ifirit

Heather lived in Portland. Not Ashfield. They say this in SH3, didn't you ever notice? Common mistake. Heather grew up in Portland before Harry shot the "crazy occult guy". She moved after the incident. The name of the town where the first half of the game takes place is unknown. Many people overlook this fact and assume that it takes place in Portland. Now, stop doubting my information!

I decided to revisit the games in the past week or so, after finishing SH4. (You know, to develop some theories about the connections to the games.) And, out of all the games, I've really enjoyed playing SH3. It's true that there are some weak points in the game, but overall the experience is true to the series, creepy in its own special way and does a great job of character development, unlike some games (SH4). As to the issue of posting new theories on The Room, I'm unhappy with the direction that the developers pointed us, but since I'm having trouble stating anything right now, I'll just propose questions. Silent Hill 1, 2, 3, Possible Spoilers Silent Hill 4 Spoilers 1.) We know that Ashfield (and South Ashfield) is about a half-day's drive away from Silent Hill, what does that mean in terms of distance and actual time? 2.) What is the actual timeline of the series now that we can gage the time passed between SH2 and SH4? (Use the articles about Walter Sullivan's suicide from SH2 and Joseph Schieber's article on the Wish House investigation from SH3 as reference points.) 3.) If the events from the 21 Sacraments Ending are similar to those that occurred in Silent Hill many years ago, what really happened in Silent Hill? Were the mysterious deaths of the construction crews, during the tourist development era, part of another 21 sacraments? 4.) If the 21 Sacraments is successful twice, does that mean that there are additional Alternate Silent Hills around? What does this mean in terms of the characters and who is drawn into these alternate dimensions? 5.) Was Henry's room already in Walter's Alternate Dimension? Should we start refering to this as Alternate Ashfield, since it is somehow different from Alternate Silent Hill? 6.) Although we don't know how far the drive to Silent Hill was from Heather's apartment, do you suppose Heather lived in Ashfield as well? (I haven't verified it, but I've heard a rumor that you can see Heather walking the streets of South Ashfield from Henry's apartment window.) 7.) Is Henry dreaming? Why or why not? If it is a dream, does that mean that the other "Victims" are still alive? Are the portals enterances into other people's dreams? 8.) Why does Walter's body appear as a form of God? at the end of the game? Is this another premature birth, or is it the "Devil?" What is the significance of jumping into the black liquid? If you are actually going into the deepest part of Walter, is Henry in Walter's dream, or is he actually inside a part of Walter himself? I hope to hear some of the responses to these questions, since I'm a little confused as to how they all tie together.

Well, I finally got around to posting this after a long weekend of work and homework. I've found out several things about the game, and I have some answers to the strange questions from the game, so enjoy and discuss. This is another long one, so grab yourself a drink or snack, if you'd like. Silent Hill 4 Spoilers First, is understanding the ritual of the 21 Sacraments, which is entitled the "Decent of the Holy Mother." (The full text is found in the basement of the "Wish House" after the fire.) Here is the original text: "The Descent of the Holy Mother -- The 21 Sacraments": The First Sign And God said, At the time of fullness, cleanse the world with my rage. Gather forth the White Oil, the Black Cup and the Blood of the Ten Sinners. Prepare for the Ritual of the Holy Assumption. The Second Sign And God said, Offer the Blood of the Ten Sinners and the White Oil. Be then released from the bonds of the flesh, and gain the Power of Heaven. From the Darkness and Void, bring forth Gloom, and gird thyself with Despair of the Giver of Wisdom. The Third Sign And God said, Return to the Source through sin's Temptation. Under the Watchful eye of the demon, wander alone in the formless Chaos. Only then will the Four Atonements be in alignment. The Last Sign And God said, separate from the flesh too, she is who is the Mother Reborn and he who is the Receiver of Wisdom. If this be done, by the Mystery of the 21 Sacraments, the Mother shall be reborn and the Nation of Sin shall be redeemed. Under the first "sign," the person performing the ritual of the 21 Sacraments must perform the standard offering of the white chism and blood in the obscidiene (sp?) goblet while speaking the words of the cult's bible. However, the 21 Sacraments requires the blood of 10 "sinners." I believe that the blood is used to cleanse the conjurer. In other words, that this is simply a preparation for the actual ceremony. Using blood as a method of cleansing is seen in certain Native American religions, particularly those of the Aztecs, who used human sacrafice for everything. Walter also needed to go through this cleansing ritual. Therefore, Walter Sullivan killed 10 people he deemed as "sinners" and offered their blood as the cleansing rite. The hearts of the 10 Sinners were needed to obtain the most amount of blood. (Probably so that Walter could cover his body with their blood as these rituals sometimes call for.) These "sinners" were choosen by Walter as mostly random people from places he was familiar with, such as the college he was attending, the buildings across from South Ashfield Heights, and his hometown. With exception to the first victim, Walter did not know any of his victims (at least there are no connections saying so). Under the second "sign," the conjurer is to perform the "Holy Assumption," which would free him from his physical body and he would obtain divine powers. After preparing his body with the rite of the 10 Sinners, the conjurer must kill himself. (I will discuss some disreprency about how Walter killed himself and where.*) As a soul without a body, the conjurer has to travel beyond the Darkness and Void, through Gloom and into Despair who is also the Giver of Wisdom. After traveling through these, the Giver of Wisdom would prepare the final rite, the Receiver of Wisdom. What the second rite entails is that Walter must kill himself and then his spirit makes a journey through the "netherworld" and the dark aspects of the soul. Unfortunately, Walter didn't travel through them, but removed them from his path, i.e. killing the people he believed represented these things. So, four new victims were discovered as a result. Walter only vaguely knew these people, or at least knew about them, from the translated Victim files on www.translatedmemories.com. Also, by doing this, the ritual allowed Walter to create his "world" within and without the Lord's world. This is the alternate universe, in which Henry travels through. However, it is hard to tell if the "world" hasn't already consumed the apartment. Under the third "sign," the conjurer must bring four Attonements in alignment so that the final rites may be performed. This means returning to the origin of the rituals calling, i.e. the place where the ritual was first performed. He must overcome Temptation and return to the Source, being Watched while passing through the Chaos. By doing this, the final rites will be ready for sacrafice. Again, Walter kills four more people in order to perpare the final rites. Again, I don't believe that Walter had to kill these four victims: Cynthia, Jasper, Andrew and Richard. It seems that Walter believes that he must continue to kill people in order to complete this mysterious ritual. One thing though, unlike most of his victims, Walter knew and had met these victims before. (If you read the story of "He and the Victims," which I posted earlier on page 36, you'll see their first encounters.) These had great personal meaning to Walter, which may have been why he didn't kill them out right, or maybe he was just toying with them. Either way, the rites were completely and he just needed to finish the final two rites. Under the fourth "sign," the conjurer must offer the sacrafice of two important people: The Mother Reborn and he who is the Receiver of Wisdom. After this is done, the "Mother" will be reborn and the "Nation of Sin" will be redeemed. This suggests that the ritual is used to revive a world once lost, thought not guaranteed. Walter attempts to kill Eileen by beating her up. Eileen accounts that the younger form of Walter Sullivan helps her, but doesn't completely stop the attack. Henry was lucky, but Eileen's life still hung in the balance. He had to keep her safe from Walter, but if he doesn't his control on her would begin to surface. By the end, where you meet Walter at the very center of his being, Eileen has fallen completely under his control. If she dies, she will die in St. Jerome's Hospital. Although Henry is unaware of it, he too is under Walter Sullivan's control. Henry is tied closely to his apartment and as the demons and ghost begin to "haunt" it, they begin to take his life, as is what happens when you approach the haunted items around your apartment. So, if you fail to purify your room, you too will die. Unfortunately, what happens after the completion of the 21 Sacraments is beyond me. I can't say for sure what happens besides allowing Walter's younger self to enter "the Room." However, from the news report on the radio, it seems that something similarly must have happened in Silent Hill. We'll see. Walter Sullivan's Body: *As I mentioned above, Walter had to kill himself in order to perform the "Holy Assumption." However, there is a problem in the timeline and events of the story in SH4 and the article in SH2. From the superintendent's diary, we see that Frank has a dream about the "man in the long coat." He says that he saw him going up to Rm. 302 with a bloody bag, a heavy tool and a bowl. We later find that Walter was going into Rm. 302 to perform the Holy Assumption. However, in the gossip magazine James finds (nice twist, by the way, Konami), it says that Walter's body was found in his prison cell after stabbing himself with a spoon. It's hard to say whether the superintendent dreamed that he saw Walter or if he actually did, since the writing is a little ambiguous. Also, from Joseph's notes, we see that he tried to find Walter's body at the graveyard in the forest of Silent Hill. The grave had been dug up and no body was inside. Though the numbers 11121 were painted on the inside, I don't believe that Walter rose from the grave to go to Ashfield, since he had not performed the Holy Assumption yet. I'm still unsure whether that was Walter in the prison, or if that was someone else (falsely accused). "Skinning Mike": I'm sure everyone is trying to understand what the heck happened to Mike when Richard Braintree "skinned" him. From the audio tape, it's hard to say what happened exactly. However, I was able to find the translation to the page containing Richard Braintree's bio in the "He and the Victims" storyline. (Thanks to excuse17 on the Silent Hill Heaven forums for the translation.) It translates as follows: Richard Braintree "Hey, Richard's gone nuts again" "He lost his temper this time" "Next time would be more fun" The residents of South-Ashfield Heights enjoyed talking about him. He was famous for his short-temper. It was the most terrible when Mike, the resident of room 301, ran against Braintree in his shoulder at the corridor of the apartment. Mike didn't mean for it happen, but he just ran into him, unfortunately. At the time Richard was more moody than usual. He yelled "Who the hell do you think you are?!" and dragged Mike into his room, Room 207, by grabbing the collar of his shirts. "Not again" said the crowd of the apartment, and they went to Room 207 to see what was going to happen anyway. Suddenly, the door opened and stark-naked Mike came out of the room. Right after that, Richard came out of the room, holding Mike's shirts and jeans soaked in blood. "How do you like that, you sick little freak? You had it comin' to you!" said Richard. Mike run away from him. Richard threw away Mike's clothes and said "These clothes are disgusting. Get 'em outta my sight!" Then, a middle-aged woman in the crowd said, "I know...It'll be perfect to wrap his body in," and she took the jeans. "Hold it! Hold it... I think I'll keep that one for myself..." said a drunk, and he took the shirts. After that, Richard took a look at the crowd and noticed a little kid among them. "You!! You snoppin' around again?!" "Get your ass outta here before you really piss me off!" said Richard. Apparently, Richard took Mike into his room, beat the crap out of him (which explains why his clothes were soaked in blood [they weren't literally soaked in blood, just bloodied]), and then "stripped" him naked while throwing him into the crowd gathering outside his door. I'm sure it was a demeaning and humiliating experience for Mike, so he ran away. Richard Braintree apparently kept Mike's underwear, as you find it in the Alternate Apartment Building in Room 207. (I guess Mike wasn't the only "sick little freak," now was he?) Mike's jeans went to the old woman whose cat had been killed by the gun-enthusiast, which she used to wrap its body in. I forget what happens to Mike's shirts. Mike later recants in his diary about how they were his best clothes. That explains the story well enough to me. It was completely different from what I thought happened. I find this version much more creepy, fun and amusing than my idea, so it's going out the door...naked. EDIT: If you're interesting in reading the rest of "Another Crimson Tome," which includes the "He and the Victims" story and the "Locations" descriptions, check here. (This is only a partial translation, but will be completed soon. You can read the non graphic translations on the Silent Hill Heaven forums.

