ifirit

Ah. The imfamous police tape that magically prevents you from crossing. I always thought that was kind of idiotic of James. Anyway, the tape is part of a deeper question as to why keep doors locked in SH2; why leave puzzles in James path; why block off certain sections of the town? I've thought about it a little bit and with respect to the other games. In SH1, the reason these things were placed in Harry's path were to prevent him from going further, from seeking Cheryl/Alessa. They were made in a sense to push him back and to keep him out. Harry was not wanted there. Yet, in SH2, James was, as some put it, "creating his own purgatory." James was in a sense trapping himself in his own judgement. So consequently, the town tried to keep him confined to the present situation. The doors were locked to keep James in, not out. Think about the first fight with Pyramid Head. Once you enter the room, the door locks. There was nobody outside to lock it, but we know it was done so that James had to face Pyramid Head. James was made to sit in the mess he made. And as a funny consequence, if you choose a higher puzzle setting, you are, in a sense, choosing to confine yourself longer in the game. Essentially, you choose to be punished longer. Sad. I'm still not certain why this is the case in SH3, but I really don't understand the plot entirely. EDIT: Eccles, I'll be online for another hour.

They're not that big. I suggest you just start off with SH1 & SH2 for now. You can work on playing 3 later. And you can easily get around the images thing by just giving credit to the sites you pulled them off from. It's not that hard to write someone's name down. Really, the issue of making of a site, even if using someone else's material, isn't in the material itself, but in the way you present it. If you can do more with the same materials as another site, that is what matters. EDIT: Updated profile.

Silent Hill 2: Born From A Wish Spoilers I think I understand, but I want to clarify, just to be sure. You are suggesting that a "stripper" might have been at the brink of suicide in the town. Just before she ends her life, the town calls to her and stops her from doing so. You are then suggesting that the town fills her with the wish from James. This wish converts the "stripper" into Maria. Though not sudden, Maria is now a new person born inside another person's body (that coincidently looks like James' dead wife). So Maria now has the memories of the dead girl and the wishes born from Silent Hill. However, the memories of the town grows stronger throughout the BFAW scenario. That's a stretch, but not implausible. I'll need to think about it more, because it doesn't seem quite right for some reason. It's true that Maria is becoming increasingly aware of her "fate." However, I don't understand how her previous memories don't show up. She doesn't really give any indication what those previous memories are. For all we know, those could be Mary's memories. If not, then there would have to be three sets of memories present: the dead girl's, Mary's and the town's. Personally, I think that Maria was born from the mist and has the body of a monster (particularly the final boss). The town tried to bring Mary's soul into this body, which is why she has Mary's memories (expressed to James in the prison cell). The town, thoughout the game (both the main and sub-scenario), is communicating with Maria telling her about James and Laura and her "fate." I think Ernest's question to Maria about whether she believed in fate or not is important in this matter. By not making the wishes or memories or whatever from the town not a part of her, but merely communicated to her, it allows Maria to choose her fate. Ultimately, she "chooses" to follow the town's call. However, this is again a philosophical issue here. You could believe that she is not free to choose her path; that the memories of the town are inside her and eventually take over; that it is fate. So, really it is up to you to decide whether or not you believe in fate. Still, it will then influence your theory about Maria in the rest of the game, because now we have to ask if Maria is acting on her own or just being puppetted by the town. Choose carefully and consider all the consequences. EDIT: Has anyone noticed that it has been over one year since we last saw a SH remix? I better get cracking. *Sigh* Too many projects.

Ok. Let's try to stay focused here. We've got a lot of work in understanding the games and a lot of unanswered posts in this thread. Silent Hill 3 Spoilers Silent Hill 3 is told through Heather's eyes' date=' who is Harry Mason's daughter. Harry didn't live in Silent Hill, so consequently, neither does Heather. However, there are circumstances as to why Heather lives in Portland (or wherever that place is) under the surname Morris. These circumstances are touched upon in Douglas' notebook. Apparently, things didn't quiet down for Harry after he escaped Silent Hill. One particular event pushed Harry enough to go into hiding. This is why Claudia needed to hire a detective. I suppose Claudia hired him in California, which might explain why Douglas has CA license plates. Obviously, Heather didn't initially want to go with Douglas, so we were stuck in Portland (or wherever that place is) until Heather found reason to go back to Silent Hill. So pretty much the whole first part of the game was just to set up the last 1/4 of the game: Heather's revenge. Still, this plot line seems petty in scheme of the series. I believe that there is something deeper laying underneath the surface. I know it has something to do with the cult and why god is still alive. Also, by killing Claudia, does that truly mean it's over? How do we know god didn't survive? That is the hardest question I've been trying to understand since SH3 was announced. Remember kids, with just some stained rags and cardboard, you too can become a sexy mass-murderer. Action figures. Collect them all. NOW!!!!!! One. Freaky. Bastard. Best. Quote. Ever. Joking aside, I might actually try to visit Pyramid Head Rock the next time I visit my sister. Maybe stop over in San Bruno as well. It's turning out to be quite a trip.

