In 1997, Capcom introduced the world to the survival horror genre with their critically acclaimed Resident Evil. Several years later, I've played most of the Resident Evil games and, while they still entertain, they taste a little stale. I've been looking for a fresh change of pace and Tecmo's hauntingly good Fatal Frame has satisfied my need-to-be-terrified desire. Its spooky atmosphere and creepy storyline sucked me in and kept me looking over my shoulder during those late night sessions. Gamers interested in exploring a title in the "something different" category should definitely pick it up.

Before I get into the Xbox version of Fatal Frame I want to mention the game was released for the PS2 not too long ago. While I made every attempt to track down a copy, for some reason the game is harder to find than Hamtaro for the Game Boy. Therefore, I'm reviewing Fatal Frame from the perspective of someone who never played its previous incarnation.

Fatal Frame's story is supposedly based on actual events. A famous novelist, Junsei Takamine, disappears inside the secluded and mysterious Himuro Mansion while gathering research for an upcoming book. Concerned for his mentor, Mafuyu Hinasaki goes in search of Junsei but also vanishes under mysterious circumstances. And that, my dear game players, is where you come in. You take control of Mafuyu's sister, Miku, as she enters Himuro in search of her brother. As she searches for him, the clues to the mansion's dark past are revealed.

Fatal Frame plays much like every survival horror game before it. You walk around, search for clues, pick up health, and solve puzzles. What makes it unique are a couple of key elements not found in other titles in the genre. People used to playing survival horror games will be surprised to discover that Miku's inventory is bare of the usual tools of the trade. There are no guns, knives, or lock picks to be found. You start the game with a flashlight and a cute schoolgirl outfit. That's it. You're only weapon is an old camera found on the floor that is used to defeat the ghosts that populate Himuro. When you access the camera and see the ghost through the viewfinder, the camera feeds off the ghost's spirit power. When it's fully charged you snap the photo and the ghost reacts as if shot. Each picture taken is saved in Miku's inventory for later viewing so you can go back and recount your adventure. Also, when you approach clues the controller will vibrate and a filament gauge at the lower right corner of the screen will glow blue. Some clues can be found in plain view because they sparkle while others you'll need to access your camera and snap a picture to reveal hidden doors or items not seen with the naked eye.

Being a PS2 port, more could have been done to make the Xbox version extra special, but I don't think anyone will balk at Fatal Frame's visuals. Graphically everything looks clean until you see the mansion through the viewfinder of the camera. That's where the graphics take on a grainy look and items appear less detailed. However, I began to see this less as a decrease in quality and more as the game's artistic style.

The living characters look fantastic but walk a little stiff. The lighting effects from Miku's flashlight are very impressive as well. However, the real stars of Fatal Frame are the ghosts and the mansion itself. The spirits are well designed, transparent and eerie looking. Each one is terrifying for a special reason. I remember one woman who floated towards me and her neck was obviously snapped in two. These ominous images can make it very hard to keep the camera steady to snap those precious photos. The ghosts might not pop out as often as monsters in other survival horror games, but in Fatal Frame the atmosphere is such that it always seems like one could materialize at any moment, making the plot difficult to predict.

While certain rooms in the Resident Evil mansion seemed cozy, I'd never want to live in Himuro. The mansion is so well designed that it's definitely a character all its own. From old suits of armor to paper walls smeared in blood, Himuro's interior is well laid out and shrouded in a thin veil of darkness that makes opening each new door an exciting and adrenaline pumping experience. Sometimes I'll move Miku's flashlight around just to get a good look at the place.

Fatal Frame's gorgeous visuals merge brilliantly with its equally beautiful audio. The voice acting, while at times sprinkled with light layers of cheese, is well above average. The ghost's moans, howls, and shrieks sent shivers down my spine, and the mansion's creaky floorboards, whispers in dark, and other disturbing and creepy sounds set a frightening mood. That, combined with the eerie soundtrack send the message that this game should only be played after everyone else has gone to bed and the sun has been swallowed by the horizon.

I'd lay down a nine out of ten score for Fatal Frame if the controls were just a little tighter. The left thumbstick moves Miku around while the right controls her flashlight. The Y button opens and closes the menu, X runs, B accesses the camera, and A takes the picture. While using these controls (called Normal Operation in the manual) Miku often gets stuck while running in tight spaces, making ghost dodging sometimes a more frightening experience than it should naturally be. She also moves stiffly, however that is a minor gripe.

The other control scheme is described as Finder Mode Operations (combat mode). This is where you actually take the pictures of the ghosts. If you don't want to press A the right trigger can take photographs and the left trigger uses bonus functions. The left thumbstick moves the finder while the right moves the player. Y turns Miku around, X increases finder speed, B returns to Normal Operation, and A, as mentioned, takes a photograph. I had trouble moving Miku around using this setup. It's so easy moving her around using Normal Operations that using Finder Mode became awkward. Notice how the game forces you to switch sticks to move Miku around. Trying to play Fatal Frame as a first person shooter of sorts doesn't work quite well. And while in the beginning everything may seem fine because the ghosts just slowly float towards you, when they get really nasty and dodge the camera, disappear, and reappear inches from your face fleeing is very frustrating. Sometimes barely escaping feels more lucky than skillful because Finder Mode simply isn't effective enough to use during intense combat. However, control issues aside, I had a lot of fun and found the game to be extremely playable. I'm simply being picky. You'll get used to the controls in no time.

I've read reviews where Fatal Frame was given a lower score because it's a PS2 port. Careless reviewers fail to realize that not everyone owns a PS2 and therefore, if you've never played Fatal Frame until now it's certainly new to you. My score stands regardless of how many incarnations there are. Besides, the Xbox version features sharper graphics, new ghosts, a different ending, and the following new modes: Nightmare and Fatal.

I thoroughly enjoyed Fatal Frame. It has a few minor issues but its such a fresh change of pace that I easily overlooked them and enjoyed the game for what it is: a spooky and terrifying edge of your seat nail biter that was meant to be played in complete darkness with the stereo at its maximum volume. If you consider the survival horror genre to be like a stale cracker left in an old box in your pantry then Fatal Frame is a fresh unopened package. It's nice to know a survival horror game can be made without including a self-destruct sequence.