Silent Hill 5 (Finally going back to where it originated?)

[Varg6]

I wasn't sure if this should be a topic or go under OMG SH5!!!!

So I put it here because it does seem like somewhat of an interesting debate. Now I know they wouldn't do the exact ending or anything and obviously (hopefully) make it even more freakier. But does it seem like from the little information we have that SH5 is going back to it's original idea formation: Jacob's Ladder?

The war veteran coming back home, the brother gone missing. Seems like a lot of similarities to Jacob's Ladder. What do you guys think?

Do you guys think they'll have a lot more instances where you can connect the two together? ...Not just street names but actual plotlines from one another intertwining? It could be a cool idea, or could turn to shit. Obviously, once again we need to have faith with these new guys making this game...

[sh#1fan]

~

I thought it sounded like jacobs ladder when i first herd about it.

[Silent Fantasy]

i didnt even think about that. iv never seen Jacobs Lader either though. i heard it was creepy

[Varg6]

^^ excellent film, man. You must check it out.

[MisterGrey]

For those unindoctrinated--

PRIME_BBCODE_SPOILER_SHOW PRIME_BBCODE_SPOILER:

Jacob's Ladder deals with a soldier in the Vietnam War, Jacob (Tim Robbins) who is severely wounded in a firefight after his fellow soldiers inexplicably panic and friendly fire ensues. From here the film flashes forward to Jacob living a life of quiet desperation in New York, mourning the death of his son, who died before he went to war, and the wife who left him because of this. Now he spends most of his time either hanging out with his trashy girlfriend, Jezebel, or listening to his chiropractor wax philosophical on the nature of Heaven and Hell, angels and demons. After he experiences a series of frightening hallucinations in which he is attacked by shadowy beings, Jacob seeks solace with his chiropractor, who explains to him the true nature of purgatory: For those who fear death, who cling to a life that is lost, who are stuck between this world and the next, purgatory is no better than hell, a realm possessed by nightmarish demons waiting to tear the human soul to shreds. Once a person lets go, though, and clears their mind of guilt and anxiety, these demons will transform into angels and take the worthy into Heaven. Ultimately, the film becomes an unsettling mixture of horror film, chase movie, and government conspiracy film, as Jacob learns that the U.S. military used his squad for chemical experimentations, which resulted in the friendly fire skirmish at the beginning of the movie and is causing his rapidly recurrent, ever more frightening hallucinations. Just when everything reaches a crisis point, and Jacob finds himself in a living hell, with his girlfriend mutated into some sort of demon, he finally finds the wisdom in his chiropractor's words. The film abrubtly jumps back to the beginning, where the mortally wounded Jacob lets go of life and dies, revealing that the entire movie took place inside his head as he staved off death on the battlefield. A still-photograph coda of Jacob and his dead son indicates that he has now passed on to the other side and joined his boy there.

I'm simply hoping that SH5 doesn't boil down to

PRIME_BBCODE_SPOILER_SHOW PRIME_BBCODE_SPOILER:

Alex died in the war and the player is playing as his ghost, trying to escape purgatory, as personified by Silent Hill

Not unless they do it really, really good.

[Cadiel]

As innovative as that may be, playing as Alex's ghost, I wouldn't want to do it. Doesn't seem to leave a whole lot of room for character development as compared to an SH2 redo.

Since we're on the topic of Jacob's Ladder, I found that movie to be a little on the boring side. The first part of the movie wasn't exactly scary or confusing. Probably the only part that got a positive reaction out of me was during one of his hallucinations at that "meat" hospital. That was cool.

The rest was blah to me. Lots of unnecessary droning hallucinations that could have been discarded, in my opinion. Still a pretty decent movie, compared to other things, but I could do without it.

[Varg6]

As innovative as that may be, playing as Alex's ghost, I wouldn't want to do it. Doesn't seem to leave a whole lot of room for character development as compared to an SH2 redo.

Since we're on the topic of Jacob's Ladder, I found that movie to be a little on the boring side. The first part of the movie wasn't exactly scary or confusing. Probably the only part that got a positive reaction out of me was during one of his hallucinations at that "meat" hospital. That was cool.

The rest was blah to me. Lots of unnecessary droning hallucinations that could have been discarded, in my opinion. Still a pretty decent movie, compared to other things, but I could do without it.

I enjoyed it, but hell just like Silent Hill, it really is for a select few. It isn't something I'd recommend to just anyone. I enjoyed I guess the "trippy-ness" of the whole movie. I thought the atmosphere was interesting, and Tim Robbins...come on...TIM ROBBINS! lol

[MeatyDistraction]

I'm still disappointed that they aren't releasing it for the PS2.

On topic;

Other than the war part, it really doesn't sound anything like Jacob's Ladder (EXCELLENT film).

[whiter4bbit]

I don't see why Jacob's Ladder is usually seen as the only/main source of inspiration for SH games. It sure has similarities in photography, creepy images and so on, but it is expecially noticeable in SH3 subway and not exactly everywhere.
I really hope they go back to a SH2-style storyline, full of complex references and plot nods (like in Lynch's Lost Highway) and psychological torments in the form of manifestation of delusions (like in Tarkovskij's Solyaris), I sincerely don't want SH5 to be a mere game adaptation of Jacob's Ladder.

