There are only a few titles that people talk about when they discuss the scariest games of all time, and the Fatal Frame series is responsible for more sleepless nights than most. Now we have news of a new entry in the series... that's coming exclusively for the Wii U. Dang.
According to Famitsu (and translated by Gematsu), Tecmo Koei and Nintendo are working together on what will be Fatal Frame V. The series sees you exploring haunted locations, hunting ghosts armed only with a camera. It's a pretty brilliant mechanic, since to defend yourself from the ghosts you've got no option but to stare them in the face. The closer you get to them before taking a picture the more damage you do against them, which only makes things worse. They never look very pretty. There's no shortage of terrifying and unsettling moments in that game and it's a shame it hasn't really picked up outside of its native country.
Over there it's still a hit, however, and Tecmo Koei is going to expand the franchise through films, books and comics.
Kadokawa Corporation will release a live-action film starring Seventeen magazine models Ayami Nakajo and Aoi Morikawa. It's currently in production for a fall release with Mari Asato (Ju-on: Black Ghost, Bilocation) directing.
From Kadokawa Horror Bunko (publishers of Parasite Eve) and author Eiji Otsuka (Multiple Personality Detective Psycho, The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service) is coming an original Fatal Frame novel, due out in August.
Kodansha also has writer Shin Kibayashi (Kindaichi Case Files) working on a comic based on the series.
It's a ton of material for the acclaimed series, but will we ever see any of it localized? We still haven't even seen Fatal Frame IV on these shores- it hit the Wii in 2008 solely for Japan- and it's likely that this fifth installment will pass us by as well.
It's a shame. Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly is easily one of the best horror titles ever made and we haven't even seen the remake brought over here. The digital marketplaces would be a perfect place for these titles but is Tecmo Koei and Nintendo going to take a chance spending money localizing it when the Wii U isn't doing well in the first place? Doubtful, but let's hope.
