Project Zero II: Crimson Butterfly, a look at the original before the remake's release

Someone at Koei Tecmo must really love Project Zero. After a career spanning over two decades, five main installments, several ports and remasters, one remake, and a spin-off, the series has barely sold a million copies (and I'm quite sure it hasn't reached two yet). Yet, here we are again, with another remake on the horizon, and once again dedicated to the second chapter, the most popular (relatively speaking).

Although I struggle to digest the abandonment of our classic local nomenclature in favor of the American Fatal Frame, perhaps this is the time the franchise manages to establish itself in the survival horror market. The release close to Resident Evil Requiem doesn't help, and the fanbase, while passionate, isn't that vast, but we trust in this umpteenth attempt by Team Ninja. Given the occasion, let's review the original for PS2, and while we're at it, also the first remake for Wii. Many acclaimed it at the time, but few bought it. Does it still hold up?

Project Zero was an ambitious and terrifying title. It was one of the pioneers of video game horror set in the Land of the Rising Sun, rooted in popular folklore, unlike the sacred monsters Resident Evil and Silent Hill, which preferred a more Western setting. Nevertheless, it offered an experience that was still raw. With Crimson Butterfly, the then Tecmo aimed to refine the gameplay and make it more accessible, starting with a more interesting story, especially to entice those players who, apparently, hadn't managed to finish the first chapter because they were too scared.

Same foundations, new characters, locations, and expanded mechanics for a much more complete package. Its debut on PS2 was met with critical and public acclaim, propelling it into the pantheon of the best survival horror games ever. This didn't translate into commercial success, but nobody's perfect.

In Project Zero II, we follow the story of twin sisters Mio and Mayu. We don't know much about them, except that they are very close and that the latter has a bad leg after an accident when she was little. No sooner do we meet them than Mayu, as if possessed, begins to chase a crimson butterfly. Mio follows her, and both find themselves in an abandoned village shrouded in darkness. As Mio (we will have the opportunity to control Mayu, but only for brief interludes), we will have to catch up with our sister and shed light on another failed ritual that has unleashed the souls of the dead in the area, killing everyone.

Many of the events, mostly past, will be narrated through diaries and documents scattered around, with sporadic in-engine cutscenes characterized by a gloomy black and white filter for pivotal moments, present and not. Nothing epic or that hasn't already been tried. The point will always be to exorcise ghosts with the iconic Camera Obscura, the exorcising camera (which takes its name here), solve puzzles, and unlock doors to proceed. However, everything is decidedly more engaging than the prequel, with "improved" voice acting, within its limits, and a plot that directly involves the protagonists.

Perhaps it's just my impression, but it seems that the design of the spirits was slightly "softened" during the development of this sequel. Glassy stares, deep open wounds, missing limbs, or improbable poses are commonplace, but for the most part, they no longer have that grotesque and disfigured appearance that had terrified its acolytes a few years earlier. They are also more passive and slower in their movements. They still have the habit of disappearing into walls and teleporting into blind spots, but they remain much more approachable.

To compensate, the combat system has been tweaked, with a damage threshold that scales based on distance from the target, forcing you to get right in their face while waiting for an attack for a Zero Shot or, even better, a Fatal Frame and subsequent combo of shots. This doesn't make engagements more complicated, just more tedious, and we will almost always have the situation under control anyway. The presence of the new film 07, weak but infinite, and the spasmodic amount of healing items, which significantly reduce the challenge level and the "survival" nature of the title, even at higher difficulties, do not help.

This doesn't make Crimson Butterfly any less unsettling, quite the opposite. The gloomy and decrepit environments, combined with the hum of the wind in outdoor spaces, alternating with the silence broken by the creaking of wood indoors, create incredible atmospheres. The game doesn't need jumpscares or annoying noises (usually) to intimidate, but it uses superb effects and artful camera angles. So yes, evanescent peasants armed with torches and pitchforks might not be scary on their own, but when you find them in front of you, the view darkens, and the air fills with their groans, it's not so strange to shiver a little.

The Camera Obscura's abilities have also been made more organic, with a bar that recharges over time and analogous power-ups for various stats, and backtracking minimized thanks to the presence of several locations to explore. Mio's slow jog, however, is unbearable; it takes an eternity to cross a corridor (no wonder Mayu keeps escaping her). It may not be a "hardcore" title, but as an adventure with horror undertones, it's hard to find better. It lends itself well to multiple playthroughs, especially if you aim to see all the epilogues, and entertains from beginning to end. In this regard, I feel it's necessary to mention the debut here of Tsukiko Amano for the main themes of the franchise. Every piece composed by the Japanese singer for the saga is a classic, and she will return in the remake with a new single.

Following in the footsteps of its predecessor, Project Zero II was also ported to Xbox. The Director's Cut offers improved graphics, additional features, a new ending tied to the new difficulty level, and an unprecedented first-person mode, curiously inspired by Halo, among many (a bit out of place, but it's still an option). The ideal choice if you want to experience the original formula.

A separate discussion for the remake released on Wii, which offers a different experience. Born towards the end of the console's life cycle, Deep Crimson Butterfly (known as Wii Edition in our region) pushes the modest Nintendo hardware for a really good presentation, and adopts many of the innovations introduced in Mask of the Lunar Eclipse, the fourth chapter exclusive to Japan (before the recent remaster). We therefore have a modern over-the-shoulder view of the protagonist, convenient for switching to first-person aiming, but perhaps not ideal for the claustrophobic level design, enemies that occasionally "come back to life" stronger and meaner, and those damned ghost hands bothering us when we try to pick something up (I hope they removed them in the next remake).

There are also two extra endings (bringing the total to six), Mario and Luigi costumes for Mio and Mayu, and a carnival-style haunted house mini-game, which detects the player's jumps via the Wii Remote during a series of quick "scares" (a dud). An excellent interpretation of the work, but I can imagine purists turning up their noses at some changes.

In any case, whatever its incarnation, Project Zero II: Crimson Butterfly remains a magnificent title that horror lovers should not miss. It has not lacked competition over the years, but it rightly remains one of the genre's benchmarks, unmatched (for now) even by its successors. With the imminent release of the remake, the advice is to aim for that, but if you like collecting old glories, the only option is to turn to the disc editions. The price of the original on PS2, like many horrors of the era, has skyrocketed, but not as much as some of its contemporaries. The Xbox and Wii versions are already more affordable. Let's hope this rekindled flame is the right one. If Konami succeeded with Silent Hill...