The actual undisputed GOAT
I will shout Silent Hill 2's praises any day but would it be a cheeky if I preferred this one a teeny bit more?
There's just something about this game, it's aged certainly but the game is packed to the gills with so much juice it still feels fresh.
A masterpiece in every sense of the word.
I will shout Silent Hill 2's praises any day but would it be a cheeky if I preferred this one a teeny bit more?
There's just something about this game, it's aged certainly but the game is packed to the gills with so much juice it still feels fresh.
A masterpiece in every sense of the word.
This review contains spoilers
For personal reference more than anything else.
First time playing through this after a couple of attempts over the last couple of years with the furthest one in being about halfway through the game four years ago. Played on Easy and got the Good+ ending.
Originally I wasn't going to bother with this game as I tried it again quite recently and still wasn't really into it but changed my mind after how good Silent Hill 2 was and realising that (for me at least) its just better to play on the easier difficulties with these games as I then find my issues with them diminished. After playing I honestly can't really tell if I made the right choice by fully playing this or not.
I really couldn't get that interested in this game, the story was just told in a way where it feels like most of it happens in the later half and even then it just feels like its told kind of weirdly (as stupid as that may sound). If it wasn't for the fact that I'd seen the film based on this game not only before but recently I would've struggled even more than I already was in following it. None of the characters were particularly interesting and I felt that the voice acting in the game basically destroyed any last hope of me caring about the characters or the story. I didn't really give a shit whether Harry found Cheryl or not because it didn't even sound like he cared himself.
The locations in the game were sort of cool and I actually quite liked the hospital, sewer and Nowhere sections. I wasn't really a fan of having to do the school two times in a row though and exploring the town was a pain in the arse because of the constant roadblocks and the annoying enemies.
Speaking of which, I think that over half of the types of enemies in this game can just be described as annoying. The pterodactyls, the dogs, the mole people, the ghost children (in the final area) and even the bosses. I think most of it comes down to having to deal with them using tank controls and the fact that the majority of them have some kind of grab. But a couple of them fly and are difficult to see (even with holding down L2 (the look button or whatever its called)).
The puzzles in this game were absolutely not for me, I struggle too much when given a puzzle and being told "here, solve it," and not understanding what I'm supposed to be doing in the first place. I got to what was essentially the first puzzle of the game (the bird story and piano keys in the school) and I literally had no idea what I was even being asked of, so I ended up using a guide and I'm really glad I did. The guide was consulted a fair bit, especially towards the end of the game as I was just constantly confused. I don't consider this to be a fault of the game, just another reason why I personally couldn't quite get on with it. I did like the Alice in Wonderland tablets puzzle and the make the shapes from the pictures on the doors bit.
Some scattered thoughts:
• I really liked how the game looked and I think its so cool how the developers managed to work with the limitations at the time in such creative ways.
• Despite being a horror game I didn't really feel all that scared or anything outside of a couple of moments here and there, that's not a big problem for me but I do think that the game is kind of banking on the player feeling at least a little on edge due to its atmosphere.
• The music wasn't really for me but I think there were a couple of songs I thought were decent.
• I didn't really enjoy the combat most of the time but I loved using the hammer.
I think the game was alright and there were some interesting things in it but I don't exactly think I had a particularly good time with it and I don't think I'm going to want to come back to it.
First time playing through this after a couple of attempts over the last couple of years with the furthest one in being about halfway through the game four years ago. Played on Easy and got the Good+ ending.
Originally I wasn't going to bother with this game as I tried it again quite recently and still wasn't really into it but changed my mind after how good Silent Hill 2 was and realising that (for me at least) its just better to play on the easier difficulties with these games as I then find my issues with them diminished. After playing I honestly can't really tell if I made the right choice by fully playing this or not.
I really couldn't get that interested in this game, the story was just told in a way where it feels like most of it happens in the later half and even then it just feels like its told kind of weirdly (as stupid as that may sound). If it wasn't for the fact that I'd seen the film based on this game not only before but recently I would've struggled even more than I already was in following it. None of the characters were particularly interesting and I felt that the voice acting in the game basically destroyed any last hope of me caring about the characters or the story. I didn't really give a shit whether Harry found Cheryl or not because it didn't even sound like he cared himself.
The locations in the game were sort of cool and I actually quite liked the hospital, sewer and Nowhere sections. I wasn't really a fan of having to do the school two times in a row though and exploring the town was a pain in the arse because of the constant roadblocks and the annoying enemies.
