Fatal Frame III: The Tormented

Just Adventure

Fatal Frame 3 is horror at its best, minus any cheap scares. It does an outstanding job of creeping you out while spinning a deep and distressing story that will get under your skin.

RewiredMind

A fantastic game; you probably won't play a scarier title in the survival horror genre. And if you can forgive the minor niggles you're in for a wholesome and character building experience.

PSX Extreme

Fatal Frame III really ties the entire series together and provides a good and complex plot with plenty of scares and frantic moments.

Official U.S. Playstation Magazine

A supremely worthy successor to the most-frightening throne.

Computer Games Magazine

The actual story is as sad as it is malevolent. [Jan 2006, p.88]

PGNx Media

An appealing game for the 13 or so hours that it lasts. The storyline and atmosphere is perfect and the gameplay is solid for the most part.

Game Chronicles

I had a great time with Fatal Frame III despite the aging controls and unoriginal gameplay.

Just RPG

A unique approach to the genre, the series proves that an endless supply of undead to fight isn’t always scarier than an empty hallway in a deserted mansion.

Worth Playing

A quality title that doesn't necessarily stray from the proven groundwork laid down by its predecessors, but still manages to give you a good scare.

Next Level Gaming

I loved playing the game--it’s scary as hell. The graphics, gameplay, presentation, and sound are decent and they work very well together.

Game Over Online

A great horror game for PS2 owners and anyone who likes a good ghost story, but fans may find it to be a little too mired in its series's formula.

Console Gameworld

Those passionate for an escapade into cursed manors and the spirit world will find The Tormented equally as refreshing as its predecessors.

Play.tm

A little gem of a game, one which proves the power and intensity of effect that some games can exert on the players.

DarkStation

Who knew the camera could be this powerful? Tecmo comes up with the perfect shot, and you'll be clicking away like a Hollywood paparazzi in this genuinely scary adventure.

AceGamez

I'll just issue a warning that this game isn't for the faint hearted - don't buy it in haste, or you'll have plenty of time to repent at leisure when it's sat in your PS2, not getting played, because you dare not unpause it.

GameBiz

One of the better horror games out there and will definitely give you a fright factor, definitely recommended for horror fans.

Eurogamer

Standing back from the relatively minor niggles and the impatient desire for Tecmo to push on with the series in a slightly more forward-looking direction, it's still a labour of love playing a title that leaves you lying awake at night pondering on every palpitating detail.

NTSC-uk

Tecmo have done an excellent job in creating a truly epic storyline that, while original, also binds together with the other titles in the series.

Boomtown

If it is the last in the series it’s truly a shame. But Project Zero 3: The Tormented definitely goes out with a bang... a big spooky bang.

GameZone

Controlling the characters is still quite awkward in that old Resident Evil kind of way but the real treat comes in the form of the Camera Obscura and the fact that you can play as two other characters.

TotalPlayStation

100% guaranteed to creep you out, Fatal Frame III combines the best parts of the last two games into a story that helps wrap up most loose ends nicely. It's not terribly new, but it is very, very scary.

Cheat Code Central

Not only are the characters sluggish but the game is very fussy about triggering events. You have to be standing in the perfect spot to do things such as open a door or pick up a key.

Yahoo! Games

This is great gaming, great art, and a great way to give yourself the creeps while fumbling around with the oddest virtual camera you've ever handled.

PSM Magazine

However, "not quite as good as the best ever" is still pretty damn good. [Holiday 2005, p.84]

GamePro

While it's an interesting idea, the abrupt changes in pace really kills the excitement level.

GameSpy

Although Fatal Frame III will simultaneously delight and scare the bejesus out of fans of the series, Tecmo will need to take that next big step in "Fatal Frame IV" to keep this innovative series at the top of the survival-horror heap.

Jolt Online Gaming UK

One hell of a game. Fans of the series will find answers to some of their questions and find new ones to ponder over by the game’s close, while gamers unfamiliar with the Camera Obscura would do well to check it out right after the first two. It’s chilling, it’s engrossing and there’s even extra unlockable content.

IGN

In a world with "Resident Evil 4" and "Ties That Bind," its sluggish movement and less responsive controls are becoming harder to forgive with time -- especially when coupled with a heavy amount of backtracking (which The Tormented has) and long moments of build-up between screams.

Game Informer

It's just not very scary. [Dec 2005, p.171]

GameSpot

Enjoyment of the game's dark subject matter is diluted slightly by some awkward controls and strange pacing, but there are still plenty of good chills to be had.

Play Magazine

Capturing images of the dead is the name of the game in Fatal Frame, but it's not as easy as it sounds. [Dec 2005, p.63]

1UP

In terms of sheer creepiness only "Silent Hill" can give it a run for its money, and Fatal Frame inspires dread in such a different way that it's really worth experiencing.

Armchair Empire

A nice departure from the horror game norm. Having a huge arsenal of weapons at one’s disposal tends to give players a sense of empowerment even if all of hell is on their tail.

Loaded Inc

It has just enough to keep you enthralled despite these shortcomings, yet the relatively low reply value means that it is not a title you’ll keep coming back to time after time.

Thunderbolt

If only the same amount of effort was put into the actual game play as was put into making it so beautifully disturbing to look at, you’d probably have a near flawless result , as it is the lack of mobility and annoying combat situations are just too irritating to ignore.

Gamers Europe

It isn’t 2001 anymore and what once seemed fresh is now starting to whiff a bit; the play mechanics are beginning to creak with age and consequently you may ultimately find yourself more irritated than terrified.

VideoGamer

Genre fans will rejoice in its depth and should grab it straightaway.

Official Playstation 2 Magazine UK

It's not perfect but it's creepy. The mix of investigation and scores easily outweighs the clunky controls and occasional lulls in the action. [Mar 2006, p.105]

Edge Magazine

The Tormented may read more as a mystery than a truly frightening horror story but, if it’s to be a conclusion to this dark and lonely diversion from the beaten track, it will be a fitting and deserving one. [Jan 2005, p.87]

Electronic Gaming Monthly

Frame's spooky atmosphere and subtle use of ambient noise and music build a sense of mounting terror that makes the actual enemy and cutscene scares all the more pants-wetting.

Sydney Morning Herald

The slow pace may not be to everyone's taste but this game is a must for horror buffs.

PSW Magazine UK

Yes, the atmosphere is thicker than Pete Burns' lippy, and sure, this is fantastic hairraising fare, but it is hard to shake the feeling that the bare bones of The Tormented - spooky exploration mixed with shadowy combat - has been done much better elsewhere, and this feels antiquated and cumbersome and in comparison.

GamerFeed

It's certainly a quality product, but the stiff controls, the back tracking, and the predictability is soooo 2004.

Game Revolution

Most adventure gamers will enjoy the frequent scares and pretty scenes of Fatal Frame III. However, the slow pacing and general lack of innovation to gameplay, scenery, or story keeps this picture just slightly out of focus.

G4 TV

The sights, sounds, and feel of the game are so similar to the last two games that you’ll find the entire thing less scary. Enemies will feel less threatening, locations will remind you of past locations, and the whole thing will lose some of its edge.

VGPub

This game is strictly for die-hard fans of the Fatal Frame series and graphics whores everywhere. Everyone else can easily find better offerings in the survival horror sub-genre.