Silent Hill 3 Spoilers You never found the fairy? It's when you're in the sewers, i think right before or after that thing you electrocute (or maybe even right there) you walk up to the edge, by the water, and press X. It'll ask you if you want to throw in your pipe, and then a fairy appears. She asks you if it was a gold pipe that you dropped. answer no. then she'll ask you if it's a silver pipe. answer no again. then she'll ask you it it was a filthy old pipe. answer yes, and you get all three! no difference in damage though. shame. The Fairy is quite amusing, but you only get it after beating the game and receiving it in the game results. But even more interesting, the monster you electrocute in the sewers is the same blood-sucker from the Achemila Hospital in SH1. I purposely died several times to get a good look. Anyway, Eccles, the game's extras are completely ridiculous (except the infinite sub-machine gun, and SH2 references). The Heather Beam/Sexy Beam and Transform costumes are just cheesy takes at anime. The Beam Saber is an obvious rip from Star Wars. The alternate costumes are mostly just from game magazines publishers and their readers. However, the game does recreate that fear of what's beyond the next room feel that SH1 had. The extreme challenge games are just insane. The hardest gameplay I've ever attempted. Also, unlike the previous games, you get all kinds of death sequences. Getting hit by a train, falling off the train, killed by monsters and dragged off into the unknown, strangled in the sewers, ect. I think, though, that the developers took away too much from the endings and spread it out through the game. I also think there is a deeper subtext in the game that I have yet to figure out. In addition, people who've played the game on their PC have said it's a much more horrifying experience than on console. More so, if you have surround-sound. Silent Hill 2 Spoilers Well many believe that silent hill changes depending on who enters it..this is a well known fact by now as it nearly goes as far to say such in the games..take for instance the fact that laura doesnt see any monsters...and yet she is alone in the city? Maybe there really are normal people there..maybe Silent Hill is still flowing with tourists..its just that only those without doubt can see them. Or maybe she sees people who arent really there..just as james..and all those without pure hearts..see the monsters. Eddie may indeed see police..because in his version of silent hill..they are really there. Actually, it was Laura who implied that the police were chasing Eddie. I believe the dialogue goes like this: Laura: So whad'ja do? Robbery? Murder? Eddie: Nah, nothin' like that. Laura: Ha! You're just a gustless fatso. Eddie: What'd you have to say that for? Laura: I thought you said the cops were after you. Eddie: I just ran cause I was scared. I don't know what the cops are doing. Laura: But if you did something bad, why don't you just say you're sorry? Well, I guess I run away a lots, too. Eddie: It's no good. They wouldn't listen. Nobody will ever forgive me. From this I gather that Eddie only told Laura that he had run away after doing something bad. Laura assumed that he meant the police were chasing him. And as Eddie said, he just ran cause he was scared. Also, we know that Eddie didn't kill anyone before coming to Silent Hill, cause Laura asked him (though, I believe Eddie doesn't view killing a dog as murder). Besides, shotting a person below the waist is not considered attempted murder. And, I don't think a dead dog would draw too much attention, so I don't see the plot of "The Fugitive" taking center-stage in this case. On that note, if you think about it Silent Hill seems to attract people who aren't wanted or accepted by society: an orpan, a widower, a run-away, a cowardly fatso. Maria can't be applied because she was born there, Ernest told her so. On the subject of references, though I think you know, the room with the moths is a reference to Buffalo Bill. Lastly, I think the reason for the low interest in SH is the genre. A lot of people either don't understand it or are frightened by it. Some people are really afraid of pain, even at the sight of it. EDIT: Speaking of references, Eccles, have you checked out this site. From the small hit count I assume it is fairly new. With that I don't know if anybody has noticed, but the silenthilldomain is down for good, as well as all its sub-sites. This leaves a pretty big hole in the Silent Hill community since they were becoming the monopoly on Silent Hill sites. Anyway, just wanted to let you know what happened (in case you were wondering).

You're gonna have to. They're removing the radio from the series. I guess the programmers are tired of having to incorporate it into the game. By the way, the PS2 Greatest Hits version is the same version as the X-Box Restless Dreams version. I think I said this back in the beginning, but Silent Hill 2 reflects what you bring to it, i.e. how you play the game and how you interpret your surroundings. Every interpretation is unique and that is the fun in playing it. (As Israfel put it, it's video game art.) However, you are directed to certain conclusions based on the events that occur. My goal was to look at all these events to try to reach the most appropriate conclusion. I want to include as many viewpoints as possible. However, not all will fit because of contrary or inconclusive evidence. Also, there are a lot of unspoken assumptions made that I want to avoid. With that said, I didn't say that anybody's theories didn't make sense, just that the cases and evidence they were showing didn't fit the conclusion. Either, there were unspoken assumptions made, missing pieces of explaination, or the reasoning that lead to their conclusion was disjointed. I know that I can be held to fault, but I try to offer as much as I can in my posts. So, trying to tackle on the subject of Maria right now is complicated. I need to think more about the her character and motivations before I say anything else. To tell you the truth, I really should set up a character analysis of each person/player/role in the game individually and then try to tie every one together to gain the overall perspective. One last thing, when considering Maria's feelings about Laura, also consider Maria's feelings about Amy. Though seemingly different, they do share a lot of strange coincidences. There are also some small details to note about Amy from Maria's conversations with Ernest. I'll leave you to discuss the meanings.

