My first encounter with Silent Hill was the film adaptation. I was out on a date and the weather took a turn for the worst, so we ended up seeing whatever was showing next. While a lot of people dislike the adaptation, I have a soft spot for it for a number of reasons. Aesthetically, it’s an incredible realisation of a very particular visual style. The soundtrack is wonderful, thanks to the involvement of Akira Yamaoka. Overall it’s a pretty average horror flick, but it egged me on to finally playing the games that I always saw being put on a pedestal.

I struggled through the first game, but loved the puzzles. I’d played jumpy horror games by that point, but something with psychological horror was very confronting. The original Silent Hill is years ahead of its time in terms of atmosphere and immersion, and to be released within a year of Metal Gear Solid is quite a feat – I’m surprised Konami didn’t see the merit in pushing the envelope with its designs after the mid-2000s. Shock, horror – Silent Hill 2 didn’t really grab me at first. I enjoyed it, but there was something lacking in the protagonist. James was dull, empty and emotionless – for good reason, obviously. But I enjoyed the games, so I tracked down an old copy of Silent Hill 3 for $15 and away I went. Continue reading