So I picked up Fatal Frame

Robert Sharp · 08-07-2006, 01:58 PM

I haven't tried any of these games yet, but my wife and I like scary games, especially the ones like Silent Hill, where you are underpowered.

We won't likely try it until October or late September, to prep for Halloween. My question is this. This is the first game in the series. IIRC, Tom liked the 2nd one best, and others did too. Is this first one still good though? Will it give me a good sense of the second one, or is the second a major improvement? It was only $20 at EB, so I figured it was worth a shot, and it's the XBox version, if that matters.

Alex Dolce · 08-07-2006, 02:05 PM

I found the second one to be much more enjoyable than the first. I completed FF2 while it seems like I barely got started with FF1.

BDGE · 08-07-2006, 02:21 PM

FF1 was a unique and interesting experiment for its time. It also is filled with backtracking, obtuse puzzles, and well...lots of backtracking. Not to say it isn't worth playing as it is can be often frightening and intense, but you might be better off jumping straight into the second or third game.

Jab2565 · 08-07-2006, 02:41 PM

The first one is the only one I finshed, I don't know how far I got into the
2nd one, but I found it harder to figure out where to go with the whole village concept.

Does the xbox version of FF have more stuff in it? I know the xbox version of FF2 does.

TomChick · 08-07-2006, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert Sharp

IIRC, Tom liked the 2nd one best, and others did too.

No no no. Fatal Frame 2 is okay, but forget Fatal Frames 1 & 2. Just jump to Fatal Frame 3 and don't read anything about it. Seriously.

In fact, stop reading this thread because I suspect pfreak is going to be an asshole again and post spoilers like he did Chibi-Robo in the Gamecube thread.

-Tom

Crispus · 08-07-2006, 03:32 PM

I played through the first Fatal Frame a few months ago, and enjoyed it thoroughly...easily the best "haunted house" I've experienced in a video game. The second game encompasses an entire village instead of a house, I think. Dunno about the third.

The first one got a little tough near the end, though. I've heard the later ones are easier in that regard.

Robert Sharp · 08-07-2006, 03:48 PM

Actually, I was looking for some of those Gamecube gems, but they didn't have Chibi-Robo (I didn't read the spoiler) or Baten Kaitos. They did have Kirby's Airride, which I almost got on Bob's recommendation. So many games to play.....

Instead I picked up:

Mercenaries (still haven't played it, and want to blow things up!)
Burnout 3 (tried it already...cool game!)
Fatal Frame (apparently, it's rare now, and they had a copy, so I snagged it while I could)

Moggraider · 08-07-2006, 04:12 PM

Baten Kaitos is easily had on Ebay or Amazon, and the prequel will be out this fall. By all reports (including Kitsune's), it's excellent. I can't wait.

triggercut · 08-07-2006, 05:00 PM

My take, having played all three Fatal Frame games on both platforms (obviously FF3 is PS2 only):

FF1 is a nifty game, and it'll scare the Henry outta you. That said, there's a little too much Resident Evil in it for my taste. See, in the RE series, managing your ammo, meds, and other stuff is an integral part of the game. It adds to the tension of the game itself.

In Fatal Frame, you want n-o-t-h-i-n-g to detract from what's happening between your character and the action on the screen. Worrying over "ammo" (in this case film) and powerups and meds took away from things. Also, the first version can be very unforgiving at times with the controls.

FF2 is altogether wonderful. You'll always have plenty of ammo, so no worries there. Just get lost in a wonderfully scary story, a creepy-as-hell atmosphere, and get ready for the scare of your gaming lifetime. The controls are much more forgiving, letting it be you versus the world, without having to worry about petty "gaming" stuff too much. The way FF2 is done, the whole real world falls away and you get almost too absorbed in the action onscreen, to the point that a lot of us had to turn the damn thing off and take a break and chill out for a while during play.

