Customer Reviews

Fatal Frame III: The Tormented

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Tecmo's survival horror series Fatal Frame continues to outdo its competition (resident evil, Silent hill)in the spook factor with its mix of Japanese lore, the universal fright of ghosts and its bizarre sacrificial rituals. The latest entry in the series deals with Rei Kurosawa, a young photographer who has recently lost her fiance in a car wreck. While taking pictures of a rumored haunted house she snaps a photo in which her dead lover appears. This and incident sets in motion the events for Fatal Frame 3: The tormented.

For fans of the series very little has changed in terms of actual gameplay but there have been a few major changes in the game setup. The biggest difference that gameplay is split into two worlds, a dream world and the real world. The dream world is of course the nightmarish aged decaying world of "the house of sleep" while the real world is modern Japan where you investigate pieces of the dream world and learn info on what is happening in your dreams.

The second biggest change is the addition of two playable characters, Miku (from Fatal Frame 1) and Kei (uncle to the two girls in Fatal Frame 2). By using 2 characters connected two the first 2 installments, Fatal Frame 3 attempts to explain the events of the malice in all three games.

Tecmo once again succeeds in realising a brilliant, vivid world. The game's use of sound and background noise truly ups the scare factor. While walking empty corridors you can hear voices echo in the background, perfectly beating bells will ring faster to make you think danger is imminent only to have nothing happen while in other silent spots ghosts appear and attack out of nowhere.

The graphics are up to TECMO's amazing standards although some of the characters look a bit "blockier" compared to the beautiful rendering that was done on Fatal Frame 2. The controls are a bit clunky at times but these are minor problems in the game as they crop up very little.

Those who found Fatal Frame 2 to be a bit on the easy side will find more to challenge them. Players will have to alternate between characters to reach certain parts of the house. Film is limited so make each shot count (if you can), And NO more staying in finder mode during battle. This new batch of ghosts can actually weaken your shot the longer you wait for them.

There are more frightening spirits in this game too. The sinister sword/cleaver weilding priest can run superfast as well as cut you. The black figured/shadowy tormentors intimidate with their wispy movements and nondefined bodies. And of course it wouldnt be Fatal Frame without a even villaness, in this case a evil blue tatooed lady who silently walks the house of sleep corridors waiting for you. And on top of it all the death screams the spirits wail as they die really is unnerving.

The house of sleep is a twisted setting. Loaded with bizzare rooms, some truly disturbing, others scary in their strangely familiar look. As you explore you'll see rooms that are plucked from the first two games. Fatal Frame 1's large tatami Grand Hall and rope hallway reappear as do Fatal Frame 2's Osaka house. And then there are rooms unqiue to Fatal Frame 3 like the "ruined hallway" which has blacken figure shapes burnt into the walls with Japanese shinto ropes hanging down-all bizarre.

Overall Fatal Frame 3 is a solid video game and a superb example of the survival horror genre of video games. Despite a rare clunky control and one or two bad camera angles, this game is a solid 5 star release. totally frightening and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

Well, well, well, what do we have here! Another "Fatal Frame" game to whet our masochistic appetites! I've played a lot of survival horror games in my day, but never once have any of those games moved me to turn the lights on when I go to bed each night. This is where "Fatal Frame"'s uniqueness is truly apparent. This is where the true horror is. Don't get me wrong, "Resident Evil" and "Silent Hill" fans, zombies and monsters are good, also. I have played those games as well and I liked them. Corporeal beings with their rotting mouths and clouded eyes are definitely scary, but they're still, well... of a material persuasion. Admit it; it's a comfort to be able to blast a shotgun shell through their foreheads or drive a chain saw through them should you become cornered. You still have that psychological safety net beneath you.

Where "Fatal Frame" splinters away from the survival horror tradition is in its admittedly slow-paced terror, that sinks into your skin and chills your bones with its complex stories. Even when you defeat a ghost, you can't be sure that they're not going to come back for more (they don't have physical bodies that you can trash once and be done with it, after all). This third--and presumably last--installment to the games is no different, though it may be a bit more complicated and hard to figure out than its predecessors. Regardless, let me assure you, it will not disappoint.

