Great graphics and story but frustrating gameplay.
GAMEPLAY - Unfortunately this is the major problem with the game. During the majority of the game you are in typical survivor mode, though more intense because of being very limited in stopping your attackers, no weapons such as in Resident Evil or Silent Hill. This worked well enough overall as you solve relatively simple puzzles. The frustration is during the boss battles. During these events you are equipped with a bow. The first problem is that your character is rather slow to react to your commands, resulting in many cheap hits by your enemy. The worst problem is that when you fire your bow it switches to a first-person perspective, and you are stuck with your initial aim - you are not allowed to move your aim! So you have to hope that your attacker is coming straight at you, if they move left or right you can't hit them, so you basically have to drop your aim and start running away. I understand the the protagonist is a teenage girl, but she should have had more mobility than the game allowed.
GRAPHICS - This was a major plus, and it's not surprising coming from Capcom. The cut scenes were outstanding, though obviously not meant to be seen by children. The in game graphics were also very detailed. The only weak spot was the floating ghosts, who pretty much looked the same with low detail.
SOUND - The voices were above average, sounding like a typical English horror movie. The background music was appropriate, adding to the intensity when you are being chased. The attackers did tend to repeat the same phrase, but not to the point of distraction.
VALUE - The game took approximately six hours to complete. An expert mode and new outfits are available after completion, unfortunately no mini games. I picked up a used copy for $10 and felt I got my money's worth, but would have been disappointed had I payed the full retail price of a few years ago.
SUMMARY - Despite my frustrations with the boss battles I still recommend this game to survival horror fans. The battles are not impossible but they do require a lot of patience and teeth-grinding. This is more than made up for by experiencing the story and graphics. I'd say pick this up as long as you can get it for a decent price.