As for FF3--words fail me. I cannot describe it without giving away everything, but it might be one of the finest examples of horror entertainment in any media (movies, books, whatever) in recent memory. Worth eventually snagging a PS2 cheap for, just to play.

triggercut · 08-07-2006, 05:01 PM

The Xbox version of FF1 has much, much better graphics than the PS2. The graphical difference between the PS2 and Xbox versions of FF2 are less pronounced, but still part of the package. FF2 Xbox gives you the super-creepy FPS mode to play in though, making it essential if you like this genre.

Kevin McGuire · 08-07-2006, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomChick

In fact, stop reading this thread because I suspect pfreak is going to be an asshole again and post spoilers like he did Chibi-Robo in the Gamecube thread.

Amen to that. Jesus christ, I'm reading a thread about good GC games I might have missed and then -wham- spoiler out of nowhere. I hate stuff like that.

As to Fatal Frame, loved all of them. The first game is a bit rougher as the designers were just getting started with the genre, but in terms of atmosphere, plot, and a great sense of place (which is I guess atmosphere, more or less); I thought it was a win. I also thought the folklore part of the game was stronger on Fatal Frame One than the games that followed. Definitely worth it for me, and I'm planning to play all three games back to back when I get a little time. I was hoping to do it this summer, and make it My Summer of Terror, but now we're into August, so I don't know if that's going to happen.

Robert Sharp · 08-07-2006, 05:41 PM

Wow. Sounds like it's worth playing all three then! I look forward to it.

Midnight Son · 08-07-2006, 06:01 PM

What's this about? Lethal Bowling?

Angrycoder · 08-07-2006, 06:11 PM

so can Fatal Frame 3 be enjoyed on its own if you haven't played the other 2?

triggercut · 08-07-2006, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Angrycoder

so can Fatal Frame 3 be enjoyed on its own if you haven't played the other 2?

Absolutely. There are a few references made to the other two in FF3, but they really are in no way integral to the plot.

Angrycoder · 08-07-2006, 06:22 PM

cool, you and tom definately sold me. I played the first one but pussed out half way through.

Thomas Wilde · 08-07-2006, 06:56 PM

The original Fatal Frame is most notable in my mind for being the hardest of the series so far. I usually recommend that people take the first couple of chapters as a "dry run," to master the system and get a feel for how to play it; you need to take good photos, not just fire off snapshots like you're wielding the pistol in RE, or you will run out of ammo just in time for the Chapter 4 subboss to hammer you into the ground.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Angrycoder

so can Fatal Frame 3 be enjoyed on its own if you haven't played the other 2?

Well... a lot of the game draws on the plot and history established in the first two games. I think it'd still be scary as hell if you hadn't played the first two, but the plot would mean more to you if you had.

TomChick · 08-07-2006, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thomas Wilde

Well... a lot of the game draws on the plot and history established in the first two games. I think it'd still be scary as hell if you hadn't played the first two, but the plot would mean more to you if you had.

Pshaw. There are a few reference in FF3, but nothing that's going to have you scratching your head wondering what's going on. FF3 was clearly designed as a standalone game, with a few nods thrown in to folks who played the previous games.

So to answer Angrycoder's question, FF3 can absolutely be enjoyed on its own. If you're new to the series, I wouldn't bother with the previous games. Besides, I think the 10+ hours of FF3 are actually going to be better if you're coming at them fresh without having done the same sort of stuff for 20+ hours in FF1 and FF2.

I guess it comes down to your priority. Do you want the best ten hours of horror gaming you can get, short of climbing into a time machine and going back to when Silent Hill 1 wasn't butt-ugly retro? Then just go straight to Fatal Frame III.

-Tom

Angrycoder · 08-07-2006, 07:08 PM

wow tom, you are quite the salesman. You should write for a magazine or something :)

Alex Dolce · 08-07-2006, 07:31 PM

Actually, I'm reminded that it wasn't FF2 that I enjoyed. It was FF3. I don't think I ever actually even played FF2, after being so disappointed with FF1. FF3, however, is great. Tom turned me on to it and I'll give him my thanks for it again today.

Gary Whitta · 08-07-2006, 07:32 PM

Fatal Frame 2 scared the bejezus out of me. Even the pause mode fucks with your head.

