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- Jan 2, 2007
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Hey there. It looks like its October, and since I'm always wearing my rose tinted goggles of Nostalgia, I decided I'd take a look back on one of my favourite video game horror series: Silent Hill, and see how each one stands up and what made it good in the first place. Although I am going to make mention of the film, I'm not going to mention Silent Hill 0rigins or Homecoming for 3 reasons.
1. They aren't made by Team Silent, the only connections in development being producer and sound designer Akira Yamaoka
2. They suck.
3. I'm likely to go on a long, boring rant about why they suck that no one will care about.
Anyways, I'm going to do this in a "Mini-review" format, and naturally, in chronological order.
Silent Hill
When Silent Hill was announced, there wasn't too much hype or interest around the game. The PlayStation was nearing its final years, The Dreamcast had come out, the graphics were antiquated, and the Survival Horror genre was being ruled by Resident Evil. It practically had a monopoly, even an attempt to reincarnate "Alone in the Dark," one of the first games in the genre, was blown over by the release of Resident Evil 3 and the announcement of Code Veronica. So the game was in an odd position at its release. Yet the game was able to hold its own against the Resident Evil juggernaut, as it was more than just a "Resident Evil" clone. The games style took a different approach, rather than focusing on monsters and scenes of graphic gore (Although the game still had a deserved "M" rating) it focused on a more subtle horror: Psychological fear. The Town was, in a way, the monster. The mysterious fog, demonic entities, and ever changing layout stemmed from something much smaller and seemingly more insignificant than most games in the genre: The human mind, in this case, the mind of a girl named Alessa. Playing as Harry Mason, you chase your daughter, Cheryl, into the fog ridden town of Silent Hill and uncover a mystery that nearly brings hell literally to Earth. The games disturbing scenery and monsters, as well as the chilling and brilliant sound design, lent an amazing amount of atmosphere. While the graphics were dated, the art design more than made up. From the dark corridors of the Hospital, to the nigh impossible maze of "Nowhere" Silent Hill took you through several eerie locals as the world changed and morphed before your eyes. While the story is easily the most convoluted of the series (And that is saying something) it was an interesting one, and it started the Silent Hill mythos. The game still stands up, if you can get past its dated tech - its still a creepy, creepy game. 8.8/10
Silent Hill 2
With the surprise success of the first game, Team Silent quickly went to work creating a sequel for the new PS2 system. Released in 2001, Silent Hill 2 slowly gained a cult following. At its initial release, it seemed that critics and gamers were at an end - Some called it an instant classic, others felt it was a step backwards and didn't recapture the fear of the first game. However, as time has gone on, critics are recognizing the game more and gamers are as well, fans of the series call it the greatest entry. Where do I stand? Well, it's hard to say. I think it has the best story in the series, boasting one of the greatest stories ever told in a horror game - let alone any video game. I'm a sucker for metaphors and twisted imagery, so Silent Hill 2 is right up my alley. I suppose overall, it is the best, however, I don't find it the scariest. Although this may not make sense on the surface, I consider SH2 to be the most disturbing - but SH3 is the scariest. I know that "scary" and "Disturbing," should go together, but in this case I feel they are different. I'll talk more about SH3 later, but the reason I consider SH2 the most disturbing is because of the series, it gets under your skin the most. The horror is still psychological, but what makes this unique even when compared to the rest of the series, is that rather than relying on primal fear and mystery (Not to say those elements don't exist), it relies heavily on psycho-sexual imagery and 'body horror.' Many of the games enemies and themes rely on sexual taboos and stigmas, and combining that with gore and hideous monsters, creates a sense of dread. The infamous nurses represent the main characters sexual harassment of the nurses in the hospital where his wife died, a monster known as "The Flesh Lip" can only be described as nothing more than a large slab of flesh with a visible orifice resembling genitalia, possibly the objectification of women? The most disturbing of all the creatures, in my opinion, is "The Doorman." I think I would be pushing the rules of this forum explaining why, but people who have played the game will understand. This is also where the infamous demon Pyramid Head appears as well. This truly is a classic, and its story is one of the few not only to get under my skin and truly disturb and bother me, but to make my cry as well. Despite some cheesy acting, it is a heavily emotional story and as beautiful as it is sickening. If you haven't picked this one up, do so.
