Fatal Frame/Project Zero discussion

[JetBlack]

Yeah, Fatal Frame 2 not only looks scary, but beautiful at the same time....which is so underhanded and sneaky.

But the whole game is about being sinister. In ResEvil I hear the background music of the "save room" and I know I'm safe.

In Silent Hill, I step into a room and the radio goes dead then I know I'm safe.

But in Fatal Frame, if I step into a room and it's quiet I start to sweat. I don't want to move. I don't want to trigger a ghost to fade in and out of the walls, through the floor, down from the ceiling, or up from the water. There is no place safe in Fatal Frame.

And that alone scares me.

[Coopy]

You can pick it up for PS2 at www.play.com in their 2 for ?20 sale



Bargain!

Just have

[Bowser]

Here's an interesting question: I've heard the XBox version has a different ending to the PS2 version. Does anyone know what the differences are?
Also if anyone has managed to complete the game in Nightmare mode, I'm be very grateful to know if the end sequence is extended or altered...

And, yes, it's an excellent excellent game. Bring on the ghost village for Fatal Frame 2.

[Square]

Is anybody here playing the Japanese version, and if so, how English-friendly is it?

[JetBlack]

I played the Japanese version. It is not English friendly. Gamers will need some Japanese skills to get through it.

[Square]

Cheers!

[tiddles]

People have touched on this already, but the thing that really sets Project Zero apart from other survival horror games is the insubstantial nature of the ghosts. Basically, you have to obey the laws of physics (ie. following walls and doors), but they don't, which is a terrifying experience. It also means that any wall/scene could potentially be hiding a ghost at any point, rather than the more basic RE style where zombies etc burst through doors/windows at obviously telegraphed points. I also love the way that there are non-aggressive ghosts which only appear momentarily - these contribute massively to the spooky atmosphere, even though they're not a threat.

Some other thoughts - the game is visually extremely polished, more so in my view than the majority of other Jap survival horror titles. The range and subtlety of the colours and tones used in the game environments is splendid.

Although the control system takes a little bit of getting used to, it's very effective. For me this is the only game that's come up with a good solution to the "fixed camera angles + directional control" problem that you see in games such as Devil May Cry. Put simply, the difficulty is caused when a camera angle changes sharply, and the frame of reference for the direction controls suddenly flips, leading to characters moving in the wrong direction. Project Zero solves this by combining a separate button for "run", which can be held down to keep the character moving in a constant direction, with the camera relative movement controls that avoid fiddly RE-style "rotate and move" setup. It's a simple but elegant solution.

Finally, the camera battle system is polished and has a lot of depth. There's a classic risk/reward element that encourages players to take risks by delaying the picture - the closer the ghost to the player, the more powerful the shot. All sorts of bonuses can be accrued through skilful composition of shots, and then there's the power-up system that provides the ultimate reward for taking high-scoring photos.

There are problems with the game, but nothing that really interferes with the gameplay in a significant way. The biggest downside could be that it's often almost too scary to play!

[Square]

Can anyone outline the differences between the PS2 and Xbox versions? I'm on the cusp of buying this game

[Strider]

If you read the IGN Xbox review it outlines the diffrences, there is apparently extra to unlock, but you apparently have to complete the game a few times first (the third night is killing me).

[marcus]

I find I tend to get cained by numerous ghosts, is the preservation of Herbal remedies and health needed for the third part, and also camera film, or is there enough to be able to progress reasonably well with what is there by default? I have visions of myself using all my health items and getting stuck on some demon rock ghost further down the line..

[marcus]

I finally completed this last night, and in reflection it must rank as one of the best games Ive played in recent years. I love my scary/survival horror styled adventure games and this is right up there with the best of them, including Biohazard and Silent Hill 2 which are my two overall favourites. Few games draw me in so compulsively as this, no sooner had I finished it I began another quest on Nightmare mode (with new costime!!), I really feel the need to rinse every last possibility out of the game. Im yet to try battle mode, I also want to complete Nightmare to unlock Fatal mode whereby Ive been told the graphics alter. The ending wasnt a disappointment, quite unsettling actually I thought.

And now for Fatal Frame 2, more of the same, please

[Square]

And now for Fatal Frame 2, more of the same, please

Has this been officially announced for the Xbox yet?

[Strider]

And now for Fatal Frame 2, more of the same, please

Has this been officially announced for the Xbox yet?

No, although seeing it's Tecmo it's pretty much a given.

Oh, and Marcus, well done mate. If it wasn't for FF CC turning up today, I'd have had another crack at it myself.

[therealjohnpeat]

Just got to put my 10p in here - mainly cos I consider PZ/FF the most atmospheric game I've EVER played - not to mention the scariest!

SH and RE don't scare me in the slightest - but PZ is really, really good at making my skin crawl.

As for the Ringu thing - there's the well in the garden in PZ but one of the screenshots from FF2 has a girl in a white dress with 2 tresses of lank black hair hanging over her face as she crawls towards you - which is a bit of an obvious 'Sadako' thing innit?

Nevertheless, I look forward to it with sheer terror.

JP

[Judge]

I've just finished, and have come away very impressed by the ending. I innitially thought that the premise was a bit wooden, but I was surprised by how much I cared about the characters by the end. That final image of

Kirie bracing her back against the Gate

is going to stay at the back of my mind for quite some time...