Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly is one of the most beloved horror games from both the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo Wii consoles. The original 2003 game is a cult classic and often regarded as the best entry in Koei Tecmo’s J-horror series. Now that the game’s full remake is just around the corner, Koei Tecmo has released an overview trailer and revealed when fans can get their hands on a demo for the game before launch.
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly first released in Japan for PS2 in 2003 before arriving on Xbox the following year. The game follows Mio, a young girl trapped in a haunted village with her sister Mayu, as they try to escape using the Camera Obscura to fight ghosts. The game received its first remake in 2012 for the Nintendo Wii, which adapted the game’s fixed cameras to an over-the-shoulder perspective (which this remake also seems to be using) and incorporated the Wii’s motion controls, building off the fourth entry in the series.
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake is a full Unreal Engine 5 reimagining of the original game and promises new content and mechanics such as the “Willpower” system which requires Mio to hold her sister’s hand to regain her strength after taking damage from spirits. In the latest trailer, Koei Tecmo reveals that a demo for Fatal Frame II will be released on March 5, just one week before the full game, and that saves will transfer to the full game.
The publisher has also announced that Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake will also be collaborating with Konami and NeoBards Entertainment’s Silent Hill f. This crossover will come in the form of free costumes that will be revealed closer to launch, seemingly to be added to both games. This collaboration seems like a no-brainer given the success of Silent Hill f and its similar use of the J-horror genre to Fatal Frame.
Early 2026 is a very exciting time to be a horror game fan with Fatal Frame II on the way alongside other heavy hitters such as Resident Evil Requiem, Reanimal, Cristol: Theater of Idols, BrokenLore: UNFOLLOW, and many more.
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake will release for PC, PS5, Switch 2, and Xbox Series X/S on March 12.