Silent Hill 2 & 3 Spoilers Easiest answer: Read Claudia's birthday card. That explains the bond between Claudia and Alessa. Besides, the term sister is also used in the casette tape found in Father Vincent's room. Doesn't mean Claudia is Vincent and the other lady's sister, now does it? According to the order in which Eddie explains his story, he shot the dog first. As he was watching it die, someone found him and (I presume) saw what he had done. Fearing punishment for his actions, he shot the guy in the knee and ran away. I assume that was recently before he came to Silent Hill. We don't have any evidence that he killed the football player (the guy who got shot in the knee as I call him). It might be good to provide some evidence of your theory and explain its meaning and your reasoning. Your evidence here is a little weak in trying to reinforce the theory of Silent Hill as place that projects a person's inner thoughts. Though, Maria is surrounded by fog in the park when we meet her, so is Laura and Angela. The entire town is surrounded by fog. Does that mean the whole town is imaginary? Is the association of fog with hallucination and memory strong evidence that Maria is not real? I don't think your evidence is supporting your theory here. The fact that Maria keeps dying has a greater representation of Mary punishing James for his actions, by losing Maria over and over again. Though it does bring out James' feelings of love for Mary, it's mostly used to hurt James by re-opening his wounds. Her "amnesia" is just a tactic to confuse James about his sanity, to get him to lower his guard and to allow Maria to seduse him, exposing his weaknesses. I like the theory about the jail representing the unbreakable link to Silent Hill. I think mostly because of how Ernest asked Maria if she believed in fate. She responded no, but after speaking with Ernest, she started to realize her role in James' search. Sort of that she was destined to meet James and fulfill her role in that town. You see, Maria's desire was to escape the town and find other people (she even tried to kill herself to escape her destiny), but ultimately, she gave up on it and went on to play her role. More people should play the "Born from a Wish" scenario because it gives more insight into Maria, the town and the issue of the gods. EDIT: On a very enthusiastic sidenote, keep an eye out for "Siren" (or "Forbidden Siren" in Europe). It's another survival horror game with the focus on psychological thriller. It's being directed by the director of the original Silent Hill, Keiichirou Toyama. It looks pretty scary and I hear has some cool elements added to the game play, such as "Sight-Jacking" (which is a psychic ability that allows you see through the eyes of other characters and enemies). I have a trailer here. (Link Dead) It's 21.9 megs. If the server is busy, wait a while and try again. EDIT 2: (04-27-2006) You can visit the official Siren website to view trailers and previews of the game.

An MUD of the Silent Hill world would work if the members are good storytellers. Truthfully, I've seen it done before and response wasn't that great. I just don't think this is the type of game for that. Eccles, my theory about Laura is unconclusive. I was trying to adhere to the overall theory of projection. But like I said before, Silent Hill 2 makes it hard to distinguish what is real and what is not. However, as I consider the evidence, there is a greater overall amount that suggests Laura is real. Mostly from her interactions with not only the characters, but the environments as well, such as locking James in the Hospital room. Still, this evidence is open to interpretation of whether it actually happened or was only percieved. i.e. The door was never really locked, James only thought it was since he heard Laura lock it. I really can't say which is true right now. If you have any insight into the matter, I would be happy to hear it. I'm still trying to put things together and any additional input would be helpful. Anyway, I've being looking into Silent Hill 3 recently, because several story elements have boggled me since the beginning and have conflicted with my theory about Silent Hill 1. Well, I've been trying to understand the overall plot of this game and here's what I have so far. Silent Hill 3 & 1 Spoilers Claudia (age 6) became friends with Alessa Gilespie (age 7) while in school. I believe that because Lenard was involved with the cult, Claudia was allowed to see Alessa at the Hope House/Gilespie residence. These two friendly children enjoyed their time together, well, as much as two abused children could in a small rural town. Then, the two were torn apart by the fire when Dahlia wanted to extract the power of god. Like most people, Claudia assumed the worst. She was gravely heartbroken and had noone to turn to. So, she turned to her "faith." (All this occurs before you even put in SH1.) But then something strange happened. Alessa was brought back to life as the Mother of God. Mind that Claudia didn't know Alessa was in the hospital the whole time. Anyway, Dahlia merged the two halves of god and tried to open paradise. However, Harry's actions prevented this from happening. He then escaped with the baby that Alessa gave him. I can't explain why, but the cult knew what was happening in Silent Hill, even Claudia. Fearing that she would lose her only friend again, Claudia tried to get Alessa back. It took her 17 years to find her, but Claudia eventually found her friend. However, things change after such a long time. Heather forgot her past and Claudia became twisted by hate, jealousy and self-righteousness. Claudia confused happiness with Alessa and paradise. She thought she could find love from her god. She murdered her best friend's father to try to gain her happiness. Claudia became more of a monster than any of those Heather saw. There were those who tried to stop her. Vincent lost his life trying to prevent Claudia from corrupting their god. Douglas became aware of her actions and tried to stop her himself. He became injured in the process. Lenard tried to stop her too, but she imprisoned him in the hospital. Claudia hurt anyone who got in her way and had no second thoughts about it. But, eventually her actions came back to her. The pain she caused Heather lead to her demise. That is where the story ends. So, it seems that SH3 is the story of Claudia's attempt to find happiness and her path of destruction as told though Heather's eyes. Sad and a little disappointing. I'll bring up some questions about this game in the next post.