Speaking of which, I think that over half of the types of enemies in this game can just be described as annoying. The pterodactyls, the dogs, the mole people, the ghost children (in the final area) and even the bosses. I think most of it comes down to having to deal with them using tank controls and the fact that the majority of them have some kind of grab. But a couple of them fly and are difficult to see (even with holding down L2 (the look button or whatever its called)).
The puzzles in this game were absolutely not for me, I struggle too much when given a puzzle and being told "here, solve it," and not understanding what I'm supposed to be doing in the first place. I got to what was essentially the first puzzle of the game (the bird story and piano keys in the school) and I literally had no idea what I was even being asked of, so I ended up using a guide and I'm really glad I did. The guide was consulted a fair bit, especially towards the end of the game as I was just constantly confused. I don't consider this to be a fault of the game, just another reason why I personally couldn't quite get on with it. I did like the Alice in Wonderland tablets puzzle and the make the shapes from the pictures on the doors bit.
Some scattered thoughts:
• I really liked how the game looked and I think its so cool how the developers managed to work with the limitations at the time in such creative ways.
• Despite being a horror game I didn't really feel all that scared or anything outside of a couple of moments here and there, that's not a big problem for me but I do think that the game is kind of banking on the player feeling at least a little on edge due to its atmosphere.
• The music wasn't really for me but I think there were a couple of songs I thought were decent.
• I didn't really enjoy the combat most of the time but I loved using the hammer.
I think the game was alright and there were some interesting things in it but I don't exactly think I had a particularly good time with it and I don't think I'm going to want to come back to it.
A perfect example of a game that destroys the argument of not being able to get into a game because of dated graphics: Silent Hill takes advantage of every single technical disadvantage it has and provides a psychological horror experience that’s still extremely effective and completely unique—a timeless work of art that everyone needs to play. They really don’t make em like this no more
Melhor survivor que joguei na minha vida.
This review contains spoilers
i can see the influence it had on survival horror. the atmosphere is by far the best aspect of the game. the game showed its age, which is what makes it so good. the low res graphics and renders of cutscenes and just overall (pre) 2000's feel makes the game slightly un-nerving. unfortunately this didnt really make the game all that scary but im sure it would have banged when it was released. i didnt rate some parts of the game which felt a little boring although i understand pacing of modern games is the reason i feel this way. puzzles are very unique and interesting although some are widely considered wayyyy too hard to complete and i had to use a walkthrough for some (especially the piano one). i didn't like the ending - not because i got the bad one but i just thought that it was slightly underwhelming after all the effort made through the game. it came off as naff and it was also made so predictable just through the introduction of Dahlia Gillespie. she was obviously a cult leader and gave away the plot. this was probably not intended but maybe i'm wrong. also the voice acting is awful but is to be expected from a 1999 game.
Silent Hill, lançado em 23 de fevereiro de 1999 pela Konami e Team Silent, é uma obra-prima do horror psicológico que estabeleceu um novo padrão para o gênero de jogos de sobrevivência. Como o primeiro jogo da icônica série Silent Hill, ele introduziu os jogadores a um mundo de terror e mistério que os deixaria arrepiados e intrigados desde o primeiro momento.
Uma das características mais marcantes de Silent Hill é sua abordagem única ao horror. Ao contrário de outros jogos de sobrevivência anteriores, que frequentemente apresentavam protagonistas habilidosos em combate, Silent Hill coloca os jogadores no papel de Harry Mason, um homem comum em uma situação extraordinária. Essa abordagem oferece uma sensação de vulnerabilidade e impotência que intensifica a experiência de terror.
A jogabilidade de Silent Hill é uma mistura habilidosa de combate, exploração e resolução de quebra-cabeças. Os jogadores são desafiados a navegar pelos sombrios corredores de Silent Hill, enfrentando inimigos grotescos e descobrindo segredos perturbadores enquanto buscam respostas sobre o desaparecimento de Harry Mason. O uso inteligente do controle de vibração para indicar a pulsação cardíaca de Harry e sua saúde precária adiciona uma camada extra de imersão à experiência.
Além disso, Silent Hill é visualmente impressionante, com visuais sombrios e atmosféricos que criam uma sensação de opressão e desespero. Os gráficos detalhados e a trilha sonora sinistra contribuem para a atmosfera assustadora do jogo, mantendo os jogadores à beira de seus assentos a cada momento.
