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: Maiden of Black Water. Also unlike previous titles, the main protagonist and poster ghost are male instead of female.

Prologue
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 Toshihiro Ryūzaki 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.

Plot
On a motorcycle, Toshiie Makabe and Kanae Yamagishi journey to the small town of Asato-Uchiyama with the intent of looking for Sakura Ota, a dear friend of Kanae's. The moment they arrive however, they feel the extremely strong paranormal activity that is gripping this area, both of them receiving visions of a samurai and a man in a ritual mask, Toshiie also sees the apparition of a woman in a purple kimono before it disappears. Knowing that something bad has indeed happened to the town, couple wander through the streets and into an alleyway until an apparition appears and proceeds to attack them, Toshiie uses his camera to drive the spirit away.

They find the car belonging to Daichi Egami and through a vision, see them becoming separated. Toshiie and Kanae first discover where Daichi's fate occurred before his hostile spirit attacks them, who Toshiie drives off with his camera. Kanae evetually finds notes belonging to her friend Sakura which leads her and Toshiie to Hirasaka Academy School, however Kanae's hope turns to dismay when they learn that Daichi's ghost killed Sakura and that she too is now a hostile spirit, Toshiie uses his camera to eventually purify both Daichi and Sakura.

After comforting Kanae for a time, the woman in the purple kimono appears to Toshiie, luring him to a vital clue dropped by the researcher Eric Hamilton which Toshiie suggests leads them to the Toshihiro Ryūzaki Museum in the Uchiyama area. On the way there however, Toshiie and Kanae end up separated upon seeing Munekage who pursues the former, Kanae finds herself confronted by Gyousei Takakagi, who introduces himself as the mayor of this town but then tries to grab her. Since she had Toshiie's camera on her person, she uses it to push Gyousei back and escape. Kanae finds her boyfriend at the Takashiro Antiques before they are then trapped by the spirits haunting the place, after dealing with the spirits there, they are able to leave the place.

Toshiie and Kanae finally reach the Toshihiro Ryūzaki Museum and with the help of the purple kimono woman spirit, they learn from Eric Hamilton's notes found there that the forbidden ritual rumoured to have occurred in this town did exist and that it was called 'The Offering Ritual'. The couple also find secret notes written by Toshihiro Ryūzaki which reveals himself as a member of the Himuro family and that all the sacrifical rituals known in Japan are all connected to each other in some way, except for the Offering Ritual which is entirely different. Kanae suggests to Toshiie that they should split up for more clues, which Toshiie gives Kanae Toshihiro's camera.

Arriving back at the Asato area, Toshiie encounters Munekage again who pursues him until Toshiie finds himself in front of an old, half-burnt Japanese mansion that isn't on the map. He discovers that this is the home of Munekage and that the purple kimono woman is his lover Chiyoe, who was also a Shadowborn according to Eric's research notes. Toshiie finally comes across Eric's ghost after seeing how the researcher met his end in the mansion, before having to escape from Munekage again thus leaving the mansion.

Kanae searches through town for vital clues, she eventually learns that the Offering Ritual requires a Shadowborn to be sacrificed as that will appease whatever causes the Malevolence more than anything. While she is searching for clues, she is constantly attacked by the spirits of the priests that took part of the ritual, but she manages to repel them with Toshihisa's camera. However, Kanae is eventually caught and knocked unconscious by Gyousei.

