he game begins with an introduction/tutorial during which the player guides a young man, Mafuyu, through the haunted Himuro Mansion on a quest to find his idol, the paranormal expert and author Junsei Takamine. Once the player has learned the controls and put Mafuyo into a properly risky position, the player permanently takes over the role of Miku, Mafuyo's sister, as she explores the mansion and tries to solve the mystery of what happened to Mafuyo and Takamine while avoiding a hideous death.
Miku finds that taking pictures of the ghosts with her camera banishes them, so she ends up looking at most of the mansion through the camera's lens. The camera jumps to a different angle as ghosts pass just out of the corner of Miku's eye. The graphics have a monochromatic palette, and the force feedback causes the controller to jump when the camera angle jerks or when the monsters jump out at the character. During some of the tense scenes, the force feedback in the controller simulates Miku's heartbeat. Combined with the music and the story, the designers create an eerie and tense mood throughout the game.
It takes more than one picture to destroy each ghost. Some require several before being defeated. The game requires the player to keep the spirit in the camera's viewfinder's focus ring. The camera builds up a charge, the ring turns blue and the Miku snaps a picture. No jumping into a room, guns
a-blazing. Fatal Frame requires calm, steady hands, even as the game is trying to rattle and scare the player. It takes patience and timing to watch a ghost closing in on Miku while waiting for chances to snap the pictures to destroy it. Different types of film produce greater damage, but the basic requirement stays the same: Hold the camera steady on the ghost as it advances.
Picture-perfect paranoia
In Fatal Frame, there is one view for moving around and another for using the camera. Once players are in camera view and fighting the ghosts, they may wish they could be just a little more useful with some of their other digits. A typical combat has the player backing slowly up using the controller's right stick, aiming the camera with the left stick, and taking pictures with
another finger of the right hand. It takes some practice, but it is a good tactic. The ghosts are generally slow and Miku can't back up fast enough to get away, but given the situation, backing up just comes naturally.
The designers have done a nice job of combining the horror elements as Miku tries to piece everything together. The main storyline moves along well, though the beginning is a tad slow. The puzzles are fairly standard and not too difficult. Useful information is littering the mansion—literally—as
are a few items to help players get through the adventure. The camera helps here too, as it is also a window into other times and places. The controller buzzes and the sound rises as Miku approaches an important object. Taking a picture of it reveals eerie lighting effects and the next piece of the
puzzle, such as the location of a key or a sequence of characters. Players should not be afraid to take notes in order to solve the second sort.
There is one thing that may affect American players that probably did not bother Japanese players in the game's original release in that country. Himuro Mansion is a Japanese house. More than once, American players will find themselves staring at some part of the mansion on the screen asking, "Is that a table? Or a dresser?" And then some interaction will take place and the player will realize, "Oh, it's an altar."
My wife did not like the changing between the two different views, but I found the adjustment easy to make. The only complaint I had was the amount of backtracking that solving the puzzles required, but both of us were impressed by how well Fatal Frame establishes and maintains its tense and spooky
mood.
— Eric
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