Classic game: Project Zero 2: Crimson Butterfly
Ever wanted to catch a ghost on camera?
“Camera-based combat aside, perhaps the most striking thing about Crimson Butterfly is that it’s not afraid to be beautiful.”
The PS2 generation was an outstanding one for horror games, but this is a highlight. A striking aesthetic and tightened-up action meant Crimson Butterfly brought the attention of many to the Project Zero series, and this second entry remains the fan favourite.
With a story following twins Mio and Mayu as they explore a creepy village and end up the targets of a ritual, it’s the perfect introduction for new players. Mayu becomes possessed; you play as Mio, armed only with a camera that handily exorcises spirits. Thanks to a larger core cast, the narrative is both clearer and more emotive than the previous game’s, with more dialogue. When you inevitably get lost, Crimson Butterfly’s also more forgiving than the first game, in which enemies would spawn quickly and chase you mercilessly.
Still, tension is ever-present, as you’ve no places of safety and items are limited. This is a full-on hardcore horror experience, and at the time it set a bar for the competition. It also set the pace for the series to follow (though Project
Zero 3 dialled things back a bit with safe areas), with the events in this game referenced further down the line.
SMILE FOR THE CAMERA
Having to fight to control a camera (enchanted though it may be) means you never feel as adequately armed as you might with a shotgun or sturdy baseball bat. It’s a brilliant move by the devs as it forces you to look at your enemy up close yet also limits your ability to move around – and the tunnel vision adds an extra element of claustrophobia. With the Camera Obscura to hand you’re able to take on most ghosts if you feel like it (or have to, to solve puzzles), so you don’t spend all your time simply running and hiding. However, there are a couple of invincible ghosts sprinkled in, which do force you to fall back on Mio’s rather half-hearted run and your knowledge of the layout of the multiple maze-like buildings. You might not feel totally safe with the camera, but boy do you feel unsafe when you can’t rely on it!
You’re not the only one who’s using a camera to attack, however: the game itself pulls uncomfortable and unusual camera angles on you at a moment’s notice. While that does make it easy to get turned around and end up doing a little dance in and out of hallways, it’s a remarkably simple yet effective trick that makes your heart skip a beat and controls where your eye is drawn to.
Throw in a flashlight that seems reluctant to do its job and you become justifiably paranoid about what might be lurking in the dark or behind the next paper screen. The detailed, if dilapidated, interiors, with their dolls, altars, and hanging kimono, and the winding forest paths and statues outside, combine to give All God’s Village the distinctly Japanese appearance that distinguishes Project Zero. It might be dark as the grave, but it would be a beautiful rural location if it weren’t stuck in a murderous Groundhog Day loop.
Camera-based combat aside, perhaps the most striking thing about Crimson Butterfly is that it’s not afraid to be beautiful. The titular butterflies that occasionally guide your path show that the horror doesn’t stem from the grimy and grotesque. The terror is the quiet
kind, steeped in mysticism and hidden under this layer of beauty, where the real fear comes from the disturbing details slowly being revealed. In a genre where fighting (or fleeing) zombies, monsters, and deranged murderers with oversized scissors is commonplace, being confronted with the mournful spirits of the deceased provokes a special sort of unease.
SEEING DOUBLE
Crimson Butterfly isn’t interested in throwaway bad guys, instead delving deep into unsettling lore at every turn. Between the diary entries and eerie captured thoughts heard through the Spirit Stone Radio, every figure you encounter is drawn into the overall tragedy. You find yourself feeling bad for even the deadliest tortured soul.
The game is a cult classic for a reason, and a horror must-play if you can actually find or afford a rare copy. It’s begging to be remastered. But it’s worth shelling out for, as you’ll be getting a piece of PS2 horror history.