BDGE · 08-07-2006, 07:33 PM

I played a couple chapters of FF3 on Tom's recommendation a couple months back. Seemed really interesting and even having not played FF2, and barely recalling much of FF1, I was following along just fine. There definately are some obvious references I couldn't pick up on relating to FF2(I'd just assume, scattered notes and stuff), but nothing outrageous.

I should really get back to that one, even though the game was slightly spoiled to me in a thread way back, I'm intrigued to actually see what I know occurs unfold.

Damn this BFME2 addiction!

Alex Dolce · 08-07-2006, 07:36 PM

Horror is a pretty neglected genre in gaming, and as in movies and books, almost everything produced in it is terrible beyond words.

That said, a few horror games that I have enjoyed through the years are: Shadow of the Comet, Clive Barker's Undying, Nocturne, Blair Witch Part One, Fatal Frame 3, Eternal Darkness, Alone in the Dark, System Shock 2, and Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth.

There may be a few more on there from my early days, but that's all that come to mind at the moment.

BDGE · 08-07-2006, 07:41 PM

Thief 3 may not be horror, but Shalebridge Cradle scared the bejeezus out of me.

Alex Dolce · 08-07-2006, 07:42 PM

You're right. I'd add Thief 3 to my list for a number of reasons, with Shalebridge being right at the top.

unbongwah · 02-26-2008, 09:12 AM

Didn't find a more recent Fatal Frame thread to bump.

According to CAG, GameQuestDirect has reprinted Fatal Frame 2 (PS2) and Fatal Frame 3; they'll be available for order this Thursday. A coupon code will be available from CAG next Monday: doesn't say yet for how much.

triggercut · 02-26-2008, 09:23 AM

Fatal Frame 3 had an incredibly limited stateside release. I picked up a copy on release day, and a month later it was showing up as out of print from Gamestop.

I'll say it right now: FF3 might be the most ingeniously frightening and perfectly perpetrated bit of scary entertainment ever unleashed. It isn't just the "what" part of scary--it's *how* they do the scary that takes this to levels of throw down the controller, flip on the lights and walk around the room shaking your head saying "no way no way no WAY".

Lizard_King · 02-26-2008, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unbongwah

Didn't find a more recent Fatal Frame thread to bump.

According to CAG, GameQuestDirect has reprinted Fatal Frame 2 (PS2) and Fatal Frame 3; they'll be available for order this Thursday. A coupon code will be available from CAG next Monday: doesn't say yet for how much.

Great, I missed that when it came out the first time. 49$ seems a bit steep, but Eternal Darkness has got me interested in less than cutting edge horror games all over again. Hopefully I'll remember when it's time to order it.

Jab2565 · 02-26-2008, 10:12 AM

That's great, is the reprint price going to be $50 though? Was hoping that they would reprint FF1 as well, I haven't seen a copy of any of the Fatal Frame games in a long time.

Lizard_King · 02-26-2008, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pfreak

That's great, is the reprint price going to be $50 though? Was hoping that they would reprint FF1 as well, I haven't seen a copy of any of the Fatal Frame games in a long time.

That's what it says in the cheap ass link, along with announcing the FF2 reprint.

Both FF1 and FF2 are pretty reasonably priced for the 360 (used), and both seem to be compatible with the NTSC 360. So there's always that if you don't want to pay 50$ for a used PS2 game.

08-07-2006, 01:58 PM	#1
Robert Sharp World's End Supernova Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: somewhere in OH gamertag: bobertchin Posts: 16,194	So I picked up Fatal Frame I haven't tried any of these games yet, but my wife and I like scary games, especially the ones like Silent Hill, where you are underpowered. We won't likely try it until October or late September, to prep for Halloween. My question is this. This is the first game in the series. IIRC, Tom liked the 2nd one best, and others did too. Is this first one still good though? Will it give me a good sense of the second one, or is the second a major improvement? It was only $20 at EB, so I figured it was worth a shot, and it's the XBox version, if that matters.

