A mind-bending metatextual noir and folk horror pulp novel wrapped up into a pseudo-survival horror package. Fantastic, the presentation is second to none. I've gotten a bit tired of style focused on realism, but Remedy are always making it necessary. The textural detail is livened greatly by the best HDR and raytracing implementation I've seen.
I think the narrative could use some tightening, pulling the game together more cohesively, but it is a fascinating story. It lets you be lost a bit, grasping at threads, and never really fully ties it up cleanly. Saga is a very welcomed addition, it allows the game to breathe between two worlds and helps to make each new section feel more fresh. The way the story wrestles with the suffering of characters created by a fiction out of their control, one they are forced into, is tense and raw. I've seen Silent Hill 2 named a few times in reference to what this has brought to the medium and while I disagree, I still think this is an extraordinary entry in horror and the medium. Remedy, blending narrative, live-action, liminal thresholds, and meta-fiction continue to bring one-of-a-kind experiences.
I think the narrative could use some tightening, pulling the game together more cohesively, but it is a fascinating story. It lets you be lost a bit, grasping at threads, and never really fully ties it up cleanly. Saga is a very welcomed addition, it allows the game to breathe between two worlds and helps to make each new section feel more fresh. The way the story wrestles with the suffering of characters created by a fiction out of their control, one they are forced into, is tense and raw. I've seen Silent Hill 2 named a few times in reference to what this has brought to the medium and while I disagree, I still think this is an extraordinary entry in horror and the medium. Remedy, blending narrative, live-action, liminal thresholds, and meta-fiction continue to bring one-of-a-kind experiences.