New features to the game include the "nightmare world" and the "real world". You see, in the previous two games, the setting took place entirely in old, crumbling Japanese style mansions (or villages, as it were) where some supremely twisted ceremony took place and, uh... didn't go quite as planned. In "Fatal Frame III: The Tormented", a modern Japanese household is cruelly thrown into the melee. You will start out being relieved to be home each morning when you awaken from your nightmares, going from the dilapidated and drab haunted house of your dreams to your bright and pastel colored bedroom, but as the game wears on, the borders between the terror realm and your own begin to seep together. Suddenly, you start waking up and it's still nighttime, and the house is still enveloped in shadows. And the rain outside of your window is harder and more insistent. And you'll start to see curtains flutter mysteriously when you're nowhere near them. Even the occasional pale body part will suddenly pop up from underneath your bed, or out of a closet, or hey, wherever else you can think of. Just when you think you've got a safe haven, your nightmares start to bleed into your everyday life, and there's nothing you can do but go back to sleep night after night to enter the dreaded Manor of Sleep and stop the spread of your painful and menacing tattoo... The contemporary setting mixed with the setting of the old manor really brought the game's core sentiment of sheer terror to a new level. It suddenly feels more applicable to the gamer than ever once you're forced to view it in a modern context instead of just thinking in terms of old, creaky houses.

You start out playing as Rei Kurosawa, a tall and pretty professional photographer with a beauty mark beneath her right eye. Rei is kind of the "basic" fighter in the game, as her abilities are consistently good and simple enough for even a novice player to grasp right away. Her controls feel the most like a "Fatal Frame" game, whereas her associates' controls work more like unique supplements to the typical point-and-shoot approach. Devastated and heartbroken over the loss of her beloved fiancee, Yuu, Rei is lured into the House of Sleep from seeing Yuu's shade walking down a corridor in an old house where she was assigned to take pictures. Her longing for him leads her deeper and deeper into the manor night after night. As her grief consumes her, a cryptic tattoo begins spreading all across her body, signifying that an ancient curse is slowly taking hold of her. The central question of the game therefore becomes, "will she get out before the tattoo completely consumes her?"

WARNING: MINOR SPOILER FOR "FATAL FRAME" (THE FIRST ONE) AHEAD

As you probably already know, fan-favorite Miku Hinasaki has made a triumphant return in "The Tormented", though oddly enough, the spiritual sixth sense she supposedly lost after the first game is mysteriously back in action here. Which is perfectly all right by me; she'll be needing it. Her being so popular amongst fans of the series might have had something to do with the developers giving her the strongest sixth sense and exorcism powers of all, and thanks to her petite size, she can also wiggle her cute li'l self into spots that the other two main characters can't reach (HINT: Be ready to jump out of your skin when she has to crawl around beneath the floorboards.) Always devoted and clever, she is also a big help to Rei whenever she has questions about the pictures she has brought back from the Manor of Sleep. How Miku gets her information is unknown, but I can safely say that if someone came to me and said, "hey, I had a dream where there were dolls skewered on bamboo poles in a snowy graveyard, can you get back to me on that?" I wouldn't have any clue where to start looking for answers. But Miku is cool enough to figure these things out, usually by the next morning. That's our girl!

The reason Miku has wandered into the Manor of Sleep is not only because she is helping Rei with her research on the mysterious old house, but because... hey, isn't that Mafuyu wandering down that hallway?! (Remember him?)

Our second newcomer, Kei Amakura, is also a fabulous addition to the series. Not only is he the first and last playable male of the "Fatal Frame" series, his techniques break away from the typical "Fatal Frame" dynamics just enough to add another dimension to the already-spooky gameplay. Some of my favorite moments were playing as Kei, because he's not so great at using the camera--which is only the MOST important aspect of the "Fatal Frame" stories, aside from some kind of twisted ritual and a central phantom lady who is really pissed off about said ritual. As a result, he has the ability to duck and hide behind partitions or kimonos or other objects until the ghost that is antagonizing him eventually wanders off. This way he doesn't have to attempt to use his limited spiritual powers through the camera if he can possibly avoid it. If the girls can be considered "spiritual" players, well, Kei is here to balance things out by providing the series with its first truly "physical" player (he still can't step down one foot from a raised floor, though. Ah, well). Should you happen to be a fan of games like "Haunting Ground" or "Clocktower", you will really enjoy playing as Kei. In my humble opinion, the most tense moments of the game are watching through the torn screens or wall cracks as some ghost patrols the area where they thought you were. It's both exhilarating and terrifying all at once.

And he can MOVE STUFF! How novel! Like the other two, his appearance in the Manor of Sleep is due solely to a loved one recently falling into a life-threatening coma and... hey, isn't that Mio running up the stairs over there?! (Remember her?)

If this game suffers from anything at all, though, it's a hint of "more of the same" syndrome. There are times when you're watching the grainy black and white cutscenes or reading about certain events or character relationships and can't help but think to yourself, "yeah, that was a lot more intriguing the first two times I saw it." Of course, if you're playing this title and haven't played the previous two, it will all be new--and 100% horrifying--to you. Then again, if this is your first go around, you're also going to be left in the dark in a lot of situations where character back stories are explained, and where the rituals in the other two "Fatal Frame"s are referenced.