No geral, Silent Hill é um exemplo brilhante de como o horror psicológico pode ser eficazmente transmitido através dos videogames. Por sua atmosfera envolvente, jogabilidade desafiadora e narrativa cativante, eu concordo totalmente com a nota de 9/10. É um jogo que continua a assombrar os sonhos dos jogadores muito tempo depois de terem desligado o console, e seu legado na história dos videogames é inegável.
Uma das características mais marcantes de Silent Hill é sua abordagem única ao horror. Ao contrário de outros jogos de sobrevivência anteriores, que frequentemente apresentavam protagonistas habilidosos em combate, Silent Hill coloca os jogadores no papel de Harry Mason, um homem comum em uma situação extraordinária. Essa abordagem oferece uma sensação de vulnerabilidade e impotência que intensifica a experiência de terror.
A jogabilidade de Silent Hill é uma mistura habilidosa de combate, exploração e resolução de quebra-cabeças. Os jogadores são desafiados a navegar pelos sombrios corredores de Silent Hill, enfrentando inimigos grotescos e descobrindo segredos perturbadores enquanto buscam respostas sobre o desaparecimento de Harry Mason. O uso inteligente do controle de vibração para indicar a pulsação cardíaca de Harry e sua saúde precária adiciona uma camada extra de imersão à experiência.
Além disso, Silent Hill é visualmente impressionante, com visuais sombrios e atmosféricos que criam uma sensação de opressão e desespero. Os gráficos detalhados e a trilha sonora sinistra contribuem para a atmosfera assustadora do jogo, mantendo os jogadores à beira de seus assentos a cada momento.
No geral, Silent Hill é um exemplo brilhante de como o horror psicológico pode ser eficazmente transmitido através dos videogames. Por sua atmosfera envolvente, jogabilidade desafiadora e narrativa cativante, eu concordo totalmente com a nota de 9/10. É um jogo que continua a assombrar os sonhos dos jogadores muito tempo depois de terem desligado o console, e seu legado na história dos videogames é inegável.
This review contains spoilers
Esse jogo é muito bom porém datado...
Para iniciar meu desafio de jogos de terror, comecei com essa pérola do mundo do terror aqui.
Silent Hill 1 é um jogo de terror psicológico que progride em passos beem Leeeeentos.
No jogo, controlamos Harry Mason, que está dando um role com sua filha quando ocorre um acidente. Na tentativa de desviar de uma menina que estava parada na estrada, Harry bate a porra do carro e capota e fode tudo.
Quando Harry acorda, ele tá sozinho e o único caminho que ele pode seguir é em sentido a Silent Hills, onde ele deve trilhar para reencontrar sua filha que desapareceu após o acidente.
O jogo em si é interessante, amedrontador e a história é o ponto mais alto de todo jogo, só que a gameplay é muito lixo puta que pariu. O combate é travado e é piorado com a câmera fixa, que atrapalha a visualização dos bixos vindo em corredores, por exemplo. O personagem é lento e devido novamente a essa câmera lixo, você parece um trem desgovernado, se batendo em tudo que é direito.
Além disso, o jogo possui Puzzles (de praxe em qualquer survival horror de respeito) que tem um grau muito elevado de dificuldade (para minha capacidade mental limitada, claro) e eu confesso que me aproveitei de detonados pra passar em certas partes (to nem ai kkkkk).
Normalmente esses jogos survival horror possuem backsitting e não é diferente por aqui, porém o mapa é muito grande e você é muito lento e descoordenado (devido a câmera fixa). Se você for imbecil igual eu, provavelmente se perderá dentro de Silent Hill e vai ter que voltar de porta em porta para conferir se pegou tudo ou achar a porta que leva ao progresso do jogo!
No quesito de recursos, o jogo te dá munição o suficiente para passar dos monstros e zerar o jogo com tranquilidade, e ele recompensa a exploração. A variedade de armas não é grande mas são mais que SUFICIENTES para completar os desafios do jogo.
Esse jogo possui diversos finais que, dependendo das quests dos NPCs que você fizer, você desbloqueia uma cutscene final que conta os acontecimentos após (ou antes...) os atos de Harry (eu acabei fazendo o final mais bosta).
