The re-imagining of Silent Hill will make you want to visit Silent Hill over and over.
The game start off as a therapist is making himself a drink. He receives a call that the new patient have arrived. Then it shows Harry Mason losing control of his car and he crash in Silent Hill. The game has three parts to it. There's the therapy where you answer questions. This question can affect what ending you get.
The second part takes place during the day. You're basically exploring the town of Silent Hill and looking for your daughter. The game is pretty linear though there is a few branching paths that add replay value to the game. There are no monsters during the day. So you don't have to worry about being attack. The exploration is fun and the puzzles are quite challenging though they never change.
The town of Silent Hill is very immersive and you'll find yourself looking around in every corner just to explore. You can also find hidden collectibles and spirits of people that lived in Silent Hill. The spirits help reveal more about Silent Hill and you'll find yourself looking in every corner just to find one.
The last part is called nightmares. The game gets dark and the monster tries to attack Harry. The combat is very different in Shattered Memories. In fact there is no Combat. It's just you, your flashlight, and you ability to run.
No longer are you fighting the demons of hell. You're powerless and can be easily taken down. The path you took from before have been twisted and warp. You may find yourself running in circle just trying to figure out where you have to go. You may also find flares which you can use to protect yourself for a certain amount of time.
Nightmares can be quite challenging at times. The monsters are fast and relentless. Sometime there will be too many and you will get taken down. You can try to get them off by moving the Wiimote and nunchuck in a certain direction. This keeps you involve in the nightmare and you may find yourself standing up just to get the monsters off of you. Though sometime the game doesn't register your movement and you'll find yourself flailing everywhere just to get them off you. After a few games you will notice that nightmares never really change. You can't really die either. You just start at the beginning of a level.
The game is really well paced. It finds a perfect way to balance out the nightmares and daytime sections. You'll never get sick of either of them. It's just a shame that there aren't more of them. The game is just far too short. I found an average playthrough to last around six hours unless you really explore the game environment.
It goes without saying this is one of the best looking games on the Wii. The world is very detailed and you'll find yourself stopping just to look around. The enemies also look differently depending on how you play the game. The characters all look great and a few of them look differently depending on how you play the game.
The story in Shattered Memories is one of the best reasons to play the game. It's very emotional and sad. It may confuse you at first but the ending explains it all. The game can get cheesy at time but it never ruins the game. You'll find yourself replaying the game over and over just to see what ending you get. That's one of Shattered Memories strong point. The game has a lot of replay value. Different endings, collectibles, and other little things that make the game a blast to play.
The music really help the game feel more alive and scary. Whether it's exploring Silent Hill or running from monsters, the music will keep you engage and some songs may get stuck in your head. The voice acting for the most part is fine.
Silent Hill Shattered Memories is a great game that fan of the genre should not pass up. The game is very well paced with a great, emotional story. The only real thing that hinders the game is the length. If you can find the game cheap then by all means buy it. This is an experience that Silent Hill fans should not pass up.
Final verdict
8.5/10