Silent Hill 2

"The hit survival horror game for PS2 is ported to the PC."

Silent Hill 2 was Originally released for the PS2 about a year back, I wasn't able to enjoy this game because I didn't have a PS2 (or X-BOX). The first game terrified me and twisted my mind for weeks, and I snapped up its sequel as soon as it came to PC. The original game was definitely the classiest and most perfect incarnation of the survival horror game ever. Its most notable features were its amazing engine capable of dark, 3-D scenery, and its cinematic techniques of scripted camera work and plot foreshadowing devices. Its weaknesses lay in its confusing plot and somewhat dissappointing gameplay. The second game has a great deal to improve upon and a lot to live up to.

The gameplay is, unfortunately, exactly the same as the original's, and perhaps not as challenging. I remember leaving Harry's (SH1 main char.) light off in the original to avoid unnecessary enemy confrontations, and in SH2, I never had to turn off James' (SH2 main char.) lights once. The game forgives you for almost french kissing the slow moving, slow attacking enemies and gives you enough ammo to open up a gun shop. The puzzles on the other hand are varied and often lend to the disturbing atmosphere of the game. On the normal setting, they are very doable. Bear in mind, you are never directly confronted w/ the raw game play itself, but you are rather constantly gripped in fear.

The story in this game is much more comprehensible and terrifying than that of SH1. It is much more personal and less mystical and it makes it incredibly terrifying in the end. In both Silent Hills, I became very immersed in the role of the player character, but Silent Hill's conclusion was an incredible let down since you don't realize what's really happened until you read a plot FAQ. Silent Hill 2's narrative is much more understandable and if you are immersed in the role of James Sunderland, the meaning of which ever of the 5 endings you get hits you immediately. This is an adult horror story that uses the supernatural to enhance the psychological aspect of the tale, rather than focusing all the attention on the supernatural. There's a great deal of symbolism and foreshadowing once again. James' staring into the bathroom mirror in the beginning is a poignant device for instance...

The first time I played, after he finishes the staring into the mirror pre-rendered cinematic, I didn't know that I had assumed control of him and just sat there waiting for about 10 seconds. Yeah, the graphics were that good. Graphical detail is key to the deeply unsettling atmosphere, and there is plenty of structural and textural detail in characters and backgrounds. You could almost smell the stench in one scene when James reaches into a toilet complete with a fresh bowel-movement to find an item encased in filth. You might think that the bathroom might be an exception, but almost all interior environments reminded me of the decay and putrid stench of that bathroom. The decorating of these environments must have been done by some one who punctured his jugular and decided to skip past every wall until he died. Especially notable are the lighting effects which render the shadows of individial fingers and railing rungs. The exteriors are usually enshrouded in fog. This is no hardware limitation excuse fog, it makes the town eerily come to life and conceals it in an air of mystery. Character animations and design are superb as well. One thing that holds in this game and holds for all survival horror games I know of is that the people all have achievable figures and basically average features. Maria (female lead) isn't a Playboy centerfold and even has a little stomach flab, but her coquettish mannerisms and the honest way she is captured make her truly beautiful to behold. Creature design is truly unique and the three main enemies convey violence and sexuality in one. You'll simply have to experience it for yourself when you start beating them down with pipes and other blunt objects.

The PC version supports up to 7.1 sound which I didn't have the ability to use since I had only 2 off the shelf speakers T_T. I couldn't quite hear the straight-jacket monster's acid hurling wretch noise with 7 speaker precision, but with the surround sound option ticked off, I was able to get a nice behind the back effect at times. The voice acting is well done and pretty natural for the most part. Some portions could have gone more smoothly like Angela's conversations with James. The best voice acting is when Mary reads her letter. It is done with such an honest melancholy behind it, and it completes the reality of James' nightmare flawlessly.

After I began the game early one evening I couldn't stop, and 7 hours and 40 minutes later, I came to an ending which haunts me up to this minute. One thing I couldn't stop doing in the PC version is quick save before I opened every door. I was in a dark room, alone, truly terrified by James' surroundings, and I wished many a time that James would just turn back and forget his wife! There are plenty of other women in this world! The fact that quick save existed made the game a whole lot easier, albeit less frustrating if you suddenly died w/o saving at a save beacon for a while. I'm considering going through the game a few more times to get all the endings..., but I'm reluctant to live the horror once again. Like the tradition Resident Evil started, replays are rewarded w/ sweet ass items like the chain-saw I just got. According to the PS2 faqs, there are also new endings to be found. There are several levels of difficulty, and the puzzles in each mode of difficulty are distinct. You can apparently even unlock a final mode of ultimate puzzle difficulty! If you're into puzzles and finding cool secret items, going through this game a second time is very rewarding.

However, for me, this game will mainly be about the story and how well it was told by giving me control of the protagonist and letting me experience his revolting surroundings and his trauma. I was amazed after Silent Hill how absolutely terrified I was of a game. After playing it for the PSX, I imagined what better graphics, better sound, and better story line could do for the series, and Konami has certainly delivered with Silent Hill 2. I eagerly await the next game, and only hope that Silent Hill 3 will have better thrid person game play than its predecessors.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/07/03, Updated 01/07/03