special Shot ‘Purging’, which sacrifices Mio’s willpower to inflict increased damage.

The Camera Obscura is more than a spiritual weapon: it can also be used to capture photographs of Twin Dolls scattered across Minakami Village. These dolls modelled after the Twin Maidens are guardians against calamity. Players can purify them by photographing them together in the same frame, finally putting them and the emotions trapped within them to rest. With each set of Twin Dolls purified, more items will unlock in the Point Exchange.

In addition to these new mechanics, Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake also introduces a new Photo Mode that players can use to capture in-game moments. Players can use frames, stickers, and visual effects to create their own terrifying souvenirs and, maybe, capture an unexpected spirit or two.

The terrifying gameplay gets even scarier with a newly-announced collaboration with Silent Hill f, the latest title of the renowned psychological horror franchise Silent Hill that has sold over 13 million copies worldwide. Collaboration costumes will be added as free downloadable content at a later date. More details about this future update will be announced in the coming weeks.

Fans can now pre-order the Digital Deluxe Edition, which includes the base game, the Digital Soundtrack and Digital Art Book, as well as the Digital Deluxe Bonus Set featuring the Deluxe Charm and costumes for Mio and Mayu*. A Digital Deluxe Upgrade is also available separately. Players who purchase a physical or digital version of the game before March 25, 2026 will receive the following early purchase bonuses: Wraith Charm, Peony Hair Ornament (Red) / Peony Hair Ornament (Blue), and Kimono (Red) / Kimono (Black).

Players who digitally pre-order the game before March 12, 2026, will receive the following: Spirit Charm, Cat Ears (White) / Cat Ears (Black), as well as the costumes Crimson Butterfly - Mio (Original) / Crimson Butterfly - Mayu (Original), inspired by outfits from the original game.

Lastly, the filters will help players to unravel the mysteries around them by changing filters depending on the situation or wraith they encounter. Among the different filters they can use, the Paraceptual Filter will allow them to increase their shooting distance in combat and, when exploring, to reproduce past actions using the residual memories.

In addition to these new mechanics, Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake will introduce new gameplay features, such as being able to hold Mayu’s hand, which will recover players’ Health and Willpower. However, if Mayu is in danger, she may stumble and fall, requiring Mio’s help to get back up. Players will also be able to collect Charms they can equip, allowing them to benefit from various effects. By expanding the Charm Bag, the number of charms they can equip will increase.

Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake is coming to PS5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S and PC (Steam) on March 12, 2026.