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Simply how a lot do you have to change when remaking a beloved cult basic? It’s a tough query, as any method comes with its personal drawbacks. Merely sprucing up the visuals and little else dangers you winding up with a recreation that feels dated and simplistic, whereas sprinkling in new additions may enhance the expertise for newcomers however upset your most devoted long-term followers.
Evaluation data
Platform reviewed: PC
Accessible on: PS5, Xbox Collection X|S, PC
Launch date: March 12, 2026
The trademark camera-based fight, a sticking level in most entries within the sequence, has been completely overhauled, too, with the addition of a brand new dodge mechanic that makes it simpler to keep away from injury and helps you stay in management in even essentially the most intense encounters. Sadly, different alterations are a lot much less profitable and forestall this new rendition of top-of-the-line survival horror video games from residing as much as its full potential.
Hand in hand
(Picture credit score: Koei Tecmo Video games Co., LTD.)
All of it hits the fan at a file clip when twin sisters Mio and Mayu return to the mysterious forest the place they used to play as youngsters. Now set to be flooded because of the development of a large dam, it was as soon as the positioning of an accident that left Mayu strolling with a limp, and Mio wracked with guilt for leaving her behind. You hardly have time to get your bearings earlier than you notice Mayu wandering off into the forest in pursuit of a magical crimson butterfly. Following your sister, you’re quickly drawn into the darkish world of Minakami Village – a haunted city trapped in everlasting night time after a sinister ritual gone awry.
Every of the 9 chapters takes place completely inside its partitions, with all of the intricate stage design that you’d count on from the survival horror style. Along with elaborate puzzles that block your means, each location that you just discover, be it the within of the numerous labyrinthine homes or the village’s winding streets, is overflowing with sources to scavenge together with uncommon prayer beads that may be spent bettering your character’s stats and tools in a modest, however impactful, improve menu.
The creepy ‘ghost seize’ mechanic from later entry Maiden in Black Water has additionally been applied and looks like a pure inclusion. Quite than instantly including objects on the bottom or inside containers to your stock, you attain in the direction of them slowly with a slim likelihood {that a} ghostly enemy will seize your hand and inflict some instantaneous injury.
You may draw back to keep away from it for those who’re quick sufficient, however the mere menace of this occurring provides a improbable stage of stress to the in any other case easy motion of buying objects. It solely truly occurs a few instances too, stopping the scare from feeling low-cost or overused.
(Picture credit score: Koei Tecmo Video games Co., LTD.)
The unique Deadly Body 2 was by no means a very lengthy expertise, nevertheless it was simple to set your self again hours making an attempt to work out precisely what it is advisable do with a view to progress. Signposting was clearly a key concern for Koei Tecmo with this remake, and there are a number of quality-of-life adjustments geared in the direction of main you down the right path. Whether or not it’s following distant sounds, recognizing a spectre strolling right into a beforehand locked room, the looks of a crimson butterfly, or just heading to a newly marked location on the detailed world map, there was by no means a second after I wasn’t positive precisely the place I wanted to go.
Actually, I’d argue that it holds your hand a bit of an excessive amount of at instances. An instance of this are the moments once you encounter the 2 indestructible enemies that sometimes present up and pressure you to flee. They beautiful a lot solely seem at one finish of very linear corridors with clearly signposted hiding spots that you should use to flee, or apparent alternate routes to keep away from them. I’m positive this clear design prevents irritating game-overs, however realizing that my security is assured additionally removes an excessive amount of stress.
Duck and weave
(Picture credit score: Koei Tecmo Video games Co., LTD.)
The adjustments to the fight system are a combined bag too. I do know that sequence followers are divided over the addition of a dodge mechanic, with loads of posts on the Deadly Body subreddit and horror recreation boards arguing that it strays too removed from the established components, however for my cash, it is a very optimistic change. Centred round snapping footage of ghosts by means of a first-person viewfinder, fight in Deadly Body has all the time had a steep studying curve with enemies that may shred your well being bar for those who occur to face within the flawed place.
