Dean's Thoughts on Entertainment

Fatal Frame 2 Review for PS2



I can only review this in regard to its enjoyment as a spectator; I am too scared to play it myself. Therefore, I can’t tell you about gameplay and the controls. This game is better than its predecessor and any other horror game in existence because the scare factor is intense. The storyline doesn't have as many off-shoots as the original and is therefore more linear, and the story is just now really coming together in chapter 5 where we currently are playing. I don't think I like the story in this one as much as the first but I still have much to see, and although it is the framework of the game, the story is secondary to the disturbing jumps that accompany it. The jumps come in many shapes, sizes, and forms throughout the game, most notably by the various ghosts you encounter. But Kudos to the music team because the soundtrack really messes you up once you start to lose your grip, and the locations in the game play with your mind with the way the shadows and shapes look and move. Plus, the development team is evil and the more attentive you are the more you will see, like images may flash, objects may contort, and ghosts may walk by. For the reasons I give below I couldn't give the game less than a 10, because I will bear the scars of this game for the rest of my life, and no other game can say that.

This game is the first thing ever in my life, movie or otherwise that has made me scream out loud and I wasn’t alone, 4 of us screamed and jumped, and I might have soiled myself. This continued for awhile. The game didn't start out this scary but once we started looking for "Secret Ghosts" we started to lose control of our wits. All told I have now screamed uncontrollably twice and emitted an "Oh my God" once. Tonight, we re-enter the world of Fatal Frame and I assume that I will double that number. If you think you have what it takes to play this game, make sure you also prepare some pleasant entertainment to help you calm your nerves so that you can continue playing and eventually go to bed without nightmares. I would like to give props to George for his ability to even play this game, and while I immediately scream like a girl when something unexpected happens, he has the wits to pause the game before throwing the controller and screaming. I don't know how he does it.