After being guided by Chiyoe, Toshiie sees Gyousei carrying Kanae into the mayor's mansion and pursues them to save Kanae. Toshiie learns about what happened when the Offering Ritual took place, the Ritual Master discovered Chiyoe's secret as a Shadowborn and had her kidnapped in order to be a sacrifice for the ritual, when Munekage found out that Chiyoe was abducted by the Ritual Master and the reason why, he immediately stormed to the place where the ritual took place. As Chiyoe was going to be sacrificed, Munekage slew many of the Ritual Master's followers in an attempt to stop his lover from being killed, after slaying many of the Ritual Master's followers he confronted and battled the Ritual Master himself, earning severe injuries. Munekage manage to free Chiyoe, but the Malevolence was unleashed, Chiyoe was forced to escape with a friend of Munekage's (the ancestor of the Himuro Family) as the Ritual Master and Munekage became tainted with the Malevolence before dying from their injuries, the Ritual Catacombs where the Offering Ritual took place was sealed through rubble due to the force of the Malevolence and remained that way for hundreds of years. Gyousei accidentally released the Malevolence for definite since the entrance to the Ritual Catacombs (located in the mayor's garden) was sealed by rubble. Toshiie realizes that Gyousei intends to sacrifice Kanae since she is a Shadowborn, just like how Chiyoe was going to in the past.

After finding his way in, he is finally confronted by Munekage and this time Toshiie battles him. Toshiie combines both his camera and Toshihisa's camera to purify Munekage's spirit from the Malevolence, though his ghost remains in the living world. Free from the curse, Munekage reveals to Toshiie that a soul-eating demon resides on the other side of the gate where the Offering Ritual commences and that Shadowborns like Chiyoe are required because their souls are strongly tide spiritually and that just one would fill up the demon's stomach from hunger for 50 years until a new Shadowborn's soul is required. Munekage ventures further in intending to stop the Ritual Master/Gyousei from sacrificing Kanae. Toshiie eventually finds his way to where the Offering Ritual takes place, he's unable to stop the Ritual Master/Gyousei from killing Kanae but Munekage appears and kills Gyousei just in time, forcing the Ritual Master out of Gyousei's body. Toshiie battles and fully purifies the Ritual Master before the demon on the other side of the gate pulls Toshiie further on the other side of the gate.

Before Toshiie regains consciousness, he dreams of the time he ventured into the Himuro Mansion a year ago feeling wierded out just by being there, only to find there was nothing despite the Hell Gate being fully opened. Finding himself in an even darker cavernous area, Toshiie finds a note written by Toshihiro Ryūzaki revealing about the last Rope Shrine Maiden, Kirie, and how he wishes he could've saved her before she was sacrificed. After reading Toshihiro's note a violent spirit of a woman in a white kimono appears, Toshiie senses a connection between them, making him realize that he himself is a Himuro and that the ghost before him is Kirie, having been drawn here along with whatever caused the Calamity all those years ago to the Malevolence. Combining his own camera with Toshihisa's, Toshiie purifies Kirie back to her original self as she can finally go to the afterlife to be with her loved one again.

Venturing further in, Toshiie finally reaches the core of the Malevolence and comes face to face with the demon, the very source of the Malevolence. The demon explains that it was weakened in a battle against the Followers of the Light long ago and that it ventured further east to escape from them. Since the priests of Japan didn't have knowledge to kill a demon foreign to them, they sealed the demon away but it proved too strong. The only solution they could think of would be to sacrifice someone with huge spiritual energy so that the demon would be too full to take any more souls for a long time, thus the Offering Ritual was made. Toshiie then battles the demon, using his camera to fully exorcise the monster, Toshiie almost loses until Munekage and Chiyoe appear with the samurai attacking the demon. Hearing Kanae's voice, Toshiie decides to use the camera to its fullest maximum power, the snapshot exorcising the demon fully and sending both Munekage and Chiyoe to the afterlife together.

Toshiie finds a way out of the catacombs where a happy and teary-eyed Kanae is waiting for him, the fog covering Asato-Uchiyama completely disappeared. Afterwards, the couple go back to the motorcycle and ride off away from the town.

In the epilogue, it shows Toshiie walking in a graveyard heading to a gravestone marked 'Hinasaki Miku' where a set of flowers with a note saying "Miss you Mom, Miu" lay. He brings something out of his pocket which reveals to be a shard of the camera that was destroyed in his fight with the demon. Toshiie then says "It's done, you no longer have to worry", revealing that it was none other than Miku from the first Fatal Frame game who sent Toshiie to check on the mansion and find Kirie.

