Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake gives you a few ways to make fighting spirits easier, and Charms is one of the most versatile ways to improve combat. While you start with a few Charms, the ones that are more powerful aren’t available immediately. Instead, you’ll need to find them throughout the chapters, or purchase them at the Point Exchange.
The strongest Charms have upgrades that you can keep purchasing, and each new upgrade improves the effects. Additionally, you can only hold one Charm at first, but you’ll be able to hold more after your first playthrough, as you unlock Charm Bags then, and can equip up to four. Here are six of the best Charms in the game, taking into account both early and late game.
6
Wraith Charm
One of Your Starting Items
You begin the game with the Wraith Charm if you have the early purchase bonus, so you can go into your menu, then select “Items” and equip it right away. It’s not the best option in the game, but having it when you start out and equipping it can help you stay alive as you work on picking up other options. The Wraith Charm extends the Fatal Time window for extra damage and increases the odds you’ll encounter certain wraiths.
5
Mayu’s Charm
A Powerful Resource to Start
You don’t begin with Mayu’s Charm, but you can pick it up in Chapter 2. Then, you continue finding the higher-level versions of this Charm throughout the game. When equipped, it increases the rate at which you regain health while holding Mayu’s hand, and it reduces the damage you take from wraiths. It’s a solid combination to have helping you as you start picking up film types and other upgrades.
4
Green Crystal
A Mid-game Must-have
The Green Crystal is on the floor in the Kurosawa House, which is where you start spending a lot of time once you reach Chapter 3. It’s almost a placeholder for another Charm that’s better, but after your first playthrough when you have Charm Bags, you can equip the Green Crystal with the Paraceptual Charm for an extra boost, as the Green Crystal increases damage done by the Paraceptual Filter, and it restores health when you damage a wraith.
3
Paraceptual Charm
A Strong Mid-game Boost
The rest of the Charms are specific to your filters, and you pick them up from the Point Exchange. Each one has multiple levels, so you want to aim to reach the fourth level of these Charms. The Paraceptual Cham increases the damage of your Paraceptual Filter. Since you pick up that filter first, this Charm is the first filter-specific one available in the Point Exchange.
2
Exposure Charm
Time to Head into Late Game
The Exposure Charm is available at the Point Exchange after you pick up the Exposure Filter in the Kurosawa House. This Charm increases the damage done by your Exposure Filter, and it’s also one that will have upgrades available as you purchase each level at the Point Exchange. Just like the Paraceptual Filter, there’s a Glowing Green Crystal Charm in the Kurosawa House that you can equip for another Exposure Filter Power Boost.
1
Radiant Charm
Destroy All Wraiths
The Radiant Charm is available after you unlock the Radiant Filter, which also happens in the Kurosawa House, but during Chapter 4. At this point, you’re transitioning into the later half of the game, and this is your final filter. It’s also your strongest filter, so using the Radiant Charm to increase your Radiant Filter’s damage makes combat a breeze, especially when you get to the fourth level of the Charm.
If you’re playing the game for the first time, you don’t want to sleep on Charms. They’re expensive in the Point Exchange, but the benefits they give you are worth the points. Once you beat the game, you can use combinations of Charms for more versatility, but for your first run, the Radiant Charm is your goal in Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake.
