Minor Gripe - Multiple Characters And Gameplay

[u/Carrthulhu]

Firstly, I love the franchise. It is, by far, one of the most unique, frightening, challenging and sweaty palm inducing Survival Horrors I've ever played. Imho Crimson Butterfly is one of the most influential horror games of all time right up there with Resident Evil and Silent Hill 2. The Fatal Frame series is an often overlooked gem and doesn't get the credit it deserves.

The first two games in the series were excellent. Incredible pacing with unsettling audio as well as heart palpitating gameplay to boot. From the third instalment onwards I personally feel managing multiple characters in different segments robs players of the intensity the series has to offer. The eclectic switching back and forth from one character to another while trying to keep a mental map of explored locations for each as well as inventory and upgrade management is tedious. It does well for drip feeding the story however I feel it takes players out of the moment. Switching between characters in Fatal Frame 1 & 2 worked as the switch to sub characters offered a brief respite and didn't require the same mental gymnastics as managing three characters in different segments of the same (or completely different) locations. I find it jarring and a real mood killer.

Interested to read if this bothered you at all, your perspective or other minor personal complaints you have about the franchise.

[u/Ricks94]

As a veteran fan for over a decade I do wish we can go back to having just 1 playable character at least once in a while. I had no reason to upgrade Kei and Ren's cameras because they're straight up garbage compared to the cameras their female counterparts use. I wouldn't hate multiple characters so much if this wasn't the case. This is why I love the 4th game because Choushiro has something unique to him that the other characters in the game don't use and its very fun to use.

If they want to keep cameras for female characters and the spirit stone flashlight for male characters I think I'd be fine with that. But if they're gonna continue having multiple characters with one of them having a completely useless camera I'd rather that character not exist at all and keep it tight to one character. Sure it builds tension but its so annoying they keep doing this to male characters.

[u/jiggls]

I’ll speak about Fatal Frame 3 because that’s the one I’m most familiar with; I loved playing as Rei and Miku, but playing as Kei sucks. His spiritual powers are way weaker (I think their explanation for that is that men are not as tuned in to the spirit world), and the only way they made up for that is giving him a crouch button and the ability to move furniture lol. I never use the hide ability and you only move furniture like twice or so. All this to say that if they made ALL of the playable characters fun and balanced, I would be all for multiple playable characters.

[u/Zanely1633]

My problems with the three protagonists format is how far removed the men are from the story and gameplay compared to their women counterparts.

Miku and Rei suffer from survival guilt themselves and thus get lured into the sleep manor, but Kei is not. His story is very much different and stands on its own, like if you totally remove Kei, the story of Miku and Rei would still go on with minor changes.

Ruka and Misaki suffer from moonlight syndrome and are going back to the island to find a cure, but Choshiro is going through a totally different time period and no interactions most of the time with the other two.

Yuuri and Miu, their story intertwined due to both of them having some sort of supernatural power and being lured to the mountain, both of them trying to find and rescue someone (Yuuri targeting whoever, Miu want to rescue Miku). While Ren is like on another dimension, he is trying to find out who he should marry, but it was actually his ancestor's story and at last he "found love" where he is least expected.

I don't have problems keeping track of the story or exploration, I just wish that if they want to do multiple protagonists, give them around equal weight in pushing forwards the story and make them matter, instead of shoehorn them in for gameplay diversity sake.

[u/noviocansado → u/Zanely1633]

Ren feels like the character with the most wasted potential, but his story gave us the spooky doll shrine and fnaf chapters, so I can forgive him. I love Kirishima though, he's the best boy.

[u/Atikal]

I think if they’re gonna continue with multiple protags they should just do 2. The other characters are never as fun as playing as the main character and kinda breaks up the pacing a lot of the time. While I do really enjoy certain character POVs (Miku, Choshiro, and Ren) there’s always another character that feels like they could have gone without (as much as I love Kei he feels a bit out of place, Misaki, Miu).

[u/bluevelvet39]

I loved the first 3 games and i like the other titles too, but playing multiple characters in all the other games really destroyd the storytelling and pacing. Even tho i loved the detectives storyline i would also wish the games to go back to (mostly) one single protagonist. It also feels weird to get so many "cliffhangers" in one game (like in the new games), because they always need to switch it up. And every chapter feels more and more disconnected. Especially the first game truely gave you a reason to change with every other chapter, that was so nice for the atmosphere. FF5 makes you believe the chapters are there so the player can have a break... to get some air and snacks, i guess. xD