Lots and lots of information here. First, Konami's character description of Angela says she is a run-away who escaped to Silent Hill to get away from her father who dragged her back home after she ran away the first time. But in the conversation in the cemetary, she says she thought her father and brother were there. Again, in the apartment building, James asks her if this was her home, but she avoids the question. Also, what was the date on the newspaper and where is it from? All this information doesn't add up. So, there is an indescrepency that could lead you towards having Angela being imaginary. Less is known about Eddie. We can't say where he came from exactly, but something suggests that he's been in Silent Hill before. In the meat locker, Eddie confesses his actions that lead him to run away. Quite notably he says, "He'll have a hard time playing football on what's left of that knee." And, in the apartment complex, right after you speak with Eddie, there is another room that you can go into where a lot of football posters are hanging with a bunch of graffiti on them. I'm inclined to connect them to Eddie because it provides evidence of the people laughing at him, which probably angered him to kill the guy in the kitchen. And a lot of people think that is why Eddie is puking; because he was suffering killer's remorse. Well, I can't suggest Eddie in either direction, because there is not much information on his past and present situation nor is there much indescrepency to suggest he's not real. Maria is almost completely able to prove imaginary, since the Born from a Wish Scenario is introduced, but again from her ability to die, come back to life and not remember anything about it. Still, it's hard to suggest that she is Mary incarnate. I'm more inclined to believe that she is merely the projection of Mary from James' mind, which also inclines me to leave the door open on the subject of projection. Laura is the strongest case to believe is real, because of her interactions with the other characters in the game. But, again James has no recollection of her, nor any proof prior to entering Silent Hill. Though Mary's letter to Laura suggests Mary's knowledge of her, where did it come from? Just as James' letter from Mary was fake (the one in your inventory), maybe this one is too. However, I find this case to be very depressing and not really conclusive. I'll leave this open for right now. So, I guess in summation, Angela is probably imaginary, Eddie isn't sure, Maria is most likely, and Laura probably isn't, but still not sure. This isn't the final word, but merely my interpretation of things.

It's hard to accept the idea that a town is alive, but as I've said before, the developers did introduce the idea that the town (or in a broader sense, reality) is dynamic. How you interpret these changes can reflect more of a philosophy that you believe about the game (or again, of life in the broader sense). In your case, you have given the dynamics human or at least personifying characteristics. The ability to think and make conscious decisions is typically a human trait, and to place that trait onto inanimate objects, such as a town, suggests that you believe (presumably) that the supernatural powers of Silent Hill are innate. This would imply one of two things: either the town has always held a special power embedded within it, or that the special power brought the town to life while infusing it with the magical forces. If the first case is true, then the town would have always existed as such and it would be unlikely that the town developed as it did or had much of a past. Still, it is debatable that the appearance of the town is due to the projections that its visitors have. Anyway, if the second case is true, then the town has a true past and the facts and history of Silent Hill are true, not just projections. This is a possible scenario since the power of "Samael" was brought in the plane of reality which Silent Hill exists. Consquently, there is a third option to believe, though similar to the second, it lacks the fundemental idea that the town has a will and/or conscience of its own. If the town developed from the presence of a special power residing there, this would suggest that the town itself was summoned. Because the town was summoned, then it would require a force behind it to pull the strings, so to speak. It could not act without the influence of another being. As such, this would make the town capable of being influenced, much easier than that of one with a will of its own. Therefore, the presence of Alternate and Nowhere Silent Hills can be accounted for simply. The reason it is hard to accept the idea that the town is alive is that by giving the town a conscience makes it aware of its actions and consquences. As such, this requires spectulation into a matter that goes beyond the scope of the games. I like to stick to the facts. All we can gather is that something is causing the town to act the way it is. That's really all that's important. Still, this sort of thought does provide interesting discussion in philosophy and personal doctrines. So, I hope that some of this helps you to develop your theory on the game. This can go either way. The characters from SH2 could be real or could be imaginary. However, if your arguement for their presence is that they were "called to" Silent Hill, you have to ask yourself, where were they called from? Maybe they came from neighboring towns, or maybe from the depths of James' psyche. The game doesn't really make that clear for the supporting cast. The only interactions they have involves Laura. So maybe Laura is a connecting factor? Still, again it depends on your view of the game and your own judgements. I really should post my own thoughts and conclusions of Silent Hill 2 here, but there is just so much information; it's hard to get everything straight. Maybe soon. As far as it goes, it looks like it came from a large quadriped, most likely from cattle. Not very exciting, but probable. Though, it would be gross if it came from monster in Silent Hill. How would that funky food-chain work?

