Multiple Silent Hill Games being developed?

[Ryubusa]

Alright, so in honor of the new forum I thought I would contribute with a new thread. But I don't have a PS3 yet, and don't have any immediate plans for a PS4...

No my friends, this here is a PS2 game thread!

I only just recently - okay, it's been over a year now - picked up a PS2 and have been enjoying playing a lot of "classic" games that I happened to miss back in the day (never owned a PS2).

One of those games, that I'm in the process of playing right now, is Silent Hill 3.

Do you guys have any fond (or not-so-fond) memories of it?

I just love these old survival horror games. The first Silent Hill is absolutely one of my favorites. #2 was obviously great as well. This one so far is not at all living up to the pedigree of the first two (which could very well only be due to my nostalgia-tinted glasses, granted) but I AM still enjoying it because, as I said, I just love the gameplay of the classic survival horror genre. I have all the Resident Evils and the Fatal Frames. I'm still waiting for a good eBay deal on Silent Hill 4

So have you guys played Silent Hill 3? Any thoughts on it? I'll weigh-in again later after I've played more... probably only about 35% complete now. Any other particularly excellent survival horror games you'd recommend? What are your thoughts on the genre?

 

[BDaddyK]

Silent Hill 2/3 were some of my favorite games of the PS2/OXB gen. I liked Silent Hill 2 a lot more than 3, though 3 wasn't a bad game by any means. It still had the super creepy atmosphere and audio, I just recall that the lvl design wasn't as fun/foreboding as in Silent Hill 2.

 

[Hammerclaw]

Silent Hill 2 still has a powerful, gut-wrenching impact--even today. It has that quirky control scheme that was more suited for the original PS1 controller, but easily mastered. It's subject matter is disconcertingly adult in the extreme, but with no overt sexualism.

 

[BDaddyK]

Silent Hill 2 still has a powerful, gut-wrenching impact--even today. It has that quirky control scheme that was more suited for the original PS2 controller, but easily mastered.It's subject matter id disconcertingly adult in the extreme, but with no overt sexualism.

Yeah, it's a messed up, disturbing game on many levels. It's still one of my favorite games to this day.

 

[Ryubusa]

You guys are really making me want to play Silent Hill 2 afterwards LOL. It's definitely been many years since I last played it. Maybe I'll try to squeeze it in right after, if Diablo 3 doesn't arrive first

 

[Hammerclaw]

You guys are really making me want to play Silent Hill 2 afterwards LOL. It's definitely been many years since I last played it. Maybe I'll try to squeeze it in right after, if Diablo 3 doesn't arrive first

Time well spent. I notice something I missed before, every time I replay it.

 

[Ryubusa]

Wow, just experienced one hell of a creepy and disturbing boss-fight in the

Spoiler

flooded basement of the Hospital, against Claudia's deranged father, Leonard.

The mechanics/gameplay of the fight itself weren't anything special, but the atmosphere/setting where the fight took place, as well as the design of the boss creature itself, was absolutely awesome. I'll definitely remember that encounter as one of the best in the game, if not the series.

One rather important criticism I have of this game though, is the fact that the main character, Heather, never seems particularly affected by all the crazy and horrifying s*** that's going on around her. She acts so matter-of-fact about it, sometimes even acting outright fearLESS (like in the cutscene before taking on the boss I just fought), the complete opposite of how I would expect a character in her situation to act. If the main character in the game isn't feeling scared of what's going on, why should I? The game would be much more terrifying if it was able to channel the main character's fear into the player. So far, yeah the game is weird and freaky, and has some visually and audibly unnerving elements, but I haven't really felt nervous or uneasy - scared - while playing it yet. There HAVE been a couple of effective jump-scares due to some great use of audio/sound effects though... but I'd like more than just a couple. Indeed, the audio overall is without a doubt the scariest aspect of the game.

p.s. - the graphics in this game are truly impressive, considering it is now 10 years old... remarkable!

 

[BDaddyK]

That's Silent Hill for ya! The hospital lvls in the Silent Hill games are always eff'd up and you could picture creepy stuff like that actually happening in them like that. The gfx is SH3 are pretty impressive for the time.

 

[Ryubusa]

I completed the game last night. My god, what a total TRIP that was! These games are such unique and interesting experiences that, for me, it's easy to forgive the clunky control schemes, inane puzzles, and goofy voice-acting/story presentation. In fact, all that stuff just adds to the charm.

Despite a few cases of some frustratingly cheap deaths, I continually felt the pull to journey through this world, always curious to see "what's next". The all-consuming darkness and strangeness of the game-world, with it's thick audio and visual atmosphere, is completely alluring and just sucked me right in.

The classic survival horror gameplay is fun as heck too. That gameplay loop revolving around exploring, navigating your map, item and clue hunting, avoiding/combating monsters (tip: try to avoid), and solving puzzles, is still just as compelling to me today as it ever was. Of course, that kind of gameplay is only really good on your first time through, the fun-factor sharply declining once you already know what to expect. But hey, I've already forgotten most everything about Silent Hill 1 & 2, so I in a number of years I should be able to revisit SH3 with a relatively clean slate. And I will.