9.5
Silent Hill 3
With the first two games in the market and a climbing number of fans, Silent Hill had become a franchise. Naturally, a sequel was inevitable. Like the initial release of SH2, SH3 puts fans and critics at an end. While Critics praised the game for its freaky atmosphere, fans bashed it for relying on more traditional methods and for not being up to snuff with SH2. While I certainly don't feel the story is quite as good as SH2s, I still think it is a great game, and my second favourite in the series. As I mentioned earlier, I actually find #3 to be the scariest. While its not as "disturbing" as SH2, its atmosphere, its freakish monsters, and primal scares are easily the best in the series. I distinctly remember a sequence (Once again, I feel I am pushing the forum rules if I were to describe it) that I encountered while playing the game long after midnight, and the resulting startle waking up my parents and sending a cat through the roof. I'm not one to startle, but SH3 did that, while always keeping a steady atmosphere. The games story is a sequel to SH1, and as such, the monsters are more demonic in form and once again, the religious themes of SH1 make an appearance. The game certainly doesn't use as much psycho-sexual imagery as #2, although it still mixes some in (One of the most common monsters, "Closer" is clearly phallic, and if you look into its metaphors, almost as disturbing as The Doorman.) and it does still deal with themes of vengeance and redemption as #2 did. The biggest negative I have with Silent Hill 3 is mostly that the enemies are a bit more repetitious, and there are some areas where you are given an arsenal that seems to large and powerful for a survival horror game Bigger firepower can sometimes break the theme of being vulnerable, which makes a game less frightening, but the sheer amount of disturbing sights and sounds more than makes up for it. I also feel that some locations were feeling too familiar and recycled from the first two games, but there are still several new locations to make up, and the first act actually does not take place in the town. I also feel that this game has the best soundtrack of the series, served by brilliant composer Akira Yamaoka. Heather was an interesting protagonist, and the cast of characters were all diverse and interesting, and for the first time in a series one of the monsters was even a fascinating protagonist. That's right, one of the monsters is a protagonist, as strange as that sounds. Valtiel, or "The Protector of God" in Latin, although shown many times as a scare tactic, and definitely very freaky, actually has the duty of altering fate- and defending you. While it would be a spoiler to the games plot to tell you why, it was definitely neat to see a monster in the series actually helping out.
9.3/10
Silent Hill 4: The Room
The Room wasn't originally intended to be a Silent Hill game, but Team Silent decided midway into development to put the Silent Hill name on, and add in a few loose ties to the series including certain symbols and the mention of "The Order," the cult that appears in the first and third game. SH4 is sadly where the series dropped the ball, but while it is easily the weakest of the series (Once again excluding Homecoming and 0rigins) it is still a treat to play. Oddly what makes it so good in my opinion is the storyline. While it isn't emotionally satisfying like #2, and it doesn't have the religious themes of #1 and #3, the story is insanely creative and unique. You'd be hard pressed to compare it to anything else. Much of the game literally takes place inside the brain of a dead serial killer. The story is easily the highlight of the game. The monsters are a strange lot, but not strange enough. The first monster you encounter, is actually a staple for the genre: A skinned zombie dog. Seriously? They had those in Resident Evil. Hell, they even had 'em in Alone in the Dark (Although those ones weren't "skinned"). The ghosts in the game are your standard ghosts, although in fairness to them, they are creepy and their ties to the story do make sense for their appearance and ethereal capabilities. The most creepy looking monster, loses all its possible scare value when you find out it burps upon being attacked. Some monsters are downright strange, in one level, a very common monster is a group of unmanned wheelchairs that patrol the halls of a hospital, while occasionally taking breaks to enter a room and mate with another wheelchair to make more wheelchairs. I am not freakin' kidding. The creepiest monster in the game, in my opinion, are the "Tops" and "Bottoms," maybe not for their appearance so much as their disturbing history: The serial killer murdered a pair of twin children, splitting them in half. The "Tops" are the twin childrens head and torso, maneuvering by walking with their arms. The "Bottoms" speak for themselves. SH4's main problem is in two forms: 1. Its not nearly as scary 2. The design. While the levels are well enough designed your first time around, you are forced to go back and play through the game again, and not enough is changed to make them appeal a second time. The second act of the game is just a rustier, bloodier version of the first act with a couple tougher monsters and different cutscenes. The story is the only thing that will compel you to replay all the levels again, and even it isn't enough to salvage the almost completely worthless second half. While the game has enough atmosphere and great music to be called 'creepy,' the game is hardly scary. The only part I would call scary involves finding an audio tape graphically and disturbingly telling the story of a cat being skinned alive. Later in the game, a "haunting" appears and you hear a cat meowing in your apartment, open the door to your fridge, and you get a rather unpleasant surprise. SH4 is 'decent,' but its not great.
