Silent Hill Discussion

[StarZander]

Bump.

[Monobrow]

I've been playing SH2 reccently for someone, and I realized something durning the sequence where the Hospital changes. I'm not sure but it kinda looks like it's a first person view of James being dragged out into the courtyard.

I got the impression that he was looking through the eyes of Mary as she was being rolled on a gurney through the hospital (both because the view is that of a ceiling rolling rapidly by, and also her voice calling his name) that served as a sort of mind trance intermission of sorts for him to be transported to the Other hospital.

I'm pretty sure that this is also a sort of nod to the movie, "Jacob's Ladder", (don't want to spoil the movie for you, so that is all I will say). The Silent Hill team seems to really use a lot of material from this movie in their games.

I always thought of SH as a sort of tribute series to the horror genre, compiling some of the best horror concepts ever created into one series. And the product is breathtaking, to say the least. But now SH has evolved into its own new special horror concept, revitalizing the horror genre in its own unique way.

Hopefully the movie will continue this.

[Kiyosuki]

No other game series has ever given me a bad dream (SH2). I think far more so than any other survival horror game, SH series plays with your own fears and insecurities on a level to where you never really feel like you have the upper hand in anything. (The one exception being Princess Heart in SH3. Then its just funny. XD)

I think out of the series SH2 is the real masterpiece here. Not even the other SH games felt as inclosed and paranoid as that game felt. Every monster had a purpose and representation in James' mind, every event had something to do with him, and eventually..the game even makes you question your trust in your own character. That alone I think made SH2 the kind of game it ended up being. Also, much of SH2 I personally think is a big metaphor for suicide. Everything James goes through is associated with his anxieties in life, and if you think about it..all the ugliness of Silent Hill and its horrifics and its intense feeling of lonliness could very well represent James' own life, all of it could be relieved with the release of death.

Maybe I'm looking into it too much but the fact there's so many interpretations of the games storyline just shows how much of an experience it was, and also the key to why its arguably one of the scariest games ever made. (For me..it certainly was the scariest because of how well it integrated your own paranoia into the game.)

The first game was very scary but I could handle it, third game was EXTREMELY warped in places (God those bloody smiling Bunnies at the fair send shivers up my spine..as did the sounds in the Subway, the sheer lonely panicy feel of the sewer systems..man.)But I was able to brave it because I was genuinly interested in finding out more about SH1's storyline. Human curiousity can cancel out a lot of things..

And 4 had some ingenius concepts but as some have said here, the game wasn't even close to its full potential.

But SH2 stood by itself. There was no curiousity at the story, only growing distrust of your own main guy..and growing dread of the world around you.

I had to play the Prison area of 2 very, very slowly...its almost embarassing but well..fear tends to be doesn't it?

Personally, I think the most ingenius thing about the Silent Hill series..is the way Konami does its main characters. I think the central key to making a game scary is your main character. If you played ...Devil May Cry..with a regular average joe, it'd be scary as hell wouldn't it? But you play as badass Dante..so you're not afraid anymore, you wanna kick ass!

Resident Evil has been scary at times, especially the first/REmake where no matter how badass your character was, you felt totally disadvantaged no matter what you did. But your character's are relatively fearless and sporting a mastery of an enormous arsenal of insane weapons that you *know* will hurt the bad guys..a lot. Basically..you may be normal, but your still pretty badass.

But in Silent Hill, your characters who are as normal as you csn get. You never feel totally professional with your weapons, your character shows signs of paralyzing fear at times, they get tired, and even worse..you may be able to use weapons..but your never 100% sure weither its even really doing anything real..of imagined.

Harry was kind of a putz, a lovable putz but a putz. James was interesting and sympathetic..but also strangely vulnerable as well as almost questionable, and Heather feels so fragile and delicate, as well as lost.