It won't really matter, though. This game's story is so involving that even the brief mentions to the other games in the series won't ultimately affect how you view this one. I'd certainly advise that you play all three (of course, I'm also a hopeless fangirl!), but they needn't be played in sequence to be enjoyed. It might have been nice to have seen other forbidden subjects explored by the creators, though, rather than the standard "gory ritual gone awry" thing. (Then again, how much more messed up can these things possibly get? In the first one, you had a lady getting drawn and quartered so that her severed torso could be put on display, in the second one, you had twins forced to murder each other... where do you go from there? Cannibalism, maybe? Incestuous cannibalism? Incestuous cannibalism that takes place inside of a Mexican sewer in the summertime? Come on, Japan, throw me a bone here. There's got to be more taboos you can play with.)

But perhaps the best news of all is that the Project Zero team has found a happy medium between the wet-your-pants terror of the first "Fatal Frame" and the meticulous, involved story of the second. In the first game, the story took a background to the scare factor, and in the second game, the scare factor took a background to the story. Somehow, this third installment has managed to strike just the right pitch between both approaches. I still hold that "Fatal Frame" had the most scares, and that "Crimson Butterfly" had the best story, but "The Tormented" seems to be the strongest of the three in every regard. In addition, all throughout the series, there is a remarkable, startling minimum of plotholes.

So stellar work, Tecmo. You've just finished the greatest survival horror trilogy I've ever had the pleasure[?] of playing. I can't tell you how relieved I am that it's all over...

...but I'm gonna miss you, you big, spooky lug.

"Fatal Frame III - The Tormented" is probably the last FF game we'll see on PS2, and I'm more than happy to report that the series is ending - hopefully temporarily - with a great big bang.

You control Rei, a young woman whose guilt over the death of her fiancee Yuu in a car accident is having a huge negative effect on her life. At work one day with her assistant Miku, photographing an allegedly 'haunted' house, Rei sees Yuu and gives chase, only to end up in some kind of nightmarish world of vengeful spirits. Returning home, a blue tattoo invisible to all but her starts to spread across her body, to match the one she saw on a spirit in her waking dream.

And from there on in, "Fatal Frame III - The Tormented" becomes a symphony of gameplay and scares. This is Survival Horror in its purest form - a gripping storyline, incredibly strong atmosphere (far more so than the two excellent prequels) and a big dose of genuine fear all come together to make this the most rewarding game in the FF series to date.

GRAPHICS: 5/5
Simply amazing. The cut-scenes are far more detailed and plentiful than before, with the Manga characters taking on a more believable depth of realism. The enemies are more detailed and more defined now than ever and, in terms of design, are quite terrifying - the Woman Brushing and Shrine Carpenter ghosts are two of the scariest Survival Horror enemies ever! The backdrops are gorgeous - richly detailed and very convoluted so as to lend more of a sense of Nightmare to the dream worlds that Rei has to traverse. The cinematic aspect of the game is perhaps the most important one - the closest comparison I can make is like a playable, immersive version of the original 'Dark Water' movie. Camera angles, though still fixed, give such a sense of the epic to the visuals that it really is, in places, more of an interactive movie than a videogame.

SOUND: 5/5
Better voice acting than before (thankfully! Fatal Frame is not known for the quality of its voiceovers but here, they're pretty good) and some excellent spirit sounds provide ample punctuation in an overall game score that's probably got Akira Yamaoka and his buddies over at 'Silent Hill' quite jealous. The ringing feedback and white noise sounds contrast with overlong moments of silence to produce a tension quite unlike most other Survival Horrors - the only other thing I remember being this good is the point in Silent Hill 2 where you meet Maria in the underground prison. Overall, "Fatal Frame III - The Tormented" sounds every bit as good as it looks, and that's no small feat.

GAMEPLAY: 4/5
I'm a big fan of Resident Evil 4, but to me, it's just not survival horror. I felt the same things playing that as I did with the Metal Gear: Solid series on PS2. Here, it's a whole different ball game, as the slow pace of the characters and the repetitive nature of the dream-wake-dream-wake environment force you to notice far more about the game world than in other titles. For atmosphere, this is a good thing, though some players may be put off by expecting the fluidity and responsiveness of Resi 4 and suchlike. Puzzles are good - tough and cryptic enough to keep you guessing, but not so hard as to make you need a walkthrough guide. The overall difficulty is about the same as Fatal Frame II, so it's not the longest game in the world - but it is one of the most enjoyable.

