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So Scary, I Almost Couldn't Finish It!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: July 06, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Trust me, I rarely get scared by games or pretty much anything. But after playing just five minutes into Fatal Frame, my hands were shaking.

Warning! This game doesn't show any mercy! With chilling sound effects, and disturbing bg music, you control a teenage girl who wanders practically helpless throughout an old Japanese mansion, battling some of the most disturbing ghosts I've ever seen.
What keeps you scared is the fact that the game never seems to give you a break. There's no place in the mansion that's truly safe. And you're getting constantly chased by the woman in the white kimono. And it gets worse as you progress through the game and learn about the truth behind the curse.
There's puzzles and riddles to make it challenging for you as well as the ghosts that keep popping up out of nowhere. Even creepier is when you learn about the stories of the victims who fell to the mansion's deadly curse.
As the title of the review states, I almost didn't finish this game because I was just too exhausted from jumping all the time when something bad happened. And my heart was hammering a lot.
It's psychological J-horror at its best, that will keep you wanting to play, but too scared to play.
Playing the game in a dark room all alone will offer the best scare effect. It scared me to keep the lights on when I went to sleep.
For fans of horror, this is definitely a must-buy!

Have you ever played a game you wanted to love, but the game doesn't love you back?

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: May 13, 2008
Author: Amazon User

A lot of Survival Horror games get a bad rep. for possessing painfully clunky controls and too much back-tracking, but they all seem to be directed at the wrong games and never at the right game. The right game to blame for the worse controls known to man in Survival Horror gaming goes to one game and if not just this one, then the rest of the franchise that spawned from it: FATAL FRAME.

Tecmo had a lot of unique ideas going through their heads for this game, but apparently the one thing they weren't thinking of was the one aspect that would've made this game worth the constant praise it gets.

Does this make any sense? You're playing the entire game as a nineteen year old girl who walks and runs slower than a drunk elephant. Plus, the controls are permanently in 2D meaning that up will force your character to do a 180 and walk in the direction you point her in. Fine in theory, but you have to realize that using 2D controls in a 3D game based entirely off of exploration and using set camera angles that change every time you move to a different room or fight ghosts is not a good idea.

What's worse is that enemies you face in this game move so fast and use up 99%.8 percent of the terrain to their advantage that it's next to impossible to try and hurt them without taking any damage in return. The ghosts are also so vocal and whiny that their dialogue literally murders any atmosphere they had. It's like the game developers were trying to piss you off rather than scare you.

The game is very innovative and unique what with using a camera as a weapon and fighting ghosts as your main enemy, but facing such unfair, questionably malevolent enemies with such unfair controls is about as fun and scary as being chased by a shag carpet in tennis shoes.

one of the best.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: May 10, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Resident Evil, Silent Hill, ClockTower, I have played and love all of these games. Silent Hill being my favorite hands down. FATAL FRAME... i only recently began to play. This game will scare your to death. The first night played this was the time I have reserved for movies and games of this nature. About midnight or 1am with no lights on and Sound as up as possible. Couldnt do, the third time, i had to play in the day. with the sound up. i did have the blinds closed. but just couldnt play this game late at night. Something to do with the hallway and closet in my house...

pick up this you wont be dissapointed.

Spooky and Original

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: February 06, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Definitely a game to play over and over again - spooky atmosphere, steeped in history and urban legends, it makes for a really entertaining and spooky game without having to be a gory shooter. Best game I've completed and I have fun going back to it.

High 5!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: January 19, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This game is probably one of the scariest games out there! But I love it because it's so intense every time you play! Once you start, it's hard to stop playing. My mom always gets angry at me whenever I play it for too long. Haha! Even though it's only a one player game, it's always fun to watch it! It's like a scary movie that you can't escape from! BWAHAHAHAHA!!! You never know what could happen the first time you play it. And even the second or third time you play, it never gets old!

not for everybody

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 5
Date: November 29, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I guess I gonna get a lot of negative votes for this review.But I feel like I need to put my thoughts about this game in here.
So many people are calling Fatal frame games scary!Personally I saw nothing terribly scary, only the constantly dark boring environment and a bunch of ghosts.I am not going to compare this game to the other horrors, since that would mean I am "promoting" another title, which I dont want to do.Everybody has different tastes and different views on things.
I am a big survival horror fan ,so I was determined to get all of games of that type, luckily I didnt buy all of FF, since unfortunately they all look just the same...The first ten minutes of playing I was excited by everything - the first ghost, the athmosphere, the animations.But the more I wandered in the house the faster my excitement wore off.Also, when I tried to play part 3, I was disappointed by how familiar it looked with the first part!Everything looked just the same, still some dark boring house, those ghosts..only the main character was different.
I never finished any of these games.I just couldnt play anymore, this is how they bored me.I guess its just not my type of horror, since I dont share the "japanese" view on horror movies and such.Personally for me, FF lacked action, interaction and some differences in surroundings for a change...
Overall I rate this game 3 stars, for innovative idea with ghosts and photocameras, for the graphics and for the story.

