As we are able to see, Deadly Body: Maiden of Black Water offered properly sufficient to persuade Koei Temo that the collection was nonetheless viable, so we get to strap in for an additional spherical. Deadly Body: Masks of the Lunar Eclipse launched in Japan in 2008 and was the one entry within the collection to not get a launch within the West. It did obtain a fan translation, however now it’s been remastered for all to take pleasure in. Principally. I’ve had a comfortable spot for the collection for a very long time and this can be a stable title, even when, very similar to the earlier remaster, it has some points which can be more durable to miss.
Deadly Body: Masks of the Lunar Eclipse focuses on a trio of playable characters. Ruka and Misaki had been two/fifths of a bunch of women rescued from Rogetsu Island as kids by the non-public investigator Choshiro Kirishima. When their need for solutions regarding their lacking reminiscences proves an excessive amount of, they individually head again to the island, with a 3rd member of the 5 tagging together with Misaki. What follows is a compellingly creepy thriller that ticks all of the bins that Deadly Body tales are likely to deal with. Creepy rituals and spirits and cameras, oh my!
The earlier remaster didn’t obtain that a lot of a touch-up because it was a newer recreation, however a Wii recreation wouldn’t essentially stand as much as the identical trendy scrutiny, so Deadly Body: Masks of the Lunar Eclipse does a bit extra within the visible division. Character fashions have been noticeably improved and the lightning is now very blue (and customarily a lot better), tying in with the moonlight theme in stark distinction to how yellow the unique recreation was. It seems higher, even when the toes of the artwork route have been a teensy bit damaged and the extraordinarily pixelated textures don’t look too scorching.
Screenshot by PC Invasion
Take an image, it’ll last more
Deadly Body: Masks of the Lunar Eclipse switches to one in every of its three protagonists for every of the sport’s dozen or so chapters (4 in case you depend Madoka, however you shouldn’t). Ruka and Misaki look as in the event that they determined to move to the island immediately after attending modeling periods, which might be the one purpose that they’d decide cutesy garments to go to such a spooky island. The 2 additionally use a Digital camera Obscura, which permits them to struggle off the undead by taking photos of them.
Choshiro, alternatively, has a flashlight that makes use of moonlight energy someway to beat back spirits. It could additionally use a particular lens to take photos, which is totally one thing a flashlight can do (on reverse day). Fight isn’t a continuing presence and entails fastidiously transferring all through areas to cost up pictures to {photograph} or shine Choshiro’s flashlight on ghosts. Choshiro’s sections are notably simpler than Ruka and Misaki’s, as he can’t do as a lot injury as them, which might make the gameplay really feel a bit uneven. Ruka and Misaki can swap between totally different strengths of movie and take Deadly Body pictures throughout enemy assault home windows to do numerous additional injury and permit for a number of sequential pictures with out ready for a reload. They’ll additionally use particular lenses that dissipate spirit fees that do issues like gradual enemies down or take an extra-powerful shot.
That is the fourth recreation within the collection and the earlier remaster was of the fifth, so the images is rather less participating on this recreation, though not by a lot. You’ll nonetheless be exploring environments for gadgets, paperwork, and fixing largely easy puzzles to maneuver by way of the story. Deadly Body: Masks of the Lunar Eclipse isn’t significantly scary, however it’s successfully creepy and has a robust environment. Taking pictures of ghosts remains to be as pleasing as ever too, so I’m glad that the writer was lastly keen to offer us the sport.
Screenshot by PC Invasion
Movin’ very, very slowlay
As the unique launch made (awkward) use of the Wii distant, changes needed to made for the controls right here. The sport performs greatest with a controller and, not like the final remaster, you should utilize your mouse out of the field with out having to attend for a patch. Sadly, mouse motion is terrible and seems to be emulating a joystick as a substitute of utilizing uncooked mouse enter. It’s playable, however it doesn’t really feel good in any respect. Which actually describes the controls in each Deadly Body recreation.
The entire characters are horribly gradual and tough to manage. A lot of the sport is spent watching them slowly inch ahead. As all the time, numerous the problem comes right down to being in tight areas and being unable to maneuver reliably as a ghost or two randomly seems within the wall to your facet and grabs you. It may be infuriating and avoiding injury can appear unattainable. You may dodge, however urgent the button places the digicam away, so it’s complicated to make correct use of it. Taking Deadly Body pictures throughout enemy assault home windows can be just about unattainable to drag off relying on how shut enemies are to you, however the recreation will get a lot better to manage with familiarity.
I do actually want that the controls had been up to date past providing an non-obligatory management mode that switches a number of buttons round. All mouse and keyboard inputs will be rebinded, although, which might make issues a bit extra accessible. I’d be mendacity if I stated that these controls don’t actually provide a good bit of character, however they’re far beneath the usual for a way a contemporary recreation ought to play. When you’ve by no means performed a Deadly Body recreation, it’s going to be completely disagreeable for an hour or two.
Screenshot by PC Invasion
There and again once more
Talking of disagreeable, the sport’s play space is kind of small in totality and also you’ll fairly probably get a bit sick of revisiting the identical places time and again with the three characters. The map is interconnected and you’ll typically backtrack, even when there sometimes isn’t a lot to seek out for doing so. However there are cursed dolls functioning as collectibles plus temporary pictures of non-violent ghosts to take, which provides a bit extra than simply going by way of the story in a linear method. The map itself is well-designed and largely memorable too, so it’s not practically as annoying as it will be if the place was a bore. Discovering gadgets can be a little bit of a pixel hunt, which will be fairly irksome.
It’s been good to play Deadly Body: Masks of the Lunar Eclipse in spite of everything these years with out having to trouble with the troublesome Wii controls (you might use the distant to tilt the digicam upward, however to not the facet, which was insane). The occasional fight cheapness, molasses-speed character motion, and repetition can grate, however I nonetheless suppose that the sport has sufficient to supply to be worthwhile to followers of Japanese horror video games. The truth that a remaster of a 15 year-old Wii recreation is being offered for $50 is fairly inexcusable, as are the mouse points, however I nonetheless need extra Deadly Body, dammit! If this one sells properly, perhaps North America will get a remaster of that Wii remake of the second lastly. One can dream. However please, Koei Tecmo, I urge of you – give us uncooked mouse enter subsequent time.
