A PC evaluate copy of Deadly Body: Masks of the Lunar Escape was offered to IGN India by Koei Tecmo.
Japanese online game maker, Koei Tecmo has simply launched a remaster of Deadly Body: Masks of the Lunar Escape in March 2023. For many who don’t know, the Deadly Body collection, also called Undertaking Zero in Europe for some cause, consists of a number of Japanese survival horror video games. First launched in 2001 on the PlayStation 2, Deadly Body obtained reward for its horror components and is extensively thought of top-of-the-line horror sport collection to return out of Japan.
Deadly Body: Masks of the Lunar Eclipse is the fourth sport within the collection that was launched in 2008 for the Nintendo Wii. The sport launch was restricted to Japan solely. A European launch was deliberate, however that didn’t come to fruition. Nonetheless, the seventh sport within the collection, 2014’s Deadly Body: Maiden of Black Water (additionally unique to Japan), obtained a remaster in October 2021 with a worldwide launch. Followers of the horror collection exterior Japan have additionally been ready for Masks of the Lunar Eclipse. Now, a lot to the delight of Deadly Fame followers, the remaster is lastly right here.
The sport is about on Rogetsu Isle, a small fictional island in southern Japan. Right here, a pageant named Rogetsu Kagura is held as soon as each ten years. 5 ladies who stay in a sanatorium mysteriously disappear on this isle through the pageant. Later, a detective manages to rescue them. However their reminiscences of this incident are misplaced.
Ten years later, it’s discovered that two of the ladies who disappeared once more have been discovered lifeless. To search out out what occurred to their mates, Misaki and Madoka journey to Rogetsu Isle. The remaining woman, Ruka Minazuki additionally follows them afterwards to know the whereabouts of Misaki and Madoka in addition to the prior demise of her mates.
For a lot of the sport, we play as Ruka, as we slowly discover this deserted mansion that when housed them. We uncover secrets and techniques piece by piece together with the characters, as spooky particulars in regards to the island’s previous emerge. I discovered the narrative and the vibe of the sport wonderful and fairly participating. The sport additionally has some distinctive gameplay in the case of fight. Nonetheless, Deadly Body: Masks of the Lunar Eclipse additionally drags on for too lengthy and has some clunky controls.
Say cheese
A traditional survival horror sport trope entails the participant exploring a location with a torch of their hand. Deadly Body: The Masks of Lunar Eclipse additionally options this trope. As well as, it additionally has an fascinating device known as the Digicam Obscura, a staple of the collection. This can be a digicam that may evade ghosts and exorcise them. The fight system of the sport is reliant on this digicam, as our goal because the participant is to snap photos of the ghosts that we encounter to do away with them. Nonetheless, there may be additionally a requirement to intention the lens correctly on the ghost and have the digicam’s particular means cost up to have the ability to do any appreciable injury. Ghost encounters will be legit scary for the primary couple of hours, however they put on off after some time.
Exploration and different sport mechanics in Deadly Body: Masks of the Lunar Eclipse
Aside from fight, Deadly Body: Masks of the Lunar Eclipse additionally options exploration and puzzles that you should resolve to progress. The mansion is large, and you’ve got a number of rooms and corridors to make your method via. Whereas making your method via the rooms, yow will discover new objects to improve your digicam. The characters stroll fairly slowly, and the run possibility doesn’t assist a lot. I discovered myself wishing I may make my method via the mansion sooner. This was possible achieved to maintain a way of realism and invoke some eeriness.
Transferring to the puzzle fixing side of the sport, they weren’t that tough to determine. The sport maintains a superb stability in the case of exploration, fight, and story, which allowed me to take my very own time and get immersed within the environment of the creepy mansion.
Whereas all that sounds nice on paper, it’s the controls that are available the best way of immersion. I discovered these to be a bit clunky and finicky. I most popular enjoying on the controller to the keyboard and mouse. Whereas enjoying with the controller, it took me a while to get used to the truth that each the left and proper sticks transfer the digicam in numerous methods.
The digicam can be sluggish to intention, making it tough to get a superb shot of the ghosts. This wasn’t an enormous drawback for me, however the controls are one thing that wanted some extra polish. The slim and cramped corridors may also be an issue when making an attempt to intention at a ghost. This turns into exceedingly tough when there are a number of ghosts coming at you on the identical time. Nonetheless, I did discover the claustrophobic feeling as a further side of the horror ingredient current within the sport.
Haunting melodies
Deadly Body: Masks of the Lunar Eclipse appears to be like like a product of its time, and I imply that in a great way. Graphics within the sport assist set the tone of the unsettling environment. The environments of the sport are a mixture of conventional Japanese and trendy components. Digging additional, the mansion can be detailed, as I discovered myself stopping a number of occasions to take a look at what’s on a portray or what information article is pinned on a discover board.
The lighting is used very properly within the sport, as I discovered myself feeling uneasy whereas exploring. It made me unaware of what to anticipate with each step I took. Speaking in regards to the character fashions current within the sport, I discovered them fairly detailed and prime quality. Nonetheless, they don’t present numerous emotion even in cutscenes. At occasions, the character fashions seemed misplaced once they’re imagined to be scared out of their wits. As an alternative, they might barely transfer their eyebrows as a response.
I imagine that the suitable use of soundtrack performs a giant half within the success of horror content material throughout a number of media codecs. Thankfully, Koei Tecmo, together with composers Masafumi Takada and Etsuko Ichikawa knew what they have been doing. If Deadly Body: Masks of the Lunar Eclipse doesn’t scare you with its creepy ghosts, it should definitely offer you a couple of soar scares with the usage of its music and sound results. Simply wandering across the mansion feels completely unnerving due to the soundtrack. The whispers and different minor sounds simply add to this impact. The builders managed to create rigidity completely via music as I used to be on the sting many occasions anticipating a ghost to leap at me.
A darkish folktale on a spooky island
Deadly Body: Masks of the Lunar Eclipse setting is charming, and the lore uncovered slowly throughout my playthrough needed me to know extra in regards to the thriller. There are numerous suspenseful moments within the story as properly with some wonderful performances by the voice actors. The sport is simply accessible in Japanese audio, which could alienate some gamers. Nonetheless, it wasn’t a difficulty for me as I actually loved the voice performing performances and most popular to play with the unique audio.
When you have by no means performed a Deadly Body sport earlier than, the characters could seem complicated at first. Particularly as a result of we do not get to spend so much of time with all of the characters and see them get fleshed out early within the sport. You will have to concentrate to the story and browse all of the logs, articles, and letters you discover all through your journey within the mansion to determine what’s going on. That being mentioned, the story slowly unfolds as we spend time uncovering the secrets and techniques of this thriller, discovering out what occurred prior to now, and understanding this world we discover our protagonists navigating via.
After spending hours with Deadly Body: Masks of the Lunar Eclipse, it is clear that this Koei Tecmo horror title is an expertise to not be missed by followers of the style. The eerie visuals of the sport, in addition to the soundtrack, pulls you into this darkish world that retains you on the sting to know what occurs subsequent on this haunting and tragic story. The controls could take a while to get used to, however the camera-based fight system is fairly distinctive and enjoyable to play with. Its flaws are forgivable within the face of the sport’s uneasy setting, charming storytelling, and spine-tingling environment. Advisable for horrophiles.