 

[Hammerclaw]

All the Silent Hill games are well worth playing, and the one you play first is probably the one that is your favorite. You'll enjoy some, more than you do the others, but you WILL enjoy them all.

 

[BDaddyK]

I haven't played any of the current gen Silent Hill games, are they just as creepy and messed up and SH1/2/3?

 

[Ryubusa]

I haven't played any of the current gen Silent Hill games, are they just as creepy and messed up and SH1/2/3?

I haven't either. I had thought about asking that myself, but totally forgot, so great question! Any fans of the original Silent Hills care to weigh-in on their modern-gen entries (Homecoming and Downpour, I believe)?

p.s. - I started-up SH2 now

 

[BDaddyK]

I haven't either. I had thought about asking that myself, but totally forgot, so great question! Any fans of the original Silent Hills care to weigh-in on their modern-gen entries (Homecoming and Downpour, I believe)?

p.s. - I started-up SH2 now

Nice, makes me wanna break out SH2 myself. I always loved the approach to the prison, the music/sfx, and atmosphere, everything came together so perfectly, creeped me the heck out. SH2 is prolly in my top 5 games of all time. You play the first SH?

 

[Ryubusa]

Nice, makes me wanna break out SH2 myself. I always loved the approach to the prison, the music/sfx, and atmosphere, everything came together so perfectly, creeped me the heck out. SH2 is prolly in my top 5 games of all time. You play the first SH?

Yes, I played SH1 on my original Playstation way back in '99 when it first came out. Loved it. I don't believe I've played it since. I don't currently own it either (sold my copy long ago, regrettably), but I certainly plan on adding it to my library again at some point.

 

[BDaddyK]

Yes, I played SH1 on my original Playstation way back in '99 when it first came out. Loved it. I don't believe I've played it since. I don't currently own it either (sold my copy long ago, regrettably), but I certainly plan on adding it to my library again at some point.

I played it on my PS2 and loved it. The only problem I had was the emulation on the PS2 sped up all the speech, so it was hard as hell trying to figure out what was going on.

 

[Ryubusa]

I played it on my PS2 and loved it. The only problem I had was the emulation on the PS2 sped up all the speech, so it was hard as hell trying to figure out what was going on.

Whoa seriously? I'm very disappointed to hear that playing PS1 games on a PS2 can sometimes change the experience for the worse. That sucks! As I said earlier in the thread, I only relatively recently got a PS2 for the first time, and so I haven't gotten around to playing any PS1 games on it (or really building-up a PS1 library at all, yet). I was really looking forward to revisiting the PS1 by using my PS2 for backwards compatibility though. I thought it was generally a one-to-one replication? Apparently not

 

[TDbank24]

Silent Hill 3 was amazing. Then again Silent Hill 2 was that much more amazing. The whole franchise is just awesome. I've been a fan since the original hit the PS1.

 

[BDaddyK]

Most PS1, all that ive played actually (except for SH1) worked flawlessly on the PS2. SH1 was the rare exception, the game ran and looked fine (I had the graphics smoothing option on) and the music/sfx were fine too, just the dialog in the cut scenes was played like double or triple time.

 

[Ryubusa]

Most PS1, all that ive played actually (except for SH1) worked flawlessly on the PS2. SH1 was the rare exception, the game ran and looked fine (I had the graphics smoothing option on) and the music/sfx were fine too, just the dialog in the cut scenes was played like double or triple time.

Ah okay, great, that puts my mind at ease, though I'm still pissed that at least my SH1 playthrough is gonna be gimped

Silent Hill 3 was amazing. Then again Silent Hill 2 was that much more amazing. The whole franchise is just awesome. I've been a fan since the original hit the PS1.

Right on TD, I'm glad you're a fan! And yeah, I'm only 2 hours into SH2 now, revisiting it right after playing SH3, and I already can tell that I like #2 better. The plot is much more interesting, for one, as are the cutscenes and characters. The pacing and level design seem better too, and I'm noticing that I actually prefer the musical ambience in this one. Even the monster designs seem a little creepier (those stupid dinosaur-looking ones in SH3 weren't scary at all, lol).

p.s. - I just heard the 'siren' for the first time in SH2, wailing away as the world around me morphed into its twisted, evil counterpart. I totally forgot about the siren! How could I?! Well, for one, I don't think it was even present at all in SH3. I certainly don't recall hearing it, and I would have, if this very moment is any indication. So, wtf, they did away with that iconic sound effect for #3? Odd.. anyways, yeah, #2 is way better

 

[Hammerclaw]

Ah okay, great, that puts my mind at ease, though I'm still pissed that at least my SH1 playthrough is gonna be gimped


Right on TD, I'm glad you're a fan! And yeah, I'm only 2 hours into SH2 now, revisiting it right after playing SH3, and I already can tell that I like #2 better. The plot is much more interesting, for one, as are the cutscenes and characters. The pacing and level design seem better too, and I'm noticing that I actually prefer the musical ambience in this one. Even the monster designs seem a little creepier (those stupid dinosaur-looking ones in SH3 weren't scary at all, lol).

