Random Gameplay 45: Fatal Frame (PS2 Version)

I had no idea how good of a game I was getting when I picked this one, ha ha! It sucked me in like a vacuum busts dust!

Fatal Frame's gameplay is primarily survival horror with a bit of puzzle mixed in. As you make progress, things change in rooms you visited before so don't think you're backtracking when you seemingly have to backtrack. ;) Along the way you also have visions of events that happened in the past as well as find all sorts of things to tell the story of what went down in the mansion. It's a heck of a tricky game to 100% though thanks to those one-time harmless ghosts you come across (forcing save file restarts if you fail to get them and some are really quick) and the fact that getting them requires you to use ammo from your only line of defense against the ghosts: your camera.

This series has had a heck of a lot of localization issues in recent years. Namely because they have no idea how well they'll sell because they never sold all that well. ( http://nintendoeverything.com/image-japanese-fatal-frame-sales-comparison/ )Fatal Frame 4/Mask of the Lunar Eclipse never came here yet ended up being the best selling title in the series at a estimated 74,000 copies, Fatal Frame 5/Maiden Of Black Water was download only as it was less risky than making a bunch of copies and them collecting dust on store shelves... Which is too bad. I mean yeah I know they're definitely not what the mainstream looks for in a game, but dang... I wish more people gave them a shot as I think they'd like their really unique experience and gameplay!

There was a spinoff for the 3DS too called "Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir" that played out in YOUR home via augmented reality of the 3DS's camera to capture ghosts and in between doing so scanning things in the game's instruction book (meaning that you cannot play it without the book). But it got really mixed reviews which probably didn't help localization matters. I'm tempted to get that one just to see for myself though because it is a really neat concept.

.... and dang that Stowfish!

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Enjoy!