Fatal Frame 2001: Horror Through a Camera

Horror games have been gaining traction since the Playstation 1 era with the likes of Resident Evil, Silent Hill, and Clock Tower. Makoto Shibata was looking to break through the genre with Fatal Frame. A game he aimed to be the scariest title anyone has played. That goal has been accomplished with the title’s clever mechanic of using a camera s your weapon. 

The Fatal Frame Camera Obscura

The only weapon throughout the franchise has an incredibly deep gameplay mechanic. This camera led to the scariest and most fun moments of Fatal Frame. 

Fighting Ghosts

You fight by aiming at the ghost so it is within the capture frame. Hold the ghost inside the frame as a meter builds or the characters at the bottom lights up. Step closer or allow the ghost to get near to raise the damage. If a ghost is too near, you can take an early shot to stop it. Later spirits can fade, reappear, and feint for added difficulty. You track them with the reticle and with sound emitted by the Camera Obscura. 

My favorite mechanic is the titular Fatal Frame Shot. You can pull this off when the frame is orange and the characters at the bottom turn red on your viewfinder. A Fatal Frame Shot usually occurs when the ghost is near and about to attack you. If you manage to do this tricky shot, the ghost suffers heavy damage. 

The mechanic provides a high-risk, high-reward opportunity for you. Since films are scarce, you want to inflict as much damage to the ghost with few shots as possible. At the same time, you are face-to-face with the ghost who is about to grab or attack you. That added pressure makes it difficult to take the shot, but pulling it off lets you save on film and healing items. 

Getting Better at Fighting Ghosts

The Camera Obscura earns experience points or spirit points each time you take down ghosts or take shots of ones roaming the manor. You can upgrade the following parameters of your camera: 

• Range: Increases the size of your capture frame. This makes it easy to capture tricky Fatal Frame shots
• Speed: Decreases the time for the characters at the bottom to light up, letting you inflict max damage in less time. 
• Max Value: Increases the number of characters that lights up at the bottom, allowing for shots that takes more hit points from the ghost. 

As you progress in the story, you also earn Spirit Stones that unlock special functions for your camera. This includes paralyzing the ghost so you can fully charge your Camera Obscura. After completing the game, you meet other requisites like completing the ghost list, and you also get more special functions. This includes the Zero function, where all the characters at the bottom are always charged. 

Fatal Frame’s fun moments come from the Camera Obscura alone. You are not just firing bullets or swinging your sword at your enemies, you are taking kodak moments of their attack. You can also get rewarded for the riskier and scarier Fatal Frame shots, making nearly every ghost fight memorable. 

Exploring the Manor

There is nothing more terrifying than exploring a haunted manor. With Fatal Frame, Shibata emphasizes the HAUNTED part. He made the dead manor feel unnaturally alive in this game. 

The Atmosphere

You know you are in for a terrifying night the moment you enter that front entrance. “Encounter to Himoro Mansion” plays as Mafuyu (and later Miku) explores the Himuro Mansion. The background song has ghostly voices singing a distant tune that goes away and returns. It casts that cold dread of being in the vicinity of unknown dangers just lurking across a few walls. Wall that will not stop them. 

Ayako Toyoda and Shigekiyo Okuda’s team was able to create that haunting track with the use of stereophonic sound. There is that three-dimensional wailing where you feel ghosts are roaming around your character. 

The Himura mansion design should also be credited. It kept to the traditional Japanese architecture and culture. Though, there are details that made anyone unfamiliar with the architectural design disturbed. These details include the ropes hanging from a hallway and the bloodied kimono hanging around the room. 

Grave Encounters

It wouldn’t be a ghost game without encountering one. The Himura Mansion is teeming with non-combative spirits. They are part of the game’s scare factor since they could lead to another fight. If you are fast enough or have played the game and memorized their appearances, you can take a shot of them with your camera. This adds to the ghost list that unlocks end-game bonuses. 

There are also “seal keepers” who seals doors. Removing the seal involves hunting for a ghost base on the picture that popped out of your camera. While not as terror-inducing as the vanishing spirits, these are great puzzles that take advantage of the Camera Obscura mechanic. 

Everything about Fatal Frame screams Japanese horror. The soundtrack and mansion design keeps you alert for any ghost encounters during your exploration. 

What Haunts the Himura Mansion

Fatal Frame’s story provided a good reason for spirits to roam around the Himuro Mansion. 

The Ruined Ritual 

There was a ritual that involved the Rope Shrine Maiden  Kirie Himuro. It involves sealing the Hell Gate with her body. Due to conflict with herself and the Himuro family, the ritual failed. Spirits escaped from the Hell Gate while Kirie’s spirit, full of malice, roams the mansion. Any trespassers were inflicted with the “Rope Curse” that kills the victim. 

The Hinasaki Siblings

The first protagonist is Mafuyu Hinasaki for the prologue chapter. He was searching for his tutor, Junsei Takamine, who had gone missing after exploring the mansion. When Mafuyu never returned, Miku went in to find her siblings. As you explore the mansion, you get notes and recordings on clues as to what happened to Takamine and his assistants. All of them were afflicted with the “Rope Curse” and became one of the many spirits you face. 

Final Thoughts: Fatal Frame 2001’s Grave Photography

Shibata achieved his goal of creating a scary game that will be remembered for a long time with Fatal Frame. Capturing ghosts as they slowly make their way towards you is a fascinating gameplay mechanic that no other devs have done. It was further bolstered by the music and design team who created a haunting atmosphere that keeps you on your toes. Fatal Frame is one of the best horror games to make an impact during the PS2 era.