7.3/10
The Silent Hill Movie
You may be shocked about what I am about to say: I enjoyed the motion picture adaptation of Silent Hill. Now, that's not to say it is perfect. However, it is a step in the right direction, and I feel that there is so much underlying potential, and the director clearly had an affinity for the series. The sad part mainly lies in an even more convoluted version of the first games story, and excessive fan service. I feel if they had worked more on the script, and used less fan service, it would actually be a truly good film on its own merits. The plot, as I said, follows the first game, albeit with a few changes. Most of the changes are bad ones, although I feel that changing the protagonist to a woman was a good move. As the director said, he felt that it would be easier to connect with a story about a mother trying to find her daughter than it would be a father, as maternal bonds are often stronger and more often than not, a motherly character is easier to connect with. The other changes to the story, only make it stranger, and harder to follow. When I say the film relies heavily on fan service, this lies in the monsters that appear. Anyone who is familiar with the series knows that the monsters are meant to be products of a twisted mind, they are all metaphors and relate to a characters psyche. As in the first game, the movies monsters are derived from Alessa's mind. However, they use a few too many monsters from Silent Hill 2, due to the games standing with fans. They do not relate to Alessa, hence their appearances are meaningless. The straight jacket is on screen once, and obviously doesn't represent a feeling of helplessness to save anyones dead wife. Pyramid Head makes a couple appearances, but rather than being a punisher and agent of justice, he is merely a butcher. The nurses appear too, but none of the characters abused any nurses in the hospital like in Silent Hill 2, nor was anyone molested by them as a child like in Silent Hill 3, so they are simply zombies here. As a fan, I beg the question: Why are they here? I will give the nurses slide because their scene is genuinely creepy. However, it IS clear that at least someone on the writing staff or the director knew what they were doing, and two particular monsters have a place: The demon children who are being punished for bullying Alessa, and a twisted visage known as "The Janitor," who is being punished for assaulting Alessa. They are both agents of fear, as they should be. Demons taken from Alessa's troubled mind, yet being punished for what they did to her. The film looks great. This is how a Silent Hill film should look. Everything looks great, the town, the otherworld, the thick fog, and ESPECIALLY the monsters. The monsters, through brilliant use of CG textures and traditional costumes performed by contortionists, look and animate just as they would in the game. This is another reason I am giving the nurses a free pass, they look perfect and they move just as twitchy and as scary as they did in the game. Pyramid Head, although I dislike his appearance, also looks great and I think that his updated looks are actually better. While it isn't perfect, the film also successfully coats the film in a decent atmosphere, making it seem like the game and even being a little creepy. The film has extreme potential, and I feel if they ever make a sequel, the director should be brought aboard again but be given a new screenwriter to rely on less fan service. If that happens, I truly think Silent Hill can make the first truly great video game film. While it isn't perfect, Silent Hill the movie is enjoyable, and it is most definitely a step in the right direction for video game adaptations.