[Varg6]

White, I completely agree.

P.S. How is Lost highway? I never saw it...Sorry to be off topic heh

[whiter4bbit]

LH is surely one of my favourite movies ever, it's creepy as hell in placing you in the middle of a killer's mind and has got a complex plot full of references and nods and easter eggs so that everytime you watch it you can notice something that you didn't notice before - exactly like playing SH2. It is obviously not a movie for every kind of audience, but I think it incredibly succeeds in being what it was meant to be - Lynch's peak of quality in my opinion. Images and sounds, together with actor performances (Pullman, Arquette, Blake and Loggia are perfect), form a stunning picture too. The whole movie is so well balanced and symphonic...

It is also the most blatant reference of SH2, since something in the game is more than a simple allusion to the movie: see the television showing reality, and the character of Renee/Alice (brunette wife / blonde attracting woman). Together with Tarkovskij's Solyaris and Stalker, Lynch's Lost Highway is probably the bigger source of inspiration for SH2 (Maria really seems the result of the encountering between Alice from LH and Hari from Solyaris).

[themudgopher]

If the game was an adaption of Jacob's Ladder, I wouldn't be unhappy!

[Scanman22]

^^^ I would! I want originality please!

[themudgopher]

^^^^^^^^^^^Whatever!

[Heather_Mason]

I think it's amazing, I hope they do stick with the plot similar to Jacob's ladder. Silent Hill did bring something of it's own to the series, they built on what the movie already had while having differences of course, and made something even more amazing. But, I like watching the movie and seeing similarities to Silent Hill.

Anyways, I love what they're coming up with for SH5, it's bringing something new to the Silent Hill series, and it's staying original, at least from what I've read so far. I have a feeling it'll all be worth it, we should just be happy we're getting another SH, on Next Gen!

[hourayra]

well sometimes it aint just similarities, some scenes are totally ripped from jacob's ladder, such as the descent to hell or the metro station. Anyway the whole silent hill series are simply an adaptation in video game of all the greatest horror creations, from the eighties to today, from books to cinema.
For the SH5 theories, i dont think it'll be really like jacob's ladder, i mean no chance for that even. Cause the screenshots show something far different from what we've seen, looks like konami decided to plunge silent hill in a higher tech thing, a bit sci-fiction around, like resident evil.
Plus the words we can hear in the trailer aren't in favor of such a theory... Sounds more like the guy's going into madness than trying to escape it like jacob. I really believe they'll go into something totally new.
But personally for now i cant wait for origins, and eventually some psp emulator hehe i just finished resident evil 4 for the first time n i love the shoulder system... Oh btw that thanksgiving monstruosity scared the hell outta me, dunnow why. Its just a turkey that moves, why is it so stressing ?

[SteveSilent]

Lost Highway is an excellent film. Most all of Lynch's movies delve into the human psyche as it experiences some type of disorder, I see traces of his work in all of the SH games. In many ways though, Lynch's early 90's tv series, Twin Peaks, is the closest related to the SH series. Here's a small town in Washington that is being controlled by otherworldly forces. Murder mystery in a normal setting on the surface, and strange otherworldly happenings beneath--A common theme among Lynch's work. There's even scene in the first season where one character puts drugs in another's gas tank. Sound familiar? Even Akira's soundtracks are reminscent of the series composer Angelo Badalamenti.

Basically, if you like Silent Hill (and particularly SH1), watch this show. You'll be right at home.

[Pyramidred]

I wasn't sure if this should be a topic or go under OMG SH5!!!!

So I put it here because it does seem like somewhat of an interesting debate. Now I know they wouldn't do the exact ending or anything and obviously (hopefully) make it even more freakier. But does it seem like from the little information we have that SH5 is going back to it's original idea formation: Jacob's Ladder?

The war veteran coming back home, the brother gone missing. Seems like a lot of similarities to Jacob's Ladder. What do you guys think?

Do you guys think they'll have a lot more instances where you can connect the two together? ...Not just street names but actual plotlines from one another intertwining? It could be a cool idea, or could turn to shit. Obviously, once again we need to have faith with these new guys making this game...

Jacob's Ladder was an amazing film! I wouldn't mind if it was very similar to it. However, they better have paid attention to the fact that Jacob's Ladder wasn't an action film as much as it was psychological horror.

[Skele]

yeah, but i'm looking forward to the combat being given a makeover. I dont really want to experience what i felt in SH2 again. while SH2 is a great game, it was dull to play at times. i mean if it weren't for the story and atmosphere, i would've fallen asleep each time i went to play it. the combat is almost non-existent seeing as you can run past practically every monster in the game. it's nice when you can actually narrowly outrun monsters, but being able to fly right past them without any worry of being hurt, is ridiculous.

granted, i dont want the collective to take it so far that you feel as if you're solid snake out there in silent hill, but i wouldnt mind being forced to actually think about how i want to attack this monster that i really can't avoid.

[Pyramidred]

I'm all for a thinking fighting game, where the main problem isn't if my weapon is powerful enough or do I have enough ammo. There's been some excellent posts on this site about how Alex's military background may come into play fighting these monsters; setting traps, playing dead, combos, counter moves. I think that would be fantastic. And I also don't want Alex to be a Solid Snake.