Anyone need an explanation of the "21 Sacrements," the ritual, not the ending (though, I'd be willing to discuss that, too)?

Silent Hill 4 Spoilers I'm beginning to see what the complaints are about Silent Hill 4, but from the majority of issues, it seems that this game lacks the level of detail and motif that the previous games involved. Again, my biggest complaints were the lack of character involvement and development. The two biggest characters that stood out in my mind were Gasper and Richard. Eileen had some development, but not really enough to understand what was going through her mind. I know that in Henry's description, it says that he is a reserved person, "who does not show his emotions," but there was almost no reactions or connections between himself and the characters, (particularly, the victims who pleaded again and again, to save them). As to the monster designs, the Old-type victims will attack you using only two types of attack. And that's by trying to take your heart and causing your life to decrease by being close to them. (An interesting point I want to make when people begin discussing the story.) The New-type victims, however do use varying attacks to confront you. Victim 16 - uses its hair to trap you, making you unable to move until it claws you. Victim 17 - is unaffected by the use of Saint Medalions and Holy Candles, as the fire protects it. (Putting the fire out makes it vulnerable to other attacks.) Victim 18 - Floats incredibly high out of the range of your malee attacks and then "cannonballs" toward you as a counterattack. Victim 19 - Uses arhythmic timing and teleportation to attack you. (You can glitch the game by facing your back to a wall and getting the ghost to teleport into the wall, trapping it and saving you a Sword of Obidience.) There are also some variations in the Old-type victims, though only slight. Victim 04 - Uses a shovel to attack you instead of stealing your heart. This is a clue as to the identity of the victim. Victim 10 - Will continue to attack you even when you use the Sword of Obidience. Another interesting thing to notice is that there aren't a total of 19 victims in the game. Part of this is due to the relationship between the ghosts and some of the other characters. Victim 15 is not a monster for obvious reasons. As to Victims 7 & 8, from the way they are designed, they look like they are trying to float by having no feet, but since were underdeveloped in their real life, maybe their ghosts are also underdeveloped (unable to have the same types of physical [metaphysical?] properties as the rest of the ghosts). You should also notice that the "Bottoms" are merely the New-type version of Victims 7 & 8. I'm not sure yet what that means in terms of the story, but it is interesting to note. To find out more information on the identities and background information regarding the "Victims," check out the link in the Translated Memories site, here. EDIT: Looking back at the picture of the "Abstract Daddy" in SH2, I see now that there are two figures inside the frame. It looks like there is one is on top of the other, if you know what I mean. I guess I never saw that before. :slides away: EDIT2: SH2+3 SPOILERS! (but not really) He turned up in the UFO ending and abducted James. Also, it's worth pointing out that James is in SH3...he's having a tea party with Harry and an alien in the UFO ending just before Harry wigs out and blows up Silent Hill) Ah... Having the original PS2 version, I've only seen the 'Dog' ending. I’ve seen the UFO ending in 3 though. That song rules! Pick up the Greatest Hits version released on the PS2. Should be only $20.

