140
rate

Is Fatal Frame IV too Western?

July 31, 2008 in Blog comments 8

With Fatal Frame IV being released in Japan today, fans are starting to notice changes between this game and previous ones in the series... namely the addition of a Western hotel, a Silent Hill-esque hospital, Resident Evil-style gameplay and the typical "badass tough guy" that is popular in many survival-horrors.

But are these changes for the better, or have they lost the themes that made the previous Fatal Frame games so unique?

Gaming Issues takes a look at the changes that are in Fatal Frame IV and whether they are an attempt to appeal to a more Western audiences.

(go to source for full article)

Discuss in the Fatal Frame IV forum

We love survival horror as much as the next people but an outstanding game in this genre is few and far between. Fatal Frame is one such outstanding series that has a distinct difference between horrors primarily set in locations that appear Western such as Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Clock Tower and Parasite Eve 2. This leads it to stand out in the crowd, with its focus on traditional Japanese horror and Japanese characters, settings and folklore. But that may have changed in Fatal Frame 4 with many themes and locations resembling Western regions and fans may not be pleased with the result. Are Tecmo trying too hard to appeal to Western audiences and in doing so alienating their fans from what initially drew them to the series?
Miss Razz via gamingissues.blogspot.com »
Favourite this article Add source
| More
Report!
News story attached to:

Comments

Register as a member to subscribe comments.
  • 0
    Big A2 Jul 31, 08
    Who knows? Maybe it's a take on western culture like Earthbound.
  • 0
    Miss Razz Jul 31, 08
    I like that Tecmo have attempted to make FFIV more appealling to Western gamers, and I wouldn't say that the things that made the series unique are gone. They've been improved, if anything!

    Improved gameplay isn't a bad thing, especially if it takes tips from other popular games in the genre.
    The addition of new locations, like the Western hotel and the hospital are also welcome. The series can't be set in the same ol' traditional Japanese mansions all the time - It would get repetitive and boring.

    As for the "tough guy" detective ... I'm just glad that there is finally a strong male lead in the series. The wussy men in the previous FF games weren't exactly the most appealing characters in the world. XD
    • 0
      Final Blade Aug 2, 08
      Question Roz, wouldn't this be a little bad? I mean most western type games don't turn out right, same for movies about horror. Im not 100% sure of all the details but I remember you and a few saying most western type horror movies and games don't turn out as good as the others.
      • 0
        Miss Razz Aug 2, 08
        That was more about horror games made by Japanese companies, rather than Western ones.
        Even the Japanese-made horrors that are set in Western locations (Capcom's Resident Evil, Squaresoft's Paraiste Eve and, to a lesser extent, Konami's Silent Hill) have themes that wouldn't be seen in American-made games. Fatal Frame might have more Western locations (hospital, Western hotel, etc) but it's still one of the most Japanese-oriented horror games.

        I'm not too sure what the author of the article was on about. Improving gameplay, adding diverse characters and more locations isn't making the game "too Western". (It's still very Japanese-oriented). Rather, it's making the game more accessible to a wider audience.
        • 0
          Final Blade Aug 2, 08
          Well I wasn't sure, you seem to be on top of every FF4 news as of late, so I wanted to ask.
  • 0
    Dio Jul 31, 08
    All of these changes are actually improvements. Many people have complained about the controls in the past FF games, so they switched it to the 'behind-the-shoulder' POV from RE4.

    Also, new locations and new characters are always good. Like GG said, you can't keep playing in the same locations and encountering the same people all the time, it will get repetitive and stale.
    • 0
      Kudzuka Jul 31, 08
      I agree.

      But I dont think this series could ever be too "western".
  • 0
    Tetradecimal Sep 6, 08
    I guess it's good to have new locations once in a while, but there are tons of games where I can see Western buildings and Fatal Frame is one of the few places where I can see old Shinto shrines, shoji, and kimono hung out for viewing. I thought the uniquely Japanese locales were quite beautiful and moody... hope this new lot is just as well-done.

This news story is archived and is closed to comments now.