OVERALL: 5/5
You'll come back to this again and again. As usual, new play modes and costumes can be unlocked with multiple plays through the game, but trust me: for the atmosphere alone, you'll enjoy more than one trip through the beautiful, terrifying world of "Fatal Frame III - The Tormented". It's big, it's immersive, it's compelling and it's completely brilliant. Minor control quibbles pale in the face of such an effective piece of software that accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do: it scares the hell out of you. Totally recommended.

The third of the well-received "Fatal Frame" series carries on all the same gameplay as it's predecessors, but as the idea has proved to be such a good one, there's nothing wrong with that. Playing as a young female reporter called Rei - the most grown-up main character seen so far in the series - the player is once again armed with a ghost-busting camera and sent to explore a huge dilapidated Japanese mansion. And once again you will encounter vengeful phantoms that need to be dispatched via split-second timing of getting the best possible shots with the mysterious camera. This aspect is as fun as ever, as the best shots always come with the cost of putting yourself at most risk in order to take them (i.e. letting the ghost come as near as possible to attacking you). Also back are the many fleeting apparitions that you need to be lightning quick with your shutter-finger to snap on film. But it's all worth the effort, as these shots, along with your best "attack" photos score highly on a points system that lets you power up the capabilities of the camera, turning it into a more powerful ghost-buster for the later, harder phantoms...especially when it's sometimes not just one against one.

I had reservations as the game got underway, when I realised that all the spooky Japanese mansions were starting to get a bit repetitive, with the same old rotting cupboards and dusty kimonos at every corner, but the game has addressed this with a new slant on the gameplay, in that all the ghost hunting levels forms part of a recurring nightmare being experienced by main character. When she's not dreaming, she's awake and inhabiting her not-at-all spooky apartment. This splitting of playing time between dream trips to the forbidding mansion, and popping into the neat and tidy kitchen or stroking the cat, reminded me heavily of "Silent Hill 4", which used the same dual locations, and must have been an inspiration for this game. Cleverly, the game has Rei being up and about in her own apartment between both day and night times, and after the horrors of the dream adventures, even this neat and modern location begins to make you fell uneasy when walking around it at night. There are also two more playable characters in the game which adds variety, as they can go into areas that Rei cannot access. They also have certain unique skills, but much weaker ghost-busting cameras than Rei, so these stages can be tough. And once again those evil ghosts are no slouches, and getting the "fatal frame" shots can be pretty dicey, especially as these ghouls don't play fair and can vanish and teleport all over the place while you are swinging your camera around trying to keep them in view....you'll learn to hate those little girls with stakes and mallets!

Because of the fun to be had with the camera and the game in general, I'm prepared to once again forgive the same drawbacks that are still present as before - really clunky directional controls and the lamest "run" function ever witnessed - Rei runs like a little old lady hobbling after a bus. Despite starting off as a fairly easy game, the game keeps the reputation of the series up by occasionally throwing some really tough ghost battles at you, roundabout the halfway mark and onwards, so save often! Even so, the ghosts STILL don't live up to the creepy horrors of the first game (too many of the ghosts are smiling little girls, which doesn't scare me very much), but I think that this third installment actually has the most grown up theme; it's take on the rituals concerning death and the afterlife is handled very seriously and quite sensitively. It also has the most impressive ending movie of the series so far - effective and quite moving. Bottom line - while not really being very different to parts one and two, this is a worthy third installment to the series, and a treat for fans.

If you have nightmares about being lost in a dark, labyrinthine house with no way out, Fatal Frame 3 is not the game for you. But if you're a survival horror junkie and/or a fan of the first two Fatal Frame games, you'll probably eat this one right up. Functioning as both a direct sequel and a stand-alone story, FF3 has so much crammed into it that it sometimes feels cluttered, but it provides a vivid, creepy, and engaging experience nonetheless.

The much-trumpeted gimmick this time around is that you can play as multiple characters, a Fatal Frame first. The new protagonist is Rei Kurosawa, a freelance photojournalist who lost her fiancé in an accident and is stricken with guilt over his demise. One day, she has a vivid waking dream of following her deceased love into a vast, snowbound mansion, wandering its splintered, rotting hallways and shadowy chambers, and being pursued by a sobbing woman covered in a blue tattoo. From then on, Rei visits the crumbling old edifice every night as she sleeps, and the tattoo begins to appear on her own body as well. The game incorporates another new feature in that, during the day, you can stroll around Rei's cozy house, receive mail, develop and research photos, and pet the cat. Silent Hill 4 did the same thing, and it provides a nice break from the creepy environs of the "Manor of Sleep" where most of the action takes place -- although Rei's home does not remain free of haunts.

