Artwork by *illjules
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So, I'm not gonna talk about an anime yet, that will be for another day. ;) But, let's do talk about a game that I am actually traversing through at this moment: the epic horror survival title, Silent Hill!
Ignoring the Wii remake and the stupid movie that came out, the first title that started it all has got to be one of the scariest things I've played. Although I don't have the game for the Playstation or the PS3, the Playstation network kindly allowed Playstation games to be downloaded onto PSPs, so I was able to get it on mine!
The game is about a widowed writer named Harry Mason who is traveling to the resort town of Silent Hill with his seven-year-old daughter Cheryl. When he spots a young woman in the middle of the road, he swerves his car and they crash in the middle of the town. When he wakes up, his daughter is gone and he is in Silent Hill. The town is deserted and it's snowing. As Harry searches the streets and alleyways, it suddenly goes dark and he is attacked by unearthly, zombie-like monsters. After he passes out, he wakes up in a cafe, and meets a police woman named Cybil Bennet and the two decide to split up and look for not only a way out of the town, but also for Cheryl. What they encounter is a town that is slowly being overrun by an occult, and Harry must brave all obstacles to get his daughter back.
On the technical side of things, the graphics are as good as a Playstation game can be. Even though they are a bit outdated, the gameplay is smooth and really sucks you in. The atmosphere is unbelievably creepy with sparse music and strange noises coming out of nowhere. The monsters come out of nowhere as well, and you have to choose whether dodging them or outright killing them is better or not. The voice acting, what little there is, is ... eh. Of course, this was before voice acting was big and done well, so ya gotta at least give them props for being somewhat bearable.
The story to the game is definitely one for the horror books. The ventures that you as Harry have to go through are perilous, intricate and frightening and as the story unfolds, you may find yourself surprised by some of the twists. All the characters are pretty engaging, especially the poor nurse named Lisa, even though she isn't featured very much.
The game is dark, freaky and very addicting. Although it receives positive reviews, I would warn people who are sensitive to violence and occult dealings that this game is rife with them. Christian parents who watch what their kids play may want to talk with their kids before allowing them to play this game. There is heavy occultism with people wanting to resurrect a goddess to take over the town by using child sacrifice. This is not a kid's game. If you think your kids can handle it, that's up for you to decide whether they should play it or not.
In the end, my final opinions about this game are:
1) For anyone who loves survival horror games
2) Not for those who are sensitive to violence or occultism
3) For people 16 and up, or who are mature
4) Not for immature or younger gamers.
Have a good evening, everyone! :D
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