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Sanity is Overrated

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: December 15, 2001
Author: Amazon User

No other brand of suvival horror will ever come close.

This game makes Resident Evil look like the 7th Heaven Christmas Special. RE relies on the "boo, something jumped out of nowhere" scare. It's not bad, but it's more James Cameron than Clive Barker.

Silent Hill's kind of horror is the kind that slithers slowly up your back and hisses in your ear as you gawk in horror at the twisted travesties that lie before you. You can't tear your eyes away, and the images follow you into your sleep. In terms of story and atmosphere, Silent Hill is heavily influenced by the filmmakers Clive Barker and, in my opinion, David Lynch. Rather than explaining the horror away with some tiresome nonsense about a corrupt corporation's biological creation, SH unashamedly dives full-bore into the realms of dark psychology, the occult, and the border between the most wretched of nightmares and Hell itself.

Leave it to Konami to put out another killer game soundtrack. We'd expect no less from the great folks who brought us Castlevania and Metal Gear. Silent Hill's soundtrack alone is enough to gray the hairs on your head. It's eerie, experimental, and deliciously twisted. Just LET me find the soundtrack on CD...

Two gripes: bad voice acting and lame, poorly-translated dialogue. In this case, all is forgiven, as Silent Hill is still scarier and darker than any survival horror game out there. (...)

"Silent Hill" gave me the willies!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: December 10, 1999
Author: Amazon User

Let's face it, there aren't too many scary video games on the market. How do you convey a scary story into a video game? The Resident Evil series has done a fine job in this particular genre, and now Silent Hill has taken it even further. This game has the type of creepy feeling that most horror movies lack. It's foreboding, nightmarish atmosphere kept me tense throughout (don't believe me, try playing it at night with all the lights out). Although the story is a bit convoluted, it's still very intriguing. As for tension, I got that mixed feeling of nervous excitement every time I approached a new door to open, never knowing what's going to be on the other side. If you're looking for something different than the usual shoot-em-ups, give this game a try.

Truly frightening

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: March 06, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Few games can truly scare a person. Resident Evil creates a tense atmosphere and makes you jump sometimes. But it doesn't scare or disturb in the way Silent Hill does. Along with being scary, it's also quite fun. It has quite a good number of confrontations with disturbing creatures, but not too many so that you don't get smothered and so it can concentrate on other factors like puzzle solving. Speaking of puzzles, the puzzles in Silent Hill are harder than RE's amd take a bit more brain power. They're not impossible by any means however. Graphically, the game is grainy and foggy, but that is not really a problem as it actually helps develop the creepy atmosphere. The sound is great, the banging doors and children crying will definitely freak you. As for the controls, they're not bad, but may take a little getting used to.

Overall, Silent Hill is a great game(although not perfect, which is why I did not give it 5 stars), and an excellent entry in the "survival horror" genre.

Overall experience makes up for small flaws

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 10
Date: November 30, 1999
Author: Amazon User

This game is not a 'rip-off' of Resident Evil. The RE series relies heavily on cheap scares like having a zombie leap out of a window at you, Silent Hill will scare you in a much 'deeper' way. This game has so many things going for it: the excellent lighting effects, a complex story, and puzzles that never become too silly. This isn't an action game. If you want to blow things up left and right, look elsewhere. I only wish it was a longer game.

Horror doesn't exist until you've played Silent Hill

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: November 12, 1999
Author: Amazon User

Blair Witch Project... Resident Evil... weekend with thein-laws. None of these have nearly the same amount of bone-chilling terror as this excellent action / strategy / horror game (which, just for the record, has a story line which seems to have been an influence from Dean Koontz's 'Phantoms'). Unbelievably and intensely scary is the only way to sum it all up and still do it justice. As a young man searching for his lost daughter, you must wander through a deserted mountain town, occasionally in it's nightmare alternate universe. There are also multiple endings along side sideplots which will keep you interested in going through the game more than once. With it's addictive gameplay & storyline (and even numerous pop-culture references including Sonic Youth & Trainspotting among others), this game is a must for anyone who enjoys experiencing excellent moments in video game history, or just enjoys being scared out of their mind.

The Twin Peaks of Horror Games

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: March 19, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I find myself trapped in the most terrifying night of my life being forced to relive it over and oner again. Each time I do, it gets a little more frightening and a little harder to get through. But each time I have the chance to make things right. If I can keep the hair on the back of my neck down.