7.8/10
So, what do you guys think of the series? Which one is your favourite? Did you like the movie? Discuss.
1. They aren't made by Team Silent, the only connections in development being producer and sound designer Akira Yamaoka
2. They suck.
3. I'm likely to go on a long, boring rant about why they suck that no one will care about.
Anyways, I'm going to do this in a "Mini-review" format, and naturally, in chronological order.
Silent Hill
When Silent Hill was announced, there wasn't too much hype or interest around the game. The PlayStation was nearing its final years, The Dreamcast had come out, the graphics were antiquated, and the Survival Horror genre was being ruled by Resident Evil. It practically had a monopoly, even an attempt to reincarnate "Alone in the Dark," one of the first games in the genre, was blown over by the release of Resident Evil 3 and the announcement of Code Veronica. So the game was in an odd position at its release. Yet the game was able to hold its own against the Resident Evil juggernaut, as it was more than just a "Resident Evil" clone. The games style took a different approach, rather than focusing on monsters and scenes of graphic gore (Although the game still had a deserved "M" rating) it focused on a more subtle horror: Psychological fear. The Town was, in a way, the monster. The mysterious fog, demonic entities, and ever changing layout stemmed from something much smaller and seemingly more insignificant than most games in the genre: The human mind, in this case, the mind of a girl named Alessa. Playing as Harry Mason, you chase your daughter, Cheryl, into the fog ridden town of Silent Hill and uncover a mystery that nearly brings hell literally to Earth. The games disturbing scenery and monsters, as well as the chilling and brilliant sound design, lent an amazing amount of atmosphere. While the graphics were dated, the art design more than made up. From the dark corridors of the Hospital, to the nigh impossible maze of "Nowhere" Silent Hill took you through several eerie locals as the world changed and morphed before your eyes. While the story is easily the most convoluted of the series (And that is saying something) it was an interesting one, and it started the Silent Hill mythos. The game still stands up, if you can get past its dated tech - its still a creepy, creepy game. 8.8/10
Silent Hill 2
With the surprise success of the first game, Team Silent quickly went to work creating a sequel for the new PS2 system. Released in 2001, Silent Hill 2 slowly gained a cult following. At its initial release, it seemed that critics and gamers were at an end - Some called it an instant classic, others felt it was a step backwards and didn't recapture the fear of the first game. However, as time has gone on, critics are recognizing the game more and gamers are as well, fans of the series call it the greatest entry. Where do I stand? Well, it's hard to say. I think it has the best story in the series, boasting one of the greatest stories ever told in a horror game - let alone any video game. I'm a sucker for metaphors and twisted imagery, so Silent Hill 2 is right up my alley. I suppose overall, it is the best, however, I don't find it the scariest. Although this may not make sense on the surface, I consider SH2 to be the most disturbing - but SH3 is the scariest. I know that "scary" and "Disturbing," should go together, but in this case I feel they are different. I'll talk more about SH3 later, but the reason I consider SH2 the most disturbing is because of the series, it gets under your skin the most. The horror is still psychological, but what makes this unique even when compared to the rest of the series, is that rather than relying on primal fear and mystery (Not to say those elements don't exist), it relies heavily on psycho-sexual imagery and 'body horror.' Many of the games enemies and themes rely on sexual taboos and stigmas, and combining that with gore and hideous monsters, creates a sense of dread. The infamous nurses represent the main characters sexual harassment of the nurses in the hospital where his wife died, a monster known as "The Flesh Lip" can only be described as nothing more than a large slab of flesh with a visible orifice resembling genitalia, possibly the objectification of women? The most disturbing of all the creatures, in my opinion, is "The Doorman." I think I would be pushing the rules of this forum explaining why, but people who have played the game will understand. This is also where the infamous demon Pyramid Head appears as well. This truly is a classic, and its story is one of the few not only to get under my skin and truly disturb and bother me, but to make my cry as well. Despite some cheesy acting, it is a heavily emotional story and as beautiful as it is sickening. If you haven't picked this one up, do so.