The Scariest Game of All Time

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: August 14, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I just bought this game on Friday, August 10, 2007 and let me tell you I haven't been addicted to a game like this one in a long time. The story is well written and the game play itself is great the controls are easy alot better than Silent Hill 2 & 3. The atmosphere is pure evil in the mansion and the cut scenes are very scary. When I play this game at night I am terrified and I'm 25 years old. When the ghost attack and get a hold on me I literally get chills on my legs and i'm not lying I do! I also bought Fatal Frame 2 and 3 at a used game store. So if you like scary games with awesome storylines then this is the game for you.

Say cheese....or just stand there and moan

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: April 18, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Anyone who's ever enjoyed being scared out of their wits by a good horror movie can appreciate the creepy pleasure of a game like Fatal Frame. Considered by some to be the scariest game ever made (sorry, Silent Hill), it's a worthy example of modern J-horror -- that subgenre of raven-haired ghost women and unsettling sound effects that's been so lucrative in Hollywood lately. (See: The Ring, The Grudge, Pulse, etc.) Alfred Hitchcock would have approved of the Japanese horror tradition, which relies heavily on suspense, build-up, and slow realization. In a way, it works even better in a video game because you're the one walking down that dark hallway, nerves on edge, awaiting the inevitable scare. And Fatal Frame is nothing if not scary.

The setting of the game is quintessentially frightening: a vast, decaying old mansion somewhere in the Japanese countryside, formerly owned by the mysterious Himura family but now abandoned. (Something about an evil cult and bloody moonlit rituals...the usual.) The player assumes the role of Miku Hinasaki, a doe-eyed young woman with (of course) psychic powers who comes to the Himura mansion searching for her brother, Mafuyu. Mafuyu, in turn, was hunting for his mentor, renowned novelist Junsei Takamine, who came to the mansion to research his latest book, accompanied by his assistant and editor. The trio vanished without a trace, and now, so has Mafuyu. If Miku doesn't want to be added to the list of disappearences, she's going to have to think fast and run faster. Fortunately, in the entrance hall of the mansion she finds the one thing Mafuyu brought with him: a battered old camera. Turns out the camera has the ability to harness and absorb supernatural energy, or something, which makes it an effective weapon against angry ghosts -- good thing, because the mansion is crawling with them. Herein lies the true brilliance of Fatal Frame: instead of fighting by conventional means, your survival depends on you taking photos, and good ones at that. The phrase "killer shot" takes on a whole new meaning.

Gameplay is very straightforward. As Miku, you wander and explore the many rooms, passageways, and grounds of the Himura mansion, revealing new areas on the simple but well-designed game map. Scattered here and there are helpful items such as film, health restoratives, and mystical "Spirit Stones" that enable your camera to perform special functions. You'll also find a variety of clues -- news clippings, cassette tapes, journal pages, fragments of research notes -- that shed light on the sordid history of the Himura family and the fates of those who came before you. A handy device called a filament throbs and pulses when you're near an important supernatural clue, or when a ghost is close. When ghosts appear -- which they will, very frequently -- it's time to enter the first-person camera mode and start snapping. Getting good photos hinges on getting the ghost in the middle of the frame; the longer you can "center" the ghost, the better your score and the more damage done. Some ghosts merely flicker and fade away, but others will actively try to kill you. Taking wild, random shots will only deplete your film; you need to have strong nerves and a steady hand. Besides defeating the ghosts, good photos will earn you points that you can use to upgrade your camera's basic performance and unlock bonus features. It's a good system, and one that makes the game unique.

The design of the game is very low-key, but therein lies its success. Himura mansion is a wonderfully creepy edifice, the gloomy Japanese architecture and crumbling plaster rife with menace. Your flashlight surrounds you with deep pools of shadow, and the outside world seems like a dream. As with much of J-horror, the sound design is particularly effective: creaks, thuds, whispers, clatterings, distant voices and unsettling mechanical throbs will have you simultaneously straining to hear and wishing you didn't have to. The few snatches of music are low and ominous. The ghosts are quite scary; with twisted faces and glaring eyes, they waver and slither and flicker into sight before lunging at you like snakes. Some ghost attacks are distinctive and advance the plot, but many are simply randomized to keep you on your toes as spirits that you thought you vanquished come back for more. (That chick with the broken neck just won't give up!) The backstory is rather convoluted, and piecing together the clues into a coherent narrative can make your head spin, but it's worth it as you gradually realize that what's been happening at the Himura mansion is much, much more disturbing than just ghosts. The game has some puzzle-solving elements, mainly revolving around the unlocking of doors. For instance, take a picture of a locked door and you may see, in the developed photo, a completely different location where you'll need to photograph an elusive ghost to unlock the door. The puzzles aren't too hard, but they will make you think a bit, which is nice.

