Fatal Frame

 Xbox
User Score
8.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 26 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 26
  3. Negative: 1 out of 26
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  1. AmadeusE
    Jan 9, 2020
    5
    You just stumble around a mansion and some other places, and try to solve boring puzzles, mostly with your camera. Once in a while, a ghost shows up and you have to snap a crapload of pics of it, like it was some supermodel, and then see it disappear. Your character is a soulless doll with no personality. The story is a snoozefest and the gameplay is just pathetic. My character only diedYou just stumble around a mansion and some other places, and try to solve boring puzzles, mostly with your camera. Once in a while, a ghost shows up and you have to snap a crapload of pics of it, like it was some supermodel, and then see it disappear. Your character is a soulless doll with no personality. The story is a snoozefest and the gameplay is just pathetic. My character only died once during the hours of playing and the dying part is also pretty weird. Health runs out and then nothing happens. Just a GAME OVER screen comes up and then you're taken back to the main menu.

    And this is all coming from someone who really likes survival horror games, especially older ones.    … Expand
  2. Mr.G.T
    Aug 4, 2003
    7
    A very unique and fascinating concept and style. At first the ghosts are creepy but when the same ones constantly reappear you become desensitised and irritated. The sounds, atmosphere and storyline are the strongest and most effective elements. The central characters are likeable and you become more intrigued and determined as the story unravels. This game has a good 'scare A very unique and fascinating concept and style. At first the ghosts are creepy but when the same ones constantly reappear you become desensitised and irritated. The sounds, atmosphere and storyline are the strongest and most effective elements. The central characters are likeable and you become more intrigued and determined as the story unravels. This game has a good 'scare factor' reminiscent of the Japanese horror movie 'Ring'. … Expand
  3. Josh
    Apr 2, 2003
    10
    Best of the Best.
  4. JennyW.
    Jan 2, 2003
    8
    It's wonderfully executed. The sounds and environments are terrifying. Only problem is, it creates an atmosphere of such creepiness that it's sometimes difficult to play for long periods of time.
  5. OasaisI.
    Mar 8, 2003
    9
    Something different for a change. This game caught my attention, but I am afraid it might end to quickly. A good Ebay resale game or bring it backer after a few dayer game.
  6. VincentJC.
    Nov 15, 2004
    8
    This is an interesting title that combines interactive fiction with horror in a unique but well done manner. The storyline and plot are probably the strongest points of the game and I felt are what kept me interested through the end of the game. Story/Plot: (10 of 10) I'm pretty picky when it comes to games on story details and tying events together. I thought the writers of Fatal This is an interesting title that combines interactive fiction with horror in a unique but well done manner. The storyline and plot are probably the strongest points of the game and I felt are what kept me interested through the end of the game. Story/Plot: (10 of 10) I'm pretty picky when it comes to games on story details and tying events together. I thought the writers of Fatal Frame managed to nail almost every aspect of the story in this game from start to finish. The development was suspenseful and well thought out and its delivery through a combination of cut-scenes and user-discovered notebooks/scrapbook items was ideal. Game Control: (6 of 10) This may have been the only disappointing aspect of the game. Navigating around the complex normally wasn't too tough but became very frustrating during combat. Graphics: (8 of 10) While I didn't feel that the graphics were stunning by any means, they were definitely appropriate. I don't think this was a game that would have benefited from overdone graphics. The rooms where drawn somewhat grainy and set the mood perfectly. I thought the background items were appropriate for the setting and effectively placed. Sound: (9 of 10) No real musical score to speak of but the background noises, voices, and general effects were enough to make the hair stand on the back of my next on several occasions. Again, well delivered and appropriately placed to help set the perfect mood. Misc: (8 of 10) Overall, I'd say this game deserves to be listed as one of the better titles released for the xbox. I think my rating of an 8 is consistent with both the critics and the users. My only other complaint is that by the end of the game, I was getting a little tired of fighting ghosts and was more interested in the story aspect of the game. Otherwise, I thought the title was well delivered and produced. Turn off all the lights and enjoy this game from start to finish.… Expand
  7. Steyraus
    Jul 4, 2021
    10
    The first and my favorite of the Fatal Frame series. This game is up there with the first 3 Sillent Hills IMO. The pacing , atmosphere everything is on point. The constant ghost enconters keep you engaged and on edge, theres never to much mindless walking and search like many other survival horror games..
  8. Malice-Flare
    Jun 19, 2020
    10
    bought this long ago as a double-dip, as i have the game on PS2, too...

    fixes most of the issues i encountered from the PS2 version thanks to the power of the XBox...

    a good get if you can find a copy...
  9. frederik1478
    Oct 5, 2021
    9
    Engaging and fun horror game that is still funny even after the horror stop, just completed on nightmare difficulty and it's still as funny as ever , the way game used camera and the enemy design to make you be on your toes all the way through the game is just amazing, and you will have a map of the house in your head before the games over it's good and not too confusing to get around, theEngaging and fun horror game that is still funny even after the horror stop, just completed on nightmare difficulty and it's still as funny as ever , the way game used camera and the enemy design to make you be on your toes all the way through the game is just amazing, and you will have a map of the house in your head before the games over it's good and not too confusing to get around, the story is if you like Japanese and Asian horror film then you will maybe get something out of it, phenomenal start to a great horror franchise… Expand
  10. Alex_Pilgrim008
    Mar 2, 2023
    8
    This upgraded Xbox port of the PS2 scarefest is an improvement. It has a higher resolution, more colors, better audio and a smoother framerate. New features include the "true" ending, extra ghosts and an exclusive difficulty level. If you're a fan of Resident Evil and Silent Hill, than you'll love this. It's even spookier than those classics. I would rate it with an 8.6 out of 10.
  11. BeeSting1
    Jan 1, 2021
    5
    Fatal Frame 4

    Good - plays on the fear of distorted face. - map shows keys - auto turnaround - using the wiimote speaker for certain sounds was great. Especially that parts when ruka was picking up the telephone. - using flashlight to reveal items adds a deeper element to the dosing gameplay. And it means I don't have to go mashing A in front of random shelves just to see    Fatal Frame 4

    Good

    - plays on the fear of distorted face.