IMO one thing that goes to Silent Hill 4 not being that scary, is Henry Townsend is actually kind of badass in a normal "your tough next door neighbor" kind of way. He has no real connection to the events happening around him, nor any reason to really feel guilty or paranoid about anything that happens to him, he's just a sturdy guy that was at the wrong place at the wrong time (and wants to save the girl. XD) That single handedly brought down a lot of the horror factor because I believe if you have real, honest faith in your character, you don't feel as vulnerable.

[Kiyosuki]

I'm sorry..I gotta ask one thing..

In Silent Hill 4..

SPOILER

In the Hospital, was anyone else extremely freaked out by the giant Eileen head that just stares at you? I mean...wtf is up with that? lol. I had braved a lot of stuff in the Silent Hill series but for some reason, that head made me pause and put down the controller for a sec. There was something just so..random and freightening about it. Just imagine going about your business, then suddenlly you go into a room..thats being blocked by a giant head that looks like your best friend, that just states at you menacingly..that'd make me wet my pants 100%.

So I gotta ask, do you guys think it represented something? Or was it just there for random scare sakes? Its something I've thought about even a month after beating the game. I'm assuming its Walter's power "taunting" Henry's concern for Eileen, but is there something else?

[The Instrument of GAWD]

SPOILERS AND RANTINGS

Hah, I got SH4 for X-Mas, and I'm in the Subway -2nd time-. First thing that crossed my mind was "oh goodie, i have to go through all these damn places again?" Still what I'm thinking, cause that's where I stopped for the time being.

AND WTF IS UP WITH THE ROOM?! MAN! I go into the kitchen and the shoes hurt me! Go to the save book and the windows hurt me! GOD DAMN!

Alright, the adrenline from playing has started to settle. About the room, I put a candle near the hole in the washer/dryer room, but it was gone when I came back. Is it something I did/didn't do? Oh yeah, I didn't pick up the doll the long haired dude left behind either... Instinicts (and something I thought I heard before) told me not to.

I know I could look this up at GameFAQs, but I'd rather not touch that until I beat it... And I wanted a reason to bump this thread... And ya know, post count +1.

P.S. yeah, still alittle excited from the game... <__<; >__>;

[Midvalley The Horn Freak]

AND WTF IS UP WITH THE ROOM?! MAN! I go into the kitchen and the shoes hurt me! Go to the save book and the windows hurt me! GOD DAMN!

The room becomes possesed when you go to the hospital world. You have to use a holy candle in the area where the hauntings are taking place and place a candle in the area. Make sure you watch the candle burn out too so that it clears the haunting. There's still a chance the haunting will come back, but if you watch the candle burn out, it makes sure that it doesn't stay there when you return to your room. Also use the radio to tell if your house is haunted if you don't see anything. It will emit static if there is a haunting.

[Midvalley The Horn Freak]

I think out of the series SH2 is the real masterpiece here. Not even the other SH games felt as inclosed and paranoid as that game felt.

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 had a purpose and representation in James' mind, every event had something to do with him, and eventually..the game even makes you question your trust in your own character. That alone I think made SH2 the kind of game it ended up being.

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.

Also, much of SH2 I personally think is a big metaphor for suicide. Everything James goes through is associated with his anxieties in life, and if you think about it..all the ugliness of Silent Hill and its horrifics and its intense feeling of lonliness could very well represent James' own life, all of it could be relieved with the release of death.

That's a very good interpretation of the game. I had never really thought of it in that light before.

The first game was very scary but I could handle it, third game was EXTREMELY warped in places (God those bloody smiling Bunnies at the fair send shivers up my spine..as did the sounds in the Subway, the sheer lonely panicy feel of the sewer systems..man.)But I was able to brave it because I was genuinly interested in finding out more about SH1's storyline. Human curiousity can cancel out a lot of things..

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.

But SH2 stood by itself. There was no curiousity at the story, only growing distrust of your own main guy..and growing dread of the world around you.

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.

I had to play the Prison area of 2 very, very slowly...its almost embarassing but well..fear tends to be doesn't it?

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.

