Silent Hill 2

"An excellent port"

Now available on PC with the additional "Restless Dreams" scenario, how does Silent Hill 2 compare to the console version?

STORY. 10/10
The story is of James Sunderland, a lonely widower who receives a letter from his deceased wife of three years, beckoning him to the town of Silent Hill. They had enjoyed some time here before she fell ill and died. While James doesn't believe she is still alive, he decides to venture to Silent Hill, which is no longer the town he once knew, to uncover the truth behind the letter...

Along the way he meets Maria, one of the handful of people scattered about the monsters. She bares an uncanny resemblance to James' deceased wife, and seems to know information that only his wife and James knew before she passed away.

The PC version of the game also contains the bonus playable story where the gamer get the chance to play as Maria and discover some of her background. This only adds to the intrigue of the story and I can happily say gives no blatant answers but only hints at Maria's origins. We only learn the story of Maria just prior to her meeting James; nothing before, nothing after. So those worrying about this story ruining the primary one, have no fear.

GAMEPLAY. 8.5/10
Compared to the console version, Silent Hill 2 plays much better and has a much better flow. The availability of more buttons means that if you want to use health recovery or change weapons, you don't have to stop the game to open a menu, which disrupts the intensity of the console version greatly.

Fans of adventure games will love exploring the eerily beautiful environments searching for clues and objects and solving the excellent puzzles. Those fans of action games may not be as impressed with the combat that is awkward at the best of times, but still strangely enjoyable in my opinion. It's a game that will require some skill, especially when in hard mode where ammo is scarce and you will have to rely on melee weapons (and patience).

Players can choose the level of difficulty for both enemies and puzzles, so those looking for a challenge won't be disappointed, while those who want to cruise through and just enjoy the immaculate story and atmosphere can just set the difficulty to easy. The enemies are not the usual zombie type enemies. They are deliberately human-like, and surprisingly disturbing.

GRAPHICS. 9.8/10
The graphics are stunning, and are presented super stylishly. There are many CG cut-scenes that look fantastic, and the FMVs are simply orgasmic. What stands out in the graphics department is the environments. The buildings and surroundings are creepy, and the fog is intense and very life-like. The textures of the walls and the objects its the best you will see in any game to date. The lighting effects are amazing, with shadows being cast by objects when the torch shines upon it. The only bad thing is when the characters talk in the CGs, their mouths flap and they look like they're going to fall off. This is the only thing that prevents the graphics getting a perfect 10.

CONTROLS 8.5/10
Much easier to control than the console, as mentioned.

SOUND 10/10
The sound is, in my opinion, one of the aspects that makes Silent Hill so creepy and unique. Akira Yamaoka, the sound director, has not only made a stack of all new creepy noises to soil your pants, but has also composed a brilliant soundtrack to go along with it. He is surely the master of eerie, moody semi-ambient music. He also has incredible attention to detail, making every sound unique for its environment. For example, he has programmed over a hundred different footstep samples for each terrain type.

VALUE 8.5/10
There is some replay value in Silent Hill 2 because of the alternative endings, but generally this game is nowhere near as scary the second time through. However, playing through again will allow you to pick up on aspects of the story you have missed, and enjoy the beautiful graphics and audio Silent Hill 2 has to offer. You can also gain more weapons on replays, such as the chainsaw and the special sprays.

The additional Maria scenario is worth playing if you're a massive fan but even so will probably be only something you play through once. It is very short and while adding a little to the story is not particularly exciting to play.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 06/26/07