*****Review*****
Silent Hill: Origins is the next instalment in the Silent Hill series created by Climax Group, not the same creatures as the previous four game. Team Silent, the creature of the four previous Silent Hill's has since separated after the forth instalment.
Origins is what the sub-name implies, a prequel. Silent Hill: Origins takes place way before the events of the original Silent Hill.
You play Travis Grady, a truck driver who lives his life one mile at a time, rather leaving his part behind in his rear-view mirror making as few connections as possible. His latest delivery takes him past a sleepy north-eastern town called Silent Hill. Suddenly, something (or someone) runs across the road and Travis is forced to swerve out of the way. Leaving his cab to investigate, he spots a young girl, who quickly runs away. Worried she might be hurt Travis follows.
Travis comes to a flaming house on the outskirts of Silent Hill. A girl screams from somewhere in the fire, Travis rushes inside to help. He fights through the flames, the black smoke burning in his lunges. He finds the girl, but eventually gives in to the strain and blacks out… He then wakes up in Silent Hill.
While Silent Hill: Origins is a prequel, the story doesn't really feel vital to the real story Silent Hill, and doesn't really bring anything new or anything we didn't know into the series, except for a new character, Travis who is not a character worth knowing. As you play you'll meet the same old character from the original Silent Hill such as the crazy Dahlia Gillespie, Dr. Kaufmann, the unfortunate Nurse Lisa Garland and young Alessa. You could think of Origins as a Silent Hill remake, but it's not really.
The game-play is the same as the previous Silent Hill game, which may lead you to believe it's good. It is good but there's nothing new. It's like they've just taken the same game-play strategy from the previous Silent Hill games, throw in a new character and BANG, a new Silent Hill game. Silent Hill 4: The Room was released in 2004, three years before the release of Origins on the PSP in 2007, and then an additional year for the PS2 release in 2008. In the space of three years, I was expecting something different and new, even for a PSP game.
The sound-effect and the soundtrack is one strong point about Origins. We still have the same great eerie and unpleasant sound effects, and a great soundtrack. Akira Yamaoko was not as involved in Origins as he was in the previous Silent Hill's but still, a part of him went into the music development, which gave me the motivation to play through the game.
Overall Silent Hill: Origins feels more like a side game, an expansion pack if you will. As a full sale game, it's not as satisfying as the last four Silent Hill's and didn't feel vital, like it had to be played to make an impact as part of the series. If it had been a PlayStation Store downloadable game for a small price, my thoughts may have been different. Origins it not a terrible game, it was just made in the wrong generation. If it was made back in the last generation it probably would have done good, but I doubt it would be anywhere near a great as the first three… or even as good as Silent Hill 4. With all the other game titles that came out, Silent Hill: Origins quickly became forgotten.
*****FINAL OVERALL SCORE*****
- Story – 6/10
- Life Value – 5/10
- My Thought Score – 6/10
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- Presentation – 6/10
- Graphics – 8/10
- Game-Play – 6/10
- Sound Design – 8/10
- Originality – 4/10
*****EDITOR'S OVERALL THOUGHT SCORE – 6/10 *****
Silent Hill: Origins Review by Simon a.k.a. [TheDevilDweller]