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. A year ago, Toshiie actually ventured into the Himuro Mansion to investigate any trace of paranormal activity that could be there, only to find nothing there despite the Hell Gate being fully open. It is revealed that Miku Hinasaki from the first Fatal Frame game asked him to go there before she passed away. His 'aunt' is Ruka Minazuki from Fatal Frame IV.

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 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 fading away to the afterlife, 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.

Eric becomes separated from Daichi and Sakura, only to see them again as hostile spirits of the Malevolence. Knowing he's going to meet the same fate, Eric decides to at least solve the mystery behind the small town before that happens. He ventures around the town whilst leaving down many of his Researcher's Notes hoping that someone with the skills to exorcise the spirits in the area will come, Eric eventually learns about the Offering Ritual and what its true purpose is. Eric is finally cornered and killed by Munekage at the end of the Main Hallway in the Samurai House, his ghost then becoming a hostile spirit of the Malevolence. Toshiie first encounters the Researcher's Spirit at his place of death and from there on, Eric becomes a frequent hostile spirit chasing after Toshiie and Kanae. He is finally purified when you battle him for the last time in the Memory Corridor in the Last Chapter. Free from the curse, Eric thanks Toshiie and tells him to end the madness causing the Malevolence before fading away.

GYOUSEI TAKAGAKI

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

He unleashed the Malevolence after unknowingly unsealing the place where the Offering Ritual took place, rather than be killed he ended up being possessed by the Ritual Master. He killed his maid Kotone Hosaka when she tried to escape from him. Under the Ritual Master's possession, Gyousei searched the town of Asato-Uchiyama looking for anyone who might be a Shadowborn. He evenutally finds Kanae, sensing her Shadowborn status and thus begins to pursue her. Gyousei manages to capture Kanae and begins preparing to sacrifice her for the Offering Ritual, before he can succeed he is killed being pierced through the chest by the now Malevolent free ghost of Munekage.

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.

She's revealed to have been a Shadowborn and the romantic lover of Munekage, kidnapped and chosen as a sacrifice for the Offering Ritual due to her status as a Yomi-Ko. Munekage rescued her from her fate, but the Malevolence was unleashed infecting both Chiyoe's lover and the Ritual Master with it. She escaped from the crisis with Munekage's friend but died of heartbreak years later due to Munekage's self sacrifice.

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.

He was a samurai who fought in the Battle of Sekigahara, he lost his brother in the fight and his father eventually died in shame. Munekage met Chiyoe while living in Uchiyama and grew to love her very much, giving her a new lavender patterned kimono every birthday, he also ended up as a vassal for the Ritual Master. When the Offering Ritual was at hand, a Shadowborn was needed to be sacrificed to prevent the Malevolence from being released. The Ritual Master discovered Chiyoe's secret as a Shadowborn and had her kidnapped in order to be a sacrifice for the ritual, when Munekage found out that Chiyoe was abducted by the Ritual Master and the reason why, he immediately stormed to the place where the ritual took place. As Chiyoe was going to be sacrificed, Munekage slew many of the Ritual Master's followers in an attempt to stop his lover from being killed, after slaying many of the Ritual Master's followers he confronted and battled the Ritual Master himself, earning severe injuries. Munekage manage to free Chiyoe, but the Malevolence was unleashed, Chiyoe was forced to escape as the Ritual Master and Munekage became tainted with the Malevolence before dying from their injuries.

When Gyousei Takakagi unsealed the place where the ritual took place, it also unleashed Munekage's ghost (enraged via the Malevolence) into Asato-Uchiyama, as the fog caused by the Malevolence began the cover the entire town. In his onslaught, Munekage claims the lives of Fumiko Umebachi, Satarō Kururugi, Katashi Suganuma, Mana Kishima, the monk Mokunai and the local Shinto priestess Susumu. When they arrived at the town, Daichi Egami and Eric Hamilton also met their ends by Munekage's blade.

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.