On Nomenclature

Friday saw the release of a special 'Wii Edition' of Project Zero 2 - an update and rearrangement of the 9-year-old PS2 game of the same name.

Of course by 'the same name', I mean the same name in Europe. This is one of those games that has pretty much a different name in every territory.

The core game mechanic - present in every Project Zero game (of which there are four so far) - revolves around an item called the 'Camera Obscura'. That's not a typo of 'Camera Oscura', they did actually name it 'Obscura'. It's a camera (big surprise) that is capable of photographing ghosts and other 'things that should not be seen' and, in doing so, cause damage to any harmful spirits in its viewfinder. In the States, these games form the 'Fatal Frame' series, and that's a title that seems to suit the game more readily than the rather bland 'Project Zero'...

...Or does it?

It seems that, in its home territory of Japan, the series is known simply as 'Zero' because the Japanese word for zero - rei - is (to Western ears) identical to one of many Japanese words for ghost - rei.

And people think English is strange?

'Fatal Frame' is, perhaps, still a better - or, at least, more dramatic - title and it has the advantage of an obvious tie to the game: a certain kind of 'lucky shot' (or skillfully-timed shot) is referred to within the game as a 'Fatal Frame', and does significantly more damage to your non-corporeal opponents.

One would think that the Wiimote would make the perfect aiming tool for use in a camera-based videogame. Strange, then, that it plays a small and frankly frustrating role. In the camera-targeting parts of the game, the analogue stick on the nunchuck operates as tank controls - forward, back and turn. The Wiimote does very little - tilt it up, the camera tilts up; tilt it down, the camera tilts down - although there is a strange kind of lateral drift that I haven't quite figured out. In effect, you're playing Battlezone, but with the ability to turn your 'turret' up and down.

Aiding you in your ghost-snapping - and furthering the Battlezone analogy - there's a four-part 'ghost radar' thing which tells you where the ghost is - if the left or right lamp is lit, that tells you which direction to turn. If the lower lamp is lit, it's behind you (wooo!) and if the uppermost lamp is lit, it's somewhere dead ahead (pardon the expression). The thing to remember is that these spooks really act like traditional ghosts - walls and doors don't stop 'em.

Oh, and they can turn invisible.

And teleport.

Still, when it works, the Camera Obscura interface is quite a fun feature - it even records your finest moments as actual photos within the game and, while the basic film is infinite, you can pick up other types along the way which, while limited, offer various special abilities. There are also lenses and camera upgrades which, thusfar, appear to be earned more than found randomly.

The walkabout parts of the game are... strange. While the PS2 version was very cinematic, the camera following the protagonist as if it was on a boom of some kind, the Wii version has been reimagined as a far more 'intimate' game. You view the action sort-of over the shoulder of the protagonist. I say 'sort-of' because she actually occupies a good chunk of the screen, and you can't see what's directly ahead of her. In some respects, this heightens the tension - it really is as if you're running (or ambling) along behind her. But that brings me to my biggest whine so far: the speed of movement. The protagonist's running speed would be the walking speed of almost any other protagonist, and her walking speed is truly a snail's pace. Thankfully, the ghosts - the early ones, at least - aren't very fast until they get up close... but even then, it can be reasonably easy to get away.

Examining or picking up the objects you find along the way is another element I have mixed feelings about... In the original, it was just a case of clicking a button to pick up anything... For the Wii version, you have to hold the A button and watch the protagonist reach out, gingerly, for the item. Initially, I wondered why they'd add in such a time-wasting feature... but then I discovered 'Ghost Hand'. It seems that, at random times, a spectral hand will try to grab the protagonist as she reaches for an object. Release A quickly enough, and you get away... let her be grabbed, and you lose a good chunk of your health.

I wonder if this means the Wii version was just too darned easy without such a strange addition.

The story is predictably hokey... There's one little twist that's very strongly hinted right at the start, but I don't want to reveal anything since this version is only just out, and some story elements may have been changed from the original. Suffice it to say, there's a good reason that the protagonist and her sister have become embroiled in the mysterious events in this lost village.

I'm quite enjoying it so far... it's similar enough to other Survival Horror games to feel familiar, but with enough unique gimmicks to feel fresh. Some of the jump scares are effective, some are too predictable... I just hope I get used to the controls, particularly in viewfinder mode, otherwise this game is going to become very frustrating.

Graphically, I'm in two minds... On the one hand, it looks nice and crisp, it's very atmospheric (the 'dirty lens' effect in some of the spookier scenes can be distracting) and, while there is some popup, it's kept quite successfully to a minimum with an appropriate level of distance fog. On the other hand... it's all so very beige.

It is strange that they've chosen to port PZ2/FF2 rather than one of the more recent entries... but I guess this is paving the way for something more up-to-date for the WiiU.