Personally, I think the most ingenius thing about the Silent Hill series..is the way Konami does its main characters. I think the central key to making a game scary is your main character. If you played ...Devil May Cry..with a regular average joe, it'd be scary as hell wouldn't it? But you play as badass Dante..so you're not afraid anymore, you wanna kick ass!

Resident Evil has been scary at times, especially the first/REmake where no matter how badass your character was, you felt totally disadvantaged no matter what you did. But your character's are relatively fearless and sporting a mastery of an enormous arsenal of insane weapons that you *know* will hurt the bad guys..a lot. Basically..you may be normal, but your still pretty badass.

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

But in Silent Hill, your characters who are as normal as you csn get. You never feel totally professional with your weapons, your character shows signs of paralyzing fear at times, they get tired, and even worse..you may be able to use weapons..but your never 100% sure weither its even really doing anything real..of imagined.

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.

IMO one thing that goes to Silent Hill 4 not being that scary, is Henry Townsend is actually kind of badass in a normal "your tough next door neighbor" kind of way. He has no real connection to the events happening around him, nor any reason to really feel guilty or paranoid about anything that happens to him, he's just a sturdy guy that was at the wrong place at the wrong time (and wants to save the girl. XD) That single handedly brought down a lot of the horror factor because I believe if you have real, honest faith in your character, you don't feel as vulnerable.

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.

[Kiyosuki]

Yeah I don't think Henry was exactly badass either, I made a poor choice in words.

Its very hard to describe..but he doesn't feel as "vulnerable" as the previous 3 main characters felt. I suspect maybe its because the other 3 had some kind of deeply intertwined connection to the events happening in the game, connections which made you feel a little helpless to an extent. You questioned weither Harry was in a repeating hell or not because of the new game scenerio, James a victim of his own self pity and anger, and Heather being connected to the center of it all. Henry feels literally..more like the random guy who just got caught up in it. He has no psychologically scarring vulnerabilities that help Spawn silent hill, nor does he have some kind of liability caught up in everything. He has no connection to the entire Silent Hill history aside from Walter targeting him for the 21st Sacrament. He's just there, and he wants to save the girl.

I don't know how to describe it exactly, but to me Henry felt the least vulnerable of all the characters. Almost like a third party.

On the RE characters. Maybe its just me, but generally the tenseness I feel when playing a RE game is more along the lines of being chased, rather than sheer paranoia that makes Silent Hill so hard to play. Part of that is even though a character like..Jill for example does show signs of being a little in over her head, she still has certain cut scenes that give you the impression that she's much more cut out for this kind of thing than someone like James or Heather. The first RE was definitely freaky but that was because it really was the first time any of us played anything like that. But as RE's gone on that initial shock has sort of waned as your charcter's just get more and more armed to the teeth with weapons that could make God cry. XD Although I do think RE4 is a huge step in the right direction from what I've seen, I so can't wait for that. Its more a cosmetic thing with the SH character's, but the little things like your character's tending to have poor aim futher in range, breathing after a period of walking and the fact in all cut scenes they never really feel like they have the situation under control I thought was just an ingenius design detail.

And yeah, the atmosphere in SH is definitely in part of the fact it only emphasizes things, rather than spell it out. Perfect example is when James finds the room with the TV running, and the dead guy in the chair. Aside from the fact camera hacks have helped you see that its him, when first playing you had no idea if it was actually him. You just assumed..that uncertainty is why even a relatively tame in comparison game like SH4 still gives me the creeps when playing. Silence is a sound too.

So the general word is that people didn't like Silent Hill 4 that much compared to the previous ones. I can sort of see why, although I did like it a lot still. (Still much more sophisticated than your typical Survival Horror outing.)

But I'm curious, what do you guys think could of been done to the game to have made it more of a successful experiment? The idea's behind the game are definitely very good, but the main thing I keep hearing is that it didn't meet its potential. In your opinion what could of helped it reach that? And I've played the whole thing so don't worry about Spoilers.

[The Instrument of GAWD]

James finds the room with the TV running, and the dead guy in the chair. Aside from the fact camera hacks have helped you see that its him, when first playing you had no idea if it was actually him.

