Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly��Director��s Cut

The Exorcist proved, without question, the freakiest image in horror is the little girl. With that in mind, the creators of Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly��Director��s Cut were smart to cast two girls as the main characters in their game. And with the new first-person view you can play in, the creepiness of it all reaches new heights.

Contentwise, this Butterfly remains the same game it was on PlayStation 2. Armed with an enchanted camera to ��exorcise�� ghosts, you��re meant to experience fright after fright with no real physical way of combating your enemies��taking a specter��s picture stands as the only way to defeat it. Additions, small but welcome, to the Xbox version include new areas to explore and a survival mode, where you kill ghosts repeatedly. But Butterfly��s best new feature is its first-person camera, where every freak-out moment is made freakier because of its immediacy.

In third-person mode, it��s a lot easier to convince yourself the ghosts are attacking Mio, the protagonist you guide. In first person, the ghosts are obviously coming directly at you. It��s as if you��re there, in the moment, seeing ghosts come out of the ground. Your twin, Mayu, follows you for most of the game, and sometimes you��ll forget she��s there. Then while looking around, you��ll suddenly see her appear in the corner of your eye/screen. It��s horrifying every time it happens, and she��ll stare back at you blankly with a creepy glow lighting her face.

The graphics are standard, but that��s okay, as the haunting atmosphere and foreboding music sell the game��s skin-chilling story. If you have an active imagination, you might want to avoid this game. You can play it if you want, just don��t plan on getting any restful sleep.

08 OUT OF TEN

PUBLISHER: Tecmo // DEVELOPER: Tecmo // PLAYERS: 1 // LIVE: No // MSRP: $49.99 // ESRB: M

Copyright © 2005 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in Xbox Nation.