Silent Hill is one of the iconic horror game franchise that is still relevant in modern gaming. With Silent Hill F about to launch, it is a good time to look back at the older titles. I will go through why the first four games made an impact to so many gamers.
The First Silent Hill
The PlayStation 1 had an incredible number of horror games, even during its earlier years. Its hardware allowed for the port of popular titles from other systems, like the 1995 adventure: D and Alone in the Dark 2. When Resident Evil 1 launched, it changed everyone’s perception to what a fun and scary horror game should be.
Resident Evil 1
Launched in 1996 for Japan, Biohazard, or Resident Evil, captured Playstation owner’s attention. Resident Evil hit at the perfect moment. PlayStation was exploding, and gamers wanted something more modern than ports of older titles. CD-ROMs enabled moody FMVs, especially ones directed by the legendary George A. Romero. Fixed camera angles and tank controls amplified dread rather than hurting it.
It also incorporates a good amount of puzzles inspired by adventure titles like Myst. This aspect is seen in the Piano puzzle in the first part of the Mansion. Combat is the best part of Resident Evil. While it uses tank controls, readying and firing your weapon is much smoother than that of Alone in the Dark.
The popularity of Resident Evil led to many titles inspired by the action-oriented horror title, like Galerians, a newer Alone in the Dark, and Fatal Frame. Konami will also dive into the fray with their own title called Silent Hill.
Silent Hill 1
With the popularity of Resident Evil, other horror games that mixes combat, puzzles, and tank controls are seen as clones of the popular franchise. At least, this was my experience in 1999. When I was browsing for a game to buy, the vendor showed me Silent Hill 1. He tells me it was a different kind of horror than Resident Evil. Thankfully, I bought his sales pitch and bought a copy.
The intro movie blew away my notion that this was a Resident Evil clone.
It solidified that psychological horror atmosphere with the facial expressions, the dimly lit rooms, and the fog-filled streets. There was also a build-up of fear during the end of the intro where Dahlia was running away from something and had a horrified look on her face when she turned to face it. We also get a short, but terrifying, clip of Cherryl writhing in pain and agony afterwards.
Psychological horror was the main selling point of the Silent Hill franchise. The first game redefined psychological horror by limiting your sight while pairing them with Akira Yamaoka’s score and terrifying visual graphics. Fog and darkness compress your field of view, so danger lives just beyond what you can see while the music alerts you of dangers just ready to jump at you.
A good example is during the first part where Henry was following her daughter down an alley. When you go through a door, you are alerted by an unexplained splatter of blood at the entrance. As you make your way down the alley, sirens can be heard from the distance while the area grows darker. Your world transforms as buildings are replaced with rusted steel fences and blood splatters lie on the ground. At the end, you come across a corpse hanging like a religious figure and are attacked by small creatures.
What you experienced is the main feature of all Silent Hill games. An industrial alien world intruding our reality with unknown beasts lurking around its corners. Yamaoka’s industrial palette then gets under your skin. Metallic clanks, low rumbles, and distorted guitar build rhythms that resemble machinery and a heartbeat. This makes normal and safe places with peaceful instrumentals have a strong impact, as if you had just snapped awake from a nightmare.
Improvement of Silent Hill
Critics praised Silent Hill for its take on the horror game genre, but were also critical of the graphical limitations. This is why fans of the first game were excited for the upcoming Silent Hill 2 for the PlayStation 2. It was during this era that the franchise truly strived and created the definitive Silent Hill experience.
Silent Hill 2
The psychological horror aspect of Silent Hill was explored in the second game with James Sunderland looking for his “late” wife. Her wife had sent a letter after she was presumed dead.
All the elements of the first game are present. Fog-ffilled streets with unknown beasts lurking around, and the industrial nightmare world intruding on reality. Because this is the next generation of gaming, monsters have more details, and the nightmarish visuals are more pronounced.
What sets Silent Hill 2 apart is its story. It delves into the lore of Silent Hill as to how it treats people like James, Angela, and Eddie. They are those who are in conflict with their past and are forced to face it in town. The psychological horror story here has likely been inspired by the likes of Jacob’s Ladder, a movie that shared the same industrial horror visuals. Akira Yamaoka’s score blends well with the story with music like “Theme of Laura” giving off a tragic vibe.
Silent Hill 3
While using nearly the same game engine and features as its predecessor, Silent Hill 3 was still a defining installment of the franchise. It further introduced more lore to the town by being a sequel to the first game. Heather Mason is the daughter of the first game’s protagonist and is in pursuit of a killer in town.
Konami turned up the horror factor in Silent Hill 3, making it a much scarier game than the second one. This was more about the team being more clever with the stage design. One example is the dreaded Mirror Room.
There are no items to obtain or puzzles to solve. The room is there to kill Heather as a warning to players “Silent Hill is a dangerous place.”
You can also find many memorable scares throughout the game. One is the mannequin room where a lone model stands at the back. When you saw the model and walk back to the exit, you will hear a scream that sounds like Heather. Going back to the model, you will see its head chopped off with blood spewed from the neck and head.
Silent Hill 2 was an improvement on the visuals and game mechanics. Silent Hill 3 was more about the horror elements that can be achieved through the game. I was incredibly paranoid throughout the experience that I almost never finished Silent HIll 3 when I came upon the Haunted House Tour section. You can imagine just how terrifying it would be, just for a nightmarish version of that carnival ride.
Silent Hill 4
The Room in my experience, is the Scariest Silent Hill of the franchise. This may seem controversial for people who have high regards to the first three games, but it will forever be my stance. Why is it scary?
Silent Hill 4 is about Henry Townshend being locked in an apartment without any “exit.” The apartment is your safe space, where you can fully heal from your injuries. To find a way out of the apartment, you need to go through a hole in your bathroom and appear in various places. One of these places is within Silent Hill. Still, why is it scary? Because there are ghosts in this game.
Long time players are likely used to the different kinds of horrific creatures in the last three games. Ghosts are a new kind of terror in Silent Hill 4. You cannot kill them or deal with them like regular enemies. Certain items can help you evade them or avoid getting damaged like the Saint Medallion. Another method is to use the Sword of Obedience, which leaves them immobile until it is removed.
What makes ghosts terrifying is how they invade your apartment. They remove your safe space’s healing feature during the latter half of the game. A ghost invasion occurs when various hauntings appear in your apartment like your faucet dripping with blood or a ghost child is standing in your closet. You can remove these ghosts by using a Holy Candle on the hauntings or wear the Saint medallion until the ghost disappears.
The ghost invasion was like the nightmare of Silent Hill tearing into your reality. Its like the horrors are just a screen away from invading your living room. They are even a feature of the intro movie, which is Akira Yamaoka’s disturbing song for the franchise.
The Future of Silent Hill
The launch of Silent Hill 2 in 2004 and Silent Hill F shows there is much love for the horror game franchise. Fans were treated to nearly a decade without a single title as well as the cancellation of P.T., which could have been a potentially great Silent Hill from Hideo Kojima. With the success of the Silent Hill 2 remake and Silent Hill F, we could be looking at remakes of the other titles, especially the first game. Allowing new players to feel that same dread I felt when playing Silent Hill back in 1999.