A couple quick tips. First, fleeing from ghosts is pointless. Not only is Miku's "run" downright pathetic, but the ghosts will float through walls and follow you doggedly until you face them. Better to get the fight over with quickly. Second, save often! There are several save points scattered throughout the mansion. Memorize their locations so you can run to the nearest one after anything important happens. If you get killed, you'll have to repeat everything you just did, and who wants that? Thirdly and very importantly, DON'T WASTE FILM! You'll be surprised at how quickly it vanishes once you've got it. If you run out, you'll have to backtrack and scour the mansion for more rolls of film hidden in drawers and cupboards and the like. If you have no film and you meet a violent ghost, you're basically screwed. I've learned this the hard way -- don't make the same mistake! I don't care how pretty something looks; film should only be used for ghosts and important clues.

How scary you'll find Fatal Frame depends on what frightens you as an individual. Personally, I find the game "fun scary" rather than "keep-me-up-all-night scary," but I imagine that many people will be more affected and choose to play a ghost-free game instead. However, if you enjoy thrills and chills and want a game with an expert design and an innovative combat system, you could do a lot worse than Fatal Frame. I can't wait to get my hands on the sequels.

The Blair Witch Of Japan?

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: February 22, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Himuro Mansion. Humans check in, but they don't check out. Welcome to Hell on Earth, Himuro Mansion, where a 100 year-old curse has claimed the lives of the entire family that once lived there. Most recently a journalist named Junsei Takamine, (man I hate trying to pronounce these Japanese names), goes to the mansion to do research for his latest book along with two partners when they mysteriously disappear. Then Mafuyu Hinasaki, a pupil of Takamine's goes to the mansion to find his mentor...only to disappear as well. The main character is Mafuyu's younger sister Miku, who is now on a mission to find her brother and possibly even end the curse once and for all. Armed with a strange camera called the "Camera Obscura", which has the power to trap ghosts by taking their pictures, Miku travels the haunted halls of Himuro Mansion in search of answers. Being a ghost hunter and a gamer I had to try this title when it came to PS2 and, lo and behold, it became my favorite survival/horror game. The ghosts are pretty scary and they will pop out at you from nowhere. Most ghosts must be defeated while others simply test your speed with the camera. Either way,it's always a heart thumper. The creepiest part of this game though, is that it's supposedly based on a true story, but I'm not sure how accurate that is. It has since spawned two sequels: Fatal Frame II:Crimson Butterfly in which you are no longer confined to a single building but get to scour an entire haunted village, and now Fatal Frame III:The Tormented, which features the return of Miku. The most exciting part however is that Dreamworks is working on a movie adaptation of this popular series. Let's hope it turns out good. Close the curtains, turn out the lights and prepare for a fright fest. But whatever you do, don't play Fatal Frame alone!

its scary when you are going to bed!!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: January 09, 2006
Author: Amazon User

i recently bought a copy of fatal frame and its such a great game and scary too,but only when you are going to sleep(im 13 by the way)the story is about a girl with a 6th sense(can see ghost and has premonitions)that goes to himuro mansion to search for her brother there she discovers that one night a calamity(when a ritual fails)happened and the master of the house killed almost everyone(the ones that didnt die because of the calamity).now for the gameplay:Miku has a camera to shoot down ghost and it can be upgraded to be more powerful(to paralyze ghost or make them slower etc)Miku move so slow that a turtle can outrun her but you will get use to it.the story has 5 long chapters in which you backtrack to do new objectives(it doesnt get boring)i finished the game in 12 hours so its longer than the other games i recently bought(king kong,harry potter 4 and prince of persia 3)the puzzles are simple,light up all the candles,put the dolls or buddha statues where they belong,put the number in the lock to unlock the door and find a talisman and put it in the star (the ones that rockstars use) to unlock the door.the game is very spooky and eerie and if there was more blood and violence it would have been mature but i think it should be mature because of the intense storyline.the graphics are great and the sound too.the ghost are spooky(a girl with a broken neck that follows you backwards because her head is at her back,a women that has no eyes that goes around screaming my eyes,my eyes!!! and the master of the house that has a weird mask that slashes you with a sword are the worst)other than the spooky storyline that keeps me up at night the game is great and i recommend it

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