Silent Hill: Origins

"Wickedly Good"

I haven't played a survival horror game since Resident Evil 3 so I'm a bit out of it and among all the Silent Hills I only played the original, so I'm missing out on quite a bit of the story on this franchise too. Lucky for me, this game happens to be a prequel telling the events that led up to Silent Hill 1. Time has warped my fragile little brain though, and although I can't remember minor plot devices and the itty-bitty minutiae that made up the first game - I can still seem to recollect that it was a darn good love story. I will expect the same out of Origins.

No love story. How disappointing. But what you do get is copious amounts of blood, gratuitous violence, and lots of satanic symbology. This is backed up by a spooky soundtrack which while the majority of the time is silent, really gets the goosebumps working when it does chime in. Then there's the claustrophobic camera who somehow seems to always insist on pointing the camera away from the baddies giving them ample opportunity to bite, claw, stab, burn, impale, and spew nauseating vomit over our hapless hero.

The entire game appears to take place throughout the course of a single day and it may very well only take you that long to unlock all the game's secrets. Bosses require little in the form of strategy and can be beaten by brute force - hit, heal, hit heal, etc. The puzzles are less archaic than I remember the original being - sigh, I still remember getting stuck on the "count the limbs" puzzle. But take your time. Enjoy the stroll through Silent Hill. There's no rush. That is unless you're going for the Sprinter accolade, but now I've said too much.

Some of the characters that were in the original SH also make there debut appearance here so fans of the series take note. Play your cards right and you'll be able to unlock a funky UFO ending also just like in the original and a 'bad/real?' ending. The game is portrayed with a dark, gritty cinematography that looks like an old B-movie whose film is just about to spontaneously combust. So while a morbid satanic folk tale isn't exactly a love story - it's kinda like a marriage, only less sadistic. So I'll give it a thumbs up and my whole-hearted recommendation for the kiddies. Enjoy.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/21/09

Game Release: Silent Hill: Origins (US, 11/06/07)