Here's a lulaby to close your eyes. It was always you that I despised. I don't feel enough for you to cry, Here's a lulaby to close your eyes. Goodbye, Goodbye, Goodbye... That was an awesome trailer. Completely different from the rest of the series.

Clock Tower 3 Spoiler I just want to quell some of the rivalry between the two games before this becomes another SH vs. RE topics. It's true that there are fundemental differences between the two games. However, I believe Diane Mizota put it best when they covered the topic on "Filter": "the Silent Hill series is one that messes with your mind, while the Resident Evil series messes with your heart." I've played and own a few of the games from the Resident Evil series. And I admit, there some fun and scary elements to the games. The most noted is probably the tale-tell scare tactics. Everyone whose played the game (and probably some who haven't) can tell you about the dogs jumping through the windows in RE or the hands that grab you as you pass the hallway in RE2. But it's just like watching your favorite scary movie, even though you know the plot is lame, the scare tactics are predictable and acting is atrocious, you still watch them for the sheer fun in having your heart racing and adrinaline pumping. Ah, Friday the 13th, how I love thee. Still, when it comes down to picking games I love to play, talk about and explore again and again, Silent Hill wins out. I think it's just the amount depth to these games continues to spur my imagination that the RE series hasn't. But now remember, SH and RE aren't the only games in the genre. What about the Clock Tower series? Whoever has not picked up Clock Tower 3, needs to go down to BlockBuster, Movie Warehouse, Video Shack or whatever store rents games and pick it up! Talk about a scary game. I couldn't even make it past the first killer. Everywhere you go, he's there. No matter where you hide, he's there. No matter what you do, he's there. Even talking about him makes me quiver. *Pulls the covers over his head* Anyway, it combines the elements of jumping-out-at-and-screaming "BOO" with elements of not knowing and confusion about what happens next. In a way, its the best of both worlds. Don't forget the Fatal Frame series. Fatal Frame, again more along the lines of RE, is a challenging game with a more innovative, less violent approach. However, Fatal Frame 2 is supposed to be a great game because of some deeper story lines, advanced game play and characters that really make you care about them. I'm looking forward to it (but probably not as much as SH4: The Room). So, there are lots of good games out there that appeal to the tastes of many survival-horror fans. So, petty arguments and flames about SH vs RE or whatever are just as bad as a Freddy vs Jason argument. It doesn't matter who likes what as long as you know what you like. EDIT: Anyone else remember the part in Clock Tower 3 where the little girl gets her head smashed in with the sledge hammer? Talk about gruesome.

...and yeah, that's a lot of damn a's. 21 in all. You sure? I see 26.

Silent Hill 2 Spoilers No. Nothing happened in the apartment buildings. There was no transition between Misty and Alternate Silent Hill, nor was there a section where the apartments changed to the metal grating, massive decay and horrific scenary. And no matter how much you associate the sirens from SH1 to be the change to Alternate Silent Hill (ASH), that mold is broken in SH2. The reason I say it happens in Brookhaven, is because the hospital changes its appearance after the finding Laura and beating the monsters. A transition occurs and the world becomes ASH. Also, please note that the darkness inside the apartment buildings and the hotel came from the fact that the windows and some doors were boarded up, not allowing natural light to enter. That is the reason it is dark. ASH doesn't just mean where it is dark, it has to transform like in all the games. It's just that the distinctions are blurred in SH2. Before Eccles murders you, I should let you know that those are mothes, not butterflies, on the bed. And butterfly tatoos are very popular among women. Still, I won't ignore the references about the influence from Samael in SH2. However, as I don't know the time line for SH2 with respect to the entire series, we cannot assume that Samael is present in Silent Hill, or rather Toluca Lake. Some people could argue that it is not Samael influencing the town, but rather Metatron. Besides, we learn from the Rebirth ending that James invokes the "old gods" (plural) by appeasing them to bring back Mary. As James states, "They still grant power to those who venerate them. Power to defy even death." If Samael was the angel of death, could he have the power to bring back Mary, or would it require an angel of life? EDIT: I working on two overall theories of SH2: the small picture and big picture. It will take some time to sort things out so I'm not posting right away.