Sadly, I have to agree with the consensus on Silent Hill 4. The biggest fault with this game stems from a single element in the design: the real-time weapon change menu. The producers (Team Silent) made 1 really bad mistake with the game: they decided to include the real-time weapon change system. In order to include this option into the control scheme, they had to use the square button and directional pad. Well, this removed the 3-D control scheme (or tank controls as people sometimes refer to it). By doing so, they had to create a 2-D control scheme with the left analogue stick, which was difficult to manage considering that the levels were tightly spaced and required more camera shifts than any other game before it. This made walking and running (especially running) hard, to say the least. Changing the movement design to 2-D also required that they include an auto-targeting system, since control is so very hard to do manually. Well, this was done rather poorly as it doesn't allow you to switch between targetted enemies. This makes fighting really, really, "I couldn't beat 'Easy Mode'" really frustrating. Seriously, I cannot play that game without screaming at the terrible combat controls. Also, the real-time weapon change doesn't really save you very much time in actual gameplay. Though it looks nice on paper and makes programming and load times much quicker, it distracts the player and at times still makes them pause the game and search through the menu anyway; defeating the purpose all-together. Since this scheme was introduced, they had to limit the number of items in your inventory so to not confuse the player and take even more time to shuffle through the on-screen menu. This, in turn, required that the dated item-box system be placed and thus the frustration of item retreival and maintainance reintroduced. The single save box also adds to the tiresome nature of the game, as you have to re-enter the tunnel to return to the room, which requires loading; go to the living room, which requires loading; and access the memory card, which requires loading in addition to the time it takes to save. And then, you still have to return to the actual gameplay, which requires more loading time. (Going back to the portal, entering the portal, ect.) To think that all of these frustrating gameplay elements came from a single feature that Konami was too determined to include, but failed for them to see how much it hindered the game. I applaud the idea that you wanted to try something new, but it took too much time to manage, too many elements away from the game, and ultimately, too much fun away from playing. Know when to cut your losses, Konami. I'm going to strip this thing of all its content, so that I never, ever have to play this attrocite ever again. Good day. :Storms out: P.S. I'll discuss the story-line at a later time. This story was the weakest of the series, but did provide more information that allows retrospection on the last few games. So, it's not a complete loss. EDIT: That's reassuring to know that the movie has a production member that is just as devoted to the series as its fans. Go Christophe! Anyway, leave the guys alone, you fan-boys. :Pulls out steel pipe to fend off the masses: At least the movie should be good. EDIT2: In all my searches through the Silent Hill websites, I've not come across this little gem. I think the works are very good at capturing the style and atmosphere, but could have taken more liberties than it had. I'll try reading them again.

According to Silent Hill Heaven and IDW Publishings, there were two different people who illustrated the Silent Hill "Dying Inside" comic series. Ben Templesmith did the artwork for the first and second issues, and then, Aadi Salman who picked up the artwork from then on out (Issues #3-5). Scott Ciencin wrote the story for the entire series (so, you can blame him for an abrupt ending). Also, for those who purchased the comic online when it first came out, recieved autographed copies (by Ben Templesmith) with an added introduction. However, if you remember, Konami issued two licences to IDW Publishing for the Silent Hill Comics, and the second series has already been announced. "Among the Damned" is set to be distributed for November 2004. Again, Scott Ciencin will be writing the storylines, with cover artwork by Ashley Wood and interior artwork by Shaun Thomas. The story is about a soldier who is suffering survivor's guilt which leads him into Silent Hill. (IDW stole my Silent Hill plot! I want my royalties!) Personally, I liked what I saw of the ComX Comic Novel, which was completed, but never released. Silent Hill Heaven's Graphical Novel section has all the information regarding this (I believe that the staff even has a copy of the comic), including the "Dying Inside" series. Of course, they cannot release the ComX version to the public, as they could get sued by Konami for it. However, you can check out the preview pages below: ComX Preview Page #1: In the Shadow of Charred Fury ComX Preview Page #2: Dead End ComX Preview Page #3: Devil's Lyric EDIT: All posts are now spoiler-marked. :wipes brow:

In case anybody has missed out on the information regarding the soundtracks (plural) to the Silent Hill 4 OST, I've got things listed below. The Japanese version of the Silent Hill 4: The Room soundtrack is know as the "Limited Edition Version" of the OST, because it includes and additional disk with a series of tone poems written by Akira Yamaoka and performed by Ichiryusai Teisui. These are spoken in a very old dialect of Japanese, so translations are hard to find. (Sort of like trying to translate the work of Shakespear into other languages: one, it's hard; two, it won't be a very accurate translation.) The Soundtrack released in the US and North America is known as the "Special Edition Version" of the OST. It includes 13 tracks not found on the Japanese OST, which includes 6 remixes of previously released material. Limited Edition Silent Hill 4 Soundtrack: - Disk 1 01. Tender Sugar 02. Waverer 03. Fortunate Sleep - Noone disturb her dead 04. Melancholy Requiem 05. Confinement 06. Drops of Shame 07. The Suicidal Clock Chime 08. Silent Circus 09. Traversing the Portals of Reality 10. Into The Depths of Self-Discovery 11. Cradel of Forest 12. Resting Comfortably 13. Nightmarish Waltz 14. Pulsating Ambience 15. Your Rain 16. The Last Mariachi 17. Wounded Warsong 18. Underground Dawn - Never Come 19. Fever Chill 20. Remodeling 21. Room of Angel 22. Waiting for You ~Live from Heaven's Night~ (Unreleased Tunes) -Disk 2 Kyodan "Impenetrable Rain of Yoshiwara" 01. Ichikotsu (1st Excess) 02. Tangin (Cut-off Gold) 03. Hyoujou (Flat-tone) 04. Shozzetsu (Win and Give Up) 05. Shimomu (Nothing Exists Lower) 06. Soujou (Twin Tone) 07. Fushou (Wild Duck Bell) 08. Oushiki (Yellow Bell) 09. Rankei (??? Mirror)* 10. Banshiki (Crossing the Board) 11. Shinsen (God Hermit) 12. Kamimu (Nothing Exists Higher) * Unfortunately, this word cannot be translated into English as there is no equivalent. Special Edition Silent Hill 4 Soundtrack: 01. Room of Angel 02. Melancholy Requiem 03. Cradel of Forest 04. Sliced 05. Fortunate Sleep - Cat Scratchism Mix 06. Mayhem I 07. Sunrise 08. Resting Comfortably - Nasty Mix 09. Nightmarish Waltz 10. Lifetime 11. Last Movie 12. Tender Sugar 13. Your Rain 14. Two Evils 15. Underground Dawn - EEE Mix 16. Memories II 17. Tender Sugar - Empire Mix 18. Waverer - Slide Mix 19. Your Rain - Rage Mix 20. Waiting for You ~Live From Heaven's Night~ Also, an interesting thing to note about the Kyodan tracks is that the title correspond to the months of the year, depicting a different month in the story of Yoshiwara. (Starting with November and going in chronological order.) However, the names can also stand for the twelve note of the musical scale. (Beginning with the D major scale and going up the scale.) In other words: 01. Ichikotsu = D Major Scale = November 02. Tangin = D# = December 03. Hyoujou = E = January 04. Shozetsu = F = February 05. Shimomu = F# = March 06. Soujou = G = April 07. Fushou = G# = May 08. Oushiki = A = June 09. Rankei = A# = July 10. Banshiki = B = August 11. Shinsen = C = September 12. Kamimu = C# = October (My thanks goes out to Rasen from the Silent Hill Forum, who worked to bring these translations.) There is also a special soundtrack that includes "Robbie's Tracks," which was also released in Japan only. Unfortunately, I am unable to find any information regarding this soundtrack. If anyone is willing and able to obtain any information on this matter, please let us know. And that's about it. Have fun.

