Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams

The Good
"Silent Hill 2" is a rare game. While the entire series has plenty of spooks and disturbing psychological scares, nothing in the series can compare to this gem. Yet at the same time, this isn't just the greatest horror game, it is easily one of the greatest games ever made. A masterwork of fiction, terror, and gameplay. While the game may not have as many "jump out" moments as is typical of the genre, the game makes up by digging so deep under your skin it can feel your bone marrow. The fog in Silent Hill is thick, and monsters often resemble shapeless shadows in the fog, and just like in the first game the accursed radio that clues you into a baddies location adds a layer of suspense and fear. The panic that sets in allows for confusion, and the monsters will have an easy time sneaking up on you.

Not only that, the monsters designs are disturbing. What makes them so disturbing isn't how much blood they have splattered on them or how strange their shape is (Although that adds to it) but their movement and most all their meaning. Every twisted visage has a meaning to it. They are metaphors. Deep fears and sins manifested into flesh. One of the most common enemies, the Straight Jackets represent helplessness to help others, and at the same time, they represent people who lost their way in the town and never came out. Living up to their name, they appear to he constricted human beings, struggling to break free. The infamous nurses represent the way James, the main character, would harass the nurses in the hospital where his wife died. The even more infamous Pyramid Head, is more than just a butcher or a 'rapist' like most people think he is; he is a punisher, an executioner, and agent of justice. Nigh on each monster succeeds in being even more disturbing because of their sexual implications, combining the social taboos of things such as harassment, rape, objectification of men and women, with strange shapes, gore, and mutations only makes these baddies more disturbing. The most disturbing monster, in my opinion, is by far the "Doorman," a creature born from the mind of a young woman who was assaulted by her father, the shape of the creature looking much like a larger figure raping a smaller figure that is constantly struggling. Its disturbing, and sickening, but its what makes these monstrosities true monsters. The way they animate is brilliant, each monster animates differently, yet their motions are equally frightening and strange. The way the straight jackets struggle, the way the nurses twitch and crack their limbs, the way Pyramid Head drags his sword and spear, and even the way the few human characters animate are all perfect. The animation is incredible, some of the best ever seen in a horror game.

The story is, in my opinion, the greatest ever told in a video game. While it's not for someone who can't think outside the box, as like the monsters it relies on metaphors and intelligent thought, is an emotionally charged story of "The beast within," revenge, and ultimately, redemption. You play James Sunderland. 3 years ago, your young wife Mary died of a disease. Before her death, you promised to take her to your "special place," a hotel on an island in Silent Hill, where you spent your honeymoon together. You get a letter from her, saying she is waiting there. Despite the fact that you know ghosts can't write a letter, you go to Silent Hill, seeking her out. The mystery that unravels will not only shock you, but by the ending, it will even make you truly feel for the characters. This was the first game to ever make me cry. Despite some occasionally deadpan acting, everything falls into place emotionally, and it will tug every emotion from fear, to disgust, to sadness. Its a truly brilliant tale, and it blends with the games frightening images and sounds perfectly.

The atmosphere is so thick you can cut it with a knife. The sounds of the monsters are just as freaky as their looks, the infamous radio crackles will send shivers, the music is both beautiful yet eerie and creepy at the same time, the fog and layers of darkness add a shroud of mystery, and it all lends an atmosphere that will keep you on your toes and suck you in. This gives the game time to truly work with you, and make you remember the images you see and hear, as well as feed the story at a leisurely pace. Its hard to put the game down.

The puzzles are good, in many ways they feel like something from a point 'n' click adventure game (That's a good thing) and they are all thought out. In some ways, you could maybe call this a point 'n' click adventure game but with joystick or keyboard (Though a controller is preferred in a third person game like this) control of your character. This is once again, a good comparison.

The graphics have aged surprisingly well. Sure, they do not look like FarCry 2 or Resident Evil 5, hell, they obviously don't look as good as the most recent Silent Hill game, Homecoming; Although that game sucks, so who cares? Despite this, the game looked great when it was released, and it looks great now. I've already mentioned how good the animation is, but the effects are great as well, the lighting and shadows are still incredible (Much like Doom 3, but before it was released....) as is the lighting system in general. The character models still carry a detail, blood spurts and leaves a trail, the flesh on monsters has an eerie glisten, your light flares in the camera, and some of the more deranged environments still look freaky and organic, like a mixture of H.R. Geiger and David Lynch.

The Bad
There's not much negative to say, but since it wouldn't be a balanced review, here are a few negatives.

First off, the combat is relatively poor. Locking on is troublesome, and sometimes James swings or shoots even if you haven't pulled the trigger, and sometimes makes himself vulnerable. Oddly enough, there are a few ridiculously large weapons one can find easily, namely the chainsaw and Pyramid Heads sword (To be fair, Pyramid Heads sword is slightly 'hidden' but its still easy to find if you look around the right corner.) which makes combat way too easy and removes the feeling of being vulnerable, something that is important to Survival Horror.

Although most of the games multiple endings are satisfying, I will admit that there are a couple that do not add a truly satisfying resolution. I truly feel that there is only one true ending to the game, but its would be a spoiler to tell you what happens, and at the same time, its hard to tell you what threshold gets you the ending.