Silent Hill 2 Spoilers I think you are misinterpretting what I said. Laura does not represent James' innocence, because James has none. She represented his inability to accept the truth and his regression to child-like tendencies. Also, she represented his desire to find Mary, not the reasons for it. Eddie represents his reasons for finding Mary. EDIT: Yea! You spelled my name right. Here, have a cookie. (Link Updated) There are many ideas about how Silent Hill represents the dichotomy of good and evil, but honestly, the idea of "Good" and "Evil" Silent Hill isn't exactly a perfect fit. Most people tend to catagorize the two worlds as Light and Dark Silent Hill, mostly for ease and also to show that one is good and one is evil. However, this is misleading because neither world is truely "Good". It's more like choosing the lesser of two evils. You see, there is a Misty Silent Hill and an Alternate Silent Hill. I believe Misty Silent Hill represents that very idea, being misty. Mist, or fog, can represent the idea of hiding or being lost. By hiding, the town, if characterize as a person, would be dilberately decieving the outside world to believing nothing is there. At the same time, shrouding its power and horror from those who enter and try to find truth. I believe that this would make the misty aspect of the town manipulative in nature. Taking the interpretation that it is lost, you would then have to think that something is making the town lost, as towns don't wander (or do they?). The town would then be looking for a way to be found. Yet, if we were to characterize Silent Hill like a person, how do people react to being lost? Some panic, others are calm and resourceful, others stay put until they are found, still others seek help and sometimes there are those who lose touch with the world. This misty aspect is then said to be unpredictable and untrustworthy. If so, you wouldn't exactly place it in the beign catagory, would you? Needless to say, but Alternate Silent Hill is not a "Good" place either. Yet, people shouldn't directly associate the dark with the evil aspect. Of course, there are things that make that world evil, but it isn't the dark. Just like it's Misty conterpart, Alternate Silent Hill uses the dark to either hide or lose those people who seek it out. However, the dark is worse than the mist, because it doesn't just limit the ability for people to see, it nullifies it completely. Don't say that certain people can still see in the dark, because you can always raise the darkness setting; which is interesting when you think about it, as it gives you the ability to make the world worse for you rather than better. Anyway, I think that there is a more interesting dichotomy within the Alternate Silent Hill in good and evil, because within the dark you find Lisa, a ray of light. In SH2, there doesn't seem to be a clear a distinction between the Misty and Alternate Silent Hills, except for the one instance in Brookhaven Hospital, but then the transitions are lost as after the fight with Eddie the world does not transition back to Misty Silent Hill, nor does the Alternate Hotel appear darker. Of course you don't have the flashlight anymore, but there is light within the Alternate Hotel from outside, so making the distinction is harder. This is a very good interpretation of what I said before, because neither Angela nor Eddie is inherently good or evil, but lying closer to the evil side. Still, there is no direct reference to Samael in Silent Hill 2, so I like to stay away from theories that rely heavily on his presence. As a substitute, you could use the "old gods" for Samael, but you will need to alter the characteristics of Samael and thus the resulting effects on the ideas about the town, Eddie and Angela. By the way, between Harry, Lisa, Dahlia, Michael, Samael, James, Maria, Mary, Angela, Laura, Pyramid Head, Heather, Claudia, Douglas, and Lennard, how many"A"'s is that?

O\ /O |vvvvv| |^^^^|

If you'd like help on anything, feel free to ask me. Oh, and just so you know, I'm working on a Silent Hill game plot (well, more of a fan fiction) in the hopes of someday creating a game. Anyway, when I finish, I'll probably post it in this forum. I don't want to give away too much, as I haven't finalize the plot skeleton, but it will be in the same manner as SH2 & SH4. However, I hope to add more influences from SH1 & SH3. I will say that I have the opening scenes finished and a few character and monster designs started. The setting will include two sections of Central Silent Hill, because I'd like to see what the town would look like with PS2 or greater graphics.

