Fatal Frame III: The Tormented

"Fatal Frame III: The Tormented stands well on its own in the survival horror genre thanks to its genuinely creepy atmosphere"

The survival horror genre has always been unique but well loved by its fans. Just the simple thought of being scared like one would be when watching a horror movie but actually having to control a character in it made the genre quite popular when classic games like Silent Hill and Resident Evil were released. These sorts of games invoke fear in people by giving them normal people to play as (who don't have powerful weapons or special powers) and throwing them into a terrifying situation where it can be difficult to survive. While the genre is still strong today, it definitely hasn't been on the rise for the past few years, especially since the popular Resident Evil has been shifting its focus from horror to action. This is where the Fatal Frame series came in. The first game which was released in North America on 2002 was noticed by quite a few people because of its odd concept. In order to fight off your enemies, you had to take pictures of them in order to capture their spirits and it was also a bit unique for a survival horror game because it focused more on ghosts instead of the typical zombies and deformed physical creatures. Unfortunately, I never got to own any of the first two Fatal Frame games but after playing through the third one, I can see why it's liked so much by its fans.

Fatal Frame III: The Tormented follows the story of a photographer known as Rei Kurosawa. She's taking photographs of a supposedly haunted manor when suddenly; an image of her dead fiance Yuu appears on one of her photos. She chases him into the manor and ends up in a strange grave courtyard which wasn't there before. She wanders around and ends up seeing ghosts while chasing after Yuu before she ends up back in the real world where she was before. However, she begins to have nightmares every single night where she ends up in that manor full of ghosts. A strange blue tattoo also begins growing larger and larger on her body every time she wakes up. It's up to her to journey deeper into the manor in her dreams to find out what's going on.

A much deeper story is hidden in this game as you begin to find out more about the manor's history as you progress but it's hard to give out more details without spoiling the story. However, the plot is much more complex than what it originally seems like. Almost each one of the ghosts that you encounter has their own story as to why they are so hostile and why they are even ghosts. It also requires a bit of thinking as the story of the game isn't shoved into your face. You are instead required to pick up journals and documents scattered around the manor to find out what really happened to everyone and this style of storytelling is very effective as those who simply want to play the game for the horror can do so, while those who want to immerse themselves into the story can search for different clues. Many survival horror games such as Silent Hill usually don't have the best gameplay so they rely on the story and atmosphere to pull people in and thankfully, Fatal Frame III doesn't skimp out on story.

However, even if a game might have the best storytelling out there, it still needs a good gameplay foundation to hold it up. While Fatal Frame III definitely has a lot of awkward and iffy moments when it comes to controlling your character, it isn't frustrating enough that it gets in the way of the scariness of the game. You eventually get used to the basic controls (which consist of walking around a manor that's just full of changing camera angles). You also begin to eventually spot the usual gameplay elements like solving puzzles and finding keys to open up a door. The main unique gameplay feature in the game that separates it from other survival horror titles is that you have to use a mystical camera to take pictures of ghosts in order to defend yourself. You can't just cower in a corner and take pictures either because you'll probably end up doing really weak damage or your camera won't even detect the ghost at all, instead you have to go up close, let the camera charge, and wait until they're about to attack if you want to deal the maximum damage. This adds a true sense of terror because at many times, you would have taken a picture of the enemy and stopped them right before they killed you. It's also a bit disturbing having to take a close-up picture of their demented faces.

Unfortunately, despite the unique added camera gameplay element, the game still doesn't excel in the gameplay department. It's actually probably its weakest point because it feels really dated and uncomfortable. Many horror games have already moved past the 3rd person perspective with camera angle changes because of how frustrating they could be (many of them moving over to the over the shoulder perspective). This game also suffers because you are constantly switching from one control scheme to another. When viewing the game through the camera, the controls become completely different from how they would be when viewing the game in the field mode which can lead to some frustrating moments near the start of the game as new Fatal Frame players struggle to get used to having two different control schemes at once. While this doesn't necessarily make the gameplay “bad”, it does make it very unwelcoming and dated which brings down the gameplay quite a bit. Thankfully, the controls can be adjusted to and a few hours into the game, they become second nature.

While the gameplay isn't the best, Fatal Frame 3 definitely excels in the graphics department. I was quite stunned with the amount of detail put into each character in the cutscenes and even in-game as they look very clean and realistic. The environments also have a nice drab and musty look which fits very well with the horror theme of the game. It also excels in delivering a creepy atmosphere with its great lighting effects, dark environments, and creepy-looking ghosts. It's quite clear that this game was pushing the PS2 to the limits.

The game does a great job in the audio department as well. While the game doesn't have that much music, that can actually be a good thing as it enhances the desolate atmosphere of the game. Most of the time, you'll just be hearing Rei's footsteps for a long period, only to have a ghost make a loud noise and pop up in front of you randomly which can be really scary in some moments.. This effect definitely wouldn't be as effective if there was some sort of music playing in the background so the lack of music can be forgiven. Other than the music (which there isn't really much of), the game's audio is done extremely well, especially in terms of sound effects. Some floorboards creak when you walk over them, creepy noises that seem to be coming out of nowhere add to the atmosphere of the game, and loud jolting sounds can create some “freak out” moments when you encounter a ghost. The voice acting isn't too bad as the ghosts can sound very menacing and weird whenever they say something like “I won't let you go…” which adds to the terror of the game.

In terms of content and replayability, this game offers quite a lot. The first playthrough of the game can easily last someone 10-15 hours already which is a decent length. There are also two difficulties to choose from at the start with a new harder one unlocked after beating the game once giving those who want a challenge another reason to play. This game is also full of extra content like trailers, unlockable costumes costumes, and new camera upgrades for you to use the second time around so those who loved the game the first time might be inclined to just keep playing.

Fatal Frame III: The Tormented is pretty much a great horror game. Its atmosphere can really scare you together with its spooky sound effects. It's also a game that is definitely worth getting into with its deep tragic story and a good amount of replay value. Even if it might feel a bit dated and frustrating at the start because of its controls, one can easily get used to them which make it not get in the way of what this game is really is. It's an atmospheric and enjoyable horror game.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 08/08/08

Game Release: Fatal Frame III: The Tormented (US, 11/08/05)