08-07-2006, 02:05 PM	#2
Alex Dolce Spinning Toe Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 884	I found the second one to be much more enjoyable than the first. I completed FF2 while it seems like I barely got started with FF1.

08-07-2006, 02:21 PM	#3
BDGE Social Worker Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Chicago, IL. Gamertag: No Depth Posts: 2,968	FF1 was a unique and interesting experiment for its time. It also is filled with backtracking, obtuse puzzles, and well...lots of backtracking. Not to say it isn't worth playing as it is can be often frightening and intense, but you might be better off jumping straight into the second or third game.

08-07-2006, 02:41 PM	#4
Jab2565 New Romantic Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 6,726	The first one is the only one I finshed, I don't know how far I got into the 2nd one, but I found it harder to figure out where to go with the whole village concept. Does the xbox version of FF have more stuff in it? I know the xbox version of FF2 does.

08-07-2006, 03:32 PM	#6
Crispus Spinning Toe Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Illinois Posts: 656	I played through the first Fatal Frame a few months ago, and enjoyed it thoroughly...easily the best "haunted house" I've experienced in a video game. The second game encompasses an entire village instead of a house, I think. Dunno about the third. The first one got a little tough near the end, though. I've heard the later ones are easier in that regard.

08-07-2006, 03:48 PM	#7
Robert Sharp World's End Supernova Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: somewhere in OH gamertag: bobertchin Posts: 16,194	Actually, I was looking for some of those Gamecube gems, but they didn't have Chibi-Robo (I didn't read the spoiler) or Baten Kaitos. They did have Kirby's Airride, which I almost got on Bob's recommendation. So many games to play..... Instead I picked up: Mercenaries (still haven't played it, and want to blow things up!) Burnout 3 (tried it already...cool game!) Fatal Frame (apparently, it's rare now, and they had a copy, so I snagged it while I could)

08-07-2006, 04:12 PM	#8
Moggraider Social Worker Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: PSN: Moggraider GFWL: MoggBerserker Posts: 4,793	Baten Kaitos is easily had on Ebay or Amazon, and the prequel will be out this fall. By all reports (including Kitsune's), it's excellent. I can't wait.

08-07-2006, 05:00 PM	#9
triggercut New Romantic Join Date: May 2003 Location: Washington DC Posts: 5,844	My take, having played all three Fatal Frame games on both platforms (obviously FF3 is PS2 only): FF1 is a nifty game, and it'll scare the Henry outta you. That said, there's a little too much Resident Evil in it for my taste. See, in the RE series, managing your ammo, meds, and other stuff is an integral part of the game. It adds to the tension of the game itself. In Fatal Frame, you want n-o-t-h-i-n-g to detract from what's happening between your character and the action on the screen. Worrying over "ammo" (in this case film) and powerups and meds took away from things. Also, the first version can be very unforgiving at times with the controls. FF2 is altogether wonderful. You'll always have plenty of ammo, so no worries there. Just get lost in a wonderfully scary story, a creepy-as-hell atmosphere, and get ready for the scare of your gaming lifetime. The controls are much more forgiving, letting it be you versus the world, without having to worry about petty "gaming" stuff too much. The way FF2 is done, the whole real world falls away and you get almost too absorbed in the action onscreen, to the point that a lot of us had to turn the damn thing off and take a break and chill out for a while during play. As for FF3--words fail me. I cannot describe it without giving away everything, but it might be one of the finest examples of horror entertainment in any media (movies, books, whatever) in recent memory. Worth eventually snagging a PS2 cheap for, just to play.

08-07-2006, 05:01 PM	#10
triggercut New Romantic Join Date: May 2003 Location: Washington DC Posts: 5,844	The Xbox version of FF1 has much, much better graphics than the PS2. The graphical difference between the PS2 and Xbox versions of FF2 are less pronounced, but still part of the package. FF2 Xbox gives you the super-creepy FPS mode to play in though, making it essential if you like this genre.

08-07-2006, 05:41 PM	#12
Robert Sharp World's End Supernova Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: somewhere in OH gamertag: bobertchin Posts: 16,194	Wow. Sounds like it's worth playing all three then! I look forward to it.