Silent Hill 1 & 2 Spoilers In Silent Hill 1, the radio was used to help show that the world of Silent Hill existed on a different plain of reality. The radio could not play any radio stations or recieve any other signals, but only pick up the strange static emitted by monsters. By suggesting that the town had no interferences from other electromagnetic sources, either the town was secluded from the rest of the world or that it existed on a different plane altogether. Either way, this meant that the town was becoming lost or hidden. Also, note that the televisions didn't work in town (with the exception of the Town Center, Hospital Room 312 and Nowhere). ("The phones are dead and cars have completely stopped running.") Also, the radio allows us to know that the monsters emit strong electromagnetic waves, which suggests that they are not exactly flesh and blood; they lose their magnetism as they die. This is the strongest evidence that the monsters are supernatural beings and not just figments of the mind nor physical, in a tangible sense. Don't misunderstand. In the world that Alessa/Cheryl has created, everything has a physical form, but I believe that it does not follow the same rules of matter and energy as our plane of existance. This is a very metaphysical suggestion, but it can explain why things are the way they are in Silent Hill. One way to show this is how monsters will just disappear after some time after they are killed. Though I can see how someone might say that that is just from limitations of the graphics engine, but I think it plays into the game. The designers had a really good understanding of the engine used for the game and exploited some of the disadvantages or rather pushed the advantages to their limits in the first game. Think about how they were able to create a full 3-D world with good graphics, real weather effects, multiple camera effects and loads of other stuff that made it a well-rounded survival horror game. So, it can be inferred that the majority of, if not all, the aspects of the game were thought out before hand and added into the story. *steps off soapbox* For example, the reason they created the fog was to enhance the scary feeling of the game. They knew that the engine could handle showning the entire town without blocking it with fog, but the designers felt that the fog was important to the motif of the game. They choose good game design over elaborate graphics. There might be an explanation for the simple mindedness of Harry, but it deals with my theory that Harry is just a pawn for Dahlia. As things go with pawns, they don't think much about their tasks. But Harry isn't exactly your common pawn either. He tries to sort out his pridicament and gets detered from his mission occasionally, but then something happens to keep him going. If he tries to reason out the events of Silent Hill, his "mind goes blank." If he becomes detered from finding Cheryl, an image of her in trouble or a reminder of her is presented. Take Midwich for example, after being in the alternate school a while, I'm sure he was ready to turn around and leave, but the phone call from Cheryl rekindled his search. Again, after wondering around Central Silent Hill, Cybil appears to tell Harry about a girl's whereabouts. Yet again, after traveling back and forth between the misty and alternate Silent Hills, Harry may have lacked some motivation, or have been tired of searching, but then the Town Square images appear to remind him of his objective: (quoting the Silent Hill game manual) "to find Cheryl." Anyway, my point is that though Harry is a pawn, he still has his free will, though it is being influenced. So his one-track mindedness is somewhat forced, by Dahlia, I believe. As to James' case, I believe that his mental condition combined with his denial and the influences of Silent Hill, make him really confused and unresponsive. You should also try to account that subconciously, James knows he did and that maybe the world around him isn't real. Though James doesn't show it much (like his happier side), he does have a darker side to him. His darker side may cause him to be nonchallant about the carnage and destruction, especially if you believe that the town is a projection of his mind. Then again, James does react to and/or comment on the dead people in the tunnel where the radio is found, on the dead guys in the apartment buildings and on the deaths of the manniquins by PH. But, after he meets Maria, or at least passes through the alley behind the apartments, he stops reacting to that stuff (at least to a degree; he is still affected by Maria's deaths). Also, after and probably during the fight with Eddie, James' subconcious is reminding him that he has killed a person before, so it is causing him confusion about his nature. The reason he says "Mary" after the fight is most likely because he needs to know that she is not dead to disprove his surfacing doubts about the cleanliness of his hands. He doesn't want to think he's crazy and by finding Mary, he thinks he can prove he's not. But really, he's just as crazy as they come. I believe that the whole plot surrounding James' search for Mary is just to convince himself that he's not crazy, to justify his actions and to end his pain caused by his doubt and guilt. This state of mind is one of the hardest problems a psychologist can face and creates many different theories about how human nature works.