I really hate to be a stickler about this, because I figured you guys would have figured it out by now, but please, PLEASE use the spoiler code that is in place for revealing information about SH4. Again, the code goes like this: [color=white]Spoiler Information[/color] I will continue to insist upon this until the world-wide release of the game (10-1-2004) [Australia will not receive the game until that first week of October]. It becomes important that you recognize this, as to help keep this thread from regressing to innane babble about your personal completion rate or needless questions about where to find some item. If you are just too eager to discuss SH4 or too lazy to use the VERY simple spoiler code, I suggest you direct your inqueries, remarks, comments, ect. to one of the Silent Hill forums, particularly, the Alternate Silent Hill 4 forum on the Silent Hill Forum. (Spoilers need not be marked there.) Other forums are listed below: Silent Hill Heaven: SH4 Forum Silent Hill Forum: Alternate Silent Hill 4 Forum Central Silent Hill: SH4 Forum If you are in need of simple explanations on the control scheme, monster information, character bios, item retrieval, ect., please look at one of the sites listed below: Official Silent Hill 4 Website Silent Hill Genesis Presents The Room GameFAQs: Silent Hill 4: The Room Central Silent Hill: SH4 Section The Silent Hill Network: SH4 Section

Halfway through?!?!?! What, do you have a catheter and colostomy bag or something? My husband has usually taken several days to get through a SH game, even after completing it once already. I'm at the forest world 2nd time and I've only got roughly 5 game hours racked up... According to the walkthrough Im about 70 percent done. Please use spoiler code when revealing locations and places until the world-wide release of the game. Like this. [color=white]Like this.[/color] As such, I would like to impliment this as all spoiler code for this topic. It would be nice if OCR had a spoiler code set up for these forums, but there isn't. So, we have to make up our own. It's not that I'm trying to moderate this topic, but it helps to set a standard to use and to avoid ruining an experience that is dependent on not knowing what happens next. I just want to look out for those people new to or unaware of the series. As such, I will be going back through my posts and editing said spoilers. Enjoy.

Well, you're right. Apparently, EBGames has had an overload of pre-orders coming in since it announced that the soundtrack would be coming with the game. So, I guess as a policy, they don't lock pre-orders. So, as far as I know, they just ship them as they recieve the go-ahead. Though, it is not guaranteed that you will recieve a soundtrack, if you ordered early, you'll probably get one. This will only affect those who pre-ordered a little late. (In case you still unclear about what the offer is; EBGames will ship a copy of the SH4 Soundtrack with your pre-order of SH4: The Room, IF supplies last.) After visiting the Silent Hill Forum, it seems that those people who ordered from EBGames are receiving the Special Edition Soundtrack (US Release). So, that also means I'm going to have to find a copy of the Japanese soundtrack not bundled with the game. You can see more details here (for EBGames) or here (for GameStop). As to the differences in the PS2 and X-box versions, early in the production of the game, Konami had stated that there would be significant differences in the two console versions. As to whether or not they followed through with this decision, I'm not sure. I really haven't heard of anybody whose bought and played the X-Box version say it was different. Just be aware of this. I have a feeling that the PC version will be the same as the X-Box version, because of similar program designs and that every (next-gen) version previous to this has been the same as the X-Box version. And, if there are any differences in the PS2 version, you can just wait for the Playstation Greatest Hits version to come out with all the bonus features like "Restless Dreams" did. You can read about the responses to the differences in X-Box and PS2 here. What about "Robbie's Tracks," the special Japanese release of music relating to Robbie the Rabbit? I'm just interested in finding out what's on it as no one will tell me. EDIT: For those who want a little taste of the story to SH4 (with little spoilers), I suggest checking out the prequel about "'He' and the Victims." It is written in Korean, but offers a partial English translation as well. Korean - "He" and the Victims Partial English - "He" and the Victims Korean - Robbie's Trip to Europe (Don't ask why Robbie is wearing a tiara.) EDIT 2: For those who are looking for some major spoilers, you can read more about the "Red Diary" translations from the SH4 website here. I haven't read it yet, as to not spoil things for me, but I know I'll be coming back to this later. So, I just wanted to post the link before I forgot it. EDIT 3: New Robbie wallpapers have been added to the official SH4 website. You can find them in Room H of www.sh2004.com, or you can get them directly below. Robbie 1 (Cinco de Mayo) Robbie 2 Robbie 3 Robbie 4

Actually, that is incorrect. So I feel that I must give out yet another... Silent Hill 4 Update: Silent Hill 4: The Room will be released in the US TODAY. So, go to the store NOW and get your copy. Especially, the Special Edition Version with the special US only soundtrack bundle. For those people in the PAL section of the world (primarily Europe), fear not for you will also receive a special goodie with your purchase of the game. Piggyback, the most prominant game guide company in Europe, has just signed a deal with Konami to bundle a strategy guide with the PAL version of SH4. They are know for having high quality materials, so it should be a nice guide, to say the least. You can read more about it on the front page of their website. [/uPDATE] As to whether or not the game is very good, I can't say yet. (My copy of the game ships today.) But, I like to trust the opinions of the people on the Silent Hill forums over those who write reviews on the game retailer websites, as I feel that they have a better understanding of the developers' views and intentions. I suggest going over to the Silent Hill Forum and checking out the Silent Hill 4 forum (Spoiler-Free, of course). For those already into the mood to discuss SH4, you can check out the Alternate Silent Hill 4 forum. In addition to this, I thought I'd also give you a... Silent Hill Movie Update: Inadvertantly, Roger Avary has given away that he will be screenwriting the script to the Silent Hill Movie. He has apparently met with Samuel Hadida, producer of the Silent Hill movie, to discuss casting, crew and timing of the film. You can read what he posted in his online journal about the matter here. Roger Avary has worked as a screenwriter for Pulp Fiction and as director on the following films: Killing Zoe, The Rules of Attraction and Glitterati. He has also worked on the television series "Mr. Stitch." Though, I'm not exactly sure what the details of where the film production is along in the process, it seems to me that it is still in it's early stages. It will be interesting to see who they cast in this film. [/uPDATE] Say, has anyone figured out what it says on www.sh2004.com?

Here. Try writing your text like this. It helps us know where your Silent Hill 4 spoilers are. With the worldwide releases coming soon, it's best to not spoil the goodies for those wanting to have a clean experience their first time through. Speaking of spoilers, have you seen the unlockable costumes for Eileen and Cynthia. :cat's meow: Well, I figure now as good a time as any to post these. Since these are rhetorical and tedious questions, only respond to those you feel strike a chord with you. Otherwise, this can get really ugly, really quick. If anyone else feels compelled to comment, have fun. **Spoiler Warning** Heather Morris 1.) Heather comments on quitting smoking, though she is only 17 years old (before her awakening). If she started at such a young age, what pressured her to start? What convinced her to quit? 2.) In the beginning of the game, Heather wakes up in the Happy Burger. Is it possible that she worked there? 3.) Does Heather have friends? Though she did move around a lot to avoid some threating people, would she still have friends (as the song Letter from Lost Days suggests)? 4.) The story only shows Heather through an extreme situation, which she cracks under and has several mental break-downs. Was her character over-simplified, un-expressive, or just underdeveloped in the game? Being that she was both Cheryl and Alessa at one point, should we have seen many more memories and internal dialogue from that time period? 5.) Does Heather go to school? Is she a drop-out or is she homeschooled? If she was homeschooled, how deep was her relationship with Harry then? Is she too much of a "Daddy's girl?" 6.) What does she do after the game is over? Does she go home and sulk in the past? Does she move on with her life and try to build a new one elsewhere? Does she build on her relationship with Douglas? Harry Mason 1.) Harry was a writer, but it is presumed he was a freelance writer, which doesn't make much money. Did he moonlight on the side? 2.) Seeing as how Harry's relationships were compremised after his murdering of the "occult freak," did he still have friends or other personal relationships? Who was the "freak" and what was the motive behind the shooting? 3.) How was Heather effected by the whole incident? 4.) Thinking about geography some, did Harry live in Portland, Oregon or Portland, Maine? Where is the game taking place during the first half (Central Square Shopping Center, Hilltop Offices, ect.)? Douglas Cartland 1.) Douglas says that he knew how his son died, but was he actually present at the shooting? 2.) Douglas' voice is very raspy, which suggests years of smoking. Was he another smoker as well? Considering his profession and all that he has gone through, would he be a drinker as well? 3.)Considering that Douglas had been to Silent Hill before, what exactly did he see? (Everything is different for each person, so I wonder how much he saw.) What were the details of his missing-persons case? 4.) Douglas says that he's killed someone before. He says it in a very tense tone of voice, suggesting that it was both disjointing and very personal. Who would he have killed to cause these feelings? His son? 5.) During his encounter with Claudia, she was able to stop Douglas and cause him injury. How was she able to do so? She had no gun and avoided direct physical confrontation when unprovoked. 6.) In the Possessed Ending, Heather kills Douglas. Why would she do so? If she was possessed, what would her possesser gain by killing Douglas? Vincent 1.) What is his last name? 2.) Vincent speaks of having the "power of money." Though it is possible to extort a good sum of money from his followers, it would not be enough to build a church. Is Vincent a wealthy professional, or does he come from "old-money?" 3.) Though Vincent is referred to as "Father," where is his rank within the church? Is he a subordinate of Claudia's, her superior, or simply her equal? 4.) Vincent's age is said to be in his mid-twenties, while Claudia's is in her thirties. With reference to Leonard's cruelty, was he there during her childhood or did he somehow have visions that connected Claudia and him together? 5.) Why is Vincent trying to prevent "god's" birth? What is his reasoning behind this? What are his beliefs on the matter of "god" and "paradise?"

