By 
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly has always been a tale of bonds between sisters, specifically twins, with the heroines Mio and Mayu at the forefront of the original and the upcoming remake. After getting to spend some time with the early hours of this new take on the classic horror game, I was delighted to see that seems even more reinforced. From the recreation of classic moments to gameplay choices, it seems like this new take continues to prioritize the two.
Fatal Frame II Remake seems to follow the story rather faithfully in its early hours. The Minakami forests where they used to play will be torn down, and the two are spending time there before it happens. While this seems to be a moment of reflection for Mayu, in the case of Mio it is bringing up bad memories. Some time earlier, when the two were exploring, she was running ahead and ignoring her sister’s calls to slow down and wait for her. As a result, Mio wasn’t there when the ground gave way under Mayu, causing her to fall and badly injure her leg. So much so that even now, Mayu’s knee seems affected and she walks more slowly and with a limp. While Mio remembers that, otherworldly crimson butterflies lead Mayu down a path and the two of them to the lost Minakami Village. Once trapped, we not only see the story look at their bond, but that of other tragic siblings that now haunt that town.
One of the new gameplay features highlighting the connection comes up almost immediately in Fatal Frame II Remake. In this installment, Mio and Mayu can hold hands. While showing a more tangible connection, it also offers gameplay benefits by allowing the one sister to help calm down and heal the other in situations when a ghost might have attacked and affected her mental state. Initially, we’re sort of given this option as a means to see how it works as the two enter the village together and explore a suspicious home. But in these introductory moments, we also get to see how Mayu’s presence can soothe Mio and how we’ll need to reach out to her to help.
Something I noticed about this element during the preview is that holding Mayu’s hand isn’t easy or automatic for Mio in Fatal Frame II Remake. It’s a conscious decision that you then need to exert extra effort to maintain by continuing to hold the trigger button, rather than the two remaining together, holding hands without any input on the player’s part. Given themes I remembered from the original and different events, I appreciated the choice and the additional mindsets and elements it can convey.
As for the general experience in these early hours, Fatal Frame II Remake feels both familiar and like it prioritizes Mio’s journey to find Mayu and survive Minakami Village. The Camera Obscura felt quite comfortable in my early encounters, and it felt easy to pull up and use it to snap photos of wraiths. The area and environmental design in these early hours made it possible to notice when things were awry and pick out the ghosts lurking about. At the same time, the photos I would capture and seeing the brief snap in the moment that showed foes in Shutter Chances almost felt artistic even as I was fighting for Mio’s life. Even in this early build, the Camera Obscura seemed snappy and responsive on the PC.
But most important is that yes, in these early hours, the connection between Mio and Mayu felt at the forefront. In the earliest moments, the remake seems quite adept at using cinematography, juxtaposition of character positions, and initial quests and motivations to highlight the connection between the two. It seemed like it highlighted the sense of duty and obligation Mio had, which also came through in the English voice acting for the two. (I did notice on PC in this build that sometimes the voice overs came after the action on-screen happened in a cutscene, but this was an early, preview build and I could see that being remedied in a patch.)
The connection between Mio and Mayu is of the utmost importance in Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake, and I get the impression this retelling prioritizes that. The early story segments again prioritize the bond between the two and Mio’s complex feelings and journey to reach her sister. The hand-holding mechanic also seems to tie-in to that. Meanwhile, the camera controls seem tight so far and like it will remain simple to take photos of the otherworldly inhabitants of the village.
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake will come to the Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC on March 12, 2026, and a demo will appear on March 5, 2026.
