The Review Thread

Ten years after the original game and Harry's still searching for his daughter.

Moderator: Moderators

User avatar
Sirea
Cafe5to2 Waitress
Posts: 233
Joined: 30 Nov 2009

Post by Sirea »

AuraTwilight wrote:Sorry, but the fact that your father killed himself, instead of being in a car accident that you hold yourself personally responsible for, is a huge difference right there.

Also, different people react differently to the same stimuli anyway. It's not like the game is suggesting everyone would react the way Cheryl did, only that she, herself, is fucked up. Otherwise your beloved Homecoming would suggest that everyone who loses a younger sibling has to delete their memories and pretend they're living a totally different life.
Alright, now I'm mad.

I didn't know he killed himself until my grandmother dumped it on me years after it happened, hth. For a long time we thought his alcoholism finally caught up with him. Also going to point out that I was the only one she told before she died, so I've had to carry this around with me for about seven years now.

And actually, it is kind of perpetuating the stereotype that women can't grow up normal without their fathers around, considering that's actually a real-world idea and theory that Climax pulled into the game. That stereotype does exist in the real world, whereas Homecoming is just a fictional story with a fictional premise with no actual sociological theory based on it at all. Cheryl was just another number to add to a statistic in a book somewhere-- one that perpetuates the image of female weakness and dependence on men-- and that pissed me off to no end.

I get that you like Shattered Memories. That's fine. But don't you dare start going on like I don't have a right to be offended. You're a complete and total asshole for even trying that, not to mention assuming things about my life. Don't talk to me about female guilt surrounding their lost father until you actually grow a vagina and lose your father at age 11, okay?

EDIT; wait a goddamn minute, I just realized what it is you said to me.

You're saying that I can't feel guilty or responsible over my own father's suicide, but Cheryl's allowed to over a goddamn car accident? Are you, like, the biggest troll that ever trolled, or just a total moron?
"Remember how people look in "The Ring" after Samara gets 'em? SH2 does something similar, only you get fat, sweaty and belligerent." - pianotheme @ livejournal
User avatar
_Drake_
Hope House Careworker
Posts: 678
Joined: 23 Dec 2008

Post by _Drake_ »

Yikes, please people, no throat tearing. Yes, I realize, I may be sorta "Modding" or such, but it's not on purpose. I'm simply asking if you'd bunch wouldn't mind letting this go and allow the thread to revert back to it's original purpose. I don't really care if you reply to someone's review and such, but insulting is just plain rude.

Can we all just get along? Or at least agree to disagree on certain matters and let somethings go? Yes, matters concerning family and personal issues/trauma are tender subjects and when someone says we can't act a certain way or feel a certain emotion, we are entitled to feel some form of spite against the accuser, but if we allow our emotions to control us, logic will be cast out and bestial instincts will take hold and throw us into an ever moving wheel of constant aggression.

Before anyone says I don't know what it's like, please. My ex killed herself after being raped by her Police Chief father and beaten by her jealous mother. I've been through hell, the likes that Silent Hill will eternally avoid. No, I am not bragging or trying to start a "Who's been more emotionally tortured" contest. I'm simply stating that I'm no fool when it comes to hell.

I moved on, because I knew if I remained in the past, I'd only continue to suffer. I trudged forward and made a new life, re-birthing myself like the legendary Phoenix, from the ashes of my old life, and finding new love, in the form of my fiance. Part of moving on, was relying on my logic and common sense.

So please, let us move away from this unstable cliff of emotional trauma and go back to a lighter topic, like reviewing Silent Hill: Shattered Memories?
I'm simply asking nicely, that's all. You can choose to ignore this and continue on, for I cannot control your actions, for in the end, only you are in control of that.
I'll just stand by and let this carry on, letting the moderators handle it.
and lastly, no I'm not trying to mod or shadow-mod, I'm sorry if it's seeming like I am, but I have no intentions of doing such. The only reason I "may" of done that in my own thread, was because it was getting out of hand there and I was trying to re-establish order.

With that, *Put's on a business suit, takes a cane, and starts whistling Putting on the rits by Taco as I walk away* I bid you a gentleman's farewell.

~Drake
Image

"Oh it get's to me alright" - Vincent
My Silent Hill Fanfic, Silent Hill: Spiritual Dissonance
User avatar
Mis Krist.
Historical Society Historian
Posts: 12943
Joined: 27 Aug 2003
Location: The Wand'ring Wood

Post by Mis Krist. »

>but insulting is just plain rude.

