Trial experience of the first three chapters of "Zero Eclipse Kamen HD Edition": I am the most beautiful photographer on the island

Coincidentally, "Zero Eclipse Masks" is the first "Zero" series of works I have ever played. When I saw two little girls playing horror games in "Game Things" on TV, it left a deep impression on me. Afterwards, I told my elders that I wanted to play a horror game called "Zero", and at that time, I played "Kamen of Zero Eclipse".

After becoming a game editor, my first review of Zero was the high-definition version of Zero Eclipse Kamen, and I believe I have a connection with this game.

Thank you to Honor Tecmo for providing me with the testing qualification, which allowed me to try out the first three chapters of the PC version before the game was released. Now, I will share with you my experience of this trial.

The screen is not a highlight, but there are still advantages to it

Earlier, when I interviewed the original game director Shinzo Shibata and the producer of the high-definition version of the game, Yuki Shibata, they mentioned that the character modeling for this game was all remade, and the visual performance was also based on the PS4 platform, which made me have high expectations for the game graphics.

However, after trying it out, I found that the production team actually used a clever way to give the high-definition version of Zero Eclipse Kamen a visual performance similar to that of a PS4 game.

Firstly, as the two producers have stated, all character modeling is a remake. After all, in "Zero", beautiful girls can be said to be an indispensable element, and the newly created models that can manipulate female characters such as Liuge, Haisaku, and Yenka are very eye-catching. Not only does it resemble the character image in my impression, but the character also fits the aesthetic preferences of current players.

And not only the protagonist, but also the character modeling, including the vengeful spirit, seems to have been remade. Although the appearance time of the vengeful spirit is usually not long, leaving only a few seconds for players to capture or frantically avoid the player's camera, the impression of the vengeful spirit will be more profound after the model is high-definition.

Secondly, the effective visual range of the game has become farther, giving the visuals a more transparent feeling, but it has not disrupted the original charm of the game. In the interview, the producer also mentioned that because Zero is a horror game, it is not very convenient to make the graphics too clear, so we can only explore the form of the graphics while ensuring that the overall atmosphere of the game remains unchanged.

The only thing that makes me a little dissatisfied is that the game's scene textures are quite blurry. For example, the cabinet in the Aso Memorial Hall where cameras are placed has a texture on the glass that feels out of place with other game scenes. At this point, I realized that the scene textures in the game were actually quite blurry, and were easily overlooked in dim indoor environments.

In fact, only a very small number of scenes, due to the camera being very close to the object, can notice that the texture of the object is not high-definition enough. For the majority of the remaining time, the game gives a similar feeling to normal PS4 games on the screen. Some operation interfaces have also been made high-definition, and if players are not too concerned about details, they may not really notice the texture issue.

I think this may be due to the most prominent part of the screen, which is the precise modeling of the protagonist controlled by the player. In addition, the story of Zero takes place at night, and the scene is relatively dim without requiring too many details. This handling will not greatly affect the player's visual experience. Although there may be some lack of sincerity, for a production team with limited resources, this can also be considered the best choice made after balancing all aspects.

Old bottled new wine

The original version of Eclipse Kamen was a Wii platform game released in 2008, and many of the game's controls were also designed based on Wii. In previous interviews, I learned that in order to adapt to multiple platforms being logged in, the production team has redone the game's operational logic. Since I am experiencing the PC version, this has made me very interested in the keyboard and mouse experience of the game.

After all, in Zero, we have to hold the camera up and take photos everywhere. For me, using keyboard and mouse operations would definitely be more responsive than using a controller. I believe that with the new operation logic and the blessing of keyboard and mouse, I will definitely become the fastest reacting photographer on Hachiyuki Island, and all evil spirits will eventually be brought to justice.

Drink, all evil spirits will eventually be brought to justice!

But the keyboard and mouse of the game are indeed a bit difficult to describe, and its general framework is still the same as on the Wii, only optimized for the current controller operation, allowing it to smoothly complete various operations. On the other hand, the keyboard and mouse are based on the controller, and then the functions are separated, resulting in a more fragmented experience. If there is a controller, I would prefer to use it and also use the key layout in action mode.

As for the movement speed of the characters, just like the original version of Eclipse Masks, they still don't walk very fast. Even if I enter a running state, it is still no different from taking a walk after a meal for me. Fortunately, this allows me to calm down and appreciate the costumes of the characters.

In the high-definition version of Zero Eclipse Kamen, there is a wide range of clothing choices, and the luxury version of the game comes with many beautiful and replaceable clothing. Unfortunately, in the trial version, all we can unlock is Mary Rose's outfit, and it's a small regret that there are no swimsuits or cheongsam to choose from.

The newly added photography mode allows for better observation of these costumes, combined with a brand new character modeling, which can be said to be a kind of enjoyment. There are many adjustable contents in the photo mode, such as filters, character positioning, and posture, which can be customized. More gameplay should be developed in the future.

However, I have also encountered scenarios where the camera mode cannot be used, which may be due to limitations in the trial version or specific scenarios where the camera mode cannot be used.

Another thing that surprised me was that the previous high-definition version of "The Witch of the Raven" not only had a wet effect, but also added a milky shake effect. There was no chance of encountering water in "Kamen at Zero Eclipse", and the characters in the cutscenes also looked normal. There seemed to be no special effects that gentlemen enjoyed to distract my attention.

I didn't expect to move the character in photo mode, and the familiar physical simulation effect came back. Thank you to Glory Tecmo for incorporating the milkshake effect into the game in an unexpected way.

summary

In terms of the content I have experienced so far, the high-definition version of "Zero Eclipse Kamen" gives me a pretty good feeling. Although the texture processing is relatively rough and there is still room for optimization in keyboard and mouse control, the overall experience is still within my expectations. Perhaps this review will have a fan filter bonus, but it is indeed the best choice for re experiencing "Zero Eclipse Kamen" at present, and I can also accept its "detailed and appropriate" image processing method.

The high-definition version of Zero Eclipse Kamen will be available on the PS5/PS4/Xbox Series/Xbox One/PC/NS platforms on March 9th. We will also follow up on the latest updates of the game in the future and release our complete game review when the game is released.