Kowai Shashin
| Kowai Shashin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Media Entertainment |
| Publisher(s) | Media Entertainment |
| Director(s) | Masayuki Hiramatsu |
| Producer(s) | Atsuko Hayakawa |
| Composer(s) | Yusuke Beppu Shigenori Masuko |
| Platform(s) | Playstation |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Kowai Shashin (Japanese: コワイシャシン 〜心霊写真奇譚〜, Hepburn: Kowaishashin ~shinrei shashin kitan~) is a 2002 horror game developed by Media Entertainment for PlayStation.
Gameplay
The player takes on the role of Hiori (緋織), a psychic who has to exorcise evil spirits that dwell in spirit photographs. Using the cursor, the player identifies spirits shown in photographs, and then follows the on-screen instructions to exorcise them.[1]
Development and release
The game was developed by Media Entertainment. It was produced by Atsuko Hayakawa and directed by Masayuki Hiramatsu. The music for the game was composed by Yusuke Beppu and Shigenori Masuko.[2] Hiroi, the game's protagonist, was voiced by Junko Noda.[3] The game was published on the PlayStation console in Japan by Media Entertainment on July 25, 2002.[4]
Reception
The game was compared to the Fatal Frame series.[5] Following Kowai Shashin's release, several rumors and urban legends about the game and its production process arose on the Internet. According to them, the photos used in the game were supposedly of "real" ghosts.[6] It was rumored that members of the game's development team experienced "depressive episodes, seizures, accidents, and auditory hallucinations" during production. The game's creator was alleged to have committed suicide. The rumors gained noteriety on Japanese platforms and image boards such as 2chan. The rumors were supposedly started by Media Entertainment as an attempt at viral marketing, similar to that behind The Blair Witch Project.[7]
References
- ^ "ゾクゾクくるゲームがこの夏に登場！ 『コワイシャシン～心霊写真奇譚～』". famitsu.com (in Japanese). 2002-06-02. Archived from the original on 2023-12-03. Retrieved 2025-07-07.
- ^ "Kowai Syasin: Shinrei Syasin Kitan credits (PlayStation, 2002)". MobyGames. Retrieved 2025-07-07.
- ^ "「コワイシャシン」HPで除霊のコツをGET！". nlab.itmedia.co.jp. 2002-06-11. Archived from the original on 2025-01-09. Retrieved 2025-07-07.
- ^ "コワイシャシン ～心霊写真奇譚～". jp.playstation.com. Archived from the original on 2007-05-10. Retrieved 2025-07-07.
- ^ "Kowai Syasin: Shinrei Syasin Kitan (2002)". MobyGames. Archived from the original on 2025-03-21. Retrieved 2025-07-07.
- ^ "『夕闇通り探検隊』に『コワイシャシン』も…90年代末のホラーブームが生んだ"プレステ時代の名作ホラーゲーム"3選". ふたまん＋ (in Japanese). 2023-07-22. Archived from the original on 2023-09-28. Retrieved 2025-07-07.
- ^ Vega, Javiera (2023-05-25). "Japan Deep Dive: The Curse of Kowai Shashin (2002)". grimoireofhorror.com. Retrieved 2025-07-07.