Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water escapes Wii U exclusivity to hit PC

Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water wasn't received well upon release for Wii U in 2015. Our sibling site Gamesradar+ criticised its "hugely repetitive action," and "uninteresting story," adding that it's "not at all scary." Pretty damning words for a horror game, but maybe this remaster, celebrating the series' 20th anniversary, will improve things.

This fifth instalment takes place on an ominous mountain famous for its suicides and supernatural phenomena, and the action takes place from the perspective of three characters. The original version implemented the Wii U gamepad as its camera: in keeping with the series' main gimmick, Maiden of Black Water is about photographing baddies to fend them off, rather than pummelling them with blunt objects.

This re-release is a surprise to say the least: It'll mark the first time a Fatal Frame game has been released for PC. The trailer embedded above was showcased at Nintendo's E3 2021 presentation, and reveals that the Steam release will include "a new Photo mode and costumes." It's not the celebration series fans might have hoped for, but it does plant hope that Koei Tecmo has plans to make a new Fatal Frame (one that isn't a pachinko).

Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water will release some time in 2021.

Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared on GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Specific interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games and FPSs. He thinks Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed is an all-time classic that will receive its due critical reappraisal one day.