REVIEW : Project Zero Maiden of Black Water (PC)
Over the last few years, I’ve evaluated quite a few restored films. Surprisingly, none of them had ever been reviewed on this site, owing to their age. I never expected to be reviewing a game that is barely older than some of the items in my refrigerator. On the subject of six-year-old objects left in my refrigerator, I’m looking at something that shares the same characteristics: dark, wet, and bleak. It’s Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water, that’s right.
Over the last few years, I’ve evaluated quite a few restored films. Surprisingly, none of them had ever been reviewed on this site, owing to their age. I never expected to be reviewing a game that is barely older than some of the items in my refrigerator. On the subject of six-year-old objects left in my refrigerator, I’m looking at something that shares the same characteristics: dark, wet, and bleak. It’s Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water, that’s right.
I should explain why after that introduction pointing out that this is only six years after the first. Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water was released for the Wii U for those who didn’t possess the original. The Wii U, to be precise. You know, the console that was about as successful and well-received as a wet fart in a broken-down elevator. I even explained that the original is reviewed on this site. Many of the points Dave made at the time rang true for me now.
You know what you’re going to run into every time you climb Hikami Mountain. The absurdity is that you would not make the trip up that mountain, especially after the first time when you were swarmed by spirits like you would be by Mosquitos on an Amazon rainforest trek. Or, at the very least, you wouldn’t go up there late at night when it seems like it’s going to rain like hell.
The explanation for this is simple: I don’t recall seeing many ghosts during the day, and you take more damage when you’re wet. Now that the game has found a cause to include water and its effects, it’s a lovely touch. I’m not sure why ghosts become more aggressive and cause more damage when you’re wet – is it because they don’t like young girls wearing revealing wet shirts? I’m not sure why; half of the ghosts are so appealing that I’d rather have sex with them than battle them. You also do more harm; perhaps this helps the images you shoot develop more quickly?
That’s what you do if you’ve never heard of the Project Zero series. You are a photographer. You’ll see some strange apparitions while travelling around the mountain and its surrounding places. You’ll want to photograph these to earn points that you may use to buy stuff for later stages. These products can include film for your camera, healing items, and wetness-reducing items. You’ll also be capturing photos to fend off the more aggressive spirits, who will swarm towards you and attempt to drag you into the afterlife with them.
Seeing a swarm of PS2 or early PS3-era ghosts coming towards you, looking like you’ve just sat on their birthday cake, is quite tense. With your spirit camera, you’ll try to get them in the shot and do damage by capturing their image. You’ll notice a few additional weak areas after the first shot. The goal is to swivel your camera to get as many as possible in, with five or more being optimal because it causes the greatest damage.
I never owned this on the Wii U because I wasn’t one of the five people who bought that abomination, though I did play a friend’s copy. Using the iPad to aim and rotate the camera was a good idea, and using a controller could have made it sluggish. Fortunately, pointing and rotating using the joystick and triggers is smooth and responsive, so I was never caught off guard. It’s obvious that this isn’t a controller-specific mechanic, but it works. In addition, I’ve heard that the PS5 controller’s gyro sensors may be used to mimic the Wii U tablet’s mechanism.
Concerning controls, I’m curious why the characters here appear to be either elderly or trudging through treacle. Is it for the sake of the environment? If that’s the case, it’s not going to help much. Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water has a lot of mood without making you walk like you have a broken hip. It’s inconvenient. There’s no reason to rush from area to area in terms of gameplay; the ghosts coming to claw at your wet t-shirt-covered gorgeous youthful body are all planned so that it wouldn’t be a bad idea. It’s not that you can’t run; you certainly can; it’s simply that your run is slower than a normal person’s stroll.
When it comes to controls and combat, there are a few other elements worth mentioning. If you play spectral chicken during combat, waiting until the very last second to take a picture, you will reach fatal frame mode, allowing you to take as many shots as you like without reloading your film. When you spy an item, you walk in to pick it up as slowly as possible, expecting a ghost hand to grab you at any moment. I’m not sure if it’s the same hand every time or if there are hundreds of ghosts guarding loose objects, but it’s the main source of fright.
Why does this mountain have more ghosts than the finale of Ghostbusters? There’s an odd plot involving sacrifices, mass murder, and a few suicides. Apart from the mass murder component, it’s not the most accessible or relevant stories – after all, who hasn’t slaughtered a group of young women out of fear that they can read your mind? I’m half-tempted to kill Yuri, Miu, and Ren just for continuing to climb Ghost Mountain at night.
I’d say that the real reason you’re constantly out late at night isn’t because of any story-related reason, and it’s just that the Wii U didn’t have the hardware to display anything more impressive than your first etch-a-sketch. I don’t believe Maiden of Black Water looks bad, but it’s antiquated simply because it hasn’t been worked on. What is the distinction between the two? This version has a few colour tweaks and is a little brighter.
What exactly does this remake entail? Re-release? Reappearance? What distinguishes this version of the game from others? I’ve never had the original, but it appears that new outfits and accessories can be purchased using ghostly camera points, even if some originals are gone (no Samus costume). I’m not sure if this was in the original, but there’s a mode that allows you to see snaps and listen to music from all of the series’ previous games.
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