Fatal Frame/Project Zero VI

Zero: Akuinoroi no Kigen (零〜悪意呪いの起源〜  lit. "Zero: Origin of the Malevolent Curse", also known as Fatal Frame VI in the US and Canada, and Project Zero VI in Europe, Australia and New Zealand) will be the latest survival horror sequel in the Fatal Frame series by Koei Tecmo that will be released for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 consoles and the PlayStation Vita handheld in the year 2015. The game is the first title since Fatal Frame III: The Tormented (which was first released in 2005) to be available for a Sony console.

As with previous titles, the game centres around a forbidden ritual gone wrong causing a spiritual disaster to the surrounding area, however, while Fatal Frame VI does has a ritual like its predecessors, the cause behind it differentiates from the previous titles, the story itself takes place a year after the events that transpired in Fatal Frame V: Oracle of the Sodden Raven. Also unlike previous titles, the main protagonist and poster ghost are male instead of female.

Storyline
2007: A large fog covers a small town whose people have disappeared. Two weeks ago, the population of Asato-Uchiyama, located in the middle of the Chugoku region of Japan suddenly vanished without a trace. It is said that the town was known to have quite a history, a place, distant locals say, where a forbidden, unknown dark ritual of sorts supposedly took place a long time ago. Before the town completely isolated itself, people who left the the town spoke that numerous sightings of ghosts started happening recently, particularly one that could best be described as a swordsman. Neighbouring authorities in the region are completely baffled that such an event has ocurred with no explanation, according to them, the town of Asato-Uchiyama is now completely deserted.

Toshiie Makabe and his girlfriend Kanae Yamagishi journey to the Asato-Uchiyama in search of a friend of Kanae's, Sakura Ota, who has gone missing as well as two of her associates. When they both reach the town, it is enshrouded in fog and very soon encounter serious paranormal activity.

ABOUT ASATO-UCHIYAMA

Formerly this small town was once two villages before merging together as one in the 19th century. In the 1600's, the villages were owned by a nobleman with great influence and prestige, but a catastrophe ocurred which resulted in the deaths of many, including the nobleman. The cause of this catastrophe was rumoured to have been related to a very secretive ritual that took place during that day, though what exactly happened during that ritual is not known.

Asato-Uchiyama is split in two sides, Asato and Uchiyama respectively, Asato is the modern area of the town where the shopping mall, hospital, police station and Hirasaka Academy school are located, Uchiyama has a more traditional look and it is where the Uchiyama Museum, Takashiro Antiques shop and the Nagusame Shrine are located. Kessoku Park is located at the centre between Asato and Uchiyama that connects two sides together with a river in the middle.

Game Modes
STORY MODE - Story Mode is where you play the main game of Fatal Frame VI, as you try to uncover the mystery and truth behind the town of Asato-Uchiyama, that is now completely void of life, enshrouded in fog and haunted by the most vicious of spirits. 2 bonus story modes are unlocked after the main story is completed.

CHALLENGE MODE - Only unlocked after completing the game once (see Challenge Mode below).

ZERO ALBUM - Zero Album is the gallery and photo keeping section where not only do you look at the official artwork for Fatal Frame VI, but look at the pictures you keep and save. Also the Ghost Listings section and soundtrack after completing the game once can be viewed.

OPTIONS - Basically where you can change the settings of the game, such as difficulty, sound, colour etc. you can also load or save your progress here.

Camera Obscura abilities
The Shaei-ki (射影機 "Shadow-shooting device"), or known to us as the Camera Obscura, is the main device that the playable characters in the Fatal Frame series use to reveal clues and/or drive away hostile ghosts. The camera uses a special type of film (Types-07 (Grey), 37 (Blue)  61 (Green), 90 (Red) and Zero (Gold) enables the camera in taking pictures of what you can't see, and the rarer the film (such as Type-90 and Type-Zero), the more powerful the shots are to drive back powerful violent spirits.The camera can be upgraded with the use of Spirit Points (gained by capturing a ghost on camera) or items known as Stone Mirrors which will power up your camera more. The Camera Obscura also have unique lens abilities given to it through upgrade that help you fight against violent ghosts: Slow (Decreases a ghost's movement for a limited amount of time), Blast (Pushes a ghost back with much force), Pierce (Adds additonal damage to a ghost), Paralyze (Stops a ghost for a limited amount of time) and Zero (Always able to take Zero shots on ghosts). Using the camera enters you into viewfinder mode as a way to combat spirits out for your soul.