9.5
Silent Hill 3
With the first two games in the market and a climbing number of fans, Silent Hill had become a franchise. Naturally, a sequel was inevitable. Like the initial release of SH2, SH3 puts fans and critics at an end. While Critics praised the game for its freaky atmosphere, fans bashed it for relying on more traditional methods and for not being up to snuff with SH2. While I certainly don't feel the story is quite as good as SH2s, I still think it is a great game, and my second favourite in the series. As I mentioned earlier, I actually find #3 to be the scariest. While its not as "disturbing" as SH2, its atmosphere, its freakish monsters, and primal scares are easily the best in the series. I distinctly remember a sequence (Once again, I feel I am pushing the forum rules if I were to describe it) that I encountered while playing the game long after midnight, and the resulting startle waking up my parents and sending a cat through the roof. I'm not one to startle, but SH3 did that, while always keeping a steady atmosphere. The games story is a sequel to SH1, and as such, the monsters are more demonic in form and once again, the religious themes of SH1 make an appearance. The game certainly doesn't use as much psycho-sexual imagery as #2, although it still mixes some in (One of the most common monsters, "Closer" is clearly phallic, and if you look into its metaphors, almost as disturbing as The Doorman.) and it does still deal with themes of vengeance and redemption as #2 did. The biggest negative I have with Silent Hill 3 is mostly that the enemies are a bit more repetitious, and there are some areas where you are given an arsenal that seems to large and powerful for a survival horror game Bigger firepower can sometimes break the theme of being vulnerable, which makes a game less frightening, but the sheer amount of disturbing sights and sounds more than makes up for it. I also feel that some locations were feeling too familiar and recycled from the first two games, but there are still several new locations to make up, and the first act actually does not take place in the town. I also feel that this game has the best soundtrack of the series, served by brilliant composer Akira Yamaoka. Heather was an interesting protagonist, and the cast of characters were all diverse and interesting, and for the first time in a series one of the monsters was even a fascinating protagonist. That's right, one of the monsters is a protagonist, as strange as that sounds. Valtiel, or "The Protector of God" in Latin, although shown many times as a scare tactic, and definitely very freaky, actually has the duty of altering fate- and defending you. While it would be a spoiler to the games plot to tell you why, it was definitely neat to see a monster in the series actually helping out.
9.3/10
Silent Hill 4: The Room
The Room wasn't originally intended to be a Silent Hill game, but Team Silent decided midway into development to put the Silent Hill name on, and add in a few loose ties to the series including certain symbols and the mention of "The Order," the cult that appears in the first and third game. SH4 is sadly where the series dropped the ball, but while it is easily the weakest of the series (Once again excluding Homecoming and 0rigins) it is still a treat to play. Oddly what makes it so good in my opinion is the storyline. While it isn't emotionally satisfying like #2, and it doesn't have the religious themes of #1 and #3, the story is insanely creative and unique. You'd be hard pressed to compare it to anything else. Much of the game literally takes place inside the brain of a dead serial killer. The story is easily the highlight of the game. The monsters are a strange lot, but not strange enough. The first monster you encounter, is actually a staple for the genre: A skinned zombie dog. Seriously? They had those in Resident Evil. Hell, they even had 'em in Alone in the Dark (Although those ones weren't "skinned"). The ghosts in the game are your standard ghosts, although in fairness to them, they are creepy and their ties to the story do make sense for their appearance and ethereal capabilities. The most creepy looking monster, loses all its possible scare value when you find out it burps upon being attacked. Some monsters are downright strange, in one level, a very common monster is a group of unmanned wheelchairs that patrol the halls of a hospital, while occasionally taking breaks to enter a room and mate with another wheelchair to make more wheelchairs. I am not freakin' kidding. The creepiest monster in the game, in my opinion, are the "Tops" and "Bottoms," maybe not for their appearance so much as their disturbing history: The serial killer murdered a pair of twin children, splitting them in half. The "Tops" are the twin childrens head and torso, maneuvering by walking with their arms. The "Bottoms" speak for themselves. SH4's main problem is in two forms: 1. Its not nearly as scary 2. The design. While the levels are well enough designed your first time around, you are forced to go back and play through the game again, and not enough is changed to make them appeal a second time. The second act of the game is just a rustier, bloodier version of the first act with a couple tougher monsters and different cutscenes. The story is the only thing that will compel you to replay all the levels again, and even it isn't enough to salvage the almost completely worthless second half. While the game has enough atmosphere and great music to be called 'creepy,' the game is hardly scary. The only part I would call scary involves finding an audio tape graphically and disturbingly telling the story of a cat being skinned alive. Later in the game, a "haunting" appears and you hear a cat meowing in your apartment, open the door to your fridge, and you get a rather unpleasant surprise. SH4 is 'decent,' but its not great.