Forget Resident Evil. This is another world. Give the game a chance. When I first looked at the graphics, I was less than pleased, but I hung with it. This is a game where , while you may not realise it at first, suspension of disbelief, is not hard to acheive. In fact it's practicaly slipped in under the rug as you'r playing. One minute you're waiting for something interesting to happen. The next you are trying to catch your breath from sheer fright. Imagine, if you will, being stranded in an abandoned town, where the only residents remaining are zombie dogs, that would give George Romero the creeps, and what appear to be horribly burnt undead children who chase you with knives, and seem to squeal with glee as they dig into you with them.( Obviously not for kids, folks). You are wandering around an abandoned elementary school at one point in this game and look up at a chalkboard to read the words, "Who are you?" scrawled and a shiver goes up your back. Terrifying. Konami doesn't need to apologise for the graphics in this game. The images are grainey, and hazy in places, but it makes the monsters more frightening, The fog that much real, and the abandoned hospital with blood caked on the walls, just perfect. I defy you to find a scarier game, anywhere. This one will have you getting up to turn on lights all night. The end of the game is the best part. Totally unfathomable. Let me explain what I mean; THERE IS NO WAY YOU ARE GOING TO GET IT. Believe it or not, this is a good thing. While I don't usually approve of a game that is designed so you have to play through it a thousand times, this one is worth it. Each time through the game, you get a little more of the story. You follow the same plot, basically, but key events must be handled a little differently. The first time you play through, you are totally lost with the end sequence. Don't give up. Watch the slightly altered new opening sequence. It will become just a little clearer. You aren't playing a new game, you are repeating the old one. Going over events you have already experienced once before, trying to change the outcome. Each time you come through the game, it changes a little. And it gets creepier. Watch the movie sequences, don't ignore them. They make the game a whole new experience. Haven't been so lost and so focused on anything since Twin Peaks. Just when you think you've got the formula for this game fgured out, they scare the **** out of you one more time. Try it. You'll never live to regret it.

Soo Scary I actually avoided the game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: October 02, 2000
Author: Amazon User

It is quite amusing to see how many people bad mouth this game and how many people were actually spooked by this horrific game. Honestly, I was quite horrified by this game, Silent Hill. I did not purchase it when it first came out, but I saw the ad for it on the back of my Resident Evil manual and thought I would check this game out. Boy was I in for a surprise.

There are not too many things that really scare me when it comes to video games, but this is a exception. The Resident Evil series scared me at many points, but Silent Hill just ooozes creepiness! This game disturbed me enough that I avoided playing it till I felt more comfortable. I personally think it is that scary!

The story of Silent Hill is based around you playing Harry who is looking for his daughter Cheryl who is lost in the town of Silent Hill. However, what you don't know is that Silent Hill is slowly transforming into Hell itself and time is running out for you to find your daughter. And another thing is that your daughter is tied into Silent Hill's demise into a hellish nightmare. One thing about this game is that you might not fully pick up on the storyline of Silent Hill the first time thru. Silent Hill has a storyline that is very complex and huge and you can find some websites that can fully explain the story behind what is going on in Silent Hill that you will not pick up on in the first run thru the game.

The gameplay has been bad mouthed by many people as very unreponsive and the camera pan's are truly hated, but I found no real problems as I played it. A good thing about this game is that you go up against demons and hellish creatures as...a normal human being. You are not a cop, FBI agent or some special ops soldier. You are Harry Mason, a writer caught in this mess. You make a lot of noise when you walk, you get tired when you run, you don't shoot very well and you don't know what the heck is going on in Silent Hill. This truly brings the realism to the game.

If you are tired of the Resident Evil games and wish to play a story that will plunge you into a hellish nightmare, buy this game. This game is truly under-rated in that it did not get the spotlight it deserved. And study up on the story behind Silent Hill, it is very interesting and this is a game I will add to my permanent collection.

Clunky in places, but rewarding overall

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: March 24, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This perhaps isn't a game for someone who has 1.) a weak stomach, 2.) a problem wetting their pants, or 3.) is new to the horror genre.

I hate(ed) horror games.

I never actually beat any of the Resident Evil titles. But I gave this one a try anyway.

If this was any other game, the combat system would've caused me to lower my rating. But the story, the characters, and the overall effectiveness of the game made up for the clunky fighting (which should be avoided when possible anyway).

Silent Hill is truely brilliant. The goal of the creators of this game was to achieve "complete terror," and it worked. The gritty visuals: the fog, dim lighting (throughout most of the game your only light is from your trusty flashlight), and gore (bodies strewn about, guts lying everywhere, puddles of blood) strike fear psychologically. These alone would make one ill. The background music (more or less just noise rather than music) creates a paranoid feel. The monsters; which consist of skinless (or inside out?) children, ape things, skinless dogs, and winged bird type demons; which progresses to infected nurses (infected with a parasitic creature), knife-wielding doctors, and giant cockroaches, create a feeling of helplessness. Any manner of things can hide in the shadows. And top this all off with distinctly realistic characters: Harry is just an ordinary man (no special skills or superhuman powers) who can barely fire a gun properly, simply looking for his daughter. Sybil is a cop trying to figure out what the hell happened, and Lisa is a nurse who is frightened to death. Disturbingly real characters thrown into an extraordinary situation, just trying to survive. I know I had to pause more than once to keep from [censor]ing my pants.

