|
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
Platform: PlayStation
2
|
Fatal
Frame 3: The Tormented
While
the majority of gamers’ attention is usually focused on large breasts
and ninjas in Tecmo’s catalogue of games, it’s important to remember
that the company also has a very good horror series in their arsenal. While Silent Hill and
Resident Evil tend to get more time in the spotlight, Tecmo has released
two Fatal Frame titles, each of which were more than creepy enough to
stand toe-to-toe with Konami and Capcom’s offerings in the genre.
Now Tecmo is working on the third in the series with Fatal Frame
3: The Tormented on the PlayStation 2.
At
the start of the game, players will take on the role of a young
photographer named Rei. Her
life has been far from fun recently, discovering an image of her
dead fiancé in a photo she took at an allegedly haunted house.
Even worse is that for some reason a tattoo of a snake has
started to form on her body. Obviously,
she suddenly has a strange mystery on her hands.
Compounding matters is that she has been suffering from terrible,
frightening dreams of late, but as creepy as they may be, it would
appear that they are giving Rei clues to why the tattoo is coming.
With that, players have to figure out what the heck is going on.
Rei won’t be on her own for this, though, as she will be joined by a couple of her friends as the game progresses. Long time fans of the series will appreciate the inclusion of these two playable characters, since they are in some way connected to previous installments of Fatal |
|
|
Frame.
First we have Miku Hinasaki, the heroine from the original Fatal
Frame, who is now Rei’s assistant, and there is also Kei Amakura, who
happens to be related to Mio and Mayu from Fatal Frame 2.
Like in previous Fatal Frame games, players will make use of the camera obscura in order to take pictures of various ghosts, and unlock Rei’s mysteries. In a lot of ways, Fatal Frame 3 stays very true to the basic concepts found in the two games before it, with players exploring, and fighting apparitions. To help spice things up a bit, the game will be split between the waking |
Advertisement
|
|
|
world and a nightmarish world of dreams.
It’s only by traveling back and forth through these realms
that Rei can find out why she has been so tormented as of late.
In an attempt to help heighten the scariness of Fatal Frame 3, the developers have made a number of adjustments to the game’s visuals. Far more frightening ghost designs have been created, and more importantly, the game’s developers have chosen to focus more time on creepy, unnatural body movement, like that of the eyes, with unnerving stuttering (think The Grudge).
While
Silent Hill and Resident Evil tend to top the genre when it comes to
scary games, it’s nice to see that Tecmo has managed to secure a
dedicated following for their Fatal Frame series.
The series has done a good job of providing a frightening, yet
unique experience to gamers. Hopefully
the series third installment will be able to continue this.
Mr. Nash (September 22, 2005) |
||
|
|
||
