There was a lot of elements in the other Silent Hills that made the games feel paranoiac. The sounds that would que in certain areas, going into the morgue in Silent Hill 3 and seeing all the dead bodies, hoping that they wouldn't move. (not to mention when one of them says Heathers' name) Going back into your room and not knowing what's going to be haunted next in Silent Hill 4. Silent Hill 1 was probably one of the most paranoiac game because no one really knew what to expect. It was the first of it's kind. I remember the first time I had to venture out into the fog and couldn't see more then 10 feet in front of me made me a little paranoid. Then on top of that, being able to hear the monsters but not being able know where their at made me very paranoid.
Every monster does serve a purpose in the Silent Hill games. The reason why the monsters of Silent Hill 2 were much more clearer in their purpose was that the focus was mainly on James. In Silent Hill 1 the focus was on Harry and Cheryl. In Silent Hill 4 the focus was on Walter Sullivan. Silent Hill 3 was focused on Heather so that's why a lot of monsters are much clearer (i.e. numb bodies representing the fetus inside of Heather and the Split-Faces representing the two lives Heather had). I don't believe trust in a character effects the game play in terms of it being scary. I trusted James all the way until I found out what he did but I was still frightened my most of the game. I trusted Henry and was scared just the same. It's more about the games elements and what the game does to try and scare you more then it is about whether you can trust the main character or not.
That's a very good interpretation of the game. I had never really thought of it in that light before.
true, but curiosity also makes you want to continue and find out the answers. Just from the beginning, Silent Hill 1 made the player want to continue and find out more about the town and why it acts the way it does. Silent Hill 3 made the player want to find out why Heather is so special and why is the town calling to her. Silent Hill 4 made the player want to find out why is Henry being trapped in his room, why can't he get out, why does his room act the way it does and what is the deal with the room. Silent Hill 2 made me want to know why a dead person is sending letters to the main character and that pretty much about it. I was scared by Silent Hill 2 but it never made we want to go the extra mile into the wee hours in the morning to find out more. I got it for Christmas one year and didn't finish it until a week later yet I rented Silent Hill 4 and beat it a couple days, same with Silent Hill 3 (I used a Walkthrough on them all ). The drive and motivation wasn't there for me to continue. If there is nothing to be curious about then what is the point of playing a game. It's like if you went to a movie and knew why everything was the way it was from the beginning it would be one boring movie.
The was curiosity in the game. Why is it that his wife sent him the letter? Why can't Laura see any monsters and also why is she in the town. If the only people that appear in the town are people that have some kind of deed that would catch the towns interest such as Angela or Eddie's past, what is it that Laura did. The only other person that this applies to would be Cybil in Silent Hill 1.
heh, that's how I have to play all the games . I never liked scary movies or games but for some reason I always play Silent Hill games. I think I'm addicted to the storyline.
That's true to a extent. Yeah you do feel a little more secure with some with a background with weapons and training but there is still a fear in the game. RE was still a very frightening game when it was first released because it had something that even Silent Hill uses, the element of surprise. When you first played RE and the dogs break through the windows in the hallway, that had to scare the crap out of you because it was something you weren't suspecting. Silent Hill does the same with noises, the hauntings from 4, the fog, or other situations (Borley House anyone?)Or in Silent Hill 4 in the Hospital world when the false ceiling drops down, I thought I was screwed. Also the wash room in 3 was something that I didn't expect and the more I stared in the mirror the less I took notice in my world until it started to reflect into the world I was in. On an off-hand topic, I wonder how Devil May Cry would fair as a Horror game...It has the bad camera angles for it
The characters in RE were still effected by their surroundings like the main characters of Silent Hill were. When the Tyrant breaks out of the glass in the end of RE 1, Jill freezes up and doesn't break out a grenade launcher and opens fire but cowers in fear for a bit. They were all human and shared the same feelings with the Silent Hill characters, they just didn't show it as much because the game was based more on survival with horror on the side, while Silent Hill is well balanced if not more emphasis on horror.
While Henry may have been the bravest in the bunch (I think he ties with Harry) I don't think he ranks as bad-ass status nor do I think his toughness effects the game any. He was left with no choice anyways, it was either cower in his room and wait for his turn or it was take action and try to save himself. Harry had to look for his daughter, Heather was first trying to save her own life but then she was out for vengeance and information. James on the other hand, was the one who really didn't have to go to Silent Hill. Yeah he got a letter but he could have ignored it and gone on with his life, if he was living one at all. The point I'm trying to get at is that all the main characters with the exception of James had no other alternative, they had to continue with their path no matter how frightening or trying it was. It wasn't really a matter of whose tough and not but rather who was stuck and who wasn't. Also The fact that Henry is an innocent man with no dark past, no guilt and no connections to Silent Hill other then visiting it once gave the game a different kind of fear. Instead of just asking the question what? gamers instead asked the question why? Why am I a target? Why are innocent people (with the exception of DeSalvo) being targeted? Why can't I do anything to help people? Why can't anyone hear me? Why is my room acting this way? Despair was a theme of the game and fear can derive from despair and hopelessness. It also gave the feeling of paranoia because you were always wondering whose next and when is it going to be me? I just don't see how honesty and trust in a person can effect fear in a game. As I had said before, I trusted James up to when I found out what he did just as much as I trusted Harry, Heather or Henry and I was scared by all the games all the same.