Characters
Characters that are involved in the storyline of Fatal Frame VI.

TOSHIIE MAKABE

A college student who is gifted with a moderate level of sixth sense. Toshiie is an orphan who was adopted and raised by his aunt who gave him the Camera Obscura when Toshiie discovered he could see things other people couldn't. He is currently dating fellow classmate Kanae Yamagishi, whose friend Sakura Ota has mysteriously gone missing, when they put the dots together, Toshiie realizes that something paranormal is at play and with his old unusual camera, decides to head for Asato-Uchiyama that has suddenly become void of all life.

Later in the story, it is revealed that Toshiie is the last surviving, living descendant of the Himuro Family (the one known from the first Fatal Frame game) and that the folklorist Toshihiro Ryūzaki is his ancestor.

KANAE YAMAGISHI

Kanae Yamagishi is the girlfriend of Toshiie Makabe and the friend of Sakura Ota, she aspires to be a writer of the supernatural just like her friend. Ever since Kanae was born, she always knew she was very different from other people due to having an extreme gift of sixth sense, she is grateful to both Toshiie and Sakura being in her life as she felt that nobody would ever understand her nature. When she hears that Sakura has disappeared in Asato-Uchiyama along with its population, Kanae and Toshiie head to the deserted small town in hopes of finding Sakura.

It is revealed that Kanae is a Yomi-Ko (localized outside Japan as Shadowborn) an offspring of a dead man and a living woman. Because of it, she gets targeted by Ritual Master/Gyousei who intends to use her as a sacrifice for the Crucification Offering Ritual.

DAICHI EGAMI

A well known publisher of a magazine and book company that has a keen interest in supernatural stories, he took Sakura Ota up as his assistant. He expressed desire to visit the Asato-Uchiyama town when he learned of its ancient urban legend so he brought Sakura and a researcher, Eric, with him. He has suddenly disappeared along with the town.

Daichi is revealed to have secretly been a manipulative and corrupt man (as evidenced in the Publisher's Notes he leaves behind), only taking Sakura as his assistant since he saw her potential as a writer and wanting to take all the credit she gained for himself. After been separated from Sakura and Eric in Asato-Uchiyama, Daichi encounters the hostile Munekage, who chases the publisher to the alleyway behind the Asato shopping mall before killing him. As a hostile ghost, Daichi finds Sakura and strangles her to death. Toshiie and Kanae first encounter the Publisher's Spirit where he died at the hands of Munekage, and since then he frequently appears to attack them. It is after they battle Sakura's ghost for the first time at the Hirasaka Academy school does Toshiie encounter Daichi for the last time, purifying the spirit once and for all. Before being sealed away in the camera, Daichi laments that he should never have taken interest in coming to the town.

SAKURA OTA

A freelance writer who along with Daichi and Eric, journeyed to Asato-Uchiyama to investigate the legend of the Sealing Ritual, which Sakura hopes will give her new inspiration for her very first novel. She and Kanae have been friends since junior school and both aspired to be great writers of the supernatural. It is the town's disappearance, and with it Sakura's, that causes Kanae to go with Toshiie to search for her friend.

After being separated from Daichi and Eric, Sakura heads for the Hirasaka Academy school while running from away from the hostile spirits of the town. While there, she encounters the spirit Chiyoe who points her to vital clues surrounding the mystery of Asato-Uchiyama, as well as helping her hide from the Malevolent spirits in the school. However, the gohost of Daichi Egami finds Sakura and strangles her to death, Sakura's last words being "He..lp...me.....Kanae...". When they arrive at the school, Toshiie and Kanae encounter Sakura's ghost, now hostile. After a few battles, Kanae is the one who purifies Sakura with the camera, no longer under the Malevolence, Sakura gives Kanae a gentle smile and thanks her for freeing her from the curse before fading away. She leaves behind the Freelancer's Notes which details her experience in the town and her wish to see Kanae again.

