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  Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse
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Trembling MomentsOnce Ruka Minazuki arrives on Rougetsu Island, Ruka discovers that there is something horribly wrong about the mansion. Shrouded in darkness, Ruka explores only to discover that it’s full of ghosts, set to abduct her. Armed with nothing but a flashlight Ruka navigates the haunted mansion’s hallways and rooms, oftentimes being spied upon by ghosts. Some ghosts will stare at her and then run away to another room while others will come at her in full-force. Past Fatal Frame games have made people shiver in fear and Mask of the Lunar Eclipse will certainly not be an exception. Most of the rooms are rather petite and dark, combine this with the random ghost appearances and you have a game that creates an extreme and intense feel of horror and claustrophobia. Flash PhotographyWhile on her expedition around the mansion, Ruka manages to discover the camera obscura, her only chance to rid the mansion of the bone-chilling ghosts. Taking a picture of a ghost will put an end to its insane reign of threats, and will also net her some points. Most ghosts won’t be gone after one quick flash though – after one shot, they’ll disappear and often reappear right behind you. Before you know it, you’re being choked by a ghost. Certain gestures with the Wii Remote will aid you in getting the foul creature off you. The points can be redeemed for film and items at any save point found throughout the game. By the way that the game looks and sounds, you’ll be using those save points a lot. In addition to ridding the mansion of the spooky ghosts, advanced players can also attempt to acquire a large quantity of points from each shot through a point source known as the Fatal Frame. To acquire a Fatal Frame, players will need to wait until the ghost lunges at you before you take the picture. By getting a high quality Fatal Frame, the photo will be saved for future viewing. To make combat even easier, one of the playable characters in the game (Ruka and Choushiro Kirishima are just two of them) can upgrade the camera obscura by obtaining blue gems scattered around the house. By using the power of these blue gems, the camera will become even more powerful and have a speedier recovery. Besides this, there is also special film scattered throughout the game that will make the camera even stronger. Like regular film, it comes in limited quantities. Shrouded in MysteryWhen thought about, the Wii Remote would seem like a perfect tool in order to represent a flashlight. Truth be told, Mask of the Lunar Eclipse sadly doesn’t utilize the Wii Remote’s IR pointer. Instead, you manipulate characters by using the nunchuk, and wherever Ruka is facing is where the flashlight will shine. To do a quick 180-spin, a gesture with the Wii Remote and nunchuk will allow you to execute that move. The End is NearPerhaps the main idea for Mask of the Lunar Eclipse was to provide a survival horror game that is as realistic as possible. Judging from what we’ve seen the developers have hit the nail right on the head. Just by watching them, people will feel petrified and scared. Out of nowhere, a ghost lunges at you. The eerie feel of the game’s beautifully executed CGs and the spooky sounds being heard while traversing the house all add to the games horror level. Due to the lack of loading screens because of the game’s engine, there’s hardly anytime to take in what is happening. Hardcore gamers finally got what they wanted – a game that will frighten casual gamers to death and satisfy the hardcore. Then again, this game may even be too spooky for them. We’ll have to wait until the game is released to unravel the mysteries of Rougetsu Island and to see if the game truly is a huge scare like many people are claiming it to be.   |
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| At a glance |
| Hardcore gamers finally got what they wanted – a game that will frighten casual gamers to death and satisfy the hardcore. |