Really? That was James dead in the chair? I thought it was a random person... like Eddie.

I'm curious, what do you guys think could of been done to the game to have made it more of a successful experiment? The idea's behind the game are definitely very good, but the main thing I keep hearing is that it didn't meet its potential. In your opinion what could of helped it reach that? And I've played the whole thing so don't worry about Spoilers.

Right off the top of my head, I think they could've done with out the chest and limited carrying space. That's a reason why I started to like SH over RE.

Saving was fine tho.

I felt that The Room itself could've been alittle more interactive, perhapse I say that because it reminded me so much of Shenmue. I mean things like, scurrying through closets, cupboards and drawers with more of Henry's comments on such things, but that would probably make it more boring.

The Ghosts could've been alittle less of a pain in the ass...

Meh, anyway, I suppose this would be the best place to post this.

http://quizilla.com/users/Twardz/quizzes/Which%20Silent%20Hill%20hero%20are%20you%3F

Lemme know what ya get, k?

[Kiyosuki]

I are like Henry. XD

Hurray for mentally stable people! lol

Spoiler I really gotta remember to do this..

And yeah, although when playing your not supposed to really know for certain who's in the chair. I suspected from first playing that it was James, but I never really completely knew. But a few months ago someone camera hacked SH2 so you could see certain things, and the guy in the chair is definitely a dead James. Perhaps its a metaphor saying that a large part of James died in that room 3 days ago..

[Eccles]

Spoiler that pertains to the semi-spoiler in the previous posrIn the making of Silent Hill 2 DVD the games director said that the guy in the chair was James (as is the dead guy at the end of the alleyway that you get a key from)...and that they did this for two specific reasons. The first was to save rendering another man, but the second, more important one, was to represent how James' nightmares are coming true (about Silent Hill and himself)

[Arigeitsu159]

***Possible Spoilers****

Okay, so I've kept Eileen pretty much in good health throughout the entire game and she tends to walk relatively slow during the final battle with Walter..., but has anyone come up with a sure fire way to kill him quickly? I mean, for a nutjob, he sure has a body of steel... come on, I unload 36 revolver bullets in the guy and he's still standing. I take him out with the shovel because that weapon seems to stop his attacks when fully charged, but in the end... Eileen still ends up dead.

If someone could tell me how they've pulled it off thus far, I'd appreciate it.

Either that, or direct me to a site that has video files of the endings, that'd be appreciated as well seeing as how seach engines weren't helful.

[M@]

If I remember correctly, until you pull all the spears from the bodies surrounding the arena and stab them into the bigger body after feeding it the umbilical cord, Walter is invincible.

[Arigeitsu159]

If I remember correctly, until you pull all the spears from the bodies surrounding the arena and stab them into the bigger body after feeding it the umbilical cord, Walter is invincible.

I do that, but the guy still takes forever to take down. I had the game in Hard Mode when I battled him, but dang, I've never seen a final boss take so much damage before biting the dust.

[Kiyosuki]

Daddy! Look a SPOILER.

Oh my poor Ch**** Anyone who complains about this spoiler's gonna get some BUSTED HEADS!

Alright Dad! Your the coolest!

The damage rating for Eileen is really odd..

I know your supposed to keep her safe, but there are lots of times where I've really put her in a lot of danger (for the sake of helping me fight), fights that look like she'd end up getting really fucked up, but she ends up walking away without a scratch and ends up walking really slowly just fine at the end.

Like one time I took Walter on, and she helped me and took a direct blow from him. I thought she was finished but low and behold, she's just as healthy as when I first got her and in the end, ended up walking snail like pacing at the end. Does this happen to anyone else? Its like...her just being you you constantly helpes her keep her sanity and health. The only times she's ever gotten more cursed is when I left her alone, she's pretty much with me all the time now usually. It was actually more of a challenge to get Eileen's Death or the 21 Sacraments endings to get her to die..