    - map shows keys

    - auto turnaround

    - using the wiimote speaker for certain sounds was great. Especially that parts when ruka was picking up the telephone.

    - using flashlight to reveal items adds a deeper element to the dosing gameplay. And it means I don't have to go mashing A in front of random shelves just to see if there an item there

    - less scary music. Just creeky empty wooden house sounds

    - hand slowly reaching out grabbing while holding A added suspense.

    - the hozuki doll gave me a scare

    - the silence makes the jump-scares even scarier. It also amplifies all the normal sounds of foot steps, door creeking and other noises I would've taken for granted in previous fatal frames.

    - the bad quality of the audio in the wiimotes actually amplifies the eeriness of the phone calls

    - this game is much more linear compared to the past fatal frames. there's always a ghost that leads me to my next destination, and if there is an unlocked door, the game will bring up the map automatically and show me exactly which door got unlocked. The layout of the hospital is also much less complex then fatal frame 3. Less crawl spaces, Less ladders and stairs located right beside each other. The map was basically one big circle on each floor. All the places that I wasn't supposed to access yet were blocked off saving me much time from wandering in the wrong direction. I'm actually happy about that's, because it was really annoying navigating the mansion in fatal frame 3.

    - character flinches after a long fight.

    - some ghosts really mixed up the timing for fatal frame shot

    - shaking wiimote to dodge attacks is nice

    Bad

    - I have to shake too hard to get the turnaround.

    - it's awkward having to aim vertical with the wiimote, and then aiming horizontally with the nunchuck. I wish the aiming was all done on the wiimote.

    - the auto lock on removes a big part of the challenge, which is the aiming

    - there you needed to be a fast option to open doors. I understand opening it slowly maintains the tension, but when backtracking an area, I know there will be no ghosts, making these long animations tedious to sit through

    - hostile ghost appearances and non-hostile ghost appearances have no difference when it comes to the filament indicator. Both appear red. Problem is I automatically prepare myself for a fight, meaning I press Z to try and lock on, but cant. Turns out to be a non hostile ghost, so it disappears causing me to miss out on points

    - the ghosts movements and abilities are not diverse. They seem to all just be sluggish, like zombies and go for the same kind of attack.

    - it's very hard to examine items. Sometimes I can be literally right in front of it, but I still do not get the prompt to examine it. I end up having to jostle around to find the specific angle. This became annoying when it happens so many times

    - pointing the wiimote down to look at things below me is very uncomfortable. The vertical sensitivity is very low, forcing me to bend my wrist 90 degrees

    - using a special was a little tedious because the attack was mapped to the c button, which meant I had to put my index and middle finger on the shoulder of the nunchuck. This left only my pinky and my ring finger to hold the nunchuck, which was quite uncomfortable. I guess if I tried, I could technically control both the z and the c buttons with just my index finger, but it also feels unnatural, since the two buttons have different elevations. - sometimes the anime we'll throw out a long-range attack behind a wall, like the doctor with the flashlight. When they are halfway behind a wall, my attack will miss. This made the shots of little ambiguous when this happened. Luckily the flashlight the doctor had didn't do damage, it just blinded me a bit - there's a lot of symbolism when it comes to the power behind the masks, the lunar eclipse, how its effects the people on the island, the ritual, festival. It's all very metaphorical. this at times makes it hard to follow along with the story, and fully digest the plot. I think the part of it is also because the text, the hole narrative and dialogues were designed around Japanese culture, mythology, and tradition. The game was never planned to be released outside of Japan, so I'm sure the developers had no intention of including any Western friendly explanations in any of the text. The best we had was of course the fan made translation. Which was good, but it was only the direct translation of the text with no extra explanation behind some of the cultural and traditional implications The narrative had. - I didn't really like the flashlight as a weapon, because there was no fatal frame shot opportunity, which takes out the reflex and reaction part of the gameplay. Which is my favourite.    … Expand
  12. UHD-TECH
    Feb 27, 2022
    10
    Perfeito não saberia que está serie seria tão grandiosa, a historia e envolvente o jogo maravilhoso espero mais jogos desta série.

Awards & Rankings

54
#54 Best Xbox Game of 2002
23
#23 Most Discussed Xbox Game of 2002
35
#35 Most Shared Xbox Game of 2002

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
  1. Gamestyle
    90
    Scarier than "Silent Hill 2" and harder than a dozen "Genma Onimusha"s, this is simply amazing stuff.
    Read full review
  2. NTSC-uk
    80
    Fatal Frame feels like a breath of fresh air in a genre which has spent most of the last decade moving forward only in terms of narrative, and while it's a gruesome and disturbing way to spend an evening, the awe-inspiring power of the narrative style, hammered home by a brutally efficient game engine and nerve-wracking game mechanics, makes this the most compelling game of this nature yet to appear on a console.
    Read full review
  3. GMR Magazine
    80
    Gory and twisted in ways only the mature freak can appreciate. [Feb 2003, p.71]
See all critic reviews »