The Manor, of course, is bursting with ghosts of all kinds, some pitiable, some malicious. As before, your weapon is the Camera Obscura, a device that damages ghosts by taking photos of them. The camera-based combat and upgrade system have been streamlined over the course of the trilogy and work great when the ghosts don't cheat, which they often do. The Manor itself is massive, much bigger than Himura Mansion in the first game, and exploring it gets tedious and disorienting at times; you'll be hard-pressed to remember which lock goes with the key you just found, or what room appears in which photo. Of course, since this is nightmare logic, the dizzying size and bizarre layout of the Manor may be totally appropriate. Rei soon finds she's not alone -- other guilt-stricken dreamers are being drawn into the manor (sometimes forever), including Rei's assistant, Miku Hinasaki, the heroine of FF1. And providing the link to FF2 is Kei Amakura, another journalist (and a man, eeek!) who's the uncle of...well, you'll see. Certain chapters of the game require you to play as Miku or Kei, both of whom have various strengths, weaknesses, and special abilities. The game designers sneak portions of FF1 and FF2 environments into the Manor of Sleep, and it truly feels like everything in all the games is being tied together.

The plot is a jumbled mishmash of obscure people, horrible events, and arcane rituals that barely stays coherent. However, part of the fun is piecing together a narrative from all the old diaries, moldy tomes, newspaper clippings, cassette tapes, cryptic photos, video reels, and miscellaneous scraps you accumulate. I had fun with it, at least, and I love how every ghost has a backstory. The graphics and sound design are as effective as ever, immersing you in this creepy world. (Play with the lights off!) As the plot progresses, the three protagonists chase their personal demons, and the dream world starts to impinge upon the waking world, the game becomes very creepy indeed, and also very challenging. The feeling of dread and helpless frustration can get you down, but in the survival horror genre, it's a good thing. These games are meant to scare, and what's scarier than a nightmare where you can't wake up, you're lost and alone, angry phantoms are oozing from the walls, and you're almost out of film? Fatal Frame 3 provides a worthy end(?) to the series and survival horror fans would do well not to miss it.

I have a confession to make, up until picking up this game I'd never played the first two games on any system, not the PS2 nor the X-Box, though that has since changed, I own the first two X-Box versions and I play those on my 360. I was mildly interested in getting a Fatal Frame game, but I didn't feel like shelling out the 40 - 50 bucks for the games at the time and I was skeptical about how scary the games truly could be. The fact that IGN compared the battle system to Pokemon Snap almost made me completely disinterested. I mean, after playing through Resident Evil and Silent Hill among many other survival horror game series, I thought nothing could scare me anymore.

That all changed thanks to a certain site who's name won't be mentioned, I saw fanmade Animated Music Videos set to Fatal Frames 1, 2 and 3 scenes, and was blown away by one in particular one that was set to Cold's "Rain Song" that I considered powerful and moving at the time. I knew then and there that I had to get at least one of the Fatal Frame games, I didn't care which one it was.

Sure enough, as soon as I got to my local Gamestop, right in front of me was a box with the title Fatal Frame III: The Tormented. I asked if they had any of the other two out of curiousity, unfortunately they did not. But regardless, I paid the 50 bucks for Fatal Frame III and drove on home afterward. As soon as I did get home, I ran upstairs and popped it in my PS2 (which has since become a PS3) and the rest was history.

I was immediately pulled into the opening scene where the main character, a certain Rei Kurosawa (of no relation to Yae and Sae of Fatal Frame II fame) was checking the damage of the accident that she had just caused, and found her fiancee's lifeless body within the car. Then about ten days later Rei and her assistant, Miku Hinasaki (yes folks, that one from the first Fatal Frame) were photographing a shrine that was rumoured to be haunted, much to their disappointment it didn't seem to be. Rei lifted her camera and saw her dead fiance' through the lens. Needless to say, she had a daydream (officially called "Zero Hour: The Calling") great start that showcased how things work in the game. It was all in black and white though, and yes, that DID hamper things a little bit. But all in all, I could tell I was going to be in for one helluva good time.

Once that part was over, it was time to move on to the real meat and potatoes, the main game itself. I started off in Rei's home initially, and kinda diddled around a little to get the feel of moving Rei around. Then as soon as I entered the Manor of Sleep, it was all done. I literally screamed at least four times in the first ten minutes when I saw ghosts appear. Then when I got into a battle with a mother/daughter team of ghosts, I was so nervewracked it was not funny, was literally saying "Oh ****! Oh ****!" when trying to get a good shot in. Never in my life did I have a game do that, actually scare the crap out of me like this one did.

