When it comes to
building suspense and turning on the scare factor the Fatal Frame series is
right up there with the Silent Hill series as well as the father of all survival
horror games Resident Evil. Yet unlike the two I mentioned, the Fatal Frame
series pays homage to Japanese horror films like “The Grudge” or “Ringu” that
tells a unique kind of ghost story. Fatal Frame III: The Tormented for the PS2
is a new entry but just make sure you have an extra pair of fresh underwear
ready before you play this one.
The Tormented
introduces Rei Kurosawa who has suffered the loss of her boyfriend Yuu during a
car accident where she is the only survivor. Deeply saddened by the loss, she
throws herself into her work as a freelance photographer for the local newspaper
and as she comes to take pictures of a dilapidated Japanese manor known as the
Manor of Sleep she sees a figure that resembles Yuu. Suddenly the line between
the waking world and her dreams become blurred and the manor becomes a
nightmarish den for tormented spirits. Aided by her faithful assistant Miku and
a writer named Kei, Rei tries to uncover the secrets of the manor as well as the
truth about the Curse of the Tattoo … a curse that is connected to the Manor of
Sleep and those who venture into it.
It’s not hard
for us to separate the dream world with the waking world since, through our eyes
we see the dream world in shades of black and white and gray. It is through a
dream that Rei comes to discover the manor hosts various tormented ghosts or
those who are “spirited away” as well as come across the powerful Camera Obscura.
Armed with nothing but her handy camera, Rei can explore the manor and, if the
timing is right, take a picture of a ghost. You’ll know when a ghost is around
if you look carefully but then again the controller will shake and once you get
a feel of your Camera Obscura you’ll have a warning bulb that will light up red
when a ghost is around.
Taking pictures,
once again, is done through a first-person view of the viewfinder. There’s a
circular reticule that will light up blue when a ghost is within your shot. Many
times you’ll have to be quick since ghosts have the habit of simply vanishing or
moving away and since you don’t have an unlimited amount of film or flash you’ll
have to be careful about your shots. You can keep or delete pictures and you can
even store them in an Album you can check out anytime throughout the game or
share with a friend. Aside from earning points, though, the camera is also used
in combat but we will get into that in a moment.
While much of
the game has you exploring the manor and learning its various secrets, The
Tormented also has moments where Rei is back in her home. It’s here in the
waking world that Rei soon discovers that what happens in her dreams also has a
direct effect in her waking life. Thankfully you have Miku working alongside you
and in an interesting twist you will also get to play as Miku as well as Yuu’s
writer friend Kei. The interesting part is that both Miku and Kei have their own
abilities. Miku, for example, has the ability to use the Camera Obscura and uses
something called the Sacred Stones that allow her to slow ghosts down. Kei, on
the other hand, can move heavy objects and is fast but when it comes to fighting
he’s weak to the point that he’s good at hiding from ghosts.
Combat in the
game hasn’t changed much and that’s a relief since the ghosts do become faster
and make even more damage than before. Using the camera, Rei and Miku look
through the finder and wait until the ghost is in the frame. The catch here is
that the reticule or Capture Circle must turn red to make damage and with the
Camera Obscura it’s possible to pull off what the series calls a Fatal Frame
(causing heavy damage plus earning you big points). Some ghosts are harder than
the other, such as the mother-daughter ghosts that attempt to strangle you but
apart these ghosts are fast and can appear and disappear quickly. The ghosts in
this game strangle and you can shake free from their grip with the analog stick.
Graphically,
Fatal Frame III is a visually stunning game with plenty of details and
beautifully rendered backgrounds and characters. Like the past Fatal Frame
games, The Tormented certainly sets the mood right when it comes to haunted
places and the manor itself is one seriously spooky place. The dimly lit rooms
will make you jump at any shadow or dark spot in the corner. The character
models are still quite nicely detailed and they’ll look good both during
cutscenes and during the game’s action. The right visual highlight, though, are
the ghosts and the effects surrounding them.
Complimenting
the great visuals is the game’s wonderfully detailed sound effects and
soundtrack. Together they set the mood perfectly and thankfully the game knows
when to inject the music and when to just keep silent enough to hear the
floorboards creak or the faint sounds of someone whispering behind a wall. The
game’s score is haunting, going from mellow to dramatic to chaotic at a moment’s
notice. The voice acting is decent and the dialogue doesn’t suffer as much from
the translation like the first game.
Genuinely scary
from start to finish, Fatal Frame III: The Tormented is another excellent
addition to the series. It might not be a completely new experience nor does it
offer a new twist in the genre but with an excellently told and lengthy story
filled with all the series trademark ghost-busting, you will be pleasantly
chilled to the bone. If you’re a fan of the series you might just want to pick
this up right away.
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Gameplay: 7.5
Controlling
the characters is still quite awkward in that old Resident Evil kind of way but
the real treat comes in the form of the Camera Obscura and the fact that you can
play as two other characters. Combat is still a chilling experience that will
not fail to creep you out. The story is a bit more coherent than last year’s
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly.
Graphics: 8.5
Visually the
game is really quite gorgeous and even more so if you have a television that
supports Progressive Scan. The character models look amazing during cutscenes as
well as during the game’s exploration or intense action. The distorted ghost
effects are really eerie and the nightmarish manor is a dark and unwelcoming
sight. In other words, this is one great-looking game that sets the mood right.
Sound: 9.0
The game’s
sound, on the other hand, goes well beyond the game’s beautifully haunting
visuals enough to bring us a game that will run a chill up our spine whenever
you hear a ghost. You will literally be surrounded by sounds in this game and
the soundtrack is still a series highlight. The voice acting is handled well
enough.
Difficulty:
Medium
The game’s
puzzles are of the find-key-Y-to-fit-into-lock-Y variety but then there are the
good puzzles that require the use of your camera to solve. The real challenge is
the combat in this game, especially the fights where the ghosts seem to move
faster and appear haphazardly enough that targeting them becomes difficult.
Concept: 7.5
The game’s
story will not disappoint and the good part is that it is quite a lengthy story
with a lot to see and do. Playing as Miku and Kei is a nice treat and the fact
that they have their own abilities makes for a refreshing break from Rei. There
are nice extras to unlock and multiple endings that up the replay value.
Overall: 8.0
Wonderfully
scary and filled with all the haunting thrills and scares of past games in the
series, Fatal Frame III is yet another great addition to a series that really
knows how to make gamers jump in their seats. With a really good story, plenty
of tormented ghosts to deal with and a few new additions to the series, this is
a game to buy if you like a frightening good time.