No, you're not misguided. The paintings in the Art Gallery of the Hilltop Center Offices are actual paintings of an artist that the developers felt inspired the motif of SH3. Unfortunately, the artist and the painting titles escape me, right now. When I can remember the artist and find screens of the paintings (both from the game and from real life), I will post them and add them to my collection of outside influences in Silent Hill. **SH1 & SH3 Spoilers Ahead** According to the "Lost Memories," the town of Silent Hill is not completely shut-off from the world. Like James, Angela and Eddie, outsiders of Silent Hill have been drawn in by the negative emotions in their hearts. Since the "Lost Memories" also claims that SH2 occurs two years before SH3, it is possible that Douglas could have come to Silent Hill roughly about the same time as James and the others, which means that the effects of the "old gods" has already taken over the town. However, whom he was searching for and the exact time of the search is unknown. (In case you are thinking that Douglas is searching for one of the characters in SH2.) We can however discern that Douglas is aware of the effects that that town has had since it became a ghost town. As to the reprocussions created by SH4 are yet to be seen, but it is likely that the town is not simply the delusions created by the minds of those with negative emotions in their hearts (or is it? You decide for yourself.) It is possible that other people can see the monsters and have experienced the Alternate World. Well, it's very possible since Douglas also comments on it to Heather in the Amusement Park ("If this is what a god of mercy is like, I don't want to see anymore of him.") Again unfortunately, this becomes a trivial topic when discussing the topic of Douglas' first visit to Silent Hill, and since his voice actor has passed away, it is very unlikely to ever hear from him again. (R.I.P. Richard Grosse) There are a variety of tedious questions that I've accumulated over a long period of time. But, if you're interested, let me know. Don't worry, not completing everything right the first time through doesn't really hurt your gaming experience in SH1, because as SZ said, there are five different endings in the game: Bad, Bad+, Good, Good+ and UFO endings. And in addition, in order to unlock some secret weapons, you need to get at least one good ending and one bad ending, so you'll have to use the Next Fear game to obtain all the secret stuff. In case you still are looking for a screenshot of the "Light Illuminating Darkness" painting in SH3, I found a screenshot of the entire smokey room. Apparently, if you use the Trainer Maker with the PC version of SH3, you can use it to walk through walls and camera hack the game. A few screenshots of different areas in the game can be found here.

Well, it's been a while, but I thought I'd bring you guys a... Silent Hill Movie Update: Well, according to the staff at Silent Hill Heaven, an interview with Akira Yamaoka has confirmed that production of the Silent Hill movie is underway. Yamaoka-san has stated that he will be one of the producers representing Konami on this project, so quality control will be maintained. In addition to this, Akira Yamaoka will also be composing and scoring his own music for the movie. Many of you are probably aware of these details already, but here are the really interesting parts. Davis Films (the production company in charge of bringing the Silent Hill movie to life) has constructed a set in the Australian countryside. The set covers a distance of 5km. According to rumors, this set is a reconstruction of Old Silent Hill from the first game, of which the most prominent building in construction is a large "church" at the set's center. It is hard to say if the details are completely correct, since a barracade has been constructed around the set, allowing access to the site only by helicopter. It seems Konami is trying to keep as much secret about the film as possible. As opposed to the intial rumors that the Silent Hill movie was going to be a CG animated film like Final Fantasy, it seems that the film will be live action due to the construction of the large set. Silent Hill 4 Update: With the North American release of Silent Hill 4 fast approaching, and the PAL release only 3 weeks away, Konami has decided to release a special Robbie package for Japanese gamers. (Go figure.) This package will include a copy of the special CD containing "Robbie's Tracks" and a special Robbie T-shirt (one for men or one for women). The T-shirt is the same as the album cover, which is the British flag with pink and purple colors with Robbie standing in front. I'm interested in what exactly comes on the CD, but I don't read Japanese and few websites have details about the offer in any other languages. If anyone can offer any additional information, it would be greatly appreciated.

I think there is a little misunderstanding about what I posted above. This is not my interpretation of the events in the first game, nor my absolute concrete theory; this is merely what the "Lost Memories" claims happens (except that I had to tie a few ends together, since that is not done for you in the translations or explanations). The "Lost Memories" says that Dahlia lied. The "Lost Memories" says that Metatron is an archangel and a lower being to God. The "Lost Memories" says that the cult sees Metatron as a beign and divine being. What you need to understand is that how you veiw the events in the games depends on the perspective you assume. If you see things from a cult members view like Claudia's and Dahlia's perspective, you might believe that Metatron is representative of the side of good (even though it was Alessa you tried to call upon Metatron). If you assume the more outside role of a non-believer, like Douglas or Cybil, then you might see the cult and its heavenly abode as devils and demons. Still, this is only in terms of what you assume might happen if God is born. Dahlia and Claudia envisioned a paradise made on earth (please note that Dahlia's vision comes from her Nowhere speech, not her conversation with Harry on the boat), while Cybil and Douglas saw a terrible realm of hellish nightmare. However, in terms of what we see on the screen, the alternate worlds, which are harsh, dark and scary, you would hardly call it paradise. But then again, Claudia explains it as merely the point of view. Vincent saw a world gone wrong, while Claudia sees a paradise in construction. It's all how you see things. Which is why you have to assume first whether the cult's beliefs are good or evil before you continue to discuss the ideas surrounding Metatron or even Vatiel, because that will shape your point of view. Again, THIS IS NOT MY EXPLANATION, but only what the "Lost Memories" wants you to see. And on that note, I should give you a link to the in-progress, fan translations of the Lost Memories. The translations are nearly completed (only 6 sections left), but still enough to draw your own conclusions about the story of Silent Hill. I assume you mean Scarlett and her friend, right? Well, these dolls are located in Alessa's childhood room in Nowhere (both SH1 and SH3). Look on the floor near the foot of the bed. On the third floor of the Alternate Brookhaven Hospital, there is a smokey room that Heather comments on not being able to see through. Go to the far left of the glass, near the double doors, and stand as closely as you can to the glass. Use the flamethrower and the camera angles to see the wall on the left, behind the glass. That is where you will find the "Light Illuminating the Darkness" painting. Silent Hill 4 Update: In a previous post, I said that Konami had officially denied having a bundle (game and soundtrack) for the North American and European releases. Well, it seems that Konami has changed their minds. For the US release of the game, Konami will now include a special edition SH4 soundtrack with the game. This special version of the soundtrack will include 20 tracks, 13 of which are not found on the Limited Edition Soundtrack released in Japan and 6 remixes of previously released material. No official word has been released for the PAL version yet. Now, considering this, I wonder if I will recieve the Limited Edition soundtrack of SH4: The Room (released in Japan) from EBGames or if I will recieve the Special Edition soundtrack (released for the US) which will come with the game. Only time will tell. EDIT: For those you you collecting websites and information about actual locations of places in Silent Hill, I have one more to add. Toluca Lake, which is located in the heart of Los Angeles, is home to a very quiet community with a small tourist resort for visitors. Enjoy! EDIT 2: I had suggested something like this to DDE and SZ when we were considering building a Silent Hill website. Well, for those you who want to see which SH character you are most like, it's a fun little quiz. My results are posted below. (w00t!)