Silent Hill 2 & 3 Spoilers This is offering some very good insight into the meaning of Silent Hill 3. I mean, you've gotta admit the plot to the sequel was very easy to follow, but it was hard to tell if there were any deeper connections than the obvious. Yet, looking at the relevance of the "Hanged Man" card, I can make some better theories and connections. Silent Hill 3 was the only game to seriously look at religion from the follower's perspective and not a by-standers or historian's. The focus just seems to be about Claudia's search for love, since it seems she was not shown much. Her only real source of love, affection or whatever you want to call it came from the seven-year-old Alessa. Claudia just wants her back, sort of the same way Laura wants Mary back. Though I can see some ties with SH2, I think the tarot card is more relevant to the plot or philosophy of SH3. Once I sort everything out, I'll report my findings. I don't think the "Dying God" part refers directly to Samael, but more towards the Older Gods mentioned in the "Lost Memories," "Crimson Book" and the various files around the town. Remember, there are other gods like Lobsel Vith, the yellow god and Xuchilbara, the red god. ("God created beings to lead people in obidience to Her... many gods and angels.") You're also right about the many references to hangings in SH2, so I understand the idea of being upside-down. Yet, the references all have the person hung right-side up. Maybe a better explanation is the skewering form of execution. Remember how Maria dies the last time before the end? She is hung upside-down in the "skewering cage" (not sure what else to call it) and then speared by one of the Pyramid Heads, a formal execution in the Toluca Prison. And, when you fight the demon form of Maria, she is still in that same cage and position. Also, if you notice after the Pyramid Head fight, there is no body or sign of Maria's death. I believe that there is some significance of the bed as Maria's final form, seeing as how it was Mary's murder site. Yet, I don't see it as the only source of influence. Though, we can tell the art designer's were trying to pick a scary design for the final boss, maybe they also played on some hidden fears in James. Maybe James had an aversion to things that were hung upside down. Maybe he was afraid of bugs, which could explain the use of swarms and the scorpin-like tail. Maybe James had some experience with the scewering form of excusion, causing an emotional scar that Maria exploited. I'm not saying that James was executed, even in that manner, but that maybe he had some contact with it in the past and it manifeasted here. Wait! I just thought of something. Since I think Maria's final form looks like a form of execution performed in the Toluca Prison, Maria's form may represent the idea of being executed. Mary had been sick for a long time and towards the end had accepted that fact that she was going to die. So, she was just waiting for death. Then, James took her life in a short, but exection-like manner. (Note that he tucks her in, fluffs her pillow, and kisses her on the forehead before he smothers her.) It causes him a lot of pain later that he did this and especially so in the hotel. By taking the form of being executed, not only earlier in the game, Maria is trying to exploit his pain about being a murderer. She was just conveying the thing he regretted most. Another interesting connection to water: the one reference to Metratron I was able find related to Tarot about the Ace of Cups, which represents a cup that flowed a fountain of water, similar to the "Holy Grail." The other four cards were the "Priestess," the "Fool," the "Eye of Night," and the "Moon" cards. The numbers on the cards may also have some significance. They are II, 0, XXII, and XVIII respectively. The number for the Hanged Man is XII.

Silent Hill 2 Spoiler I always thought that had more of a metaphorical meaning rather than acting as a puzzle or riddle. Plus, if my memory is correct, wasn't the glass covered in newspaper? Usually, a hole represents a void or an empty space. By saying that it is gone now, infers one of two things. Either the void was filled or the void was covered. How you look at it can represent a certain philosophy on the matter. By taking the side that a hole can be filled, you might believe that problems can be fixed and that just because you lose something or are missing something doesn't mean it's gone forever. So, you might think that James actually does get to be with Mary again and that he can be forgiven for his crimes. Or by taking the side that the hole is only covered up, you might believe that somethings can't be fixed, that you're stuck with the consequences and that the only way to cope is to block out the pain. Though it is the more pessimistic (sp?) approach, it may have a deeper meaning for James, since he starts off denying his wife's murder. Still, from either position, there are still multiple roads you can take to read into more. Though I try to have a more optimistic approach in life, I tend to pick the covering-up philosophy in James' case.

Silent Hill: Play Novel Spoilers Does it? Alright, for those who don't like to think, here's the answer: Each clue was actually a word association that then represented a letter. 1) Ocean Sea C 2) Because Why Y 3) Hive Bee B 4) Sight Eye I 5) ...Levi Ate Her E...lev...at...or elevator, the missing part being the "L" What's that spell? Also, like the coloring book in the opening movie, the tombstone will change to some mixmash of letters after you beat it once.

The clues are in order.

Wanna hint? I purposely made it confusing, but it's not that hard.

For those who want to know the name on the tombstone, I'll give you a puzzle to figure it out. 1) Ocean 2) Because 3) Hive 4) Sight 5) ...Levi Ate Her

Silent Hill: Play Novel, Silent Hill 1 & 3 Spoilers The name on the tombstone is given away at the end of Cybil's scenario in the Silent Hill: Play Novel. I won't say it just yet, as I don't understand the whole story. Alessa is not dead. She is said to be clearly alive in the events of Silent Hill in the Silent Hill: Play Novel. Also, if you notice, the girl in the opening movie to Silent Hill is clearly burned and bandaged, yet she does not look like a seven-year-old girl. If you say she died at age seven in the fire, then why show a teenaged Alessa in both the intro and throughout the game? Also, many people seem to be confusing the person on the bed as Alessa during the "Drawing Power Conversation." You'll notice that Dahlia (I've been spelling her name wrong ) says, "Everything is going according to plan, sheltered in the womb." The person on the bed is then clearly a pregant woman. Then a doctor follows, "But, it's not done yet, half the soul is lost. That is why the seed lies dormant." Combine this with the "Mommy Dearest" conversation in the Gillespie residence and you get: "Why didn't I see it before. There's no reason to wait. Herein lies the mother's womb, containing the power to create life. I could have done it all myself." This suggests that Dahlia gave birth to Cheryl (but the father is unknown). So then the pregant woman in the room opposite to Alessa's had to be Alessa's mother, not Alessa herself. This is reinforced in SH3 during Vincent's conversation in the Alternate Office Building, combined with Heather's feelings about her real name in the Normal Ending. Also, think about Ira Levin's novel, "Rosemary's Baby." The cult next door used an unwilling mother to birth the devil, their "god." Ira Levin being a major influence on the game (Levin St.).