4.5/5 ★ – Shidan's review of Silent Hill.

In 1996, after the success of Resident Evil, Konami decided they wanted to publish a horror game. KCET was delegated to make it. At first, it was going to be an adaptation of The Mist (by Stephen King), but they couldn't get the license, so instead, the director of KCET let the development team create their own story. It was unlike any other game at the time (not completely different, but with many unique elements). Resident Evil was great, combining many elements like zombies, scientific experiments, mutant animals, and even plants. It reminds me of The Evil Dead (1981) in a way, with some great ideas and gory scenes, but bad acting, very much like B movies. On the other hand, Silent Hill had a lot of inspiration from films and literature (many streets are named after writers that inspired the game). In terms of films, it takes inspiration from Phantoms (1998), Jacob's Ladder (1990), David Lynch, and some others. In Silent Hill 1, the most prominent themes are occultism and religion. That's because Keichiro Toyama and Naoko Sato really like those themes. If you missed these themes in the following games or the way they were treated in SH1, you should probably check out the Siren games, which Toyama and Naoko Sato also worked on (I haven't played any Siren game, but I will). Silent Hill is also a psychological horror game. It's curious, but this game is not about the protagonist (Harry Mason); it is about Alessa and what she has been going through (both physically and mentally) for the last seven years. Unlike Resident Evil, here you'll find many rooms that are "unnecessary." By this, I mean doors that you can never open or rooms that have no key items, scenes, or even resources. But I think this is good. In Resident Evil, it felt too "videogamy"; everything has to be there for some reason. Silent Hill creates a more believable world, with rooms that are never accessible but make you wonder what could be inside them. You'll find "empty" places that are there only to build up the atmosphere or to give you some hints related to the plot. An example near the end is the classroom with only Alessa's chair and a couple of religious paintings on the wall. I need to mention the FMVs (Full-motion videos). They're great. Takayoshi Sato, responsible for making them, was practically living in the office for two years since he needed all the computers to render those videos. All the facial expressions were done by him manually, without actors. It is sincerely... unbelievable. These scenes make you feel what the in-game graphics weren't able to. Now I've got the 4 main endings, and it's very interesting... all of them are similar, with some changes in the story, but what makes every ending distinct are the songs and post-credits scenes. These make you feel different with each one. As mentioned earlier, Silent Hill is inspired by David Lynch, and as in many of his works, the plot is not easy to understand, at least if it's your first time playing the game or if you haven't experienced stories that are very subtle with the information or leave many things unexplained. I think that helps you to feel related to Harry since he's also a stranger to that world and to what's happening. In Silent Hill, you'll have to take every piece of information they give you to know what's going on entirely (or at least to try). If PS1 games don't feel unplayable for you and if you like games that give you the opportunity to create your own interpretation based on the hints they give you, this game is for you. It's one of the best horror games and my second favorite PS1 game. Recommendations: - I think the best way to start with Silent Hill is the way I did, playing Silent Hill 2 first (on PS2 or emulated; please don't play the "remaster"). It's not a direct sequel to the first one. Play it, and if you like it, go back to play Silent Hill 1 and then Silent Hill 3. After those, I would only recommend Silent Hill 4 and Shattered Memories, but I think only the first three are essential. - If you want to know how the game was made, check out "The Complete History of Silent Hill 1" by thegamingmuse on YouTube. - If you are interested in the lore behind the game, what inspired the developers, and the references they put in the game, I recommend the "Silent Hill Lore Run" by Fungo on YouTube. That lore run made me appreciate the game way more.