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What was playing Silent Hill like in your experience?

Cutty Flam

Cutty Flam

Banned
I've always been super curious about this game. My uncle played it and I would always hear him talk about it as a kid but I never actually purchased on my Playstation

Silent Hill the movie was a great experience. Interesting film. I thought it was well made for the most part, but I also never played the original or any other entry in the series
 
It's slow and dripping with atmosphere. Even the first game which looks like a blocky PS1 game. They're fantastic.

But you liked that shit movie so I don't know how your tastes work maybe you wouldn't like the games.
 
Slow, terrifying, exhausting (and when it comes to SH2, downright depressing) experiences. Made-on-purpose clunky gameplay that could irritate newcomers but great atmosphere, soundtrack and fantastic plot to balance it out. Short games but thank god for that, as they certainly drain my energy a lot faster than most games.

I personally don't think the first movie is shit. It's decent, very well-shot and the feel of the original game is somewhat respected. Game's a lot better though, and there's no stupidely gory scenes like at the end of the film.
 
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It was a slower, creepier Resident Evil.

It was also far more of a mystery, with magic clearly bring at work, not just zombies, and you felt much more vulnerable being just an ordinary man out of his depth. It was claustrophobic, stressful and atmospheric, and has stuck with me vividly since.

I also didn't figure out how to save the cop on my first playthrough, much to my ongoing chagrin.
 
What I remember from Silent Hill 1 was that sheer terror. While it was not particularly hard (I played on Easy the first time) the utter dread from hearing "that radio, what's going on with that radio" and not seeing any monster was really scary. And like I told my friend when I played it the first time. "If I find a new door and it's locked/jammed I think it's a bummer but if it opens it's even worse. Then I know something horrible is waiting for me. And never know what."

I was 11 years old the first time playing it.

If you like RE 1 -2 there is absolutely zero chance to not like Silent Hill. I mention them simply because the controls are somewhat similiar. The mood, setting and stories are completely different (and I find Silent Hill vastly superior).

Silent Hill 2 is the best game ever made. Simple as that. No other game have ever worked with such heavy themes about the worst and darkest side(s) of human psychology in such a good way. Out of all my favorite games this is the one I somehow wish my kids never get to play simply because of how horrible it is. Some of the best and scariest enemy design ever as well.

Silent Hill 3 & 4 while not mandatory are good games as well. 3 is basically the sequel to 1. And while the story is subpar to it it is still a lot better than 99% of all games. It is also one of the scariest Silent Hill games and that say quite a lot! Everyone should play Silent Hill 3 but not before the first (two) game(s). 4 is very different, but is a good game in itself.

Not to mention the STELLAR soundtracks of the games. Back when I used lastfm Akira Yamaoka was always among my top 8 artists and I had over 40 000 played tracks there.
 
It always seemed like an amazing game. The soundtrack alone was something...I stayed up late one night years ago diving into it; trying to imagine what the game must be like (don't want to spoil it so I just listened to the OST)

And there's something about the name "Silent Hill" ...Very simple name for a game but now its notoriously known as one of the most haunting horror experiences. A classic I'm sure a lot of people would probably say at this point
 
The first three games are masterpieces in terms of atmosphere, writing and horror. Silent Hill delves deep into the psyche, and explores themes that is taboo and thought provoking. I've yet to see games that can match the unbridled panic and terror that these games instill through the use of sound, but also in its use of clever and haunting storytelling.

Silent Hill has loads of memorable scenes, especially number two, which takes the video game medium to a whole new level with its approach to horror. You never know what you will encounter, whether it'll be a grotesque monster, a crazy character or a piece of strange fiction.

It's also worth mentioning Akira Yamaokas brilliant music. It's very unconventional for a horror game, and leans more towards emotional pathos and sadness, than something that's supposed to be scary. The are tracks though that sounds crazy and evokes classic scares, especially when you enter the twilight realm of Silent Hill. But for the most part, the music is beautiful all the way through.

