Fatal Frame is an attempt to at a survival horror game, imitating such characteristics found in the horror genre.
The sound found in Fatal Frame is astonishing. The creaking of the doors, floors, and ambient noise really sets the overall mood for the game. It clearly surpasses the standard when speaking strictly about audio qualities. If you have a DD 5.1 system, crank it on, and you'll know what I mean.
It's no doubt that Fatal frame tries to mimic the Silent Hill and Resident Evil series. The problem is the lack of fluid movement and controls. The only way to "shoot" a ghost, is to enter the FP camera mode. While entering this mode, your field of vision is heavily reduced, and it just feels awkward, especially when ghosts fly around the room in a sparatic fashion. You'll find yourself constantly running around, re-entering the shooting mode over and over again. The only word I can say for this is "sluggish".
Not only that, but your character tends to get "stuck" a lot. You'll have to constantly reset the joystick in order to keep a fluid pathway. What's the most important aspect about any game? Well, being able to play the game!
The graphics are overall decent, as it does set the correct tone. However, they are not reference Xbox quality, especially when parts of the story are set in black and white.
After 5 hours of gameplay, you will find the game extremely "stock". The puzzles are fine, but they are few and far in between. You'll be able to upgrade your camera in many ways, but they really don't add anymore desire to use the camera system. In-fact, for some of the upgrades, only one can be active.
The largest problem with Fatal Frame is the constant rehashing of rooms and the backtracking. You'll find yourself having to walk back into the same rooms over and over again. The direction just seems to be extremely limited.
I found myself enjoying Fatal Frame for the first 5 hours but after that, the game just became bland and cumbersome.
Pros:
• Excellent Sound
• The story background seems sufficient
• The few puzzles found are pretty decent, though some might find them too easy.
Cons:
• The story to some can seem too random without much detail on the main character.
• The camera shooting mode is sluggish
• The movement is sluggish
• Way too much backtracking
• Some might find the graphics bland
Fatal Frame is an attempt to at a survival horror game, imitating such characteristics found in the horror genre. Overall, it fails in comparison. However, some that favor the horror genre might find this one worth trying.