It was pretty awsome having both Eileen and Henry whacking away on Walter too.

[ifirit]

Silent Hill 4 Spoilers

Walter is tough to beat, but one method for beating him involves running around toward his back while keeping you distance. You should have tried to save all your revolver bullets for this fight, especially since there aren't any other boss battles.

When he aims his gun at you, try to be at his side, so that he has to turn around to face you. As he turns, unload two or three shots (three if you are quick enough). And then run towards his back again. Wash, rinse, repeat until you've run out to ammo. It usually just takes a couple of hits from a malee weapon to kill him after that.

Another method involves using the golf clubs. They are quick and deal good damage. Unfortunately, they break during the fight. That's why you would have to take several with you to fight. The irons deal much more damage than the woods, and the 9-iron is my favorite. If you hadn't been collecting golf clubs in the game, or used them all up. You can usually pick up more from dead "Gumheads."

You still need to get Walter lower his guard during the fight. I suggest you try running behind him, but in a much closer range. Be careful, because he will counterspin if you get too close. Since, the golf clubs have long range, you don't have to stay too close. You can usually make three hits before Walter counters. Hitting him while he charges up his malee weapon will also allow you to do some damage without being countered, but make sure you don't get hit.

The Walter fight is simply a matter of how efficiently you can play the game. The less damage you take, the more time you have to deal damage and not bother healing. So make sure to dodge as much as you can. (R1 and L1 buttons help while arming your weapon.)

EDIT: To understand the workings of how Eileen recieves damage and understand what requirements are needed for the Eileen endings, please check this thread. (The Definitive Eileen Thread [spoilers])

[cfG-21]

Ok, I’ve heard some interesting theories, so I’d like to present my own views on the overall plot of Silent Hill.

Firstly, we must consider the town of Silent Hill to be alive. Not alive in the traditional sense you would apply to people or animals, but it has a presence. A consciousness. Silent Hill is composed of two sides, good and evil, light and dark, etc., just like a person. This presence has a name, as we find out in the first game: Samaael (spelling?). Although the Paganist cult that inhabited Silent Hill in the old days worshipped Samaael as a god, we can through playing the game realize he is a malevolent entity. Further, he wishes to be made manifest on earth. We know he nearly achieves this with Alessa however many years ago that was. Alessa is chosen for one of two reasons, either of which could be true. The first reason takes into account Alessa’s eternal sickness and pain, and Samaael takes advantage of her weakened state and seeks to enter her soul. The second possible reason, and one that I personally prefer, involves something special about Alessa’s soul. Some quality about it catches Samaael’s attention, and he slowly infects her (hence the disease). Fortunately for humanity Dhalia kills Alessa, and her soul escapes. I’m borrowing from Eccles’s theory here, in regards to immense pain causing the soul to wander even after the body dies. Now then, Alessa’s soul eventually settles into a new form: Cheryl. We can infer this because of the opening movie. There is a scene in which Harry and his wife lift up a baby Cheryl in what seems to be a graveyard. I’m thinking that Harry is not blood-related to his daughter and rather found her. Thus we have Alessa’s new form, or perhaps Alessa has simply been reborn. At any rate this “special soul” now exists again, and Samaael wishes to possess it to further his goal. It seems in addition to the “special soul” Samaael’s power naturally attracts people who are “guilty” or simply unbalanced. These guilty ones end up either succumbing to Samaael’s power or fighting against him. Jump a few years later, and we have the events of the first Silent Hill. Harry is drawn to it, Cheryl becomes Alessa, is taken by Samaael, and Harry defeats Alessa/Samaael and escapes. One point up for argument is whether Samaael was in total control of Alessa. It is quite possible that she had some control and was able to suppress the power of Samaael. I think this could easily account for the “nightmare” and “normal” versions of Silent Hill to trade places as time passes. So, Samaael is defeated, but not killed. Perhaps he cannot die.

