Fatal Frame III: The Tormented

"The game that proves Fatal Frame stands alone in the horror genre"

Judging from the talk on boards, quite the number of people are as of yet unsure of whether or not this game is worth the time and money, or if it lives up to its predecessors. My answer is yes to all three.

Concept: Bring back the Fatal Frame series with a new nightmare and more playable characters.

Graphics: 10/10

I was actually caught by surprise here. Not only does Tecmo use the PS2's graphics engine to the best of its abilities, they have taken the visual cake in the system's survival horror category. The movie cutscenes are, dare I say it, Final Fantasy X caliber. In game is sound, the environments are realistic as I ever expected them to be. Though for the most point void in the past two entries, every ghost shows a terrifying sense of emotion in their voice and facial expressions.

Sound: 9/10

Maybe this game is meant to be played in surround sound, but I have to say that even in regular stereo the audio of the game is top of the line. Every piece of music sets the mood of the area you're in perfectly, and sets the tension well. Voice acting, in respect to the ghosts, is awesome. However, the main characters have a bit of an echo to them.

Controls: 8/10

Controls in both 3rd and 1st person modes are easy to pick up and for the most part sound. The only real complaint I have here is that the old, "tell her to run up and she runs down" problem is still here. This was a problem, in that if you have very low health and you need to run, the last thing you want is to run into the enemy's loving arms. This was not a frequent problem, only happening to me about twice in the course of the game.

The only big problem I had was the fact that in 1st person mode, there was no way to set the look to an inverted scheme. Those who are used to inverted will have to adjust.

Gameplay: 10/10

Fans of the first two installments will be right at home here. Nothing about the main premise of the game has changed. Creepy environments, ghosts, hair-raising sounds, and tight pants return in perfect form.

Herein lies what helps this series break away from the other two: three main characters. Players start as Rei Kurosawa(no relevance to FF2), a photographer who has just lost her fiancee. She is by far the most well-rounded of the three.

Second in line is the veteran Miku Hinasaki, survivor of the first game. She is Rei's assistant and housemate. Her camera is the strongest of the three.

Third is Kei Amakura. Yes, there is relation to Mio and Mayu Amakura. He is a writer and researcher of anthropology and urban legends. He has the weakest camera, but has the unique ability to hide from ghosts to avoid combat.

There are two 'worlds' to this game: Rei's world, which is her house; the dream world, which is entered through sleep. Most of the game is spent in the nightmare, but I found it awesome the number of little things that could happen with a little exploration of Rei's home at certain points of the game.

The old point system for upgrading the Camera Obscura returns. Several old and new functions, as well as character-specific skills add to a fresh but familiar feeling.

Immersion:10/10

I found that the most enjoyable aspect of the game was learning the stories behind the game's ghosts. Surprisingly, this game is very deep. The personalities of the ghost range from depressed to demented (especially the woman who seems to enjoy nothing save combing her hair.)

As this is a horror game, it is expected to scare you. Simply put, this game does its job and more. I loved every encounter, as well as every event, hidden and planned. This game will make your hair stand. I can't say how much I enjoyed one of those 'take a deep breath of terror' or 'drop the controller' moments.

The thing that surprised me the most was the amount of time it takes to complete the game. On average, the first playthrough takes about twelve hours. But I am glad to say that none of them dampers the experience.

If you had the joy of playing the first two entries, you will see a lot of ties to the games. Miku is the most obvious, but there are binds to the twins of Fatal Frame 2, and even revisits to a few areas of the past games.

Replay Value:10/10

There are all sorts of unlockables available after the game is first completed. New costumes, accessories and camera upgrades are added. Mission mode returns, in its hardest incarnation yet. Even the Ghost List offers hidden treats. I'd say the only thing that could turn a horror gamer off with this game is the length.

All in all, worth every dollar as well as every hour.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/18/05