By the time Fatal Frame II released survival-horror conventions were well established: creepy settings, numerous locked doors, funny-shaped keys to unlock said doors, convoluted narratives, and lots of backtracking. Tecmo’s foray into this genre clutches to these very conventions like a frightened child to her mommy, while at the same time throwing the finger to anyone brave enough to criticize her for it. While the format is familiar to the seasoned horror gamer, it is undeniable that this ends up being one of the classics of the genre, and is still creepy eight years after its release.
Players are introduced to the game via a short cut-scene in which twin sisters Mio and Mayu are running headlong through a forest. Mayu begins to lag behind slightly, and eventually falls down a slope, leaving Mio scared and alone, wondering what to do. This is where things take on the familiar “wait…what’s going on?” vibe as the two girls are instantly back together, and approaching a tiny, uninhabited village. As exploration ensues the player is filled in on what happened at the village (surprise! there was a ritual!) through scattered diaries, notes, old-school film reels, and the interesting Spirit Stones which provide minimal (albeit creepy) voice recordings when used in the aptly named Spirit Stone Radio. Pieces of the narrative fall together fairly nicely, provided you read everything you pick up. The only problem is that occasionally a note or diary entry is picked up out of order, making it seem like you're trying to read the script to Pulp Fiction. It can make for a confusing read, though this added confusion does serve to emulate what Mio and Mayu must be experiencing.
And what they are experiencing is downright scary! Sure, this game is roughly eight years old, and the character models have the whole "jaggy" effect that was commonplace with consoles of last generation; but in a dark room, alone, and with some decent surround sound this game still gave me both sudden scares, as well as that all-important feeling of despair that all decent horror games exude. The small village, both inside the many houses and out, is nicely detailed and complemented with the occasional ghost appearance. You definitely have to dispatch some of these ghosts, but there are many that are simply scattered about, continuing the activities of their past lives. I never knew when one might appear right in front of me, or to the side of the screen; and the simple fact that I knew of the inevitability of these encounters caused me to see things that were never even there. It's brilliant that a game can be so unnerving that it doesn't even have to scare you intentionally.
And speaking of intentional scares - the combat is also quite good at making you squirm in your seat, at least until you get a grip on the controls, upgrade your camera via easy to find Spirit Stones, and learn the movements of your spectral foes. This was my first encounter with the Camera Obscura, and once I realized that I would be forced to stand (almost) still as the game's ghouls meandered towards me I thought to myself, "That is freaking awesome!". In other standards of the genre (Resident Evil, Silent Hill...) you always received a gun or something sharp or blunt to rage at your attackers; but this game required me to stand helpless with a camera as I awaited my doom - but, not so much, as I eventually learned. There are only a handful of enemy types, and once I learned their hotspots for attacking and had to kill them over and over, the scare factor dropped immensely and made me anxious for the end of each battle so I could move on to the next creepy room. Also detracting from the overall scariness was the fact that I regularly had ten to twenty healing items in my inventory at all times. Fear of death was never an issue (despite the usual stupid mistake), and this was a shame. Also of note are the numerous instances of backtracking through the same few houses, as well as the frustrating camera work in which angles would shift so suddenly that losing my orientation was a common experience. These last two are traits common to the genre, but they are so prevalent here that I feel they are worth mentioning.
On the upside, Fatal Frame II has a nice, minimalist soundtrack that suites the dreary setting, and sound effects that will make your skin crawl. A highlight for me was when Mayu would chime in with her eerily detached, small voice with something like: "It's cold in here," or "I think somebody's here,". This was but one of many small touches the developers threw in to constantly keep players on the edges of their seats.
Despite its eventually stale combat system and other, small issues, I have to agree with the sentiment I've heard over and over about this game - it is one of the best entries in the survival horror genre, and must be played by anyone with a love for a good scare. I may have played it eight years late, but I think the game still looks good, sounds good, and feels...well, creepy as hell. Obtain a copy of this increasingly hard-to-find game any way you can. You will not be sorry.
And what they are experiencing is downright scary! Sure, this game is roughly eight years old, and the character models have the whole "jaggy" effect that was commonplace with consoles of last generation; but in a dark room, alone, and with some decent surround sound this game still gave me both sudden scares, as well as that all-important feeling of despair that all decent horror games exude. The small village, both inside the many houses and out, is nicely detailed and complemented with the occasional ghost appearance. You definitely have to dispatch some of these ghosts, but there are many that are simply scattered about, continuing the activities of their past lives. I never knew when one might appear right in front of me, or to the side of the screen; and the simple fact that I knew of the inevitability of these encounters caused me to see things that were never even there. It's brilliant that a game can be so unnerving that it doesn't even have to scare you intentionally.
And speaking of intentional scares - the combat is also quite good at making you squirm in your seat, at least until you get a grip on the controls, upgrade your camera via easy to find Spirit Stones, and learn the movements of your spectral foes. This was my first encounter with the Camera Obscura, and once I realized that I would be forced to stand (almost) still as the game's ghouls meandered towards me I thought to myself, "That is freaking awesome!". In other standards of the genre (Resident Evil, Silent Hill...) you always received a gun or something sharp or blunt to rage at your attackers; but this game required me to stand helpless with a camera as I awaited my doom - but, not so much, as I eventually learned. There are only a handful of enemy types, and once I learned their hotspots for attacking and had to kill them over and over, the scare factor dropped immensely and made me anxious for the end of each battle so I could move on to the next creepy room. Also detracting from the overall scariness was the fact that I regularly had ten to twenty healing items in my inventory at all times. Fear of death was never an issue (despite the usual stupid mistake), and this was a shame. Also of note are the numerous instances of backtracking through the same few houses, as well as the frustrating camera work in which angles would shift so suddenly that losing my orientation was a common experience. These last two are traits common to the genre, but they are so prevalent here that I feel they are worth mentioning.
On the upside, Fatal Frame II has a nice, minimalist soundtrack that suites the dreary setting, and sound effects that will make your skin crawl. A highlight for me was when Mayu would chime in with her eerily detached, small voice with something like: "It's cold in here," or "I think somebody's here,". This was but one of many small touches the developers threw in to constantly keep players on the edges of their seats.
Despite its eventually stale combat system and other, small issues, I have to agree with the sentiment I've heard over and over about this game - it is one of the best entries in the survival horror genre, and must be played by anyone with a love for a good scare. I may have played it eight years late, but I think the game still looks good, sounds good, and feels...well, creepy as hell. Obtain a copy of this increasingly hard-to-find game any way you can. You will not be sorry.
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