I can explain what the "Lost Memories" said about Vatiel and the plot to Silent Hill, but it will take some time to give a clear explanation. So, go ahead and grab a snack, or a drink, before we begin. **Silent Hill 1 & 3 Spoilers** As you know, Dahlia used Harry to seek out Alessa. She lead him on by giving him clues (though cryptic in nature) to the places where he should seek her out. In guiding Harry along, Dahlia told a lie to Harry in order to keep him on his toes (according to the "Lost Memories"). She explained that the "demon," "the demon taking that child's form," was sealing the town with the mark of Samael. As we learned in Silent Hill 3, the mark was not the "Mark of Samael," but the Mark (or Seal) of Metatron. The apparent reasoning for Dahlia to tell the lie was to convince Harry that he was searching for Alessa in order to save her, where in actuality, he was just helping lead Dahlia to Alessa's hinding spots (plural). Dahlia's goal was to obtain the power that she had spent the last fourteen years trying to attain. Alessa's other half had reappeared in Silent Hill and she wanted to collect on her investment. However, Cheryl (Alessa's other half) had grown smart and was able to escape Dahlia's grasp. So, she employed Harry, unwittingly, to find the other half for her. Now, in order to understand why Cheryl/Alessa was using the Seal of Metatron (more specifically, the Virun VII Crest) to "seal the town," you have to understand a little bit about the cult of Silent Hill. The names "Hope House Cult," 4S (Silent Hill Smile Support Society), or even "the Order" are all misinterpretted names for the cult of Silent Hill. (In SH4, you'll see why the name "Hope House Cult" is wrong.) Anyway, as we learned in SH3, Alessa grew up within this group, learning about the religion. In this time, I'm sure she was taught all sorts of magic and protection spells that she could use. In addition to this, we know that Metatron is a beign being among the cult's saints and angels. I assume that one of these spells allowed you to invoke "Metatron's protection." In SH1, Alessa tried to employ this protection. However, since we never get to see how the spell works or what is the resulting effect (thanks to Harry, and then Claudia), we don't know what is the purpose of the Seal of Metatron. Back to Dahlia's lie. Dahlia didn't want Harry to think that he was working for a side of evil and exploitation, so she changed the name of Metatron (a beign being) to Samael (a being representing evil among normal people, more commonly used to represent Satan). This manipulation is mentioned in the book: "Syncretic Religions." Dahlia was a believer of the town's religion, but used critics' justifications to reverse the roles of good and evil. Harry didn't know any better, so he played along, unwittingly, with the story. All he cared about was getting Cheryl back. What is important to note about the above is that the manipulation of Harry is not an internal struggle of religious politics like in SH3, but Dahlia's way of taking an unsuspecting person and using their misguided/undeveloped beliefs for her own purposes. In other words, she wanted Harry to believe that everything Alessa was doing to protect Cheryl, herself and, in turn, Harry was evil. This would drive Harry to continue his search. Now back to the discussion of Metatron. In Silent Hill 3, the being Vatiel, a servant to Metatron (as noted in the "Lost Memories"), is called upon to "escort" Heather until the time when God can be born. (Hence the name Vatiel, as in valet.) Obivously, since Vatiel is a servant of Metatron, he will bare the same markings and symbols associated with Metatron himself, such as the Seal of Metatron. Like the seal itself, Vatiel's true purpose is a mystery. However, what we do know is that Vatiel is a beign creature in the eyes of the cult. Therefore, how you view the cult will determine whether or not you believe Vatiel, and as a result Metatron, is good or evil. One last thing to note, God is neither Metatron, nor Samael. It is a being much higher than that of archangels. So, everyone who believes that Dahlia or Claudia was trying to bring Samael into existance in this world is very wrong. Also, as the "Origins" pointed out, God already created paradise, but did not set out the road to it. That is why Claudia wants to birth God, so that that road can be opened. Thanks, but PM right now. I'm using the school computers, since I still don't have internet access at home yet. Also, to DDE, the name of the painting of the Red Pyramid Thing is called, "Misty Days, the Remains of the Judgement."

So much to discuss, so little time. Where do I begin? Well, first I have to give my appreciation and admiration to Eccles for his short, Silent Hill fan fiction on the fairytale of the "Executioner," as well as his discussions to the topic of Silent Hill. The report was very well-worded and used the same style of writing as the series. (Thought, it's surprising how many grammar errors were in that post. Remember to include articles before nouns and to add apostrophes on contractions. But, I digress.) I really enjoyed your post on the balance between the Thantos and Eros with respect to James' state of mind. It draws on very basic emotions and desires of people, so I'd like to explore it more once I've had time to contemplate the resulting consequences to James' actions. It might be a little late, but better than never; anyway, the EBGames offer is good for both pre-orders placed on the website and pre-orders made to the store directly. The downside to pre-ordering the game at the store is that supplies of the Silent Hill 4 OST are limited in each store. And, only a select number of stores are participating in the offer. Also, if you pre-order from the store, you have to pick it up quickly as the in-store offer is on a first-come-first-serve basis. The best thing to do is to call the store and ask if they are participating in the offer, ask whether or not they have supplies available, check to see if the are any copies left, and to get to the store early. But, to save me more time and money in the long run, I went ahead and pre-ordered off the website and will have the game sent to my house. Mailing orders will recieve the soundtrack based on the numerical order those pre-orders were recieved. Hopefully, I ordered in time to get a soundtrack. As far as I can tell, these offers are available to pre-orders placed in the US from EBGames or GameStop. Konami has officially released that a North American or European bundle (game and soundtrack) will not be released. So, the most assured way to get both the game and soundtrack together is to order the Japanese bundle and have it shipped to you, assuming you have a Japanese X-box, PS2, or a mod-chip. Actually, according to Japanese gamers, Silent Hill 4: The Room (Japanese release) already has a japanese and english translation available; which bothers me as to the need to wait so long between the Japanese and North American releases. MARK YOUR SH4 SPOILERS!!! Seriously, most people don't want to have any images spoiled for them in the new game. Try to post a link that contains the picture or the reference page for the image in the future, please. Nothing is worse than mistakingly seeing something you shouldn't have seen. In turn, I will try to better mark my SH1, SH2 and SH3 spoilers. This would mean something along the lines of "Angels deathwish" If I recall correctly this one comes after the water ending...though I dunno, so I wont speculate as to the meaning until I know for sure. The titles of the tracks mean quite a lot...especially in SH2. 'Magdalene', for instance, is the music that plays when you find Maria dead in the jail cell. The title almost certainly refers to Mary Magdalene; a prostitute from the bible who was the woman who found Jesus had come back to life (or at least that his tomb was empty)...only rather finding that someone lives again you're finding that someone had died again. again. again. The reverse will...the track that plays when James goes nuts and tries to resurrect Mary (rebirth ending, for the 2 people in the world who havent gotten there yet)...obviously this is referring to the fact that it was someone/somethings (God, fate, chance, science, whatever you wish) will for Mary to die and James is reversing this. True: the music that plays when you find out why you're in Silent Hill (I gots to say, I love the way they had mary talking to you over the radio at this point...that was classic) You could say the same about SH1: Not tomorrow (1 and 2) play when youre talking to lisa (1 plays when she does her 'I get it now' bit and version 2 plays when she starts bleeding) My heaven is the music that plays when you fight Samael/the godess, She (or 'house of the rising sun' as Stan calls it) Killing time...now this can be taken in one of two ways. Killing Time as in 'to waste time'...or Killing time as in 'time to kill things'; I'm leaning towards the latter, since it's the music that plays when you get the bad ending (having killed Cybil and Alessa and having let Dhalia and Kaufmann die). We seem to have spoken on this subject several times, but I do agree with you, DDE. The soundtrack titles have had apparent alternate meanings when put in relation to the story of the Silent Hill series. These are most obvious whenever Akira Yamaoka has been a lead or assistant producer on a game. It took me a while to understand that the producer for a project is the person who gets to decide what the subject, and the resulting storyline, will be for a game. So, the more closely Yamaoka-san works with the producers, the greater the impact on the music titles and lyrics. It's funny that you mention that the theme to the "What do I want?" dialogue is a remix of "Mad World" by Gary Jules since it's also a rearrangement of "Breeze-In Monochrome Night" found earlier in the soundtrack (after Split Head Battle/speaking with Douglas at Mall). I wouldn't want to say that Akira Yamaoka used another person's work as his own, but it could have been intentional; I don't know. Still, that would be a good piece to remix for OCR. In all respects, I can be a harsh purist when it comes to the interpretations of the Silent Hill series, but I've also realized that a big part of the appeal of the games is the interpretations that people can come up with. I enjoy debates and discussions about what a certain action (or inaction) signifies to other people. However, many times the information can get distorted (such as Eccles' case of Alessa and Mary.) In cases like this, it is good to have a reference to help clarify discussions or arguments. However, I don't think that the "Lost Memories" is the book to do so. Personally, I find the "Lost Memories" to very vague, highly subjective (depending on how you interpret the language), and at times, contradictive. The book doesn't even attempt to explain what the endings of Silent Hill 3 mean, excluding the Revenge ("UFO") Ending. Even if a purist, such as myself, tried to take the text in the "Lost Memories" as literal and definitive, I would be quickly drawn into a corner because so much detail is left unexplained. In the end, it is up to the player to decide what is true meaning of the game. Like life, there are no definite answers. Well, I guess all that is left to discuss is... SH Rumor Control: As mentioned before, rumors have been flying around about the next title in the Silent Hill Series: SH5. The current working title for this game will be "Shadows of the Past." The game, like SH2, will not be directly linked to the main storyline created in SH1 & SH3. Instead, it will focus more on the background of the town. The game will also utilize a series of flashbacks where the player will travel to other places from your memory. (Sounds interesting.) As far as storyline goes, the protagonist is apparently a mental patient kept in a mental institution. The doctors are trying to get to the center of the protagonist's trama and delusions, which occurred in Silent Hill. Through their sessions, the patient (i.e. the player) will travel back to their memories and try to discover the source of your mental illness. (Sounds very interesting.) According to a source at Konami, this will be the last game released for the current generations of consoles. So, that means that the likely release of the game will be sometime in 2006. That means you better savor SH4 while you can.