So's what Aura said, truth be told. It's a messy situation. We should all probably just shuffle along now.
I'm not dead yet, dammit.
User avatar
kideatsu
Cafe5to2 Waitress
Posts: 263
Joined: 18 May 2009
Location: Indiana
Contact:

Post by kideatsu »

Okay, I've read up on this thread some and I'm confused still as to why it may or may not be easy to relate to Cheryl in the game.
User avatar
kideatsu
Cafe5to2 Waitress
Posts: 263
Joined: 18 May 2009
Location: Indiana
Contact:

Post by kideatsu »

Oh wow, that was epic. Must the threads always get so off topic? :|
User avatar
Kenji
Historical Society Historian
Posts: 5077
Joined: 19 Jul 2007

Post by Kenji »

kideatsu wrote:Oh wow, that was epic. Must the threads always get so off topic? :|
Don't forget nasty.

I get into my fair share of snips and fights on here, derailing topics at zero benefit to me besides raising my stress. Several of those I'd snap at I'd later get on reasonably with, which further makes the whole thing pointless. Makes me feel needlessly petty afterwards, too.

So, I'll join in on _Drake_'s request. The anonymous Internet is a poor place to air or discuss personal laundry, so let's get on with the reviews and keep the discussion impersonal. I'm not particularly good at reviews, myself (I take too long to write them), so I'll just make a few comments on my feelings about this game.

As I've said elsewhere, I feel this game continues a tradition that's been dormant since Silent Hill 2. While it was informed by the past games, it abandoned many of the laws associated with them and built a story that was ultimately about people. More importantly, its personal story succeeded because of the personal connection I was able to make. While the specifics of Cheryl's relationship with her father is an abstraction to me, I was able to connect with it more closely because I have a father and, therefore, personal feelings regarding my father. This separates Shattered Memories from SH1 and SH2, since I don't have a wife or child and, therefore, can't think about them as important aspects of my own life.

I felt that the interactivity of the gameplay, such as the cinematic sequences or the psych profile, allowed me to place myself further in the narrative. Therefore, I think that the game succeeds in using the medium to tell its story, which is a distinction I reserve for things like the Team Ico games. I felt that the use of the Wiimote was among the best of the system, even using the limitations of the motion sensor technology to realistic effect: i.e. if you are grabbed in real life, flailing madly will get you nowhere.

It would've been nice if the puzzles required more brainpower, but I also recognize that their simple nature kept the pace flowing at a steady tempo. The game could've been longer, but I would rather feel a game was too short than too long. It's not perfection, and I haven't decided where I will ultimately place it in my ranking of the series, but it was the first game that I sent a personal note of thanks to the developers for.
Image
User avatar
kideatsu
Cafe5to2 Waitress
Posts: 263
Joined: 18 May 2009
Location: Indiana
Contact:

Post by kideatsu »

You sent a personal thank you to the developers? Wow, that's a real fan there. Maybe I should do that. :D

I agree on being able to relate to the story on a personal level because of the father figure Harry has in relation to Cheryl. I was able to relate so much more to this game than any other SH title. I liked that it became "about people", like you said. It makes it feel more real to me and therefore more understandable and relatable, yet it still retains that mystery and melancholy SH originally gave me when it game out back in '99.
User avatar
SPRINGS02
Historical Society Historian
Posts: 3865
Joined: 01 Jun 2009
Gender: Male
Location: i'm sick of these monkey fighting snakes on this monday to friday plane.

Post by SPRINGS02 »

Overall the game wasn't bad(like a 7.5 out of 10 for me) I loved the controls the story and how everything was set up, but i was really let down by the lack of horror in the game. To me this game felt more like a mystery game with a little bit of survival horror elements sprinkled in here and there. The atmosphere was really lacking. I hated the chase sequences and thought the sounds that the rawshocks made were annoying(high pitched girls screams?) and they didn't really look scary, kinda looked like aliens or somethin. Also i felt the whole psychological aspect was interesting and a great idea but it wasn't executed well enough. I would like to see climax come up with there own type of mystery game from scratch though, it could be interesting
User avatar
cascade88
Historical Society Historian
Posts: 2195
Joined: 22 Jun 2009
Gender: Female
Location: Koholint island
Contact:

Post by cascade88 »

I loved the game. I thought that the story was fantastic, the controls were great. The voice acting was very good, and believable, and the whole thing managed to be scary, even in parts where there were no Raw Shocks around. I had a lot of fun playing it, and got quite creeped out. Also, the ending made me feel fairly sad, and emotionally tugged (although moreso for Harry than Cheryl, but I digress). Anyway overall, again, great game in my opinion.
Image
єเภ ןє๔єг єภﻮєl เรt รςђгєςкlเςђ
User avatar
angelofROOM302
Historical Society Historian
Posts: 3073
Joined: 08 Apr 2008
Gender: Female
Location: Wisconsin
Contact:

Post by angelofROOM302 »

Alright guys, here is my review on the game.

