His protégé and the first playable character is Majuyu Hinasaki, an orphan with a sixth sense who finds the uncharted house and enters in search of the team.

The main character is Majuyu's sister, Miku, who also enters the mansion. Her search for her brother quickly becomes secondary as she in turn tries to survive in the dark and endure ghostly encounters to break the curse that binds the souls within.

Based on a true story, so the official website says, Project Zero concerns itself with a mix of actual circumstances and Japanese folklore. This is the story of the disappearance and sadistic ritual torture of local children, including those of the master of the house, and various others. The full and complex web of events is divulged through encounters with characters' spirits and the discovery of lost notebook scraps, audio tapes and various trinkets. CG cut scenes of your player's visions further illustrate related events at key points thoughout the game.

Playing Project Zero is largely akin to watching the unforgettable ending scene of the Blair Witch Project. The sheer tension of moving through a dark house with just a flashlight and camera is the basis of all manner of chills that have no peer in video gaming.

The premise is the same - you are in search of a companion and you know someone else is inside, somewhere, with a gruesome history of murder and a far superior knowledge of the house. And you are unarmed, going from room to room without so much as a hint of what else lies within.

Were it not for the obvious inspiration from a number of films (the Blair Witch Project, the Ring) and games (Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Alien Ressurection, Freak Out, Ico, Shadowman) the single reference might suffice.

But the fact that Project Zero will itself become a motion picture while the Ring is remade for Western audiences reflects not only how well it stands alone but also how good it is in its own right.

In the game, an antique camera passed down from Miku's mother allows her to banish spirits by taking their pictures. The closer the shot, the more hit points are scored, until finally each ghost is driven from the mansion. Spirits move about and attack in patterns, while often disappearing and endeavouring to catch you offguard. Replacement film is often required after encounters and the tendency to miss effective opportunities or get closer to ghosts can prove costly. Better, more effective film can also be found, while scoring points for good photography unlocks improvements and bonus features in the camera.