Fatal Frame on Xbox good?
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\/\/olverine
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Fatal Frame on Xbox good?
I'm thinking of renting Fatal Frame on the Xbox (well, buying a used copy at Gamespot and returning it when im finished), has anyone played it? Is it good?
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lildrgn
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Chaz
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Fatal Frame is my favorite horror series of all time, followed closely by Eternal Darkness. I can play these games for a maximum of 45 minutes at a time, in the middle of the afternoon. At night, lights out, sound up, the most I can do at a stretch is 30 minutes. That's not because of anything the game or I impose, it's just that past that point, I can't force myself to go further, the atmosphere is too intense.
What makes the games great is that they rely on teasing you with the threat of something about to eat you. Each ghost you run into is a formidable foe, fully capable of killing you, not just another in the horde of demons or zombies. In Resident Evil or Silent Hill, after a certain point, I'm really not worried about running into most monsters because I've come across them before, and I have some big mean guns to shoot them with. In Fatal Frame, all you've got is that camera, and you know that each ghost you see could kill you.
Which is why the way they tease you is so phenomenal. There are a lot of ghosts that don't actually attack, but that are just there to freak you out, and boy howdy does that work.
MILD SPOILER, MOSTLY FOR ILLUSTRATION
At one point in one of the games (won't say which), you come out of a room into a hallway you've been in before. At the far end of the hallway is a locked cabinet. Except this time, the door is hanging open, and you can see a ghost's head and torso in there. After a second, the door swings shut. When you work up the nerve to go investigate, you open the door, sure the thing's going to jump out at you, but only find a journal entry.
/SPOILER
These games are simply great. If you liked The Ring more than Night of the Living Dead, you should play both games as soon as possible.
What makes the games great is that they rely on teasing you with the threat of something about to eat you. Each ghost you run into is a formidable foe, fully capable of killing you, not just another in the horde of demons or zombies. In Resident Evil or Silent Hill, after a certain point, I'm really not worried about running into most monsters because I've come across them before, and I have some big mean guns to shoot them with. In Fatal Frame, all you've got is that camera, and you know that each ghost you see could kill you.
Which is why the way they tease you is so phenomenal. There are a lot of ghosts that don't actually attack, but that are just there to freak you out, and boy howdy does that work.
MILD SPOILER, MOSTLY FOR ILLUSTRATION
At one point in one of the games (won't say which), you come out of a room into a hallway you've been in before. At the far end of the hallway is a locked cabinet. Except this time, the door is hanging open, and you can see a ghost's head and torso in there. After a second, the door swings shut. When you work up the nerve to go investigate, you open the door, sure the thing's going to jump out at you, but only find a journal entry.
/SPOILER
These games are simply great. If you liked The Ring more than Night of the Living Dead, you should play both games as soon as possible.
I can't imagine, even at my most inebriated, hearing a bouncer offering me an hour with a stripper for only $1,400 and thinking That sounds like a reasonable idea.-Two Sheds
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Chaz
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Both games are self-contained. FF2 is actually a prequel to the first one. I'd say to play both if you can, but if you can only play one, play the second one.
I can't imagine, even at my most inebriated, hearing a bouncer offering me an hour with a stripper for only $1,400 and thinking That sounds like a reasonable idea.-Two Sheds
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Turtle
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Yep, go with the second one, I hear it fixes many annoying problems with the first one.
Like above, I just couldn't take playing the game for long stretches, and doing so would give me nightmares. The game is just that good.
My sister likes scary movies, and she would always watch me play when I fired it up on the PS2. The Xbox version should be nice, since with the hard drive you can save all those spiffy pictures you take.
They've practically mastered the use of the build up, knowing when to actually show you the monster, and when not to.
Like above, I just couldn't take playing the game for long stretches, and doing so would give me nightmares. The game is just that good.
My sister likes scary movies, and she would always watch me play when I fired it up on the PS2. The Xbox version should be nice, since with the hard drive you can save all those spiffy pictures you take.
They've practically mastered the use of the build up, knowing when to actually show you the monster, and when not to.
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triggercut
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Fatal Frame 2 for the Xbox is simply one of the finest console games ever created.
It will scare the living daylights out of you. I've played games with various "scary" themes from Infocom text-adventures (Lurking Horror anyone?) to all three Gabe Knight adventures, to both System Shocks, to the Thief series to varios Resident Evils and Silent Hills.
Fatal Frame 2 for the Xbox is at least as good, if not better, than any of those games. If this kind of thing (haunted houses, ghosts, etc) is the kind of thing that gets under your sking, Fatal Frame will get under your skin like no other piece of entertainment you've ever experienced. The other folks in this forum aren't kidding--there really are a lot of times where you'll need to just put the game away for a while to settle your nerves.
Kudos to the team that developed this for not relying on flying blood and guts to achieve their scares. There are a few scares which are "startle" scares (you open a door and BAM! There's a ghost behind it), but since most other horror games rely on that cheap device to build their tension, the fact that it happens very rarely in Fatal Frame is a godsend. In fact, you keep *expecting* a monster to jump out of the closet so often and not having it happen that it really sets your nerves on edge, and just when you think you're safe...bam! (Peek-a-boo ghost, anyone?)
I've played both games through about twice each. Once I get the urge, I'll be heading back to play again.
Edited to add:
Both games are self-contained. FF2 has a much more forgiving learning curve, and I think it's just a better game anyway. If you like it though, the original won't let you down either.
It will scare the living daylights out of you. I've played games with various "scary" themes from Infocom text-adventures (Lurking Horror anyone?) to all three Gabe Knight adventures, to both System Shocks, to the Thief series to varios Resident Evils and Silent Hills.
Fatal Frame 2 for the Xbox is at least as good, if not better, than any of those games. If this kind of thing (haunted houses, ghosts, etc) is the kind of thing that gets under your sking, Fatal Frame will get under your skin like no other piece of entertainment you've ever experienced. The other folks in this forum aren't kidding--there really are a lot of times where you'll need to just put the game away for a while to settle your nerves.
Kudos to the team that developed this for not relying on flying blood and guts to achieve their scares. There are a few scares which are "startle" scares (you open a door and BAM! There's a ghost behind it), but since most other horror games rely on that cheap device to build their tension, the fact that it happens very rarely in Fatal Frame is a godsend. In fact, you keep *expecting* a monster to jump out of the closet so often and not having it happen that it really sets your nerves on edge, and just when you think you're safe...bam! (Peek-a-boo ghost, anyone?)
I've played both games through about twice each. Once I get the urge, I'll be heading back to play again.
Edited to add:
Both games are self-contained. FF2 has a much more forgiving learning curve, and I think it's just a better game anyway. If you like it though, the original won't let you down either.
"It's my manner, sir. It looks insubordinate, but it isn't, really."
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\/\/olverine
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driver
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