Fatal Frame 2 Remake Promise & Abyss Endings Guide

This guide is written for players who already have a baseline clear and are now moving into the first major NG+ ending routes.

Why The Promise and The Abyss Belong Together

These two endings are the best place to begin once you move beyond the first-clear layer.

They belong together because they use the same larger logic:

• both are NG+ endings
• both depend on side-story progress
• both branch through the Charms menu
• both are decided by your final chapter setup

If the default Crimson Butterfly ending teaches you the baseline route, Promise and Abyss teach you the language of the remake’s advanced ending ladder.

Essential Preparation

Do not walk into these routes half-prepared.

Before you try Promise or Abyss seriously, you should understand three rules:

1. First clear comes first: These are strictly NG+ endings. You cannot unlock them on a fresh save file.
2. Side stories are the real gate: The remake does not ask you to make a different dialogue choice at the end. It asks you to complete a specific side story first.
3. Keep a backup save: Create a hard save at the beginning of the Final Chapter, before entering the Ritual Hall / Deep Path. This lets you swap charms and test different endings without replaying the entire game.

The Promise Ending (Yae’s Route)

The Promise is the most approachable of the remake’s serious NG+ endings.

Emotionally, it is one of the more hopeful routes, offering more release than the standard tragedy of the baseline ending.

How to Unlock The Promise

1. Play on New Game+
2. Complete Yae Kurosawa’s Side Story
3. Equip Yae’s Sparkling Spirit Stone from the menu (Items > Charms) before the final Deep Path route

Yae’s Side Story: Core Milestones

Note: This is a high-level checklist. For step-by-step puzzle solutions, see our full Side Stories Guide.

• Chapter 7 (The Trigger): The questline begins after escaping the Tachibana House with Mayu. Revisit the Kurosawa House courtyard to trigger the initial echo or document.
• Tracking the Echoes: Follow Yae’s residual memories across locations tied to the Kurosawa family and the escape route.
• The Reward: Completing the final step of her chain rewards you with Yae’s Sparkling Spirit Stone. Do not move into the final boss route until you confirm the item is actually in your inventory.

Why The Promise Is a Good First Advanced Ending

The Promise is the cleaner introduction to the remake’s NG+ ending structure.

It teaches you the system in the simplest possible way:

• clear once
• unlock side stories
• finish the right one
• equip the correct stone
• let the final route branch

That makes it the best first advanced ending for most players.

The Abyss Ending (The Kusabi’s Route)

If The Promise teaches you the more hopeful side of the advanced ending system, The Abyss teaches you the darker side.

It leans much harder into ritual failure and the cruel logic of the village.

How to Unlock The Abyss

1. Play on New Game+
2. Complete The Kusabi’s Side Story
3. Equip Sparkling Kusabi Spirit Stone from the menu before the final Deep Path route

Kusabi’s Side Story: Core Milestones

Unlike Yae’s route, the Kusabi chain starts earlier and spans a broader portion of the game.

• Chapter 4 (The Trigger): The side story begins as you gather specific journals tied to the underground areas and the Folklorist’s trail.
• The Underground Path: Explore the basement levels and ritual sites carefully, triggering hostile encounters and collecting documents related to the sacrificial rites.
• The Reward: Completing the investigation into the Folklorist’s fate and the Kusabi’s origins rewards you with Sparkling Kusabi Spirit Stone.
• Endgame Warning: Equipping this stone changes the endgame boss flow more aggressively than The Promise route. Expect a harsher final stretch.

Why The Abyss Feels Harder

The Abyss usually feels tougher than The Promise because the final route pushes back more.

That is why the best order for most players is still:

1. The Promise
2. The Abyss

The Promise teaches the system.
The Abyss tests whether you can hold the route together once the pressure rises.

Which Ending Should You Do First?

For most players, the best order is The Promise first, then The Abyss.

That order is better because:

• The Promise is the cleaner introduction to the NG+ system
• it gives you a simpler mental model for how Spirit Stone endings work
• it makes the darker pressure of The Abyss easier to handle afterward

If you jump into The Abyss first, the whole structure can feel harsher than it really is.

Common Mistakes That Break These Routes

These endings are easier than Remaining Sun, but they still punish sloppy planning.

Avoid these run-killers:

• Assuming Chapter Select replaces NG+: NG+ is the progression tool that opens the route state you need. Chapter Select helps later for cleanup, but it does not replace the linear side-story progression required to spawn the Spirit Stones.
• Forgetting to equip the charm: You can have the Spirit Stone in your inventory, but if it is not actively equipped in the Charms slot before the final point of no return, you will simply get the wrong ending.
• Overwriting your Final Chapter save: Always keep a clean save before the Deep Path. If you mess up your charm loadout, a backup save saves you a long replay.
• Assuming the side story completed just because you saw the scene: Always confirm the reward state in your inventory.