The dodge offers you a really dependable approach to get out of hurt’s means, making your survival extra predictable and constant. It took some time for the muscle reminiscence that I developed with the latest Masks of the Lunar Eclipse remaster to fade, however as soon as it did I’d say this new system is a dramatic enchancment and, importantly, makes this infamously obtuse franchise extra approachable than ever.
Finest bit
(Picture credit score: Koei Tecmo Video games Co., LTD.)
Considered one of Deadly Body 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake’s new options is the power to carry your sister’s hand whilst you discover collectively. It’s a good way of illustrating their bond and has some sensible makes use of too, permitting you to shortly regenerate well being, presumably with the facility of sisterly love.
In distinction, I merely can’t perceive why the developer discovered it mandatory so as to add a brand new purple kind for enemy ghosts. Now, once you defeat one, there’s a reasonably vital probability that they’ll remodel right into a purple variant, regenerating all of their well being and doling out rather more injury. Other than a couple of scripted boss fights this occurring is, so far as I can inform, all the way down to random likelihood, and it results in ridiculous issue spikes early on. There have been a number of events the place I escaped a combat by the pores and skin of my tooth utilizing all of my movie provides and well being consumables solely to have my adversary remodel with out warning and kill me in a couple of hits.
The supposed countermeasure? Seemingly simply reloading your save (through the mercifully beneficiant smattering of checkpoints or dependable autosave system) and making an attempt once more, hoping that it gained’t occur the second time round. It’s a weird change that ought to have been reserved for brand spanking new recreation plus or just eliminated completely, and, to make issues worse, a launch day patch has tried to treatment it by fully obliterating the stability of the usual issue mode. Purple enemies are not a significant drawback, however that’s as a result of each menace has been rendered fully trivial, and even the ultimate boss now dies in only a few hits.
It is a big disgrace and must be fastened, because it cheapens the in any other case extremely impactful narrative. Exploring the sisters’ strained relationship and the horrific historical past of the village, it’s a fantastic journey of sacrifice and loss – offered the message isn’t being undercut by the newfound skill to blast by means of it like a Name of Responsibility marketing campaign. You get an actual sense of the pair’s relationship, elevated by the great background music and stand-out performances by lead voice actors Erica Mendez and Xanthe Huynh.
Regardless of this I am optimistic that higher thought out future patches will have the ability to deal with most of my largest complaints and, with three of the six endings underneath my belt, I’m nonetheless wanting ahead to going again to Minakami Village to uncover much more of its secrets and techniques.
Ought to I play Deadly Body 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake?
Play it if…
Do not play it if…
Accessibility options
Regardless of the shortage of a devoted menu, Deadly Body 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake has a couple of accessibility options in its settings menu. Like different Koei Tecmo ports, keyboard help may be very poor on PC, with awkward bindings and mismatched icons, so a controller is very advisable.
There are three management sorts to select from, plus the choice to pick out which thumbstick strikes your character. Controller vibration may also be disabled. Subtitles are enabled all through the sport by default, although there doesn’t appear to be a approach to change their model or look.
(Picture credit score: Koei Tecmo Video games Co., LTD.)
How I reviewed Deadly Body 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake
I performed near twenty hours of Deadly Body 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake on PC utilizing a DualSense Wi-fi Controller. My machine is a 5070 Ti-powered mannequin from retailer Scan.
It has a compact Corsair 2000d RGB Airflow case, Asus ROG Strix B860-I motherboard, Intel Core Extremely 7 265K processor, a 2TB WD Black SN770 SSD, 32GB of DDR5 Corsair Vengeance RAM, and an Asus Nvidia 5070 Ti graphics card, which all allowed me to play the sport easily on the advisable graphics preset on my 1080p Lenovo monitor. For audio, I relied on my trusty Astro A20 X wi-fi gaming headset.
Throughout my time with the sport, I regularly in contrast my expertise to my playthroughs of different entries within the Deadly Body sequence, most just lately Maiden of Black Water and Masks of the Lunar Eclipse, along with different survival horror video games.
First reviewed March 2026
FATAL FRAME II: Crimson Butterfly REMAKE: Worth Comparability