A short time later (we assume, since we get no concrete dates on this), Samaael has regained some strength and once again calls out to people. He does not know who he needs to help him, so three people respond: Angela, Eddie, and James. Although each has individual reasons for returning (Angela wants to find her mother and/or confront her father; Eddie feels the need to return, possibly to repent for the dog slaying and the numerous other murders he likely committed; and James returns to find Mary). It certainly is an active reach for people, as Eddie says “this town called you too!” In addition, a little girl is drawn. Laura is there perhaps to fill the need for the “special soul.” It is clear that Samaael’s power is not fully in check, as all of his “guilty” candidates spiral out of control into their own tortured minds. Angela lives in fear of imagined father-monsters and eventually submits to the flames of her mind; Eddie feels guilt for killing people and in his paranoia thinks James insults him and attacks; and James searches for his dead wife, eventually realizing he killed her, then fights a demonized version of her as his mind spirals down into itself (hence James’s preoccupation for holes).

And so, later after that…Silent Hill 3. Samaael has returned to power, and the story starts over again. I haven’t played much of SH3 so I can’t offer theories on it. But perhaps this is all wrong and I totally missed the boat on the old SH plotline. But it is interesting, no?

btw i have not read much but at this point i would like to point out that sammael is satan. check out this link on this online encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samael. Ironically silent hill is mentioned also.

Quote formt he site. "Samael is an important figure in Talmudic and post-Talmudic lore, a figure who is accuser, seducer, and destroyer. Legends referring to Satan refer equally to him, such that Samael is often taken to be the true or angelic name of the Devil, as opposed to the epithet Lucifer or the job title Satan (Adversary).

Samael is etymologized as "the venom of God," since he is sometimes identified with the Angel of death. But the name could also be derived from that of the Syrian god Shemal. Samael is also identified with the Choronzon entity of the Elizabethan ceremonial magician John Dee, and of Aleister Crowley."

also check out the silent hill article on this online encylopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Hill

Lastly i would like to point out that the worship of idols before europeans took over and the cult that the lady in silent hill has are different but they influence the game. The cult that she has is satanic from a different branch from the popular satanic branches in the us. It is beleived it stems from the jewish mysticism known as kaballah (no i am not saying jews are evil and yes i am christian and not anti-semite). My friend had a copy of the kaballah which and had a symbol of a pentagram but it was facing up and not down like the satanists do. Basically there have been cults derived from it and there are incantations in it in which they call upon angels just like that one lady wants to call on that demon to be born out of that young girl. for info on that check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaballah

[cfG-21]

ntw another supposed angel metatron is mentioned in the series (good angel on the side of God)

[cfG-21]

the other angel is metatron mentioned by some stone that you get. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metatron

not trying to sound like a nerd or anything but just letting epople know

[ifirit]

Silent Hill 4 Easter Eggs:

For those of you who are interested in the hidden items from the game (or those who have already started collecting their own easter eggs), I'm starting a list of some obvious and not-so-obvious easter eggs hidden in "The Room."

Egg #1: Robbie the Rabbit Plushie

Location: Eileen's Room (via peephole behind cabinet)

Description: A stuffed toy.

Reference: Silent Hill 3 - Lakeside Amusement Park Mascot

Image: http://gallery.felixmcli.org/gallery/sh4caps/sh4_caps_105 (Thanks to Maskrider for the image and a great website.)

Egg #2: Robbie the Rabbit Balloon

Location: Ashfield Heights Apartment Complex (via windows in Rm. 302)

Description: A pink balloon floating with string attached.

Reference: Silent Hill 3 - Lakeside Amusement Park Mascot

Image: http://gallery.felixmcli.org/gallery/sh4caps/sh4_2pass_extra_2 (Thanks to Maskrider for the image.)

Egg #3: hospital.co.jp

Location: Hospital World (aka St. Jerome's Hospital) - Operating Room

Description: Web address for medical supplies and services. (Address appears on cylinder tanks near door.)

Reference: http://www.hospital.co.jp

Image: http://www.geocities.com/jonnsmithy/url.jpg (Thanks to JonnSmithy aka SlavaOzonov for the image. Image is geocities, so image will not always be available.)

