While many would disagree with me; I liked Silent Hill 3 best out of the ones I've played.
Gameplay: Control is much the same as 2, only Heather is a bit easier to maneuver. Basically; you won't be knocked into corners so much as usual with this gameplay style. In this one, you get to play as Silent Hill 1 protagonists Harry Mason's daughter, a teenage girl; Heather. Her real name comes up later; and it's bound to be a shocker without giving away too much. She's a unique protagonist for many reasons; not only is she the first female lead, but she's also the first with a rounded personality; instead of quietly pondering everything for most part like James or Harry, she's quick witted and has no issues voicing herself. While not as mysteriously enticing as James or Harry; it is certainly easier to get where Heather is coming from.
Gameplay is a bit more challenging then two; while not as hard as four. Enemies are a bit rougher to avoid; but thankfully, there are some new weapons to help you out. The sub-machine gun, while a bit flashy by Silent Hill standards; is a pleasure to use. But guns aren't where the fun of combat is; it's the hand-to-hand combat. New weapons include a sword and a taser. The taser is only good against one type of enemy really; but the katana will prove to be one of the best Silent Hill weapons pretty quickly. Also; to those worried; this game is just as scary as other Silent Hills. However, this one is a bit more assertive in its scares, instead of focusing on sheer ambiance; a few more scares are 'in your face'. You'll have to play it to see what I mean. Also, there are more boss battles in this Silent Hill than others; and most of them are brilliant. NEVER FORGET THE GIANT WORM. NEVER FORGET. Overall; it's terrifying, and great to play, and that is not just by horror game standards. 9/10
Storyline: While this makes a lot more sense if you've played One; I was able to make sense of it by the end. Expect many plot twists; and some of the best characters in the Silent Hill series. How can one not love some of Vincent's game-perspective changing comments? Anyways; you'll be pretty impressed more than once. Very storyline driven. 9/10
Sound: Silent Hill. What do you think? The ambiance and frightful noises are sure to stick around for a while. Every monster has a unique noise; and you are sure to remember each terrifying tremor. The lack of sound at times can be scarier than when all hell breaks lose in the otherworld too; and that takes some serious atmosphere to do. And Silent Hill 3 delivers. Also, Akira made the soundtrack; and the few lyrical themes are worth downloading. Absolutely flawless. 10/10
Graphics: The lighting blows away virtually any other title on the PS2. Heather's EYES glimmer from shadows; and the coloring is stylish. The gritty camera that blessed Silent Hill 2 returns, albeit a bit less intense. It can also be turned off; I would suggest first playing through it with it on. Then on your second run; turn it off. The graphics will blow you away! Silent Hill has always been ahead of its time in graphics; and Silent Hill 3 shows this the best. Literally; you can walk past a pair of blinds, and the SUN will reflect BARS of light onto Heather's vest. You don't even see that level of detail in most Xbox 360 games. Basically, best there is on this system; besides MAYBE Final Fantasy. 10/10
Extras: The game is about 10 hours long, but unlike previous installments; Konami delivered a lot of extras to keep you going beyond extra weapons. For instance; there are many different outfits to play 'dress-up' with Heather; some of which are just hilarious (Sailor Moon-esque Heather, anyone?) to some genuinely cool clothes. These even appear in cutscenes, an advantage over a lot of other alternate-costume offering games. Also, extra weapons are here, and they are good. SPOILER: The lightsaber is freaking breathtaking. Also; there are five more difficulty modes after you beat the game to unlock; if the regular game gets to easy; which it might. Also; ammo control; which is great for trigger-fingered gamers. While not as extensive in bonus modes as say, Resident Evil 4; it offers WAY more than most games. 8/10
Overall: My favorite Silent Hill title; though everyone is entitled to disagree. It doesn't get much better than this in terms of horror gameplay. 9.4/10 is my score. I strongly beg any horror gamer or anyone looking for a good storylined-game to buy this title. It's like, twenty-five dollars; and a twenty-five dollars well spent.