Fatal Frame is a survival horror game for the PlayStation 2. Based on an allegedly true story, it tells of a teenage girl, Miku, who enters the old Himuro Mansion. Her brother ventured into the area to work with a research team.
He died by the hands that came through the wall, depriving him of air and strangling him.
His death is just another chapter in the Himuro Mansion's grisly history. One leader of one family slayed all of his family members in one day. Another tried to later live there, but half were killed, the other half had missing bodies. Thus the mansion has fallen into a state of disrepair; no one dares approach it.
The game is an interesting mix between puzzle and combat, like a few other horror games in existence. However the combat is different entirely.
Miku exorcizes the ghosts that plague the mansion with an old camera that used to be her mother's. Also, to be found around the mansion are Type-14 and Type-35 film, which also possess powers to see and eliminate ghosts. She can pull out her camera with the (O) button, and target the ghost(moving in real time) and take a picture at any point with the (X) button. The longer the center of the viewfinder stays on the ghost, the more damage is dealt when the picture is taken. The ghost can come up to Miku and deprive her of a good deal of her life. Also, some ghosts and spirits can't be seen without assistance from the camera, and Miku may be prone to damage even when she is least aware. That is where the filament comes in; it glows brighter and brighter orange when the spirit draws nearer. Points are given on the quality of each picture taken, and they can be used to upgrade the quality of the camera: bigger viewfinder, shorter charge time, faster shutter, etc.
A helpful hint for playing Fatal Frame is to stay grounded. That means every minute or two, place the controller down, and look around at your environment, make sure you know where you are. Then resume. If you don't do this, you could lose valuable battle time screaming or hiding. (I would know.)