Fans of the often bypassed survival horror genre of gaming have had a lot to be grateful for this past year. Clock Tower 3 and Silent Hill 3 made this year an exceptional treat in my opinion. As 2003 comes to a close, Tecmo has graced us with the perfect way to round out the year; Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly. So it's time to dim the office lights and prepare to hear some of the GS Staff scream like a bunch of girls.
Set well before the events of the first Fatal Frame, I wouldn't call this a true sequel. It's more of a prequel, giving you a little more insight into the adventure and the purpose of the ever powerful Camera Obscura. As the game opens, you join twin sisters Mio and Mayu as they cruise the sights of a forest on the back end of the Japanese countryside. As they relax by a stream, we're treated to a sweep of flashbacks regarding an incident during their youth which resulted in the permanently scarring injury that now leaves Mayu with a limp in her step. As they play the "remember when" game, Mayu becomes entranced with a crimson butterfly (hence the title) as it quietly flutters in the distance. Without a thought she begins to follow the butterfly into the forest as Mio gives chase. You would think Mio wouldn't have to run considering Mayu walks with a limp. But then again, how could we get to the horror without some sort of frantic chase? Regardless, as she zooms by a strangely craved stone tablet, we're suddenly thrown into the dead of night as both of them overlook an eerily abandoned village. Woe to those of you with faint hearts, you may want to turn the lights on at this point if you don't think you can hang. We're about to get started.
Now unlike most survival horror games and much like its predecessor, Fatal Frame 2 would rather scare the hell out of you with what you don't see instead of some zombie jumping out to take a bite. I think leaving the players mind to scare itself is a much more interesting twist. It does a much better job of getting the heart pumping if you ask me. But even more intriguing is that this game isn't as predictable as you might think. Sporting a small crop of fresh characters, a far more thrilling plot, and a number of hidden challenges, this is a great way to ring in the end of the year. Not only that, Crimson Butterfly uses a unique blend of imagery, flashbacks, a chilling soundtrack, and encounters viewed through the eyes of multiple people to give players that chill one gets when you're watching one of those really good horror movies in the dark on a quiet evening. Right at the start I'm reminded of that movie The Ring or a number of other Japanese horror films revolving around ancient evils which plague those ominous backwater country towns.
As with the first installment, Fatal Frame 2 doesn't require you to stock up on shotgun or ammo to take out those zombie hoards or other various creatures. The only weapon players will require is the legendary Camera Obscura. Said to have the power to see between spiritual realms, you'll use it capture the souls of those vengeful spirits as you attempt to solve the mystery of this mountain village and save the girls from a fate worse then death. Now taking pictures of ghosts may sound simple and lame to most people. However, Tecmo has put an interesting twist to this premise which will now give players of the first installment an answer to those complaints of being too easy. There are now a number of different elements built into the entire camera system which take in account factors such as lens color, quality, light, and clarity to determine the amount of damage an encountered spirit will receive. This means players will need to rely on those quick reflexes and photography skill to eliminate attackers. That is if you can keep your shock reflexes in check when you look through the viewfinder and see some of the scariest wraiths already two inches in front of your face. My recommendation is to play this thing around midnight with all the lights turned out and nothing but the glow of your TV. Talk about scaring the **** out of you. On another positive note, as you acquire more shots you'll be scored on each one. These points translate into a monetary-like system which will allow you to upgrade your camera with different equipment and more power to pack that stronger punch. Also, you'll be able to save these shots into a gallery for later viewing. I'm eager to see some of the shots others will be able to pull off during the game. Let's go fansites and message boards!
As the story progresses, you and your sister will navigate through this ghost town in search of clues and an answer to the terrifying mystery. Not to mention saving yourselves at the same time. Now it's not all spirit photography and listening to those blood chilling sounds (which I must say were top notch in my opinion). Along with any game of this genre, you'll find the usually puzzle solving tasks and races against time. Thankfully, most puzzles will fall into the threads of everyday logic that will not only entertain you but provide players with a good challenge. Collecting items throughout the game further add to the mystique of the adventure but almost remind me of a Scooby-Doo like mystery as they provide insight and clarification into later events of the game.
Even though I can't say enough about how I enjoyed this first look, there are a few minor points that can provide a bit of frustration to some. For example, there are instances in the game when your sister Mayu will essentially become a path blocker to you while you're scrambling for safety. This may result in getting stuck against a wall as the spirits wail on your frightened soul. But on the flip side of things, I feel this can be viewed as adding to the overall suspense. After all, I have yet to see someone calmly walk away from a monster or something frightening in the movies. Usually horror flick characters will trample their stumbling companions as they attempt to escape the pains of death. So I can easily brush that one aside, but some may find that difficult to handle. The only other problem I found was the way in which you manage your photo gallery. Saving your images usually involves a degree of moving pictures around before you can save the gallery. I'm not that big on putting photo albums together, so I much prefer a simple "keep, keep, delete, delete, save" system so I can get right back to the action.
Overall Fatal Frame 2 is a damn good addition for the survival horror fan or anybody in my opinion. The graphics feature a combination of shadows and real-time backgrounds that provide that little extra polish to this overall experience. The added use of realistic light and shadow also throw that extra curve to the photo-fighting aspect to give it that more realistic feel. Not to mention those cutscenes are just spectacular. I especially enjoyed the overall gritty old school film style you see in some of those classic movies viewed through projectors. It certainly adds to that horror movie-like experience. Not only does Crimson Butterfly excel from a visual standpoint, the soundtrack is just short of amazing. It definitely plays that extra role in scaring the crap out of you at times. From the normal environmental sounds to the occasional maniacal female laughter you catch off in the distance, there is some definite acoustic candy to chill the blood. I'm looking forward to the final release during the holidays. What a nice way to brighten someone's Christmas by making them scream like a girl.
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