Fatal Frame run down

Fatal Frame might be a series known only to dedicated horror fans but it is steadily growing interest with the announcement of Fatal Frame 4 on Wii.

But there is more to these games than gorgeous girls, ancient cameras and atmospheric horror. Beyond that is a series with a beautiful plot, innovative gameplay, frightening enemies and more extras than you can fill a pool with.

[Don't let her good looks fool you. She offers some of the most frightening Fatal Frame moments]

Name: Fatal Frame
"I wonder how long it's been since my brother and I started to see things other people can't see."

Sweet faced college student Miku enters the haunted Himuro Mansion to look for her missing brother Mafuyu. Armed with only a flashlight, Miku searches throughout Himuro Mansion, which has a long history of bloodshed, curses, and horrific rituals. She later finds an odd camera that Mafuyu had brought with him into the mansion
During her time in the mansion Miku sees various apparitions of her missing brother Mafuyu. What could this mean?

Little does she realize that by entering the house Miku has stirred the long resting spirits - and they aren't happy about their intruder. The main antagonist is the mad Kirie, who stalks Miku throughout the game in an attempt to kill her.

You will never guess the connection between Kirie and Miku's brother, Mafuyu. All is revealed in the final fight.

[Its almost cruel to put such an innocent girl through such torture]

Pros: Being the first game in the series FF1 brought a new terror to the survival horror genre. Rather than being armed with powerful weapons and endless items, Miku has only a camera to defend herself against ghastly spectres and vengeful spirits. Some may be put off by this idea and call it 'silly' but it's a gameplay feature that must be given a chance as it is innvative and, most importantly, frightening. Having to bring the aging camera up into first-person mode, and then focus in your shots face-to-face with the ghouls themselves, can create some terrifyingly too-close-for-comfort situations that will leave you shaking in your boots. This sort of thing rarely appears in survival horror games.

Cons: Although good at the time, the graphics are now a tad outdated. It would be hard for newcomers to take some parts of the game seriously as they can come off as funny instead of scary. Controls are slightly rigid though nothing a Silent Hill fan wouldn't be used to. Voice acting is another issue. English actors tring to sound Japanese. Need I say more?

[Escaping enemies is not always an easy task]

Name: Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly
"Didn't we promise each other… that we would always be together?… for ever"

Gorgeous twin sisters Mio and Mayu are visiting a childhood play spot when Mayu follows a mysterious 'crimson butterfly' deep into the woods. Mio follows Mayu and the two girls are led to a lost village. They soon realize they are trapped within the village and must do anything to escape before they are killed by the vengeful spirits who seek two twins to sacrifice in an ancient ritual.

This game has one of the most shocking and unexpected endings you will ever see.

[Behold FF2's insane and sadistic antagonist]

Pros: FF2 improved on everything from FF1 and is arguably considered the best game in the series. Better graphics, plot, controls, and scares have made it a favorite amongst fans. It is also the easiest game to get into which makes it the most welcoming Fatal Frame for newcomers too.

FF2 also introduced the series' iconic villain; The Kusabi. Once a man who accidentally stumbled into the lost village, he was captured and tortured by cult members then thrown into a pit to please the cultist's so called 'Devil'. Distraught with the pain he had suffered, the Kusabi returned as a deformed and vengeful spirit hell bent on causing as much pain to others as he had beared. His chosen victim: Mio.

[Whatever you do, don't look down]

Cons: Mayu was injured as a child and as a result she walks with a limp. Why is this a con, you ask? In the instances where Mio and Mayu are together, you must protect Mayu from the ghosts that attack her (think Ashley and Leon in RE4). These protection missions frustrate gamers most of the time but imagine if your 'charge' had a perpetual limp and an aggravating dependancy on you. You can not outrun the enemies due to Mayu's limp so you must either fight every enemy you encounter or try to escape at an agonizingly slow pace so Mayu can keep up with you. Now you see what I am getting at? Fortunately Mio and Mayu aren't together for a large majority of the game so it isn't something to worry about.

[FF3's attention to detail added a new element of horror]

Name: Fatal Frame 3: The Tormented

23 year old Rei has recently lost her fiancé Yuu in a tragic car accident. In order to get her mind off of him, Rei focuses on he rhobby of photography and enjoys taking pictures of abandoned old houses. After developing the pictures one day she discovers that one of them is of Yuu. Determined to find out what is happening, Rei returns to the house where she took the photo, only to discover that something had changed. The house had warped into a nightmarish world known as the "Manor of Sleep". Soon Rei can't tell what is real and what is a dream as her nightmares soon mix with reality. It's up to you to help Rei survive her dreams long enough until sunrise.

[Always watch your back]

Pros: Graphics and visuals are beautiful. Once again gameplay is improved and this time multiple characters are playable including FF1's Miku and newcomer Kei. Other familiar faces return as homage to previous games.

Over 300 ghosts appear as enemies and all of them have a story behind them. Yes. Every single one. It might sound tedious when written down but in actuality it adds to the plot beautifully.
Note: Male gamers will also be glad to know that Rei spends many a scene contemplating her unfortunate situation while in the shower.

Cons: Mildly confusing plot. The three separate playable characters each have separate stories so it can be easy to forget what is going on in Rei's story if you have been playing as Miku or Kei for hours.

[With Tecmo's obvious effort to push the Wii's capabilities it would be a tragedy for the company if FF4 flopped.]

Name: Fatal Frame 4

Little is known about the new Wii title however the series is making some changes to attract a broader audience. Western themes and characters have been included for Western audiences, and Nintendo and Suda 51 are hoping to make the series even more appealling in an attemp to gain the attention of other horror fans and Wii owners.

next week: most memorable fatal frame moments