Well, I guess it's time for another... Silent Hill 4 Update: For a limited time, US Playstion 2 and X-Box owners who pre-order their copies of Silent Hill 4: The Room at EB Games will recieve a FREE copy of the SH4 soundtrack with their purchase. You can find details about this special offer at the EB Games website. [Playstation 2] [X-Box] In addition to this, you can now download the TV commercials to Silent Hill 4: The Room from www.sh2004.com. (Assuming that you haven't already seen them on television.) There is both a 30-second clip and a 15-second clip. (Please note that an LZH decompressor is required.) Or if you'd like, you can get them off my site. Lastly, I've rotated the songs again. As always, they will be available for one week, as that is when I rotate them.

Silent Hill 1, 2 & 3 Spoilers It's been a while since the discussion has come up again. I'm glad, because during that time, I've been reading up on "The Lost Memories." You may recognize the name from both SH2 and SH3, but what I'm referring to is the printed book, released only in Japan (so japanese only), which is the creators explanations of the ideas and events in the first Silent Hill "trilogy." As StarZander put it: I wouldn't call it a bible exactly, as there are still many unresolved issues and the text is a little hard to understand. Anyway, I just wanted to relay and clarify a few of the major issues surrounding the first three games. For those who would like to download the scans of the "Lost Memories" you can find them off the Silent Hill Forum. The text is only partially translated and my presentation is based on these translations. Pyramid Head Japanese Name: Red Pyramid Thing Games: Silent Hill 2 Tarot Card: Judgment (XX) Text Translation: Creator's Comment: Translation Notes: In sections concerning Pyramid Head, the word "jibatsuishiki/jibachiishiki" is used frequently, and I think it's hard to translate perfectly into English. Ji = self, batsu = punishment, and ishiki = consciousness, or in the way it's used here, "sense of," so the meaning is that Pyramid Head comes from James' "sense of self-punishment," or "self-punishment-mindedness." ---- Vatiel Japanese Name: Vatiel Games: Silent Hill 3; Silent Hill & Silent Hill 2 (apparently) Tarot Card: Magician (I) Text Translation: Creators' Commentary: ---- The reason I put the Red Pyramid Thing before Vatiel was to make the explanations a little clearer and to not confuse you after reading the Vatiel part. Anyway, what the text wanted you to know is that Vatiel is an angel, not a god; and that the idea of the Red Pyramid thing is derived from Vatiel. So, in a way, they were trying to say that Vatiel is not Lobsol Vith (the yellow god) and the Red Pyramid Thing is not Xuchilbara (the red god). Though not explicitly stated, you can gather this from the translation. The reasoning behind this is that Vatiel is a promonent angel in the town's religion (which is separate from the town's cult, but that is another story). He watches over the town and protects "god." The Red Pyramid Thing is the form that the "townspeople" assume whenever they invoke Vatiel. The form of the Red Pyramid Thing is derived from James' subconscious as he saw it before on his first trip to Silent Hill. But according to the text, the form is that of Vatiel invoked by another person. This explains why there are more than one Red Pyramid Things; more than one person is invoking Vatiel. This can also explain why the Red Pyramid Thing acts so randomly; because they are people, their actions will vary based on the person. It's a little hard to understand, but this just basically means that the Red Pyramid Thing is just a composite figure from various origins, which makes it unique to the person who sees it. Vatiel is another story as he appears in his true form in Silent Hill 3. This being has many different roles, but basically he serves as a beign figure to the town's religion. In other words, he is part of the good guys. Also, despite the idea that the hand crank is not a representation of the gatekeeper to the other world, it still holds a meaning to a cycle: the cycle of rebirth. As stated in the text, Vatiel is the being responsible for the control of reincarnation/resurrection. Everytime Heather dies in SH3, Vatiel is responsible from reviving Heather and she wakes up again at the Happy Burger. This same idea can also be extended to SH1, since Harry dies in the bad endings and is reset back in the 5 to 2 Cafe during Next Fear games. I always wondered how Dalhia was able to revive him, but it seems that she uses Vatiel to resurrect him. I think this will require a little more time to sink in, so I will hold further explanations of Vatiel and the Red Pyramid Thing to queries. I will explain the difference between the religion of Silent Hill and the cult in another post. EDIT: There is a statue in Rosewater Park dedicated to Miriam K. It explains the reason she was killed for being a traitor. I believe that it is the statue where you unearth the Silent Hill Historical Society key.

