WOW
First off, Silent Hill is my favorite series. The first one will always be my favorite, and will always have a special place in my heart. I lost my Survival Horror Virginity on it.
It scared the living crap out of me and still does to this day.
Graphically, well, it was on the PSX for goodness sakes! Even then, it was not the best, but I have always thought that was just part of the atmosphere of the game. Of course the acting for the FMVs is not the greatest, but it's a video game, not a movie…
I love the story line. The creators put a lot of thought and work into the story.
The town itself is amazing. Even with the poor graphics, you can just make out buildings that are familiar yet different. The "dark side" is the scariest environment I have ever seen in any video game to date.
The music is superb, bone chilling even. The sound effects are outstanding, and the well placed scream or glass breaking or cat's meow is perfect.
I personally use the original Silent Hill as the measuring stick for all survival horror.
Oh, and while I LOVE RE movies, the games pale in comparison to SH in my opinion….