Though I've long since gotten used to the mechanics of this game, it STILL has moments where it scares the daylights out of me and cause me to swear my lungs off. I can honestly say this is the scariest, as well as the best, survival horror game I've ever played. The graphics are gorgeous, even rivaling Resident Evil on the Cube in terms of overall detail. And the battling is top notch, it really puts a new spin on "In Your Face" to put it simple. You have to let the enemies come to you in order to do any damage. The only complaint is the running animation and speed. Lemme put it to you this way, the characters run like a constipated monkey trying to find a place to take a dump. I am overweight, and even I could run faster than that!

But that's just one small flaw on an otherwise awesome game. The best part of it all is not the graphics, gameplay, or even the story, even though all are fantastic BTW, I would have to say the best part is easily the atmosphere. It pulls you right in, and at times is so scary that you want to turn your PS2 (or PS3 if you have a backwards compatible one) off, but you can't because you're dying to find out more. To me, that is the sign of a true horror game. One that is twisted, scary, and most importantly, engrossing. I've never played a game where I simultaneously wanted to shut my system off, but at the same time, find out what the hell was going to happen next.

To sum things up, it's wonderful, and a must-play for any and all true survival horror fans. It's believable compared to most others too, and the further you go along, the more and more gruesome the story gets until it's bone-chilling climax. Trust me, no words can describe how nasty it gets. I advise that you get out there and buy this game now!

Fatal Frame III (Project Zero III) is the scariest of the 3 games so far (Fatal Frame IV has yet to be released to the states). It's also a lot more bloody and violet, so anybody with a weak stomach, you are warned and don't play in the dark. I love Fatal FrameIII because it brings back old characters and allows you to go back into the previous games, plus you have more outfits to chose from, and 3 characters instead of the usual 1. Items are easier to unlock. Instead of having to beat the game multiple times, you use your camera points. Anybody who has played the Fatal Frame games before would love this one and even first time players would since the story line is easy to follow.

If you are hardcore into "shock thrills", gore, zombies, guns, and grotesque monsters that mirror our psychological inner demons yet can be bashed over the head with a board until they leak blood everywhere Fatal Frame 3 may not be for you. My first introduction of the series was when I watched one of my female friends play Fatal Frame 2 and honestly at the time I wasn't scared.

The thing is with a fatal frame game you actually have to play it to be frightened by it. It is definetly not a game that makes you jump when your friend is at the helm.

First of all let me admit I'm not a "long time fan" of the series. I have not seen or played Fatal frame 1 and I only know about Mio and her twin sister by having warched my friend go through Fatal Frame 2. Anotherwords my opinion here is non biased. I'm not trying to "hype up" Fatal Frame 3.

So what can a first time camera obscura photographer tell you about his first interactive experience? It was horrifying and I mean that in the most flattering sense.

For fans of the other two games FF 3 does tie into what has already been estabalished. Miku is the girl who lost her brother in Fatal Frame 1 and is an "assistant" to Rei who is the main character. Rei has her own tale of loss. Her boy friend Yuu died in a tragic car accident. After Rei believed to see his "ghost" she became a paranormal investigator. Lastly there is Kei, an occult researcher who was a friend of Yuu and who is the uncle of Mio and her twin. Is is estabalished right away how the characters fit into the overall plot. Even if you have not played the previous games you are given a wealth of information.

The game revolves around a mysterious tattooed priestess and the manor of sleep. The only good thing about this other worldly place is that it is said you can go there to visit with loved ones that have long since died. However beyond that the old occupants of the manor were apart of a sinister cult whom sacrificed maidens to prevent a type of "nightmare reality" from crossing over into normal existence. Poor Rei begins having the tattoo of the priestess and soon her and the other two protagonists find themselves fighting for their lives each time they visit the mansion in their dreams.

First I must say "ghosts" are hard to fight. You have an enemy with the basic intelligence of a human being and atop that they can "teleport" quickly and phase through walls. Luckily there is variety. Young shrine maidens have stakes and hammers and one of their most disturbing attacks is to nail your foot or ankle to the floor. The "men in white" come at you with hatchets and knives or try to simply grab you. As you can well guess even being touched with a ghost will sap your health. Luckily you can upgrade both your camera and its' lenses. A flash for example can knock spirits back and Miku can literally slow a ghost's movement making getting their "snap shots" easier.

If you have not played any Fatal Frame the combat goes into first person mode. Runes around your lens ratio will start to light up and that is symbolic of your attack meter charging. To do alot of damage you want the apparitions as close as possible when you take their picture. Yup, finally there is a survival horror franchise that sadistically makes having the enemy close a prime requisite.

