We left Scot to play Project Zero II and haven't seen him since. All we could find was this review…
I'm a little tired actually. My alarm clock failed to wake me, likely due to the fact I was unable to get to sleep until four in the morning. Not that I was awake all night playing Project Zero II: Crimson Butterfly, you understand. No, I finished playing that sometime close to midnight and decided to call it a night. The rest of the night was filled with incessant paranoia as I heard a cacophony of unrestrained whispers and shrieking rounds of static strain through the walls.
Okay, so I'm probably exaggerating a little but Project Zero II remains one of the most unnervingly captivating games I've ever had the pleasure of playing. Exactly like its predecessor, it puts a new spin on the survival horror genre by arming you solely with the magical Camera Obscura with which you're meant to defend yourself by snapping pictures of grouchy ghosts and ghouls. Although hardly far removed from the Kodak you're used to pointing at the dog or small children, it possesses exorcismal powers capable of taking down hostile spectres roaming the mortal world, or simply capturing pictures of harmless, wandering spirits to gather experience points.
The story sweetly borders on the bizarre side, cleverly executed through some well-paced cut-scenes. It revolves around twin sisters Mayu and Mio who, after an innocent trek in the woods, end up trapped in an abandoned town populated with lost souls and talk of evil ritual sacrifices. It appears that since entering the town, Mayu has fallen under the influence of some mysterious power and it's up to Mio to find a way out of town before it's too late. On paper it sounds pretty simple, but watching it unfold is almost mesmerising.
In terms of presentation, I've not seen anything so eerily compelling since Silent Hill 3's alluring freak show. In the first half hour, I was witness to some of the most wonderfully disturbing scenes I've ever experienced in a videogame - some on par with some of the more distressing scenes in big-screen hit The Ring. Every location you visit feels as good as it looks - just another example of how well this game gets across its atmosphere.
Grainy, old-film effects are placed over the screen on frequent occasions, distorting the view and playing havoc with your mind as you start to feel the immense paranoia that could only be going through the head of the lead character. It's the use of sound that really puts Project Zero II in another league though; the kind of effects that really get under your skin, wrapping around your bones and triggering shuddered motions as you sit cross-legged on the floor. It's the unsettling voices that plague the game's dank corridors, the creaks that occasionally accompany your steps or the nauseating gasps of fallen enemies.
Then there's the camera, which adds so much to the atmosphere you'll wonder how such a simple device ever could produce these kinds of chills. Ghosts are drained of their souls with every picture taken, although in order to deliver the most damage, you have to let the ghost you're attacking get close - face to face if you plan on delivering the highest payload - and then snap the picture when the on-screen meter screams a violent white noise and flashes a deep orange. As the game progresses, you'll find increasingly potent film for use in taking down hostiles, as well as spirit stones for which you can upgrade the fundamental aspects of the camera.
And it works simply because it's always scary. In Resident Evil, you're never quite as worried with a grenade launcher in your hands as you were when you started out with your lowly pistol and limited rounds of ammo. Here, you're always equipped with the same weapon, and while increasingly effective as the game goes on, it's always risky when pulling off the high-damage moves. I certainly wouldn't have Resident Evil any other way since it's just as much about the action as it is the tension, but Project Zero II manages to create an increased sense of anxiety just through the weapon system alone.
As a psychological horror title, it's hard to find something just so fascinatingly haunting as Project Zero II. You'll find yourself drawn deeper and deeper into the game with every new location you unveil, unable to disconnect from this haunting milieu. I found that the further I ventured into the game, the deeper I went and the more lost I felt. I highly admire a game that manages to encompass me in its own atmosphere.
It's a shame that whenever searching for a piece to a tedious puzzle, the atmosphere breaks and suddenly I'm playing a videogame again. I've been playing Resident Evil for the last five years and tedious puzzles are all I've been fed. Running across town looking for keys and other ceremonial artefacts isn't something I look forward to in a game with such poignant atmosphere. By all means, lock doors and block passageways - just don't soil the ambience by forcing me to backtrack for miles.
There's also an issue with Mayu - she's just too tough. She may look fragile, but she can take a hefty beating from ghosts - much more than yourself, even. Because of this, the need to protect her from the imminent evil is diminished slightly and you become more focused on keeping yourself alive, rather than keeping an eye on your travelling companion. The game isn't particularly challenging to start with, but this - coupled with the excess of health packs you'll find - makes it one of the easier games in the genre.
While Project Zero II isn't likely to change anyone's opinion about survival horror, those who share a particular affinity for the genre will find this one of the more terrifying titles on the market. It is genuinely one of the most eerie, disturbing videogames ever designed - never has soiling your underwear been so pleasant.