I really hope that someone can take back Silent Hill to its glory days. Since the third part the series has gone downhill and now it's in complete limbo. It needs a true visionary in order to revive it and also match the quality of the first three games. It will probably never happen and the games will forever be remembered as the true pinnacle of psychological horror.
 
After school, huddled with your boys, screaming like little girls in broad daylight.

That's what Silent Hill was like for me, back in '99.

tenor.gif
 
Talking about the first Silent Hill? I played it on the PSOne back in the day. I already had experience with survival horror games in the form of resident evil, so I expected to be frightened. But Silent Hill went above and beyond everything that Resident Evil offered. It was a terrifying experience and even though I played it together with a friend, we almost stopped playing it, because we just became to frighened to go on.

The first game really set the bar in what I think is possible in the horror genre. The only game that was a better horror experience was the second Silent Hill. After Silent Hill 2, no other survival horror game came close to the level of terror and dread that the first 2 SH games offered.

Silent Hill (and 2) was really lightning in a bottle. The right team at the right time having the right idea. Games like this are extremely rare and I guess the modern game industry makes it almost impossible for these games to get made these day.
 
The original SH I do not remember all that much. Think I gace up at the piano riddle back when I was a kid. Atmosphere is still top notch though to this day. Sound design is just amazing. Controls are a pain in the ass though.

SH2 was magical back in the days. Graphics just blew it out of the water. One of the greatest horror games ever made.
 
Spaceman292 said:
But you liked that shit movie so I don't know how your tastes work maybe you wouldn't like the games.
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The movie is great, what are you talking about?

I bought the PS1 game a few years back and finished it last year. It is pretty good, I enjoyed it. I also played the 3rd one on PC but I never finished it. Now, I am playing the Silent Hill DLC in Dead by Daylight. I have spent most of the weekend playing as the Pyramid Head :)
 
The first three games are amazing. The first one has aged worse than 2 and 3 but still a great game if you can deal with the graphics and controls of that era. To me those games are an immersive experience to a scary and twisted world, with some great plot. The music is also incredible and big part of why these games have such a great atmosphere. Definitely every gamer into horror games should play the first three.
 
Back in the day I rented a PS from Blockbuster to play this. I played the game for about 20 mins turned it off and never played it again. Too scary for me.
 
It was much more atmospheric than Resident Evil, and a different time of creepy. Playing through it scared me in different ways, more than Resident Evil ever did. I wasn't prepared for it.

Silent Hill 2 took that feeling and made it its bitch, lol.
 
the game itself is very immersive with sound design and atmosphere. I think the only drawback these games had was the combat was ass.
 
I remember playing the demo quite a bit when I was 12 and being REALLY freaked out by the demon children. I'm sure the general aesthetic of SH (the radio static, the OST, etc.) didn't help either lol

So yeah, I skipped SH1 because I was too freaked out by it lol. It wasn't until SH2 that I went back and played through the first one, which was perfect timing, considering how SH3 is a direct continuation to the first.
 
Up until I played the first Silent Hill back in the day, I had never played a console game with headphones on. I made a conscious choice to play it with headphones and in my basement because I had this feeling that if I were going to play a horror game, I might as well go all in with the experience. One of the most terrifying thing I'd ever experienced up to that point. Think I was 11 or 12 and by that point, Dreamcast and PS2 were already out so the graphics of Silent Hill were already antiquated but for me, it added to the aesthetic. Playing it was a very unsettling thing because the dialogue was stilted and awkward...it gave a sense that something was truly off. Jumpscares in a game, like the cat in the locker, were new to me. And the sense of surreal dread of the situation Harry Mason was in was intense.

I'll never forget being in the school courtyard area in total pitch black darkness with a tiny flashlight...looking for a well or a gazebo or some crap...and constantly hearing something lumbering and lurking and breathing around me. I was terrified and kept waiting for whatever it was to jump out of the shadows and tackle me to the ground but...whatever it was, it never showed itself. That was when the game really gut-punched me because I realized just how amazing the sound design was (thanks, Akira Yamaoka!).