When you lower your camera or get hit by a ghost you automatically go into 3rd person and I highly suggest that if a poltergeist or phantom suddenly "disappears" that you briefly lower your camera, get your bearings, and try to pin point where the next attack will come from.

Believe it or not none of this is as frustrating as it sounds and each time you defeat a spirit you get blue "ghost orbs" or "spirit points" to level up both your camera AND your diffirent lenses.

As expeted each character has merits and flaws. Kei is athletic and good both at running and hiding. His spirit power is weak luckily he eventually gets his own camera obscura so he can fight back. Kei also has the most health. Miku is neat because she can crawl into smaller places and she has the most spirit potential. She can double charge her spirit "zapping" power through her camera and she can slow enemies down. Rei is the traditional "average" yet "well balanced" main character and her main merit is having the largest capture lens ratio.

The manor itself is interesting and the puzzles are a bit challenging but not frusterating. You will do alot of back-tracking for keys or rolls of film to play in the projector room to glean more disturbing revelations. Normally this would damper my enjoyment but I found I liked repeatedly going to different places because they all were well designed and very ambient. This might be one of the few games that makes "return visits" to certain areas fun as opposed to tidous.

As I said before every character has good motivations. They all have "loved ones" they are trying to save from the manor and Rei has the additional motivation of finding a cure for the tattoo curse.

Each time you awake in Rei's house you are allowed to recover health, develop pictures taken in the manor, replenish film and herb supplies, and talk with Miku to exchange information. You will also get letters from Kei. While it may seem like you are safe here, a ghost does eventually begin haunting your abode though from what I've seen so far she is mischievous yet harmless. This may change later in the game but I'm unsure.

The only glaringly bad flaw with Fatal Frame 3 is the "english dubbing" but I would not let something as insignificant as bad lip synching ruin the whole game for you.

I'd love to go so much more into depth about the "unique ghost bosses",folk-lore erriness, and every snowy or shadowy crevice of the cold manor of sleep but I think I'll leave those things for you the reader to discover!


Pros

+ Subtle in the gore department yet still manages to make you uneasy and afraid.

+ An original take on "fighting enemies".

+Wonderful story line that does much to tie up loose ends from the other 2 games.

+ Being able to play as 3 characters all which are unique.

+ Besides for the shrine maidens and men in white the other apparitions are all varied, frightening, and have interesting attack patterns.

+ Spot on controls

+ Great atmosphere and sound effects.

Cons

- The females have odd mannerisms when running sometimes.

- You sorta get the impression Rei and Miku are well off just by interacting with their home. If you like "average blue collar citizens" as your heroes of choice this might present a problem.

-Bad dubbing (lip synching)

After setting the standards of horror/ mystery games with the release of "Fatal Frame", Tecmo had almost built themselves into a corner. When a game as unique, creepy, and enjoyable as Fatal Frame is created, it is much harder to make a sequel or prequel that can top it. So that shows a tremendous amount of creativity, intelligence, and talent to make anything that would even come close. Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly was the proof of their genious. From that point, a third seemed to be impossible. However, Tecmo did it again with the release of "Fatal Frame III: The Tormented".

The story starts out with a scene of a late evening car crash in which Rei Kurosawa emerges from. From the window of the rolled vehicle, the hand of her now late fiancee Yuu Asou lays unresponsive. She drops to her knees crying, and the camera fades black. From that point on, you are immersed into a dark world that might just be a reality...

With the incredibly intricate storylines of "Fatal Frame" and "Crimson Butterfly", it is hard to incorporate a third into them, especially when a significant amount of time passes between them. With "The Tormented" being so closely intermingled with the first two, one can only say that either they developed all three at once, or they left just the right amount of loose strings from the others to weave a third one different from the rest. Either way, for those who have played the first two, be prepared to be stunned. For those who havent played these games, I would recommend that the first two be played to get the full understanding of the beautifully disturbed story. However, the first two aren't needed to enjoy the game and understand what is going on.

Just as it was for the first Fatal Frame, "The Tormented" breaks away even more from the typical survival horrors. The "Camera Obscura" molds the game into its own creative style dealing with the ghostly supernatural, rather than the typical zombie/ werewolf/ mutant...ect. Learning to use the "Camera Obscura" falls along a very simple line, in the manner that you need only a moment of gameplay to fully understand it. However, just as in real life, it is difficult to get that perfect photo when being rushed or scared. Unlike a lot of reaction games, the difficulty of obtaining that "Fatal Frame" shot doesnt frustrate or discourage. It is a challenge to the end, but nothing that can't be accomplished. Plus, a decent selection of add-ons to the camera help in gameplay, instead of make the game too easy.

