I only really get to play games at night anyway (oh the pressure of a part-time job and uni essays) and I usually welcome the chance to settle in front of the TV and get a good couple hours of quality gaming time in.
But I really have been loathe to play this.
Tecmo have really created quite an unnerving experience with this gem, to my mind the scariest survival horror out there, pipping even Silent Hill 2 and REmake to the post. The intro itself is brillliantly understated and forboding, with a softly-spoken, pensive female voice narrating over a blank, black screen.
"I wonder how long it's been... since my brother and I... started to see things that other people... can't see..."
Great stuff. In fact the sound throughout is top-notch. But it's the combat system and the ghosts themselves that maketh the game.
Having a forced first-person combat mode is a great idea - the only time you can attack ghosts is when you yourself are feeling the most vulnerable, and frantically searching for your target ghost through the viewfinder as he teleports around the room creates quite a sense of panic. And then you see him. Except it's not a him, it's a her. And as she creeps slowly towards you, Sadako-style, you realise that her head has been twisted off and that its dangling down behind her back. And that she's walking backwards.
The ghost designs are brilliant, especially the shambling 'blinded', a woman who first appears at a safe distance on the other side of the room and then BLAM! She's in your face, screaming, with blood pouring from her eyes! It's horrible.
So kudos to Tecmo then, for creating Project Zero. The voice acting's a bit off in places, but I definitely recommend it if you're up for a eerie ride.
Any fans?
