I admit that I missed this and don’t recall seeing this mentioned anywhere. I stumbled upon this little tidbit in a Nintendo newsletter, of which I am subscribed to them all.
While even on the press page for Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water there is no mention of this, and also not a release date to be seen. But the followind tidbit is listed as the title feature for the game:
“Download this free-to-start game and play the prologue, chapter 1 and most of chapter 2 for free.”
So that means that you can download essentially a demo of the game which is actually the start of the game itself. Then after getting started playing the game and getting a taste of what it’s all about you can then opt to fully purchase the game and continue on your way.
I must admit that it’s a good idea, moreso than a straight cut and dry demo. If you can actually sink your teeth into the game and play for a good stretch, there is good cause to want to continue. And having what you’ve accomplished in the demo actually mean something is even better. Better to play for the hour and continue it in the real game rather than throw away your progress and start anew.
This is similar to what Nintendo did with Bravely Default on the Nintendo 3DS. The demo acted as a sort of prologue to the game. While it wasn’t pivitol to the game, everything you collected and the stats you built were seamlessly continued in the full game upon its release. Definitely a good idea.
Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is rated M for mature and will have see an exclusive release on the Nintendo Wii U on October 22nd, just in time for Halloween. And what is the actual full price for the game? It’ll retail for $49.99.
