Fatal Frame Wii U First Look: Smile, You’re on Creepy Camera

Despite the fact that Nintendo won’t release a new Zelda in 2015, Wii U owners still have plenty of games to choose from. The StarFox reboot will receive a lot of attention at E3 next month, the paint-splattering shooter Splatoon releases on May 29 and Devil’s Third from designer Tomonobu Itagaki (creator of Ninja Gaiden) promises adult-themed violence.

One title players may have missed, however, is Fatal Frame: Oracle of the Sodden Raven. Released last year in Japan, the game earned a huge cult following, with fans who enjoyed the original PlayStation 2 releases digging the scary atmosphere. Later this year, U.S. fans will get their chance to snap a few scary pictures, as Nintendo confirmed it’s headed our way.

The game works much differently than other survival horror games because you don’t have conventional weapons to fend off ghosts. Instead you use a camera, and it’s your job to snap pictures of these spirits in order to prevent them from attacking you. That’s easier said than done, since some of them move quickly, making it difficult to put them in frame.

What makes the Wii U version of Fatal Frame stand out from the others is how it plays. Rather than using a typical controller, this title requires the GamePad. You hold it like an actual camera and physically move the device to put ghosts into frame, then explore the large open environment where the game takes place (in the mountains, with a few graveyards thrown in for good measure).

There is some strategy when it comes to taking pictures of ghosts. It’s not just a matter of one snap and you’re done, as some require several shots before they eventually rest in peace. In addition, you rotate the controller to add a skillful twist on pictures, delivering additional damage when necessary.

While searching for a ghost, you’ll activate a Finder Mode, which sends the game into a first-person perspective that allows you to look through your camera. There’s a limited amount of film, so taking rapid shots when aiming at a ghost isn’t recommended, since you’ll likely run out and absorb damage. Timing is everything, and by keeping the ghost framed in the shot you create a Shutter Chance, which makes it easier to take their picture and deal damage of your own. That, combined with the analog twisting, should make it relatively easy to defeat the easiest enemies in the game.

Details on the story haven’t been revealed yet, but prior games put gamers in control of a young female heroine learning to use the Camera Obscura to survive and unravel the mystery. The Wii U version will likely continue this tradition, providing additional features that make your camera even more useful for battling enemies.

Neither Nintendo or Koei Tecmo (the original publishers of the series) provided much info on exclusive features for this version of Fatal Frame, outside of GamePad support. However, with E3 around the corner, Nintendo should divulge new details soon.

Look for more info in the months ahead. In the meantime, if you need more spookiness, read our Alien Isolation coverage, as well as our rundown of the scariest video games of all time.