From the offset, this is hands down the most atmospheric and visually immersive game to come out from the PS1 generation. The textures seem blurry by today’s standards but aesthetically they contributed to the uneasy vibe of Silent Hill. Harry is sluggish to control, yet the tank controls feel very purposeful here, adding to the suspense and urgent moment-to-moment tension of strange enemies creeping around the foggy-ridden map to kill you. The only thing helping you to survive is your own heartbeat (controller vibration is a god send here) and subpar combat skills because you’re just a bumbling dad by the end of the day. Making this some of the best interweaving of story and gameplay I’ve experienced in a video game. I also cannot understate how great the sound design is for completing the psychological survival horror being cooked here.
That being said, I could only wish the rest of the game hooked me better as it went along. The puzzles felt the most dated in being a bit too archaic for my liking to solve or feel like a rewarding head-scratcher. Once you have become familiar with the game, the map of Silent Hill loses its initial appeal. The story wasn't too psychologically nerve racking as I'd expected going into this, it instead feels more like the implications of an interesting narrative actually going on. It's a little disappointing because the actual lore and finer written details of the game are actually quite interesting, like the deeper meaning behind the enemies, but the core story it’s built around doesn’t resonate too much with me. The game has 4 endings, and I narrowed down on getting the bad one so maybe upon further playthroughs in the future I’ll have a bigger appreciation for the narrative. As it stands for me, this feels shallow compared to the cool visuals and intriguing gameplay. But I think this establishes a very solid foundation and starting point for the series and I’m very interested in playing the following games to see how it gets refined and improved.
That being said, I could only wish the rest of the game hooked me better as it went along. The puzzles felt the most dated in being a bit too archaic for my liking to solve or feel like a rewarding head-scratcher. Once you have become familiar with the game, the map of Silent Hill loses its initial appeal. The story wasn't too psychologically nerve racking as I'd expected going into this, it instead feels more like the implications of an interesting narrative actually going on. It's a little disappointing because the actual lore and finer written details of the game are actually quite interesting, like the deeper meaning behind the enemies, but the core story it’s built around doesn’t resonate too much with me. The game has 4 endings, and I narrowed down on getting the bad one so maybe upon further playthroughs in the future I’ll have a bigger appreciation for the narrative. As it stands for me, this feels shallow compared to the cool visuals and intriguing gameplay. But I think this establishes a very solid foundation and starting point for the series and I’m very interested in playing the following games to see how it gets refined and improved.