Official Silent Hill Discussion **

[Phallic]

Silent Hill is one of my absolute favorite game series due to it's story and absolute scariness.

The depth it presents is almost mindblowing. Especially in SH2, the story is extremely tragic and very well done. In few other games would they feature a story about the guilt of

Spoiler

murdering your wife

and include abundant symbols that point to what happened among other things.

Due to the lack of advertisement and much slower pacing, I believe that Silent Hill as a series is undeservedly neglected by the general gaming public.

So, I thought that maybe we could dedicate a thread to the Silent Hill series.

 

[Master Chief]

SH2 is lik, one of the best games ever.
And I have a blast shooting everything with my Tesla rifle in Origins on the PSP.
FreEk mE OutT!!

 

[Phallic]

SH2 is lik, one of the best games ever.
And I have a blast shooting everything with my Tesla rifle in Origins on the PSP.
FreEk mE OutT!!

How is Origins?

Is it already ported to PS2?

 

[Master Chief]

I think so, but if not prolly sometime soon.
It's pretty awesome for a portable game.
I like the accolades and whatnot, oOohrah!
Smiley face flashlight filter FtW!!

 

[Havok83]

The only SH game Ive played through was SH1 and I loved it. I tried 2 but couldnt get into it bc of the bad controls

 

[Phallic]

The only SH game Ive played through was SH1 and I loved it. I tried 2 but couldnt get into it bc of the bad controls

Really?

SH2's controls aren't that different from SH1's controls...

 

[lollycop]

I've only played the demo for SH the room. I liked it.

 

[Phallic]

Cool.

If you liked SH4, the other three will blow your mind. SH4 was the weakest IMO by far. SH2 had the best story, and SH1 was the scariest if you don't mind the PS1 graphics.

SH3 was also very scary, some of the visuals were downright disturbing.

 

[Electro UK]

Plsyed through both 2 and Origins. Love them both.

 

[Phallic]

By the way, what do you all think of Silent Hill 5 so far?

 

[LastSunrise1981]

I must say that Silent Hill is by far the most creepiest games I've ever played. Mainly the first and second games are the ones that mess with your head due to the atmosphere, the music, the sounds, and the overall storylines really scare the **** out of you or just mess with your mind.

Nothing creeped me out more than hearing the screeching of the radio in a dark room and not knowing where the creatures are, or, when Pyramid Head is dragging his sword on the ground.

Over all these are just great games and are the scariest of scariest in my opinion.

 

[Havok83]

Really?

SH2's controls aren't that different from SH1's controls...

yeah but SH didnt have the best controls either. It was acceptable back when the game was first released, but SH2 didnt really improve on it. Having played other games since then, I came to realize just how bad the controls were. The "grid sytem" that the game used just wasnt fluid and had the characters moving robotically. It was hard to get into

 

[Addendum]

The controls kept me from enjoying the first game for a while. Once I finally grasped it, they turned from a major thing to a minor one. When I played 2, it was a bit easier to grasp the controls. Aside from the controls, the first 2 Silent Hill games are still up there with my favorite games.

I tried 3, but it didn't hook me. From what I've seen of 4 it didn't interest me enough to play it.

 

[Phallic]

The controls kept me from enjoying the first game for a while. Once I finally grasped it, they turned from a major thing to a minor one. When I played 2, it was a bit easier to grasp the controls. Aside from the controls, the first 2 Silent Hill games are still up there with my favorite games.

I tried 3, but it didn't hook me. From what I've seen of 4 it didn't interest me enough to play it.

Yeah, I'll second that.

Silent Hill's gameplay was never meant to be action oriented. That doesn't excuse sloppy game design, but the action stuff is insignificant enough that it shouldn't detract too much from the game.

And, like Addendum said, you do get used the controls and it does become much easier.

 

[Phallic]

I tried 3, but it didn't hook me. From what I've seen of 4 it didn't interest me enough to play it.

How far did you get into 3?

It gets REALLY scary later on into the game. I still get creeped out by the otherworld version of the office complex and the hospital. It's more in line with how the otherworld looked in SH1, only this time the graphics are much crisper and much more detailed.

 

[Addendum]

I think I finished the mall and was in the Subway. I kept wondering when I would get to Silent Hill, got tired of waiting so I quit.