Well, time for a little bump action. I've rotated the SH4 songs this week, in case anyone still needs a mirror (for whatever reason). You can find the new songs here. (Songs removed due to release of the game.) ------ Rumor Control: According to rumors, there is already talk about the production of Silent Hill 5. Apparently, it has the surname "Shadows" and is supposed to be part of a new trilogy that Konami will release. (So, this would mean that SH1, 2 & 3 were part of a trilogy. ) Anyway, the game is supposed to play down the combat and emphasize more on the puzzles and terror. A press release is rumored to appear in the winter of 2006. In addition to this, Konami is currently in negotiations with Nintendo to bring the Silent Hill franchise to the Nintendo DS. Although the DS will be released in Europe sometime in the first third of 2005, a set date has not been announced for the game. Although these are only rumors, we know what happened with the ones surrounding Silent Hill 3. Silent Hill 4 was rumored to be in production just before the US release of SH3. A Silent Hill movie was rumored to be negotiated between Konami and Hollywood. And, that a Silent Hill comic series would be created by 2004. At the time, these were all rumors, so you never know. But, I want to pose a question out there. Should there be a Silent Hill 5? (I haven't played SH4, so I don't know if the story would suggest one.) Is Konami just taking the series too far or just rehashing more of the same? Or is there room for new stories in the series? (If you are going to make references to SH4, please mark your spoilers.

Yeah, it's Laura's Theme alright, but it's not new since Mr. Yamaoka also did the same thing in "I Want Love (Studio Mix)" on the SH3 OST. A small phrase from the original Silent Hill theme also appears in "You're Not Here" as it does in the extended version of the "Theme of Laura." But you can also say that the "Theme of Laura" is just "Not Tomorrow" in a different chord. It's just a running theme that Mr. Yamaoka uses, since he apparently likes to keep themes. However, despite that, I find this new soundtrack to be very different from his previous work in it's tone. Though there are very familiar elements such as heavy drum-n-bass track-loops, airy & atmospheric synth ambience and the traditional piano and guitar melodies, the overall expression of the soundtrack is radically different than his previous work. Some of it is good, some not so much, but overall it is a refreshing change in the music that kept my ears perked. Yes, "Inescapable Rain" is part of the two-disc special edition version of the SH4 soundtrack. It is a narrative written by Akira Yamaoka in a Silent Hill-esque style genre and performed by Ichiryusai Teisui, one of Japan's "living national treasures." Unfortunately, the text cannot be translated exactly into english because of the "kyodan" style in which it is told. Doing so would ruin the experience of the piece. It is and will probably remain a Japanese-only exclusive. Even the title may be only a rough translation. (This is true since the title is actually "The Inescapable Rain of Yoshiwara.") I'll be among those to admit that the combat system in Silent Hill has not evolved much over the sequels. Though "fighting" is not the focus of the game, I would really love to have a much more tactile combat system. Most of the time, it's just shoot/hit, strafe and repeat. Number 3 was much more enjoyable, but I really prefer a greater variety in combat, not more items. I want to learn some skills while playing and apply them to the game, especially during boss battles. Like the first one, where you had to fire into the monster's mouth to kill it, or where you had a choice in killing the boss or finding a different approach to defeat them (aka Cybil fight). I just want to be able to do more during my fights than just shooting and running. Come on Konami, at least throw in some counter-attack capabilities. EDIT: As an interesting piece of information, the track "Remodeling" on the SH4 soundtrack is just "Merry Happy Christmas" (also by Akira Yamaoka) with a different ending. The track was included in the Konami Christmas card sent out in December of 2003.

Well, I had a long post that I was going to add to this topic, but my computer keeps freaking out each time I try. So in it's place, I have a... SH4 Update: Even though the Silent Hill 4 OST hasn't hit US shelves yet, mp3 copies have been flying around the internet (granted, I think it's just the same copies). I haven't found a reliable or stable server yet to get them from, but you can find copies on a temporary site here (Link no longer available). (Please note that the bandwidth has been exceeded on the first 7 songs. They will be available again in July. Or, you can just get the giant zip file.) I'm hosting a temporary mirror for "Tender Sugar," "Your Rain," and "Waiting for You ~Live at Heaven's Night~" on my site (Songs removed since game has been released). I will host them for one week and then shuffle another three or post some by request. If I find a more reliable server, I will point you in the right direction. Have fun.

What the heck, I'll give this one last try. Silent Hill 2 Spoilers The theory that James and Pyramid Head are the same is a rather highly debated issue, yet has a good foundation for being true. There isn't much disagrement about the idea the Pyramid Head is the representation of James' need for punishment, but at the same time, there are other representations scattered around the town (as well as other representations for PH itself). The dead guy sitting in front of the TV in the apartment complex is indeed James. (Though it may be because the programmers didn't want to create another character model for James, that particular moment in the game just shows one aspect of James' struggle.) James sees his dead body in a very grusome execution, which makes James consider the idea of his own death. There are many symbolisms for this scene, but I can't remember them all right now. Maybe someone could try stating a few for me. Anyway, the point is that Pyramid Head isn't James entirely, but merely are large section, or representation, of himself. What are some of the other representations of James in the game? We've just discussed briefly about PH and the dead man in Rm. 208. Some people say that the dead guy at the end of the alley (where the apartment building key is found) is James, as the same charater model was used. Then again, some people say that the Lying Figures and Bedmen are also representations of James. Though each time, a different explanation is used, there are multiple instances where James encounters "himself." Also, the monster in the prison cell is an invisible monster added to the game. For some reason, this monster was given special treatment by giving it it's own sound effects and voice. The monster says two things: one sounds like "ritual," while the other is harder to distinguish, but when played backwards sounds like "Are you sure?" I'm inclined to believe that it is one of the Hangers that you encounter on the streets of South Vale at night, in the underground laborynth, and in the Alternate Hotel. However, this time instead of hanging below the floor, it hangs from the ceiling. It was made transparent like the Stalkers in Nowhere from SH1, but more so as it is completely invisible. (You can find the sound files of the Prison Monster on my site.) I'm not quite sure the significance of the creature, but it definitely drew your attention to the prison cells. Maybe it plays a role in symbolizing James' psyche as a prison, or maybe the town itself as a prison. That detail is much harder to understand. I'll have to think about it some more.

Silent Hill 4 Update: With the Japanese release of Silent Hill 4 literally days aways, I'd figure that now is as good a time as any to see videos from the E3 Demo. (Please note that an mp4, or MPEG-4, player is required to view the videos. Apple Quicktime should suffice.) Silent Hill 4 Spoilers and Possible Spoilers Warning. These videos (link no longer available) contain a walk-through of the Silent Hill 4 Demo. There are really interesting pieces of information given, such as some puzzle answers, memos and diaries. I tried my best to cover my eyes during those parts, so be careful as you watch them. Besides the high number of spoilers in this demo, there are some really cool aspects of the game shown off. I was wrong about being able to tell when other monsters are around by the life bar. Just make sure to look around corners before running down hallways. The ghosts and "Gumheads" are really tough and scary. Anyway, I gotta admit, Eileen Gavin is one bad-ass momma. Even with a broken arm and a limp, she's ready to beat down some monsters. Kickass! Well, for those of you who want to see the demo, but don't want anything spoiled, I've got a list of the videos that are (mostly) spoiler-proof below. - titlescreen - building02 - building05 - forest03 - forest06 - prison02 After the Japanese release of the game, I don't plan on making any more Silent Hill 4 updates, until the US release in Sept./Oct. (Unless of course, the material doesn't relate to any spoilers in the game.) I hope you've enjoyed this topic, as I'm no longer planning on bumping it. It's not that I'm giving up on following the series, but rather this topic has run it's course. Or rather, I've run out of gas to keep pushing this forward. Have fun and see you later. EDIT: One last thing before I go. The newest "Making of" Silent Hill 4 video (Link no longer available)has been released by Konami. Producer Akira Yamaoka explains the plot of the game and his report from the E3 booth. In the background, you can hear the entire version of "Room of Angel." For the entire links to these videos, you can navigate your way through the Konami site or find them on my site (Song removed now that the game has been released).