The gameplay itself is incredible, from almost every angle. The third person view toggles automatically between a "Resident Evil"(undoubtedly the King of Survival Horror games) stationary view, to a mobile behind view. I love the "Resident Evil" stationary view, because it makes the game a whole lot scarier when you are approaching a ghost, and cant see it until the camera changes to the next and it is already on top of you. What makes it even better is the fact that it doesnt create an unfair advantage; all situations like that can be overcame with minimal damage. It even makes the game more movie like, blending the lines between star and spectator. Plus, the signature old black and white projector style displays for certain circumstances, which adds an extra element of creepiness to the game. The visual effects are amazing, from the eerie dilapidated mansions to even the "safe and secure" real world Rei lives in.

The visual feast for the eyes continues, with their original brand of horror. Most horror movies, games, ect. are predictable, the music climaxes as the zombie breaks out of the closet, or the werewolf jumps out of the bushes. "The Tormented" keeps you guessing through the game, keeping themselves out of the typical scare pattern. When people watch or play horrors, they constantly watch the surroundings, awaiting something to jump into screen. What makes this game stand out is the lack of "red flags" to the intense moments. The game is creepy the whole way through. Even the environment in which you play is beautiful, with exceptional detail that brings the dilapidated mansion to your feet. The only games I can compare the graphics to is the remastered versions of "Resident Evil" and "Resident Evil:0". Shadows and darkness in every corner, and everywhere you go there is something watching...



One of the new additions to the game is the creation of the real world, and the dream world. This feature adds more interaction to the game. It also creates a level of reality to the game, allowing a player to immerse themselves deeply into the game. For me at least, I can turn the lights off, blacken my room, play the game and fall into the storyline, with very few reminders of which is reality. Unlike the earlier Medal of Honor games (I am just using this one as an example, I am a fan of those as well)the game isnt like running a maze. You wont go too far to the left and hit an invisible wall, or walk down a "hallway" where the walls are flat rows of trees. You can also interact with more people and things, once again so you dont have to be reminded that you are sitting there staring at a tv.

To make the game even better than it was, Tecmo takes the multiple characters to a new level. Instead of playing the whole game as either player a or player b, you get to play multiple, individual roles. This feature could have gone both ways, but they keep it on the right track by strengthening the storylines between the characters. Miku Hinasaki ("Fatal Frame" veterans should recognize the name) and Kei Amakura add their stories to Rei's, adding an impressive depth to the game. The icing on the cake is that old storylines are played moderately through the game, but they seem brand new mixed in with the rest of the game. Each character have their own "specialty" if you will, that alters the gameplay even more between the three of them.

Overall, "Fatal Frame III: The Tormented" is yet another masterpiece from the ingenious Tecmo Team. With the plunge in Survival horror games with their overuse of zombies and vampires, this game is a delightfully scary tangent from the status quo. Besides Resident Evil, this is the only game where fear actually comes into play. Once the door is open into the other world, who knows what you will be waking up to...

Fatal Frame is a highly overlooked series that has done a great job in the survival horror genre. It used eerie effects that just don't seem to work in you average everyday horror game. You have a camera, you are attacked by ghosts and you never know if you're truly alone.

This game reminds me of another game I have played and that is Silent Hill 4: the Room. Why is that? Because you play as Rei, who is having terrible nightmares. Whenever you fall asleep you go to the Manor of Sleep where tragic accidents occured. After exploring a bit, or leaving the manor, you wake up and enter the real world which is your house. The connection here is that Konami did a similar thing in SH4 by having your character enter his appartment after he entered a portal.

Not that this is a bad thing or anything, it just kind of takes away that feeling of despair that the Lost Village (FF2:CB) or the Himuro Mansion (FF) had on you. The other unique thing in this game is the ability to play as three characters. They are Rei Kurosawa, a woman who has lost her fiancee in an accident, Miku Hanisaki, the protaginist of the first game who still has remorse for what happened to her brother, and the newbie Kei Amakura, who is having trouble with his niece, Mio (FF2:CB) who went into a state of illness after her twin sister disappeared.

Each of these character's has a unique ability, Rei can stun enemies with the Flash of the camera obscura. Kei can hide from vengeful spirits by ducking and can move things that the woman can't (ex: dressers). And my favorite, Miku's ability to slow down time, which can be used to execute Fatal Frames easier or to run away from a ghost before it attacks you.

The storyline in this game is not as creepy as the other games, but it still is cliff hanging. The game will keep you guessing till the end, which it always does.

I'd reccommend this to all audiences especially if you like suspense and horror.