AQUI CONTÉM EXXXPOILER
Agora falando de forma mais profunda, a história do jogo conta sobre um culto a um Deus antigo e, a filha de Harry é a peça chave para despertar esse suposto "Deus".
Se você não fizer as quest do doutor maluco lá, você vai pegar o final mais lixo (que foi o que eu fiz), onde você deixa a Pm lá morrer e você perde sua filha também, onde você descobre que na verdade, Harry nem saiu vivo daquele acidente.
Por mais que seja um jogo de playstation 1, cheio de limitações, o jogo consegue te colocar imerso até os dias de HOJE! Você de fato se sente no corpo do personagem.
No geral é um bom jogo de terror, que consegue passar um experiência nostálgica e ao mesmo tempo agoniante (no bom sentido). A gameplay é datada e em certos pontos do jogo, eu senti que ele se arrasta mais do que devia. Recomendo a todos que curtem um jogo de terror sem porra de Jumpscare, onde o medo está no psicológico!
1/52
Para iniciar meu desafio de jogos de terror, comecei com essa pérola do mundo do terror aqui.
Silent Hill 1 é um jogo de terror psicológico que progride em passos beem Leeeeentos.
No jogo, controlamos Harry Mason, que está dando um role com sua filha quando ocorre um acidente. Na tentativa de desviar de uma menina que estava parada na estrada, Harry bate a porra do carro e capota e fode tudo.
Quando Harry acorda, ele tá sozinho e o único caminho que ele pode seguir é em sentido a Silent Hills, onde ele deve trilhar para reencontrar sua filha que desapareceu após o acidente.
O jogo em si é interessante, amedrontador e a história é o ponto mais alto de todo jogo, só que a gameplay é muito lixo puta que pariu. O combate é travado e é piorado com a câmera fixa, que atrapalha a visualização dos bixos vindo em corredores, por exemplo. O personagem é lento e devido novamente a essa câmera lixo, você parece um trem desgovernado, se batendo em tudo que é direito.
Além disso, o jogo possui Puzzles (de praxe em qualquer survival horror de respeito) que tem um grau muito elevado de dificuldade (para minha capacidade mental limitada, claro) e eu confesso que me aproveitei de detonados pra passar em certas partes (to nem ai kkkkk).
Normalmente esses jogos survival horror possuem backsitting e não é diferente por aqui, porém o mapa é muito grande e você é muito lento e descoordenado (devido a câmera fixa). Se você for imbecil igual eu, provavelmente se perderá dentro de Silent Hill e vai ter que voltar de porta em porta para conferir se pegou tudo ou achar a porta que leva ao progresso do jogo!
No quesito de recursos, o jogo te dá munição o suficiente para passar dos monstros e zerar o jogo com tranquilidade, e ele recompensa a exploração. A variedade de armas não é grande mas são mais que SUFICIENTES para completar os desafios do jogo.
Esse jogo possui diversos finais que, dependendo das quests dos NPCs que você fizer, você desbloqueia uma cutscene final que conta os acontecimentos após (ou antes...) os atos de Harry (eu acabei fazendo o final mais bosta).
AQUI CONTÉM EXXXPOILER
Agora falando de forma mais profunda, a história do jogo conta sobre um culto a um Deus antigo e, a filha de Harry é a peça chave para despertar esse suposto "Deus".
Se você não fizer as quest do doutor maluco lá, você vai pegar o final mais lixo (que foi o que eu fiz), onde você deixa a Pm lá morrer e você perde sua filha também, onde você descobre que na verdade, Harry nem saiu vivo daquele acidente.
Por mais que seja um jogo de playstation 1, cheio de limitações, o jogo consegue te colocar imerso até os dias de HOJE! Você de fato se sente no corpo do personagem.
No geral é um bom jogo de terror, que consegue passar um experiência nostálgica e ao mesmo tempo agoniante (no bom sentido). A gameplay é datada e em certos pontos do jogo, eu senti que ele se arrasta mais do que devia. Recomendo a todos que curtem um jogo de terror sem porra de Jumpscare, onde o medo está no psicológico!
1/52
Silent Hill é assustador e comovente, trágico e obstinado: enfrente o inferno para salvar quem se ama. Claro que é antigo, meio datado, mas nem por isso se torna uma experiência menos marcante.
