Fantastic Crazy Japanese Weirdness (Silent Hill (PS))

Member Name: alexlea88

Product:	Silent Hill (PS)
Date:	08/11/09 (8 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Emersive, engageing and totally nerve-shreding

Disadvantages: As mad as a bag of squirrels

Yes, I know, I'm not going to win any awards for being up to date, but Silent Hill is such a classic, I thought another review wouldn't hurt.

Silent Hill is your common or garden Japanese survival horror game from makers Konami. The game play involves general exploring, puzzles and combat. So far so straightforward. What makes Silent Hill stand out, or at least did make it stand out when it was released was just how completely nerve-shredding it all is.

You're character starts off in Silent Hill after a car crash, and your young daughter runs off into the mist surrounding the town. You give chase after her. Silent Hill is a standard looking kind of place, with the exception that there's no-one around. Things quickly go downhill from there.

You make your way further into the mist and find yourself walking down an alleyway when you get set upon by some bizarre looking creatures. You pass out and are rescued by a helpful Policewoman. Form thereon in, the game just goes mad. Cue dogs with no skin, flying bird-man things, horrific noises for no reason when you enter a room, intermittent darkness, satanic rituals, nurses with no face and things on their back, huge worms and fairgrounds that are just plain wrong.

In general, your typical Japanese fare.

Please don't buy Silent Hill if you are of a nervous disposition. There's even a warning at the start of the game that it contains violent and disturbing images. Yes, I know, I'm a wuss. Maybe it's because I was playing it in the dark, but it's not a game to play on your own at night.

The game is really involving and there are a number of different ways to complete it resulting in different endings. A word of warning; you will need to use a walkthrough for the best ending, as some of the things you have to do are not straightforward and you wouldn't think of doing them. In true survival horror fashion, you really should try using, opening and talking to everything and everyone until you're sure you've exhausted your options. Controls are straightforward and the graphics, although dated were great at the time of release. The difficulty is set just right on normal modes, with the hardest settings being just a bit too hard (and compounded with limited ammunition and health).

Obviously the game is old now, both in terms of the graphics and the game play, and I'm sure there's plenty of games out there that delivery more shocks for you money (just read my reviews of Resident Evil 4 and Doom 3) and Silent Hill 2 was so disturbing my friend Ross couldn't finish it. However, for sheer crazy messed up Japanese weirdness, you can't beat the original Silent Hill.

Summary: DO NOT play at night on your own. You have been warned.