While Resident Evil got my foot in the door of Survival Horror, Silent Hill helped keep the door open for me
User Rating: 10 | Silent Hill PS
After years of replaying the same old tired RE games, I was getting pretty bored with the survival horror genre. I still love the Resident Evil games, but I wanted something new. And what better place to go then the Silent Hill series. Resident Evil defined the genre, but Silent Hill revolutionized it, pulling it out of the B-movie horror that Resident Evil was keeping it in, and into the modern world. I played and bought a few Silent Hill titles, but it wasn't until coming across the original did I really fall in love with the series. The game's first few minutes of play were reminiscent to me, being as I have seen and love the 2006 movie, and appreciate it more now knowing all it has taken from the original game. In the game, you control Harry Mason, as he searches for his daughter Cheryl in the town of Silent Hill, while uncovering some of the town's darkest and securely kept secrets along the way. The only outsider to aid Harry, Officer Cybil Bennet (who was also transplanted into the film) appears very minimally throughout the game, which surprised me. Given her large presence in the movie, I would have thought I would have seen here more often, but no. Instead, Harry comes in contact with a few other people who live in Silent Hill, including Dahlia Gillespie, Dr. Kaufman and Nurse Lisa. Two of those three were also taken from the game and put into the movie, as well. Rarely do these four supporting characters interact, and the only time I can think of is a few encounters between Cybil and Dahlia. While the game's controls and gameplay may be a bit trying for some, being as I have spent years playing survival horror games, they proved no trouble for me. I unbelievably enjoyed the enemy encounters, as they came few and far between. The majority of the game is made up of puzzle solving and cutscenes moving the story forward. I enjoy that much more then countless encounters with enemies, as Resident Evil is famous for. The story is also very twisted and psychological, as Harry delves deeper into Silent Hill, and his daughter's strange connection with Dahlia's daughter, Alessa.
I cannot begin to explain any further how much I love this game. It has completely turned me into a Silent Hill fanboy (although I won't be abandoning Resident Evil completely). I've played nearly all the Silent Hill games, and so far the original is the best. Aside from graphics that may be a bit aged today (but were great back in the day), this game is absolutely perfect. I can't get enough!
