A Different Kind of Horror
I remember buying Silent Hill 2 as a new release; having enjoyed the first title, I was pumped and hoping for a pretty similar experience. Konami delivered...in quite a different way. Seeing the recent Silent Hill film prompted me to repurchase the game (I had sold it a local video game store). This is truly head and shoudlers above any other horror game, even in the 'Silent Hill' series.
Most games will boast horror as blood, gore, violence, and unexplainable ghostly figuers. Silent Hill 2 uses a different method; it jumps into your head, grabs hold, and may even keep you awake at night.
The Story: James is quite a lonely man after the death of his beloved wife. Two years after her death to an unexplained illness, James receives a letter from her. She's in the city of Silent Hill in their 'special place.' Waiting for him. When James arrives, however, the city is deserted. The ghost town is choked by a thick white fog. He'll travel through broken-down apartment buildings, hospitals, and even amusement parks, fighting his way through what can only be called monsters to get a glimpse of his late wife.
Logistics
Sound: The Silent Hill series has always been known for its ability to maintain an ambience, and this game is no different. The white noise from the radio has returned. The 'monsters' themselves can be heard shuffling down the hallway, grunting, and moaning. The voiceovers are decent at best (I suppose it can't be too great in order to maintain the spirit of the horror genre). 5/5
Control: Let's copy the control scheme of Resident Evil, give him strafe, and make him clumsy. It works for the genre, but combat can be difficult. Again, I'll venture to say that this is apporpriate. Not everyone can be accurate with a pistol or know how to swing a steel pipe correctly. 4/5
Graphics/Rendering: The true low point for this game, even for its time I say low point of the game, but that doesn't mean they're not fantastic. The CG's are beautiful, but the game definitely has some rendering issues (hence the white fog). The visuals work, and they work well. The design of the enemies is a bit on the odd side, but they're just creepy enough to keep the lights on. 4/5
Misc: I've been told by various people that, since the strategy guide book is out of print, to keep a psychology book close by to study James as he progresses through the city. After doing this for about an hour, I gained a whole new respect for this title. It's done something that no other game has done. It's taken the 'BOO' factor out and replaced it with a more subtle, psychological terror that sticks with you and keeps you awake at night.
This is something that should be in any fan-of-the-genre's collection, period. Very rarely will I buy a 'Greatest Hits' title, but this one is packed with extra content apart from the original 'Black Label' (all of the content from the Restless Dreams version that made its way to the XBox). For twenty dollars, I certainly can't complain. Here's to hoping that fans find this title at a reasonable price, as I believe even the Greatest Hits version is out of print.Read full review