Dios que divertido que es este juego. Los puzzles son un dolor de cabeza absoluto diseñados por satán, MUY troll y rebuscados pero me cague de risa, NUNCA tuve que usar tanto el cerebro en un juego. La atmósfera es excelente, la música es buenísima y los sonidos de todo me hicieron cagar encima varias veces. El gameplay es estresante, en parte por los controles y en parte por el diseño en general. Correr de noche por Silent Hill intentando averiguar a donde concha tengo que ir y evitando los pajaros fue sin duda una experiencia. Los cuartos que te cambian de piso como el baño o la ultima parte en el Hospital son fantásticos. El hospital es fantástico. Me diverti mucho jugando, de hecho me lo terminé en un día. Una pena que no pueda experimentarlo de nuevo (y además saqué el bad ending xd). Mañana arranco con el 2. La historia esta ok pero le falta un poco para terminar de entenderse bien y hay cosas que según Nano literalmente no están explicadas en este juego, pero me gustó igual.
I liked the story and atmosphere, but the game shows its age in some of gameplay.
No existe juego de terror post 1999 que no este de alguna manera inspirado en Silent Hill, así como este tomo elementos de Resident Evil, perfeccionó el aspecto del horror al punto de plantar la semilla de una formula del terror que nunca paró de dar frutos.
El juego en si es excelente, con una historia super criptica que te realmente te dan ganas de entender, multiples finales, multiples puzzles, y gráficamente es increíble lo que pudieron hacer con el hardware de la PlayStation 1. Realmente mientras mas investigues sobre el desarollo de Silent Hill 1 mas te vas a sorprender de la absoluta genialidad de los devs.
El gameplay, si bien nunca fue el fuerte de la franquicia, sufre por cuestiones técnicas de la misma consola, pero de ninguna manera hace que sea feo o aburrido de jugar.
Literal es como "El Padrino" de los juegos de terror, tenes que jugarlo amigo
El juego en si es excelente, con una historia super criptica que te realmente te dan ganas de entender, multiples finales, multiples puzzles, y gráficamente es increíble lo que pudieron hacer con el hardware de la PlayStation 1. Realmente mientras mas investigues sobre el desarollo de Silent Hill 1 mas te vas a sorprender de la absoluta genialidad de los devs.
El gameplay, si bien nunca fue el fuerte de la franquicia, sufre por cuestiones técnicas de la misma consola, pero de ninguna manera hace que sea feo o aburrido de jugar.
Literal es como "El Padrino" de los juegos de terror, tenes que jugarlo amigo
Well, I'm not gonna lie, this game is cheesy, a lot, the voice acting, oh god, but even so, i forgive, since it's the first game of the series, and this cheesy tank game will change the survival horror forever, so, good work Konami.
Muy buen juego, con una ambietación de 10 incluso siendo un juego de PS1. Lo malo, es que ha envejecido regular, por eso la nota.
Top jogos do Ps1.
Apesar dos controles de tanque e os poligonos do Ps1 terem envelhecido como leite eu ainda recomendo demais esse jogo.
Mesmo sendo o primeiro ele não perde muito pras suas sequencias em nada que não seja culpa do tempo. A atmosfera, ambientação e conceitos que fizeram todos amarem a franquia já estavam todos ali (Btw a ideia da nevoa é genial pra resolver as limitações da epoca)
É pog podem jogar.
(Alessa My Beloved)
(Eu odeio a ultima area.)
Apesar dos controles de tanque e os poligonos do Ps1 terem envelhecido como leite eu ainda recomendo demais esse jogo.
Mesmo sendo o primeiro ele não perde muito pras suas sequencias em nada que não seja culpa do tempo. A atmosfera, ambientação e conceitos que fizeram todos amarem a franquia já estavam todos ali (Btw a ideia da nevoa é genial pra resolver as limitações da epoca)
É pog podem jogar.
(Alessa My Beloved)
(Eu odeio a ultima area.)
Amazing music, amazing artistic vision, insanely scary without relying on jumpscares, fun puzzles and still relatively fun gameplay. Going through this game is an insanely harrowing experience in the best way possible. I wanted to write something interesting but it's difficult to put into words how great it is. Because it becomes great through the sum of it's parts.
The only reason I don't give it 5 stars is because some puzzles (piano) are very difficult to figure out without a guide, New game + automatically forcing the difficulty up and hard not being fun for me and how the tank controls are outdated by now.
The only reason I don't give it 5 stars is because some puzzles (piano) are very difficult to figure out without a guide, New game + automatically forcing the difficulty up and hard not being fun for me and how the tank controls are outdated by now.