I'm sure that you all know I am a huge Silent Hill lover, of pretty much everything that has been done with the game. From taking ridiculous blows and getting barked at for showing my much support for the game, I've always been here for it. I've loved and supported the series all the way, but SH:SM has disappointed my heart. :cry:

First of all, I want to start out by saying that I was not excited when I first heard the plans for the game. I thought "No combat?" "Winder Wonderland? and all those other thoughts that I've thrown out there. This is gonna be bad. I got barked at by nearly everyone by just stating that I didn't like how the game was sounding to turn out, but who cares. It was my opinion on a game that hasn't even come out yet. Then by listening to the people on here (well half you guys), I tried to stay optimistic about the game and though, "Hey, maybe I might actually like this game" "It's Silent Hill! We rule supreme!" I should have stuck with my gut feeling. The game wasn't horrible, but it was not good either.

The controls for the game were a bit ridiculious at first, but I did eventually get used to them. I understand it's a port from the WII version so they tried to make it as interactive as they could, but I found at times they were just a bit confusing. It's a PS2 game... man I bet tons of us haven't even touched out PS2 in months, maybe even years! At least I know I haven't. So I had to spend time getting used to the controls and trying not to confuse them with the 360 since that's what I usually play on. The first door with the lock, I honestly got stuck. Since when ever in a Silent Hill game do you have to unlock a door by moving the little chain thing off? That was ridiculious, I felt stupid. In Cybil's police car it took me forever to realize that I had to pull that little lock thingie up on her door to get out of the freaking car! So controls we not at their best with this game. To run you had to hold the R2 button, which was something new, but went pretty well with the game.

Chase scenes.. Seriously, these were the only parts of the game that made me remember that I was playing a "Survival Horror" video game. This was the only part of the game where I actually felt intense and had to pick up a walkthrough to get through them. Why? There should have been many more moments in the game where I had to feel that I needed to strategize and keep on my feet. Something that kind of killed the whole experience was the fact that while you're running, sometimes you'd have a complete lead over those little 'raw shocks.' Oh and the fact that you could automatically jump over fences and blast through doors like that. Honestly, it helps you out a bit but what would make me feel a lot scarier is if I actually had to push the A button to get over that fense knowing that shocks were coming up right behind me. Seriously, the only chance that you can die throughout the game is during those 5 little moments where you're hauling ass from creatures that just want to hug you. And the fact that once you die you start right at the beginning makes it so much better.. Lol. What I don't understand is why are the monsters only there during the chases? The point of survival horror is that you should feel 'horror' somewhat throughout the whole game! When I was out of nightmare world, I knew I was safe. I'm not even going to call it Nightmare world because it was pretty ridiculious. How akward is it to play a SH game knowing that you're safe. Of course in the previous games, you get into a room and kill enemies in there and even though they are all dead and nothing can come in to get you, you don't even feel safe. I kept wondering, "Why am I feeling safe while playing Silent Hill?" That wasn't what I wanted to feel at all. I missed feeling fear.

As for characters, this was I guess the games best point. I liked most of the characters, just hated Dahlia. There was no point for her to be this like total 'punk rocker.' Really no point. I guess to draw in more of the teen crowd, but I don't know why they did this. Dahlia's 'young' character was not explained at all which pissed me off about this game. Harry looked good, almost hot. His personality, I loved the most. He really seemed concerned and more convincing than Harry in the first game but I still love that Harry Mason more! The part that made me LOL was when Michelle was like "Are you here for the reunion?" and Harry was like, "No." That was hilarious! Cheryl was adorable. Michelle, I loved Michelle! She is certainly one of my favorite SH characters although she was a characters that honestly was not necessary at all to the game. One thing I don't understand is why make her last name Valquez, which is almost exactly like Cynthias! Phlease Climax, We just need to stop trying to use other people's names and stuff and trying to wild people up. I know they are not related but damn. There are billions of last names out there in the world! Cybil and Lisa kicked ass in this game. I didn't like the original Lisa, but Lisa in this game was pretty cool. Stupid though for inviting Harry to her apartment, alone.. but better than the last. I got sexy Cybil for some reason, but I found the more casual Cybil to be a lot more appealing to the story line. I hated the shrink just because he was drinking some crazy water.