ERIC HAMILTON

A young man from the United Kingdom who has been studying in Japan for quite some time. His research in the supernatural and mythology attracted the attention of Daichi Egami, who asked Eric to accompany him to Asato-Uchiyama before its disappearance. Eric leaves many notes throughout the small town, revealing such detailed information, in the hopes that someone will be able to make good use of it.

GYOUSEI TAKAGAKI

The mayor of Asato-Uchiyama whose whereabouts are, for now, currently unknown.

TOSHIHIRO RYŪ ZAKI

A famous folklorist who lived in the 1800's. He was currently from the region of Kanto from a wealthy family but moved to the Chugoku region and stayed at Uchiyama Village. Toshihiro wrote many books about the history of supernatural occurrences and such, particularly the legend surrounding the villages of Asato and Uchiyama. As Toshiie and Kanae wander around the small town. Many of the folklorist's notes can be found scattered in many parts of Asato-Uchiyama, detailing the forbidden ritual bit by bit.

It is later revealed that his real name was Toshihiro Himuro and was the son of the last Himuro Family master, being the only one who truly survived the Calamity incident. Toshihiro changed his family name from Himuro to Ry ū zaki out of disgrace, he became a folklorist after the Asato and Uchiyama villages merged as one and discovered that his family originally came from here. His final note, somehow found in the Corridor of Despair, shows Toshihiro's regret as he laments that he wished he could've escaped and take the girl in the dungeon with him before the time of that "damned ritual " would begin.

CHIYOE

A ghost of a girl in a purple kimono who only Toshiie can see. As Toshiie ventures through the small town of Asato-Uchiyama, she sometimes appears and shows him vital clues.

MUNEKAGE

The ghost who haunts the town of Asato-Uchiyama. Before the town's sudden vanishment, locals and travelers reported sightings of a ghostly man, carrying what looks like a katana. Munekage has become an utterly hostile spirit, knowing nothing but hatred to all things he sees.

Hostile Ghosts
These violent spirits wander around Asato-Uchiyama town looking for anyone alive, here is a complete list of the ghosts that are out to get you. Bloody Kimono, Tattooed Priestess, Lunar Eclipse Sakuya and Ouse Kurosawa only appear as exclusives to Challenge Mode.

Challenge Mode
Challenge Mode is unlocked after you complete the game for the first time. Like in previous Fatal Frame titles, this where you face ghosts in a set of missions, sometimes with a condition. The first set of missions are easy enough, but eventually they get harder as you progress on.

Here is the mission list

Trivia

 * This will be the third game in the Fatal Frame series that will feature members of the Himuro family.
 * It will also be the second game that will feature the terms 'Yomi Ko' and 'Yuukon Ritual'.
 * The ghosts Grey Woman and White Dog are based on actual spirits not from Japan but the northeast area of UK. The Grey Lady as she is called haunts many areas in the northeast, such as Acklam Hall (allegedly) in Middlesbrough, the Tree Bridge Hotel located south in the outskirts of Middlesbrough and the ruins of Whorlton Castle in North Yorkshire. The ghost of a small white dog haunts the Preston Hall public park in Eaglescliffe, Stockton-on-Tees where it has been seen near the bandstand and in the basement of the museum, again the park is also said to be haunted by the Grey Lady.
 * Bloody Kimono, Tattooed Priestess, Lunar Eclipse Sakuya and Ouse Kurosawa (the main antagonist ghosts of Fatal Frame 2,3,4 and 5 respectively) only appear as exclusives to Challenge Mode. Kirie (the main antagonist ghost of the first Fatal Frame) also appears, but has a more prominent role than the others.