The pure definition of a survival and horror game. Gameplay requires you to strategically manage your inventory and make high risk decisions to navigate the environment. Playing this game in 2015 I’ll say that it has the most intuitive map system I’ve ever seen, ala making red x’s over areas that are inaccessible and updates as the player explores the map. The atmosphere is the pivotal attraction in this game, despite the dated pixilation the environments evoke a tangible sadness and eeriness as well as suggestive and subtle imagery. Initially a technical restraint, the use of mist to hide the lack of draw distance creates a constant fear of the unknown. Atmosphere is also bolstered by the fantastic sound design of Akira Yamaoka, who at this point is synonymous with the SH series. As much as sound is important in horror film, it shows more in games. Indistinct, metallic, and uncanny sound effects populate the environments in tandem with subtle ambience or silence that builds a real sense of uncomfortableness and tension. SH also manages to tell a personal psychological story along with an impressive lore that mythifies small-town America. SH has no jump scares in sight as it’s mantra is subtlety and suggestion.
blueprint for survivial horror in my eyes
most enternaining silent hill gameplay (ei oikeest walking sim mut ajalleensa tosi hyvä)
This is a great game, but it's not perfect. Some of the attempted scares fell flat for me, which isn't optimal for a horror game. The subtle, atmospheric elements are my favorite parts - the more in your face stuff just didn't do it for me. The gameplay walks a really fine line between frustrating jank and strategic caution. The thing about Silent Hill is that if you fixed the jank it would actually hurt the experience. The camera and controls are both limited but that's part of the appeal. I respect and appreciate how those limitations create a unique experience but it can still get a bit old. This is one of those games that's hard to come back to if you take a break but at least for me I feel the need to take breaks given the nature of the game. Still a classic game and a blast to play, but there's room for improvement - I have yet to play Silent Hill 2 which I hear is better and I look forwards to it.
De los mejores survival horros que existen
This is an unreasonably scary video game.
ABSOLUTE CINEMA
Pure ludo. I can't believe how hard they've push the console limitations. The combat and movement are satisfying. The shitty voice acting, cryptic story, strong atmosphere, sound design and hidden details give it such a strong sense of identity.
- Enjoyed the setting, monster design and the general tone of this game.
- Combat is a little wonky but serviceable for its era.
- Great OST, really memorable sometimes.
- "Have you seen a little girl?"
- Combat is a little wonky but serviceable for its era.
- Great OST, really memorable sometimes.
- "Have you seen a little girl?"
Silent Hill is definitely something else. Of course, we all know how much of a unique gem this series is among the rest of the videogame industry. But i would even go as far as to say that Silent Hill is pretty much unique in the entirety of the horror narrative, including cinema, literature, and other media. I would even suggest to those horror fans who are not into videogames that they should make an exception for the Silent Hill series, and if they can’t get to play it, at least they should watch a walkthrough, but they definitely have to experience this in some way.
It is a common thing, when citing games that are somehow considered pioneers in something, to cite them applying a criteria based on technical or gameplay-related aspects, such as “the first survival horror ever” or “the first game done entirely with 3D graphics” and such. I’d like to propose a different criteria, and actually ask about what are some of the first game to heavily borrow inspiration from Twin Peaks. And naturally i’m guessing Silent Hill would play a significant role there, probably not the first, but definitely one of the first to actually cause an impact. Of course, it’s very well known that Team Silent took inspiration from other media besides Twin Peaks (notably, the film Jacob’s Ladder, among others). To me it’s fascinating to think that despite being heavily influence by media coming from western culture, they somehow handled the strictly horror elements in a very japanese manner. That’s at least my impression. But what’s undeniable, is that they definitely wanted to go way deeper than the mere application of typical horror/action tropes. The ambition of Team Silent was more akin to cinema, even literature. And because of that ambition, Silent Hill represents an incredibly solid introduction to the whole saga.