I also realized that no matter how scary the sights and sounds of Silent Hill were, the things it caused me to imagine in my mind could be far more chilling. I always found the first Silent Hill to be my favorite although I did enjoy 2 and 3. Special shoutout to Silent Hill Origins on the PSP though. A portable horror game? Yeah, somehow it actually worked (IMO) and it was pretty damn good and still managed to be scary as a handheld game especially since you could easily use headphones and find a dark room to play in.
 
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Honestly at the time as a 12 years old: Eh.... RE is better.


After I got older I enjoyed a lot more.... The characters and story are really memorable.
 
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Cutty Flam said:
I've always been super curious about this game. My uncle played it and I would always hear him talk about it as a kid but I never actually purchased on my Playstation

Silent Hill the movie was a great experience. Interesting film. I thought it was well made for the most part, but I also never played the original or any other entry in the series
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The first Silent Hill is a surreal, incredibly atmospheric experience unlike almost anything. I first played in 2010, and i highly recommend it. Its clunky controls and obsolete graphics are remarkably designed so that they enhance the experience rather than damage it.
 
I hade the "privilige" to play SH 1 when it came out, when i was 9. I think my father was a bit easy on showing me content which psychologists today would call extreme. I'm pretty sure it's thanks to that i fear no horror, like.some synapses burned in my brain and now i'm mostly meh regarding scary things.

But back to the game: at first i was scared shitless, the school with those little bastards, the dreadfull sound of the pocket radio, combined with the industrial, brain mincing soundtrack of the other world made my young perception of reality crumble before my eyes.
I didn't want to play it anymore, but some perverted sickness inside me made me go from room to room. When i couldn't play anymore i still watched my dad going from school to the hospital, back to the streets.
I had my worst nightmares when i had a fever and dad played the game in the living room. My mind was floaty due to my temperature, and the sounds just made me feel alone and vurnerable. Was too weak at first to even give a sound to make him come to my room, worst night ever.

But now, as an adult, i love the game. I see now what made it great, both for thr time, and for now. The story was ambitious, and as a father myself i understand better how Harry went through that living hell, just to reclaim his child.

I don't want them to remake it, i fear they wouldn't be ever possible to get that feeling again, not with the current generation of players and what they want from a horror game. That and the fear they cpuld mess up the story or gameplay.

Thank you dad, never had a nightmare again after i finished Silent Hill. Never feared a game or a movie.
 
I used to steal my brothers playstation out of his room to play it. A seriously good game that freaked me the fuck out in places and had good puzzles to solve. My girlfriend used to sit in my room and watch me play too - we both loved it and both want a proper high quality modern remake.

This is the only game I'd buy a Playstation for if it was exclusive. That's how big the game was for me.

Edit: I was 16-17 when I played it.
 
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I actually don't remember a great deal, even though I completed it a few times when it first came out. The main thing I remember is the radio creeping me out when it crackled.

Also was it SH1 that had the chainsaw in the shop window?
 
The games probably don't look like much to younger people, and I recognize there's an element of nostalgia at play here. But for me the atmosphere of a creepy small town, the uniqueness of playing an ordinary man or woman, the art direction were what did it. The gameplay is probably crude by today's standards but it gets the job done. One thing about puzzles in survival horror games - they've lost their mystery now that anyone can find the solution with a google search.
 
It's one of those rare games that establishes a mood so intense and memorable that it just worms its way into your psyche and takes up residence. It carried a surreal otherworldly sense of mystery and tension, and was clearly made by passionate creators all around.
 
I remember playing it during around the PS2 era after finding a used copy at Gamestop. I had been curious about the title, but had skipped it for some reason. I remember thinking that the story as awful. I also remember feeling actual dread while playing it. Resisdent Evil had been successful at jump scares and horrific atmosphere but it never made me feel afraid (except for the spiders..... stupid arachnaphobia). Silent Hill was different. It was mean. It wanted to unnerve me. It wanted to scare me. It succeeded.

I'm glad I played it when I did. It was still new enough to not feel bogged down by it's obvious limitations. I would love to see the series come back in a meaningful way.
 