7.3/10
The Silent Hill Movie
You may be shocked about what I am about to say: I enjoyed the motion picture adaptation of Silent Hill. Now, that's not to say it is perfect. However, it is a step in the right direction, and I feel that there is so much underlying potential, and the director clearly had an affinity for the series. The sad part mainly lies in an even more convoluted version of the first games story, and excessive fan service. I feel if they had worked more on the script, and used less fan service, it would actually be a truly good film on its own merits. The plot, as I said, follows the first game, albeit with a few changes. Most of the changes are bad ones, although I feel that changing the protagonist to a woman was a good move. As the director said, he felt that it would be easier to connect with a story about a mother trying to find her daughter than it would be a father, as maternal bonds are often stronger and more often than not, a motherly character is easier to connect with. The other changes to the story, only make it stranger, and harder to follow. When I say the film relies heavily on fan service, this lies in the monsters that appear. Anyone who is familiar with the series knows that the monsters are meant to be products of a twisted mind, they are all metaphors and relate to a characters psyche. As in the first game, the movies monsters are derived from Alessa's mind. However, they use a few too many monsters from Silent Hill 2, due to the games standing with fans. They do not relate to Alessa, hence their appearances are meaningless. The straight jacket is on screen once, and obviously doesn't represent a feeling of helplessness to save anyones dead wife. Pyramid Head makes a couple appearances, but rather than being a punisher and agent of justice, he is merely a butcher. The nurses appear too, but none of the characters abused any nurses in the hospital like in Silent Hill 2, nor was anyone molested by them as a child like in Silent Hill 3, so they are simply zombies here. As a fan, I beg the question: Why are they here? I will give the nurses slide because their scene is genuinely creepy. However, it IS clear that at least someone on the writing staff or the director knew what they were doing, and two particular monsters have a place: The demon children who are being punished for bullying Alessa, and a twisted visage known as "The Janitor," who is being punished for assaulting Alessa. They are both agents of fear, as they should be. Demons taken from Alessa's troubled mind, yet being punished for what they did to her. The film looks great. This is how a Silent Hill film should look. Everything looks great, the town, the otherworld, the thick fog, and ESPECIALLY the monsters. The monsters, through brilliant use of CG textures and traditional costumes performed by contortionists, look and animate just as they would in the game. This is another reason I am giving the nurses a free pass, they look perfect and they move just as twitchy and as scary as they did in the game. Pyramid Head, although I dislike his appearance, also looks great and I think that his updated looks are actually better. While it isn't perfect, the film also successfully coats the film in a decent atmosphere, making it seem like the game and even being a little creepy. The film has extreme potential, and I feel if they ever make a sequel, the director should be brought aboard again but be given a new screenwriter to rely on less fan service. If that happens, I truly think Silent Hill can make the first truly great video game film. While it isn't perfect, Silent Hill the movie is enjoyable, and it is most definitely a step in the right direction for video game adaptations.
7.8/10
So, what do you guys think of the series? Which one is your favourite? Did you like the movie? Discuss.