I’m tempted to say that the only problems in SH are related to the gameplay. In this obvious and unavoidable comparison with Resident Evil, one can’t help to notice that Silent Hill’s camera might get confusing at times, that despite having many more movements and mechanics they still get to be pretty clunky at times, that weapons are not as pleasant as they could be, that the concept ends up forcing the look of the game to be quite repetitve at a certain point, that some maze-like areas are a bit frustrating, and that backtracking can get boresome. In more simple words, one can say that Silent Hill isn’t that fun to play as, obviously, Resident Evil is. But still i can’t help but feeling that such criticism wouldn’t be fair at all. Maybe the fact that the gameplay is quite uncomfortable is all part of the nightmare-like mood and the whole concept. Maybe the concept is actually reinforced by a gameplay that isn’t meant to be your average shooter fun, and maybe weapons are not all that fun to use because there shouldn’t actually be fun in killing things, and actually killing is form of survival that only should happen in pretty extreme situations. Probably this seemingly coherence between gameplay and story might be purely accidental, given that maybe developers weren’t purposefuly trying to make the movement kinda janky and the weapons quite tame. But in the end, one has to recognize that both aspects merge just fine, even if some parts are hard to get by, they have to be that way.
Leaving that aside, and even if SH2 and SH3 are pretty much the stars of the show, one can’t deny how much of a game changer SH1 was. It caused a shift not just in Survival Horror, i also think it pretty much created a whole aesthetic that arguably trascended videogames.
It is a common thing, when citing games that are somehow considered pioneers in something, to cite them applying a criteria based on technical or gameplay-related aspects, such as “the first survival horror ever” or “the first game done entirely with 3D graphics” and such. I’d like to propose a different criteria, and actually ask about what are some of the first game to heavily borrow inspiration from Twin Peaks. And naturally i’m guessing Silent Hill would play a significant role there, probably not the first, but definitely one of the first to actually cause an impact. Of course, it’s very well known that Team Silent took inspiration from other media besides Twin Peaks (notably, the film Jacob’s Ladder, among others). To me it’s fascinating to think that despite being heavily influence by media coming from western culture, they somehow handled the strictly horror elements in a very japanese manner. That’s at least my impression. But what’s undeniable, is that they definitely wanted to go way deeper than the mere application of typical horror/action tropes. The ambition of Team Silent was more akin to cinema, even literature. And because of that ambition, Silent Hill represents an incredibly solid introduction to the whole saga.
I’m tempted to say that the only problems in SH are related to the gameplay. In this obvious and unavoidable comparison with Resident Evil, one can’t help to notice that Silent Hill’s camera might get confusing at times, that despite having many more movements and mechanics they still get to be pretty clunky at times, that weapons are not as pleasant as they could be, that the concept ends up forcing the look of the game to be quite repetitve at a certain point, that some maze-like areas are a bit frustrating, and that backtracking can get boresome. In more simple words, one can say that Silent Hill isn’t that fun to play as, obviously, Resident Evil is. But still i can’t help but feeling that such criticism wouldn’t be fair at all. Maybe the fact that the gameplay is quite uncomfortable is all part of the nightmare-like mood and the whole concept. Maybe the concept is actually reinforced by a gameplay that isn’t meant to be your average shooter fun, and maybe weapons are not all that fun to use because there shouldn’t actually be fun in killing things, and actually killing is form of survival that only should happen in pretty extreme situations. Probably this seemingly coherence between gameplay and story might be purely accidental, given that maybe developers weren’t purposefuly trying to make the movement kinda janky and the weapons quite tame. But in the end, one has to recognize that both aspects merge just fine, even if some parts are hard to get by, they have to be that way.
Leaving that aside, and even if SH2 and SH3 are pretty much the stars of the show, one can’t deny how much of a game changer SH1 was. It caused a shift not just in Survival Horror, i also think it pretty much created a whole aesthetic that arguably trascended videogames.
where is heather!????????
compared to the cheap horror games that tries to get you nerveous by only jumpscares,this game is a banger. but fck em flying things
Good game, good story, a bit boring walking around but when there is progress in the story, it's really good.
What an experience, in more ways than one...
The story was honestly great. First off, Harry Mason? Definitely a contender for best video game dad. No amount of man-made horrors beyond his comprehension will deter this man from finding his daughter. You can call it bad, but I think his voice acting just sells how much he doesn't care about anything other than his objective, despite how absolutely fucked up Silent Hill is. The rest of the cast felt kinda secondary. Apart from Dahlia, there's no else you can really care about, they're just there. Cybil? Didn't care. Lisa? Sad, but ultimately indifferent. Kaufmann? Lol
The other experience comes from the gameplay. This was my first "tank controls" type game, and it took some getting used to, but it wasn't so bad. Walking around the foggy town was just as interesting and unnerving as everyone else makes it out to be.