Egg #4: Rabbit

Location: Rm. 302 - Front Door (after using the "Keys of Liberation")

Description: Not really an easter egg, but the chains on the door form an outline of a rabbit with the peephole acting as the eye. (I note this because Konami did this with several textures in the game, trying to make something look like something else, i.e. the face on the wall in the intro, the demon on the wall in the storage space, ect.)

Reference: White Rabbit - Alice in Wonderland

Image: http://www.geocities.com/jonnsmithy/rabbit.jpg (Thanks to JonnSmithy aka SlavaOzonov for the image. Image is geocities, so image will not always be available.)

Egg #5: Midwich School Bus

Location: Ashfield Heights Apartment Complex (via windows in Rm. 302)

Description: Vehicle that randomly passes on the street in front of the apartment.

Reference: Silent Hill 1 - Midwich Elementary School & bus (though the bus in that game was the "short bus").

Hint: The bus randomly appears throughout the game, however, it appears more often while visiting "Prison World" the first time. In order to view the writing on the bus, try watching during a cut-scene of the street, i.e. Cynthia outside subway, ambulance scenes, ect.

Egg #6: Toliet Clog

Location: Rm. 302 - Bathroom Toliet

Description: Running gag in the SH series

Reference: Silent Hill 2 - Safe Combination Clue (In order to retrieve the clue to open the safe, James fished it from the toliet.)

Image:Image 1 / Image 2 (Thanks to Maskrider for the image.)

Egg #7: Chainsaw (Idle)

Location: Second Gameplay - After obtaining Chainsaw

Description: Idle animation for the Chainsaw; funny to watch

Reference: Silent Hill 2 - James Chainsaw Idle Animation (Henry does not scream like James.)

Image: http://gallery.felixmcli.org/gallery/sh4caps/sh4_chainsaw_001 (Thanks to Maskrider for the image.)

Egg #8: Channeling Stones

Location: Game Cheat

Description: Remains from a scrapped UFO Ending. The items can be placed in your inventory through a GameShark, Action Replay, or other game hacking device. The codes are listed below.

Reference: Silent Hill - UFO Endings (most specifically with Silent Hill 1; the channeling stone was the item used to unlock the UFO ending when used in the targetted locations.)

Code (GameShark for PS2):

Master Code:

• 98368157 7848D201
  2816ED40 F7427A65
  2816EDD8 A1269A6B
  2816EDED 6DC8C42B
  2816ED03 01E23EE5
  2816EDF7 B1C37A65
  2816ED54 A1A774EA
  2816ED01 DB137AF1

Item Code (Slot 1):

• 28474265 FCE87A65
  1847426F 0CA57A56
  1847426A 0CA57A4A

Additional Info: The channeling stone was originally supposed to be a dirty stone that you can wash to reveal the channeling stone, but since the UFO ending was scrapped before the game was completed, it still shows up in the inventory, but is not washable. In addition to the channeling stone, there were two more items that were never released in the game, but the code still exists: the crimson oil and the special key. Images are below.

Images: Channeling Stone / Dirty Stone / Crimson Oil / Special Key (Thanks again to Maskrider for the images.)

My theory is that there were supposed to be a large amount of endings as Akira Yamaoka stated during the production of the game. However, somewhere along the line, they were too pressed for time and scrapped the projects, despite the fact that they already began coding for those endings.

Anyway, this is not the definative guide to all the easter eggs in the game, or even the secrets, but I wanted to start to spread the word about them. If anybody has something else they want to add, feel free to.

[Kiyosuki]

When I looked in the peephole and saw Robbie pointing at Henry, that seriously freaked me out..

Its really too bad they didn't put in the UFO ending, its such a long standing tradition. Plus since it seems like the character's keep collecting in them (Like how Its Harry in the first one, then its James and Harry in the second, then its Heather, James, and Harry in the third.) So much potential for enormous comedy having all these characters acumulate after a while, especially if the ending is done in a funny art style like Silent Hill 3's.