I remember the opening being plain awesome. Back then, the dynamic camera angles and the atmosphere was top notch. The piano puzzle was fun. I just never finished the game, don't know why. I just stopped playing after the junkyard boss.
 
The school section on the first one with those fucking mutant childrens was the first time i had a scare quit in a game.

Also what a great idea having the radio as a radar, to me the first one still remains the best.
 
At the time i was in love with 3D games like Tomb Raider,Resident Evil and a few others so i was always looking for new 3D games to play. I was reading a few gaming magazines but not every month so i missed any previews about the game.
So when one day i saw the game at my local gaming shop i knew nothing about it and i decided to rent it. It was nothing like any other game i had played before and i loved the mystery and being able to explore the town. Back then it felt as an open world game to me which had tons of hidden stuff so it made my imagination run wild.

Needless to say i went back to the shop and bought it instantly.
 
i played sh1 and 2 in the summer of 2006 -- i was going through a breakup and i remember having crazy nightmares during that time. i really need to re-visit those games and also complete #3 --- mentally and emotionally they are a lot to handle for me. beautiful games.
 
The only Silent Hill i played to completion was the first. It was more psychological horror than jump scare horror like resident evil.
I recall feeling uncomfortable playing Silent Hill. It's an amazing game. But i can't say it was a fun experience.
 
I've only played the original. At first I thought that it was perhaps the worst looking game I had ever seen. Me and my brother were laughing constantly at how bad everything looked.

After getting used to the graphics and clunky controls, and exploring the town a bit, I found myself getting hooked in the story and creepy atmosphere.

It's funny that I don't remember the game's ending, yet I still recall the UFO abduction. I was very surprised when it happened.
 
Only played 4th one, The Room and it was absolutely terrifying at the time, I was 14, 15 maybe. That chained up door still give me creeps, not to mention all the stuff that happens in the apartment and in the other world. Never finished it, it was too much.
 
Sander Cohen said:
Only played 4th one, The Room and it was absolutely terrifying at the time, I was 14, 15 maybe. That chained up door still give me creeps, not to mention all the stuff that happens in the apartment and in the other world. Never finished it, it was too much.
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It was an interesting experiment, The Room but i really disliked the gameplay loop of the second half, specifically those damned ghosts 😐
 
Fucking class. Got as far as getting out of the bar with the walkie talkie and the minute it started crackling I ran back inside, hid, then turned the bastard off and never played it again.
Little did I know that it forged the way for my personal outlook on life.
 
I rented the first game from Hollywood Video every other time. I'd smack the dogs with the pipe. I'd beat the bat like monsters too. The atmosphere really drew me in. Say what you want about it's clunky controls. The last time I really got into that feeling was Nightmare Creatures. I use to rent that and Resident Evil. I bought a copy from EB Games a couple years later. Silent Hill 2 was the first one I owned on release.

I pre-ordered Silent Hill 2 and that was while I was a freshman in High School. It was intense and very enjoyable. I didn't know what Twin Peaks or anything else was at the time, so playing it during its launch week was full of brand new emotions. You can't get that from YouTube videos or story analysis articles. Those first times running away from Pyramid Head and meeting Eddie.

I had some good times with 3/4. 4 I played late at night during the summer while working my first full time job taping boxes on an industrial line. The songs and locations really fit in with the time. Homecoming was my last real experience and I enjoyed it. I didn't really like Downpour. It wasn't the same as the prior games.
 
Fucking scary. Had to call a school friend so together we had the courage to advance from the creepy babies to the It's-disgusting-but-I'd-tap-that-because-I'm-14-and-horny nurses. Amazing game and really hard puzzles for my undeveloped brain at the time.

Way scarier than Resident Evil.
 
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As a 10 year old it was terrifying. The marriage of nightmarish graphics and unsettling sounds was a lot. Cut-scenes had such an eeriness to them too. The whole thing was brilliant and unsettling. The intro set the tone for sure. Marvellous game.
 
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Shit got real when you had to go to the school and the mist is replaced with darkness.
The enemies in there looked like some kind of sloth carrying a knife.
A lot of times I decided to drop the game because I couldn't go further that part.
 
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