The voice acting, although at times decent, can be somewhat deadpan and bland, at one point, even corny.

The layout of some levels may also breed repetition, and some may not like some of the more obtuse puzzles, as they can lead to frustration.

The Bottom Line
Silent Hill 2 isn't a game for kids, or those with a closed mind. It deserves its M rating (Although why wasn't "Mature Sexual Themes" added in the content descriptor?!?!? I consider rape, harassment, and a monster that is basically a lump of flesh with female genitalia to be "Mature Sexual Themes.") and it knows how to deliver the scares and disturbing scenes and themes. If you like a good scare, and don't mind the games content, then you will find a true masterpiece. Silent Hill 2 can be summed up as "Disturbing," but at the same time it can also be called a "Drama," and what a good drama it is. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys their horror with a side order of intelligence and a heaping helping of story.

The Good
As a huge fan of horror games it's pretty safe to say that I was really looking forward to this one. Silent Hill 2 at first glance seems a lot like a revamped version of the first game and in many ways it is. The graphics have been obviously updated with the fog that surrounds the town all day being the first noticeable change. It swirls, changes direction and is completely volumetric. Lighting seems fairly standard until you get inside one of the dark buildings. Suddenly huge shadows are cast all over the walls by the light of your flashlight making for some of the creepiest visuals ever seen in a game. Seeing the shuffling shadow of a mutant nurse coming ever closer really gets your heart going. The monsters are some of the strangest and most bizzare creatures ever concocted. They have form but a form that doesn't quite make visual sense. Truely the stuff of nightmares. Sound is nigh on perfect with strange musical accompaniments that send shivers up the spine as well as some of the creepiest sound effects ever to grace my speakers. Definately one to turn way, way up. For example: At one point I could hear something very faint and it wasn't until I paid closer attention that I noticed that it was some kind of ghostly whispering. Little touches like that really add to the procceedings and often have something to do with the story. Yes the vague, thought provoking story telling has returned but this time it's been much better written. There is a depth to the story that the first one never had and it's in this story that I feel SH2 truly excels. Easily this is the best story in any horror game to date and with multiple endings to find that are determined in an ingenious manner as you play, there's a lot to keep you interested. There are 3 immediately available endings plus a special forth one that you can get the second time through an an additional hilarious 'joke' ending that you really must see to believe. The puzzles in this game are really good and the difficulty of both the fighting and the puzzles can be scaled according to your own personal liking.

The Bad
SH2 may be great but it's not free of problems. The voice acting is for the most part pretty poor and really can be quite off putting with a game of this calibre. The lighting routine while it looks amazing, also uses vertex based lighting and so the light zig zags unrealistically across straight walls at times. James is also quite slugglish to control, particularly in combat. It can be infuriating when you are killed by a monster because James got stuck on something or was too busy standing in the one spot for 5 seconds after you tried to hit whatever evil creature was after your blood. The game itself is also pretty short despite the 5 endings. I got through the whole thing in 7 hours my first time through which is a little less sizable than an adventure should be.

The Bottom Line
It has its faults but it's still one of the best horror adventures ever made and a vast improvement over the original.

The Good
-The atmosphere is unbearably good. Never before have i been so frightened in a videogame. The ridiculously thick fog in Silent Hill makes everything so scary.

-The sound is amazing. The sound effects of the monsters are so scary. This game also uses background noises for the monsters. For instance; you are walking through a forest, you hear your own footsteps but you also hear footsteps that are not synchronous to yours which means that someone could be behind you. You turn around to find out there is nothing there. This happens in a lot of places in Silent Hill 2. The music is also great. In many places throughout the game you will hear mucho scary ambient music & sound effects that also add up to the atmosphere of this game. The idea of a broken radio used as a monster detector is also cleverly thought of.

• The graphics are simply amazing. No pre-drawn environments like in the Resident Evil games, but rendered three dimensional backgrounds. The grain effect is probably the best thought of feature of this game. The grain effect really comes to life when you are in the apartment building. The shades of dark colors are also nicely done.

• The monsters are probably even better. I've never seen such craftsmanship when it comes to enemie's. Not your standard "Thriller video clip" type zombies, but four legged what-ever-you'd-like-to-call-it enemies. A survival horror game is even scarier when you expect and find the unexpected. I also loved the sound effects from these monsters. The monsters are also pretty smart. They'll back each other up in combat, they respond to footsteps and your flashlight, and some of them even use other forms of attacking (the sprayers can/will lay themselves down on the ground and start crawling around at immense speeds and they can collide with you to cause extra damage).

-Some of the scripted events are also nicely done. Distant screams, monsters that avoid being detected by your radio by staying still etc.

-The idea that you received a letter from your deceased spouse alone is scarier than the entire Resident Evil series.

The Bad
-Well, some of the puzzles are to straightforward and perhaps a little too easy. -Oh, and another thing. Don't play this game on your own at night before you go to bed. Believe me. It was pretty hard for me to sleep that night (i've even had a nightmare about this game :-).

The Bottom Line
Resident Evil, move over! This game is TRUE horror. Never before has a game been released with so much suspense and horror. This game is not gory, but it will frighten your pants off.