The third entry in the Silent Hill franchise adds more style than substance to the tried-and-trusted formula.
The Silent Hill formula is one that has been proven to work. Unusual camera angles and claustrophobic corridors impose feelings of disorientation, whilst lighting - or the lack of it - makes for edgy, tentative gameplay.
Enemies are more visceral than in previous games and the sound effects are raspy and guttural in equal measure. Flight is usually more prudent than fight though, a significant nod to the first Silent Hill game. Supporting characters are weird and eccentric, and the likes of the obviously occult Claudia Wolf are downright disturbing.
Although Heather doesn't enter Silent Hill proper until the latter part of the game, the classic locales remain intact, and fans will be pleased to see the infamous sites require repeat visits.
The problems lie in the game's originality, or complete lack thereof. As the plot unravels it becomes clear that Silent Hill 3 is a direct sequel of sorts to the first Silent Hill game, but with its limited range of characters it becomes less a sequel and more a homage to it. Subsequently, if you're familiar with the first game even slightly, it won't take long to figure out the next plot twist before it happens.
The gameplay remains largely the same as in previous games, but the controls have been tweaked and Heather is difficult to keep on the straight and narrow when the situation demands it, and annoyingly she will attack enemies when what you're trying to do is climb onto a platform of some kind even though you're not in attack mode, resulting in a negative lack of control not intended by the designers.
Visually however the new game engine stands out. Backgrounds appear to move and breathe and the grainy filter that worked so well in Silent Hill 2 remains, albeit in a toned-down version. This enhances the already grim sights on display, and coupled with a phenomenal soundtrack that is equal parts tuneful and vitriolic, playing can almost become enjoyable were it not for the threatening surroundings.
Sadly, fans have seen it all before. Silent Hill 3 takes you over old ground rather than doing anything new or different, and although it does a decent job of bringing you up to speed if you're a newcomer to the series, some parts can appear confusing or unrelated to the action.
Although it works within the confines of the Silent Hill universe, Silent Hill 3 doesn't do anything to warrant serious attention. It lacks new ideas, originality and arguably a challenge, as it can be bested within a few hours gameplay, none of which are exciting or cool enough to compel you to play again for the alternative endings on offer.
Solid but unspectacular, and unfortunately we've come to expect more than that from this franchise.