My god, the puzzles though. I applaud anyone who legitimately solved the school piano puzzle. And a special fuck you to the blood bag in the otherworld hospital blending in with the environment so well that it took me quite some time to find it.
The environment is great, the game's age and design give it such a vibe, there wasn't a single place where I didn't feel unsettled and alone.
Wandering around in the city, whether it was nighttime or foggy, hearing the radio static grow and shrink as I progressed to the next destination, it all made me uneasy all the time despite how easy it is to cheese some of the wandering enemies. I commend it for taking a technical difficulty and making it work so well
Honestly. don't let this game's age get to you. It's a beautiful experience beginning to end, with some weird voice acting in between (at least to me, the only other Konami game I played was MGS1 and that had some solid voice acting. They couldn't care to give this one some too?)
The story was honestly great. First off, Harry Mason? Definitely a contender for best video game dad. No amount of man-made horrors beyond his comprehension will deter this man from finding his daughter. You can call it bad, but I think his voice acting just sells how much he doesn't care about anything other than his objective, despite how absolutely fucked up Silent Hill is. The rest of the cast felt kinda secondary. Apart from Dahlia, there's no else you can really care about, they're just there. Cybil? Didn't care. Lisa? Sad, but ultimately indifferent. Kaufmann? Lol
The other experience comes from the gameplay. This was my first "tank controls" type game, and it took some getting used to, but it wasn't so bad. Walking around the foggy town was just as interesting and unnerving as everyone else makes it out to be.
My god, the puzzles though. I applaud anyone who legitimately solved the school piano puzzle. And a special fuck you to the blood bag in the otherworld hospital blending in with the environment so well that it took me quite some time to find it.
The environment is great, the game's age and design give it such a vibe, there wasn't a single place where I didn't feel unsettled and alone.
Wandering around in the city, whether it was nighttime or foggy, hearing the radio static grow and shrink as I progressed to the next destination, it all made me uneasy all the time despite how easy it is to cheese some of the wandering enemies. I commend it for taking a technical difficulty and making it work so well
Honestly. don't let this game's age get to you. It's a beautiful experience beginning to end, with some weird voice acting in between (at least to me, the only other Konami game I played was MGS1 and that had some solid voice acting. They couldn't care to give this one some too?)
A breathtaking entry into the early survival horror canon that took inspiration from David Lynch movies and the individual eccentricities of the misfit developers who had been cobbled together from various teams and tasked with creating something that only they would be able to.
What we got was easily the scariest of them all: a masterful aesthetic curation that brought into gaming something unique that simply did not exist before, in gaming or any other medium, really, and spawned a franchise that, unfortunately, never seemed to really understand again just what made this initial title so brilliant. Given the expansive nature of the horror canon, to have created something that actually stands uniquely within it must be such a honor for everyone involved. Team Silent was really, really onto something here.
This title is a real testament to the majesty of gathering creative people and giving them the freedom to take a leap of faith. It is a shame that, in the era of focus groups and even more intricately honed metrics for development success, we don't really get to see titles like this very often. I'm begging all the publishers out there to try something similar. Instead of firing that creatively difficult employee who wants to make things that don't seem to promote reactions from anyone but the weirdos, perhaps giving them the opportunity to work in a way where they can fully embrace their more unique nature is how you're going to create something that actually leaves a lasting impact. Though it may not be what it used to be... long live SILENT HILL.
What we got was easily the scariest of them all: a masterful aesthetic curation that brought into gaming something unique that simply did not exist before, in gaming or any other medium, really, and spawned a franchise that, unfortunately, never seemed to really understand again just what made this initial title so brilliant. Given the expansive nature of the horror canon, to have created something that actually stands uniquely within it must be such a honor for everyone involved. Team Silent was really, really onto something here.
This title is a real testament to the majesty of gathering creative people and giving them the freedom to take a leap of faith. It is a shame that, in the era of focus groups and even more intricately honed metrics for development success, we don't really get to see titles like this very often. I'm begging all the publishers out there to try something similar. Instead of firing that creatively difficult employee who wants to make things that don't seem to promote reactions from anyone but the weirdos, perhaps giving them the opportunity to work in a way where they can fully embrace their more unique nature is how you're going to create something that actually leaves a lasting impact. Though it may not be what it used to be... long live SILENT HILL.