Oh well.

[Tranquil Chaos]

I was never interested in the UFO endings. Always thought they were stupid.

[The Instrument of GAWD]

**SPOILERS**

Hah, I finally beat SH4 last night. I had to reset it afew time before I figured out I was suppose to go in the hole were Walter's body was. That pissed me off, I didn't think it was accessible. I also had to reset once durning the last fight, upon figuring out how close you had to be to use the imbibical cord. I only reset cause Eileen was turned into hamburger.

The ending I got "Mother"... I really didn't understand it... unless it just meant that Eileen was alright (besides from being reccently knocked bloody) and that The Room was bloody and rusty the whole time and Henry was actually dreaming when it looked normal? I could continue on saying that I would believe that Eileen somehow conceived Walter... After all, they called her the Holy Mother and the ending is called "Mother"... I dunno, this is just my half assed speculation...

On a different note, this one took me alot of time to finish; 10 hours. I believe that it took me 17 hours to finish SH1 tho'. Anyway tho, this exprince was a rather nerve racking one, I started to feel rather anxious torwards the end. Mainly becuase of the back-and-forth-ism, but the BGM and the atomsphere did alot too. There was a point where I was thinking "what if that happen to me?" Of course it probably couldn't, but you can't help but to think that because The Room seems like any other appartment that I've seen.

Alright, that's enough of me...

[Kiyosuki]

Major Spoiler:

The Mother ending makes the least sense out of the 4 endings I think, but in my opinion what I think it is, is a way of telling you that although you escaped (As Henry), in a way Eileen didn't, as the evil left by Walter still infests the Room and will eventually infest the rest of the building again. Basically a way of saying that you didn't escape the danger really. Another thing it could mean is that in order to finally put everything to rest, you had to not only save Eileen but also erase any indication of Walter/young Walter's existence there, which meant purifying the room as much as you could. So in escape..you do literally escape, the soul of young Walter is finally put to rest and the curse of Samael and all the cult's evil is lifted from the building, thus you have nothing holding you there anymore, and nothing will come after you, you're free. Where as in Mother, maybe Eileen says she can go back to her apartment because the evil is still there, and its drawing her back, and will probably draw Henry back for Eileen's sake. In other words, you're out of the red now, but its only a matter of time until the Room beckons you or another again..

Eileen seems so unnaturally calm with the idea of going back to that dreadful place (Hell, even if It is purified, if I was in my right mind I wouldn't even step foot in there again!) So naturally..maybe she's not thinking totally like herself..maybe since you didn't erase Walter's presense in the room..his mission will eventually continue after a while.

So really..

21 Sacraments: Your ultimate failure, you lose not only your life, but your love's life and the eventual lives of countless people.

Eileen's death: You escape yourself by erasing all ties to the room, but its a bittersweet and ultimatly "James like" situation that you'll probably be scared for life with. In a way..you don't escape because of the grief.

Mother: You save Eileen but you didn't take care of the curse, so it may come back to haunt you again...

Escape: You truly escape, the curse is lifted and can never again touch you, you saved Eileen, and the two of you can move on away from the horrible events and continue with your normal lives. You are teh Hero! XD

[ifirit]

Just wanted to give you guys a little...

Silent Hill Movie Update:

With filming beginning in just a few short weeks, tension is mounting about who will be cast in the upcoming film. Although every Silent Hill forum has at least one thread about "who will be cast in the Silent Hill movie," who actually gets picked it up to anybody's guess. However, Roger Avary is shooting for a certain young actress to get a part in the movie. (Though who gets picked is out of his hands, which means we'll all find out together.)

What's most interesting about this entry (which seems plastered all over the internet), is that he hints at there being nurses in the movie. This adds further suggestion that the movie will be live action acting as a reinterpretation of the first game.

Well, for now the feelings among many of the online posters is projected in their anthem: Don't f**k it up. Won't you join the bandwagon?