08-07-2006, 06:01 PM	#13
Midnight Son How To Go Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Dukov's place. Posts: 13,791	What's this about? Lethal Bowling?

08-07-2006, 06:11 PM	#14
Angrycoder Neo Acoustic Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 1,912	so can Fatal Frame 3 be enjoyed on its own if you haven't played the other 2?

08-07-2006, 06:22 PM	#16
Angrycoder Neo Acoustic Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 1,912	cool, you and tom definately sold me. I played the first one but pussed out half way through.

08-07-2006, 07:08 PM	#19
Angrycoder Neo Acoustic Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 1,912	wow tom, you are quite the salesman. You should write for a magazine or something :)

08-07-2006, 07:31 PM	#20
Alex Dolce Spinning Toe Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 884	Actually, I'm reminded that it wasn't FF2 that I enjoyed. It was FF3. I don't think I ever actually even played FF2, after being so disappointed with FF1. FF3, however, is great. Tom turned me on to it and I'll give him my thanks for it again today.

08-07-2006, 07:32 PM	#21
Gary Whitta How To Go Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: San Francisco, CA X360 & PS3 gamertag: Whitta Posts: 11,748	Fatal Frame 2 scared the bejezus out of me. Even the pause mode fucks with your head.

08-07-2006, 07:33 PM	#22
BDGE Social Worker Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Chicago, IL. Gamertag: No Depth Posts: 2,968	I played a couple chapters of FF3 on Tom's recommendation a couple months back. Seemed really interesting and even having not played FF2, and barely recalling much of FF1, I was following along just fine. There definately are some obvious references I couldn't pick up on relating to FF2(I'd just assume, scattered notes and stuff), but nothing outrageous. I should really get back to that one, even though the game was slightly spoiled to me in a thread way back, I'm intrigued to actually see what I know occurs unfold. Damn this BFME2 addiction!

08-07-2006, 07:36 PM	#23
Alex Dolce Spinning Toe Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 884	Horror is a pretty neglected genre in gaming, and as in movies and books, almost everything produced in it is terrible beyond words. That said, a few horror games that I have enjoyed through the years are: Shadow of the Comet, Clive Barker's Undying, Nocturne, Blair Witch Part One, Fatal Frame 3, Eternal Darkness, Alone in the Dark, System Shock 2, and Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth. There may be a few more on there from my early days, but that's all that come to mind at the moment.

08-07-2006, 07:41 PM	#24
BDGE Social Worker Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Chicago, IL. Gamertag: No Depth Posts: 2,968	Thief 3 may not be horror, but Shalebridge Cradle scared the bejeezus out of me.

08-07-2006, 07:42 PM	#25
Alex Dolce Spinning Toe Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 884	You're right. I'd add Thief 3 to my list for a number of reasons, with Shalebridge being right at the top.

02-26-2008, 09:12 AM	#26
unbongwah New Romantic Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Somewhere sekrit near Washington, DC Posts: 7,998	Didn't find a more recent Fatal Frame thread to bump. According to CAG, GameQuestDirect has reprinted Fatal Frame 2 (PS2) and Fatal Frame 3; they'll be available for order this Thursday. A coupon code will be available from CAG next Monday: doesn't say yet for how much.

02-26-2008, 09:23 AM	#27
triggercut New Romantic Join Date: May 2003 Location: Washington DC Posts: 5,844	Fatal Frame 3 had an incredibly limited stateside release. I picked up a copy on release day, and a month later it was showing up as out of print from Gamestop. I'll say it right now: FF3 might be the most ingeniously frightening and perfectly perpetrated bit of scary entertainment ever unleashed. It isn't just the "what" part of scary--it's how they do the scary that takes this to levels of throw down the controller, flip on the lights and walk around the room shaking your head saying "no way no way no WAY".

02-26-2008, 10:12 AM	#29
Jab2565 New Romantic Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 6,726	That's great, is the reprint price going to be $50 though? Was hoping that they would reprint FF1 as well, I haven't seen a copy of any of the Fatal Frame games in a long time.

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So I picked up Fatal Frame