Tecmos' Fatal Frame remains true to traditional survival horror atmosphere, gameplay and storytelling.
User Rating: 8.7 | Zero (PlayStation 2 the Best) PS2
I bought Fatal Frame from the bargain bin after the release of Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterflies. The sequel had some good reviews and much of what was written about it concerned the first game. So, I've decided to give it a try. The game start (prologue) is not very intuitive. You have to figure a way to deal with an exorcism camera, your only weapon through the entire game. The camera reveals the "spiritual world" and acts as a powerfull tool for solving riddles, finding secret passages and even driving away ghosts. It seems dumb to have a camera as your main weapon but I found it a very original way to escpe from the knife-pistol-shotgun trap. The camera can be upgraded into a better weapon with "spiritual energy" and better film types. You can also upgrade it with specific ghost disabling effects, which actually improves gameplay. It took me about 10 minutes to figure the right way to find and drive a trapped ghost in the very initial screen but past that point, I had no difficulty in finding my way around the game. The gameplay is not different from major survival horror hits such as Silent Hill, Resident Evil or Siren, what is not a bad thing! You're always finding clues about the storyline as you unlock doors, read newspapers and diaries or have visions about the past. Some of this visions are skillfuly displayed in black and white video, what adds more to an already creepy atmosphere. The ghosts that haunts the game are human like apparitions linked to their former lives. Some of them have quite disturbing appearance and voice. They're mostly easy to banish, except main ghosts, that can prove quite challenging and force you to "load" a savegame once or twice. It's a solid and immersive game. The storyline and the atmosphere are good and well designed. It'll not be an innovative game if you're a survival horror freak such as me, but it follows the rules gracefully.
