Video game made of terror.
Taking advantage of a occasion as marked as today, Halloween, we decided to reverse-analyze a title that is considered to be one of the scariest ever. Project Zero (or Fatal Frame in America and Zero in Japan) is one of those cult franchises that have a small but dedicated fan base. First released in 2002 on PlayStation, the year 2003 Xbox fans we receive from the hand of Tecmo an improved version and with one element that the delivery of the Sony machine did not bring: the translation into Spanish.
Photographic horror
Project Zero is basically a horror game in which you have to photograph ghosts to exorcise them. On paper, the game meets all the requirements for a fresh and innovative design that was considered “scary video games”. But are you ready to face the real terror?
The story of the title is a film cliché Pretty typical J-Horror. We take control of a young woman called Miku who wanders alone in a dark and dismal mansion in search of his brother Mafuyu, who has disappeared. Of course, the mansion is filled with a lot of disturbed souls and the only way to force them to rest in peace is to photograph them with an old vintage camera bequeathed by our mother called “Dark camera”. As we enter the spooky mansion we learn more about the history of what goes on in this place, revamped with cutscenes done by computer, something very common. However, the details of the story found in notes and journals scattered throughout the game, which we can read whenever you want.
In general, the story seems difficult to follow until the end of the game, where all the details are linked
Resident Evil style gameplay
The game is developed like most games of survival horror in the perspective of 3rd person of the time. We find here Resident Evil doll style controls: we move with the left analog stick and with the right stick control flashlight that we wear at all times. The light effects of the flashlight they were brutal for a game from 20 years ago and deserve a mention here.
The main feature that sets this game apart from others is the old camera that we wear too. When a ghost appears we will point the camera in a first person view. In this view the idea is to keep the ghost in the frame while the camera is charging and when it does we will have to take the picture, which it will do. let the ghost be damaged. The health of the ghost is displayed in the upper left corner of the screen in first person. The game does a good job of showing us the mechanics of how the camera works: the main thing seems to be to wait for the right moment, which is usually when the spirit hits you, to take the picture and cause as much damage as possible. A camera meter will light up red for a split second when that opportunity presents itself. If you do this “Zero hits” Not only will you cause maximum damage, but you will repel the ghost. What you can do instead too is to shoot gradually to reduce the health of ghosts, the problem is, it consumes your camera’s movie (a movie, something a lot of millennials don’t know what it is), which is limited, so the key is at the right time. You can change the types of movies on the camera, those who give us exorcisation buffs. These films are scattered around the mansion and are very limited. You can also upgrade the camera and use special skills
Take out the ghost on duty handsome
Take pictures and meet ghosts are from afar the funniest part of the game. When you meet a ghost, most of the time there will only be one, but the photoshoot will take some time to go smoothly. The game does a good job for you every encounter with a ghost is something terrifying and special. We are encouraged to confront every ghost you encounter, and escape is generally not recommended. Although taking pictures of the ghosts was the highlight of the game, some encounters were very difficult. If you do not properly photograph the ghosts, they will grab you and will drain a lot of your health. If the ghosts get too close, we’ll have to run away, refocus the camera, and try again. This process can be repeated several times, becoming somewhat tedious. You can make very small movements with your character while you are to the first person If you need to make adjustments, but they are not enough to get you away. Another cool feature are the storage rooms. Unlike most survival horror games, where the save area is seen as a safe area from enemies, in Project Zero, ghosts can invade these areas and keep you from saving unless you defeat them. It makes it seem like no place is safe in this game which undoubtedly increases that feeling of unease and fear that is there from the first minute of the game.
In addition to ending the spirits, we will have to solve quite a few puzzles in the game, something also very typical of the genre. In general, the puzzles in the game aren’t difficult, but the frustration of not knowing where to go to complete them is. The most common type of puzzle in the game will require photograph a scene in the mansion to unlock a door
A luxurious graphic and sound section
The title has a duration very similar to that of Resident Evil, with about eight hours the first time, but that duration will be drastically reduced with multiple matches once you know where to go. If you want to replay, you unlock additional items, like additional costumes and more difficult difficulty modes. The graphics were top notch on Xbox, and the designers nailed down the frame for a spooky abandoned mansion. The ghosts and their designs are particularly disturbing and depict tortured souls (e.g. hanged people or a floating severed head) and while the game isn’t particularly bloody, there are quite a few scenes that they will poop us. The use of sound it’s also a key element that makes it a great horror experience. We will hear noises throughout the mansion, footsteps following us or disturbing voices. Playing this game at night with headphones is without a doubt one of the most terrifying experiences you can find.
Project Zero, 20 years after its launch, has the merit of having a unique design and to meet all the demands of an atmosphere and a horror scene that are not forgotten, making it a true cult game of the first Xbox. Unfortunately the game is not backward compatible, but hopefully we can see it in the future. In addition, this week it arrived on our Xbox consoles Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the saga.
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