Fatal Frame 3 : The Tormented

Fatal Frame III: The Tormented is the third game in the Fatal Frame Series, and is exclusive to the PS2.

Storyline

"I heard this house was haunted...too bad it's not."
―Rei Kurosawa to Miku Hinasaki


"Why did I survive?"
This thought has haunted Rei ever since that day... The day she lost her fiancé in a car accident - while she was at the wheel.

One day, freelance photographer Rei Kurosawa receives an assignment to shoot pictures at an old Japanese manor. Rumor has it that the manor, situated deep in the mountains and miles from anywhere, is haunted.

During her work that day, Rei sees something inexplicable: her fiancé. Yuu Asou. As far as she knows, he is dead. Setting off in pursuit of her dead lover, Rei finds herself wandering deeper and deeper into the ruins of the abandoned mansion.

At the end of a crumbling passageway she turns a corner, and suddenly the scene around her changes. Snow is falling heavily, and reaching out ahead of her are rows and rows of countless gravestones. The scene bears no resemblance to the abandoned house where she has been taking pictures.

"Where am I? What is this place...?"
Afraid and confused, Rei begins her search for Yuu...

- - -

- Opening description from the "Fatal Frame III: the Tormented" Manual.

Main Characters
Rei Kurosawa
The main character. She is a freelance photographer suffering the loss and guilt of her recently deceased fiancé, Yuu Aso. One day, while shooting the remains of an old mansion, she catches a glimpse of her fiancé within a photo. Chasing him down the corridor, she finds herself in what appears to be a restored version of the mansion. She encounters spirits and rituals of the past until awoken from her daydream by her assistant, Miku Hinasaki. After that day, Rei begins to have violent and disturbing dreams set within the mansion. A painful blue tattoo spreads over her body each time she wakes, making Rei determined to find answers before her time is up.

Miku Hinasaki
Rei's assistant, and also a returning character from Fatal Frame.
Several years after her experiences at Himuro Mansion, Miku is living with Rei Kurosawa and has taken a job as her assistant. Not much is known about her within the first few chapters, but as the game progresses, Rei discovers that even after his death, Miku can't let go of the memory of her brother, allowing the tattoo to slowly consume her body as well.

Kei Amakura
A non-fiction writer conducting research into folklore and urban legends. He is also drawn into the House of Sleep in his search for answers regarding the condition of his niece, Mio Amakura. While they don't meet face to face until quite late in the game, he is able to provide Rei with information by means of his letters and research notes sent to his good friend (and Rei's fiancé) Yuu Aso. His Spirit Power is weak and he finds it difficult to fight off the ghosts that attack him. Instead he relies on a wealth of background knowledge and his superior health to help him confront the Curse of the Tattoo.

Hours

* Zero Hour

The Calling

* Hour I

The Sign

* Hour II

The Manor of Sleep

* Hour III

The Subduing Song

* Hour IV

The Evil Dream

* Hour V

Vanishing

* Hour VI

The Sacrificial Pillar

* Hour VII

The Hanging Prison

* Hour VIII

The Vacant Dream

* Hour IX

The Unleashing

* Hour X

The Piercing of the Soul

* Hour XI

The Last Passage

* Hour XII

The Ceremony of Commandment

* Hour XIII

Calling of the Tattoo

* Final Hour

Abyss of the Horizon


Base on a True Story
Fatal Frame III takes a lot of influence from Japanese horror movies, urban legends, Makoto Shibata's personal experiences and dreams, the concept of the Baku spirit (which eats nightmares) and the old Japanese folklore character the Dream Buyer, who bought and sold good dreams. The Manor of Sleep is based on an abandoned house that Shibata-san used to play in as a child.

Suggested Inspired Sources
* Makoto's personal experiences & dreams
* Japanese Baku spirit
* The Japanese folklore character the Dream Buyer
* Manga Yokai Hunter series Daijiro Moroboshi[1]
* Ju-on (The Grudge) series
* The Eye (suggested by fans)
* Junji Ito's Lovesick Dead Comic/Movie (suggested by fans)

Books
* Zero Shisei no Koe Official Fast Capture
* Zero Shisei no Koe Complete Official Capture Book
* Zero Shisei no Koe Comic Anthology

Official Links
http://www.tecmo.co.jp/product/zero3/index.htm
http://www.projectzero3.de/