At least in 2, I could buy the fact that I was in the general area of the town though on the south side of the lake

 

[Phallic]

I think I finished the mall and was in the Subway. I kept wondering when I would get to Silent Hill, got tired of waiting so I quit.

At least in 2, I could buy the fact that I was in the general area of the town though on the south side of the lake

Ah, that explains it.

You DO get to Silent Hill in SH3, but you barely scratched the surface of the game.

I remember not liking it at the beginning too, but you should definitely play it again. There are some parts of that game that are just plain disturbing.

The moment you walk into the office building that's when it really gets intense.

 

[Matt]

Silent Hill never did it for me. I tried all of them and just could never get into any of them. Not sure why.

 

[Rukus]

SH2 is one of the best horror games ever made by far the most creepiest. I can only hope SH5 is anywhere near as good as SH2.

 

[Phallic]

SH2 is one of the best horror games ever made by far the most creepiest. I can only hope SH5 is anywhere near as good as SH2.

They claim to be using SH2 as a model for it so maybe it can...

 

[Omega Wizard]

I Shat Brix in the apartments in 2
and I shat brix at the bathtup/mirror part in 3

 

[A.J.Rimmer(BSC)]

SH2 is one of the best horror games ever made by far the most creepiest. I can only hope SH5 is anywhere near as good as SH2.

Its a shame that 2 sequels couldn't come close to bettering the second, which goes down (for me) as the best horror/thriller game to date.

 

[Phallic]

Its a shame that 2 sequels couldn't come close to bettering the second, which goes down (for me) as the best horror/thriller game to date.

I agree. SH2 had a kind of depth that very few games have, and themes that very games dare to explore. It was quite avant garde in that regard, in my opinion.

SH3 was very good, though, and had a LOT of very disturbing imagery. I loved them both immensely.

 

[Arcturus]

The Silent Hill franchise is possibly one of my all-time favorites ever. I have each of the games, my favorite in particular is Silent Hill 2. Each game has a very creepy atmosphere which is very effective IMO, the monster design is downright disturbing, the music is also another wonderful aspect of the series. But I especially think highly of the plot lines in each entry. Each one has a disturbing twist. From time to time I'll play through the games with headphones and all the lights turned off. As of now, I absolutely can't wait for Silent Hill 5!

It's good see others have interest in Silent Hill.

 

[kainedamo]

What's great about Silent Hill is it's just layered with so many themes. Religious themes, themes about guilt (especially in part 2), sexuality, etc. It takes these things and just creeps you out with it.

Without spoiling too much, basically Silent Hill shifts between different dimensions. These dimensions can be identified as purgatory (grey, foggy Silent Hill) and Hell (dark, bloody, ****ed up Silent Hill). People with a heavy amount of guilt get drawn to the place, and Silent Hill basically reflects back at them all the deep seeded **** that's in their brain.

Spoiler

Like Pyramid Head raping other monsters, I've heard it said this represents James' own repressed sexuality. Maria, identical to James' wife who he murdered. It's said Maria is what James wished Mary was more like. In SH3, the character (can't remember her name right now) gets a glimpse of two monsters having gross ****ed up monster sex on the ceiling.

The storyline is very in depth. At no point does a character or a cutscene spell out the plot. The plot is pieced together, after giving it thought or second playthroughs, like reading a poem over again to figure it out and uncover even more that you didn't realize was there. To my knowledge no other video game has done this in the same way.

Spoiler

Basically what's happened in Silent Hill, is that there's a cult that's been in the town since it was made. There's this little girl that the cult believes is going to give birth to God, and they believe that this event is going to bring paradise. But for some ****ed up reason, they think they need to torture the girl to bring all of this about. It's been years since I've played the games and I haven't been on the forums in a while, so I'm a little sketchy on the details. But I think she used her power to split herself into two half souls, one which remained in Silent Hill and another left at a roadside which Harry from the first SH1 picks up and raises as his own daughter. This half soul gets drawn back to Silent Hill, Harry goes looking for her, and finds the hell that Silent Hill has become. Instead of bringing paradise, the girl's brought her own version of hell.

If anyone else is more refreshed with the details could you provide your own thoughts on the story? Thanks.