Also noteworthy are the puzzles. For the most part, they never seem out of place (well, in the game world, anyway) and aren't too difficult.

The switching of realities is excellent. The main character is confused (which adds to the superb and complex plot) as to whether he is dreaming, or if he is actually switching dimensions. And the endings add replay value, not to mention there are some goodies you get when you play through again, and again, and again.. Great replay value.

Three cheers for Konami, Silent Hill was brilliant. I recommend to buy this game, and I can't wait for Silent Hill 2.

The Scariest, Most Disturbing Game in History

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: May 17, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Even to this day, playing this game gives me a wierd feeling. I remember first playing this game and forcing myself not to be scared only to find myself with a sick stomach and a paranoia about me. This game should not be played by people that thought Resident Evil 2 was as scary as it gets! This is by far worse!

Words can't explain the feeling of wandering around an abandoned school where little, naked, deformed children wield knives and wait for you to enter their class room just so they can dig at your throat. This whole game revolves around messing with the player's mind in such a way it makes the player feel like they are there being tormented instead of good ol' Harry Mason. Harry Mason is the hero of the game (if you didn't already know) who's searching for his adopted daughter in the town of Silent Hill. After his car breaks down in town, he awakens to find his daughter missing. But there are clues to where she's gone and now Harry must go and search every nook and cranny of this god-forsaken town to find her.

This game doesn't go without a few bad aspects though. The voice acting is classic in that it isn't very well done. You'll hear such redundantcy as "Radio? What's going on with that radio?" which is more funny that annoying. But the poor voice acting doesn't spoil the game's mood at all. The graphics also take a little bit to get used to if you're used to super-dee-duper PS2/Gamecube/XBOX graphics. For those of us who were brought up around classic PS1 games, it won't bother you a bit.

To sum it up, this game is fun and scary simultaneously and manages to induce panic upon its players. It IS my favorite survival-horror game (even better than Resident Evil), and I wouldn't hesistate to buy everyone in the series just because I'm a big fanatic of it. I recommend this game to anyone who loves Resident Evil or any other survival-horror genre style game. But be warned...its not easy the first time around on the human mind.

NOTES:

-It should be known that this game is far better than the sequel (apporpriately titled: Silent Hill 2).
-There have been numerous rumors that tell of people that have been driven so insane by this game that they have actually committed suicide! So play at your own risk!

Silent Hill is the best survival horror game --EVER!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: December 17, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Silent Hill is by far one of the best survival horror games ever! It surpasses Resident Evil with its spine-tingling story, brooding atmosphere, and disturbing character. In the game you play Harry Sullivan, and the story begins when Harry, along with his 7 year old daughter Cheryl, drive to Silent Hill, a renowned vacationing spot.
On the way, however, Harry, gets into a car accident and when he wakes up, he finds himself in Silent Hill, and his daughter is nowhere to be found. Thus Harry's goal is to find his daughter. But the town seems abandoned and shrouded in heavy fog. As Harry searches the town for Cheryl, he runs into hideous monsters consisting of flying demons, knife wielding children, bloody nurses, and a host of mutated freaks. To make things worse, certain areas and buildings in the town shift from a normal daytime appearance, to a twisted bloody nightmare realm. During his quest, Harry has encounters with 'normal' yet mysterious people who are also caught in the nightmare of Silent Hill. Some of these characters try to help Harry, while others seem to have their own hidden agenda.
Graphic-wise, Silent Hill offers realistic cinemas, a highly detailed 3D enviornment [both frightening and beautiful at the same time], and a 'faulty' camera angle that adds to the experience of terror. The game also provides players with a superb soundtrack that enhances the game's terrifying atmosphere. Action-wise, there is a lot of running around, shooting monsters, finding items, and puzzle-solving. But players can select whatever difficulty level they can handle.
If the music and the graphics weren't enough to hook players, the Stephen King-like storyline will, with its plot twists and multiple endings ranging from extremely good, to extremeley sad; plus a bonus ending!

This game is highly addictive, and its NOT for the faint of heart. For those of you who are survival horror fans and have not added Silent Hill to your collection..."what are you waiting for?" Silent Hill is one of the greatest games ever! Don't miss out on it.

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