I had no issues at all when I played it on my launch PS2. The game played flawlessly, alternate endings and everything. That game was quite an achievement on the original hardware, and I usually play old games on their original hardware just to recapture that sense-of-wonder of how freakin' awesome they were.

 

[Ryubusa]

So I now beat Silent Hill 2 the other day. What a simply marvellous game. I totally forgot/lost perspective on how great it is. After a 10+ year downtime and many more game experiences under my belt, I have an even deeper appreciation for SH2 now, and I think I might like it even better now after my second, more recent play-through. It was definitely better than #3 imo. Is there anyone here that actually prefers #3? I'd be interested to hear your thoughts, if so. Anyways, it's hard to describe the eerie, dreamlike vibe and atmosphere that the game creates, and the atypical thoughts and feelings it conjures within you. It's just so odd, but oh so good. It's really an extraordinary videogame experience, absolutely deserving of all accolades. I really highly recommend it to anyone who has not yet played.

... and I'd like to post this question again for anyone who may have missed it and could provide some insight:

I haven't played any of the current gen Silent Hill games, are they just as creepy and messed up and SH1/2/3?

I haven't either. I had thought about asking that myself, but totally forgot, so great question! Any fans of the original Silent Hills care to weigh-in on their modern-gen entries (Homecoming and Downpour, I believe)?

?

 

[BDaddyK]

@Ryubusa

From what I've read of in reviews the newer SH games are a little more action oriented than the first three. They have all received decent reviews, when I get a chance I plan on playing them. SH2 is far and away better than 3 IMHO.

 

[ren of heavens]

No my friends, this here is a PS2 game thread!
Any other particularly excellent survival horror games you'd recommend? What are your thoughts on the genre?

There was a survival horror gem on ps2 that many people missed and it was a really good game, it was called Haunting Ground (by capcom) and was known as Demento in Japan. If you got a ps2 and are into survival horror games, i really recommend trying this game out. It's a little different than your average survival horror game like silent hill or fatal frame. It's about a girl who loses her family in an accident and finds herself alone in a castle with a strange character chasing her. Then she finds a german shepherd dog stuck in the castle, she frees him and from there on it's about the teamwork between the girl and the dog to keep away the deranged character following the girl. You can give commands to the dog to attack the stalker. It was a really nice and different concept and I really liked the game. It had great graphics for a ps2 game and is playable in 480p. It's got this sexual vibe to it as well and the game features semi nudity as a bonus

 

[Ryubusa]

There was a survival horror gem on ps2 that many people missed and it was a really good game, it was called Haunting Ground (by capcom) and was known as Demento in Japan. If you got a ps2 and are into survival horror games, i really recommend trying this game out.

Hey, cool, thanks for pointing that one out. I hadn't heard of it before. It has pretty decent reviews, and I have such a soft spot in my heart for Capcom games, especially survival-horror ones... I should play it some time.

 

[sharkboy1200]

@Ryubusa

From what I've read of in reviews the newer SH games are a little more action oriented than the first three. They have all received decent reviews, when I get a chance I plan on playing them. SH2 is far and away better than 3 IMHO.

I've been meaning to play at least one of them. They probably aren't as scary, but they looked pretty cool none the less. Late to this Silent Hill party it seems. Anyway, I've only played the original Silent Hill, but it's up there as one of the best horror games for sure. Not many games give me the opportunity to kill God!

 

[BDaddyK]

@sharkboy1200

Do yourself a favor and play SH2 at least.

 

[Hammerclaw]

The franchise has become too formulaic, which lessens the impact of the subsequent games. Still good games, even better for those who have never played a SH game before. Strange deserted town save for a few odd stragglers, disquieting reality, alternating with nightmarish dreamscape and back again. Strange disturbing apparations and monsters, more over-the-top with each new edition. I'd like for them to think outside-of-the-box, and come up with something new and unexpected, with the subtle gut-wrenching impact of SH2.

 

[Hammerclaw]

I haven't either. I had thought about asking that myself, but totally forgot, so great question! Any fans of the original Silent Hills care to weigh-in on their modern-gen entries (Homecoming and Downpour, I believe)?

p.s. - I started-up SH2 now

Homecoming is good. It has a more modern control scheme, about on par with Resident Evil 5. The creatures are disconcertingly aggressive, and fast.

 

[BDaddyK]

Is Homecoming the newest entry?

 

[Ryubusa]

Is Homecoming the newest entry?

Nah, Homecoming is from 2008, Downpour is the newest entry (2012).

A decent price+shipping for Silent Hill 4: The Room (PS2) finally popped-up on eBay, so I snagged it just now It's not as widely praised as the first three SH's but I know some SH fans out there still appreciate it, despite its deviation from previous 'classic' SH gameplay. I'm really stoked to try it for myself!