Though using the camera is solid and fluid when on the attack, controlling the characters is not. There are various upgrades available for the camera that enable abilities such as stunning ghosts or slowing them down, but I found myself only enabling the highest attack power - and regardless of how strong my attack was, turning around to see ghosts lunging towards me and wanting to run, but instead knowing I had to zoom in on their hideous faces to take a picture is a tangibly terrifying experience. Ghosts take more damage depending on the angle of the shot, or if the player can fit all of their parts in the frame. While controlling the protagonists’ movement is in third-person, combat is through the first-person lens of the Camera Obscura – a special camera with the ability to deal damage to deceased spirits. The goal of each chapter is for the protagonists to gather evidence pertaining to the suicide cases, defeat an onslaught of ghosts, and escape with their lives. With a scarce but haunting soundtrack, solid scenic design, and a cacophony of ghosts around every turn, I always felt like something horrible would be waiting for me behind the next door. It’s a haunting tale, and a masterclass in creating an atmospheric sense of terror and anticipation.

Maiden of Black Water weaves a complex and disturbing tale centering around three playable protagonists attempting to solve the mystery of multiple suicides and the titular black water that curses anyone upon contact. With powerful storytelling and a cathartic sense of dread, the latest in the Fatal Frame franchise is sure to delight fans of the horror genre. This was my experience with Maiden of Black Water. Sometimes movies or games are so terrifying to me, I have a difficult time enjoying them - or even sitting throug them - by myself late at night. WTF Those Shrine Maidens scare the crap out of me. HIGH The atmosphere and sense of suspense is top-notch.

Maiden of black water review download