I hated the storyline.
There was so much unnecessary crap in there it made me want to bash my controller and stop playing. Although I loved exploring the new areas, it just wasn't enough to save the plot. why was there a brothel in Silent Hill? Of all places, Silent Hill. I don't even think we have one of those anywhere in Wisconsin, but they have one in Silent Hill. Oh gee. If it were a strip club, it would be more realistic but no, it's a brothel. I also didn't like how dang near sexually explicit themes were in the game. Silent Hill does NOT need boobs to be a good game. And I don't get why the game had to be so centered over that. With Silent Hill 2 it fit perfectly with the game, but I feel with this game Climax was trying to hard to have it make sense, but it was soo unnecessary. Seriously. How akward. Exploring the high school was really interesting to me because I love schools and whatnot. Did anyone understand the whole plot behind the high school? Or did they just throw in a bunch of teen drama in there because you are at a high school and they were running out of good ideas? To me, the story was to ridiculious and crazy to even think about. I understand that it's a "reimagining" for the first Silent Hill, but I deny the whole game. Think about it, to say this storyline was good is pretty much completely denying our whole series. As much as the crazy cult stuff with Dahlia and Alessa always slipped my mind, I really do miss it.

The music was not good this time. It was pretty weak and the music is pretty much the reason why I love to play these games so much. It adds to the atmosphere. I love Akira Yamaoka and I haven't ever critisized his work before so I do not blame him! I blame the music people who put the music in this game at the crappiest moments ever! I heard the game song a couple of times when I went through a couple of areas in a row. It's not supposed to be like that! The music timing and areas where it was played was ridiculious. I don't remember exactly what part that was, but it might have been the woods. For example, I entered the woods and the music started to play. I entered the cabin and the music started to play again. I went back out into the woods and I don't remember music playing, but later in the game like in the High School I entered the Janitors room and heard the SAME EXACT SONG playing that I heard before in the woods. Talk about reuse of material. :(
Music has always been a strong point for Silent Hill, but this one blew. The soundtrack is freaking amazing, it's just the music director really screwed it up for this game. Origins has the best timing for music and one of the best soundtracks (in my opinion), so there is no excuse for SM to have sucked this bad with their music and timing.

The psyc evaluation could have been better. It was an interesting idea but it failed on a couple of parts. The coloring book had me thinking, 'wtf?' It was completely off of what type of person I really am when it got to the end. During the evals I felt like I was in class on Bully. LOL!

OMG typing all of this out is making me extremely tired. I'm going to wrap this up. Here are just more of my random scattered thoughts about the game.

Raw shocks were not scary! I did love the fact that they were almost reflecting Chery's emotions by hugging onto Harry, but that was about it. And what happened to the bosses. The chase scenes did not compensate for the bosses at all! :(

Collecting mementos was the most boring part about the game. I did not understand what they were for or what the reward was. I found it unnecessary.
There were no puzzles! I loved SH for it's puzzles but there was absolutely nothing in this game.
I miss when static would play when there was a threat around you, not just a "ghost" that you have to photograph.

I have a lot more to say but I'm getting tired. I've probably said a lot of jerky stuff in here and stuff ya'll won't agree with, but it's my opinion. I'll probably post more of my ideas around the forum as I go around and read more into this game. It was an alright attempt. Did it do any good for the series? No. Am I afraid for the future of Silent Hill? Now I certainly am. Usually I reccomend every Silent Hill game that I play to my friends, but this one I honestly don't know what to say. I don't want to be like "Yeah, any of them are freaking awesome except for SH:SM." I can't see myself doing that, but that's what I feel like. For now, this game is going to be pushed into the back of my mind like it never even happened. This game hurt my heart and I don't know how much love is left now. :cry: :cry: *EMO*

4/10 Rating..

Oh and I just want to say that I 100% agree with pretty much everything that Sirea said. :D
User avatar
cascade88
Historical Society Historian
Posts: 2195
Joined: 22 Jun 2009
Gender: Female
Location: Koholint island
Contact:

Post by cascade88 »

Did anyone understand the whole plot behind the high school? Or did they just throw in a bunch of teen drama in there because you are at a high school and they were running out of good ideas?
Dr. K: "I say, wanna screw someone up? Send them to highschool."

Everything fits in, if you pay attention to what he says in the end to Cheryl. He mentions "the missed school days, the abnormal sexuality"--it all had a reason for being there, however subtle.
Image
єเภ ןє๔єг єภﻮєl เรt รςђгєςкlเςђ
User avatar
angelofROOM302
Historical Society Historian
Posts: 3073
Joined: 08 Apr 2008
Gender: Female
Location: Wisconsin
Contact:

Post by angelofROOM302 »

^^Yeah but I mean with all that gossip stuff.
User avatar
SasaYamaoka
My Bestsellers Clerk
Posts: 344
Joined: 30 Jun 2009
Gender: Male
Location: Croatia
Contact:

Post by SasaYamaoka »

Story- great, f*ing great! Tottaly unexpected and on its own.
Gameplay- fun fun - fun fun fun - but i do dislike that its not scary AT ALL.
Puzzles- are puzzly
Graphics- Great ! Oooooo Great !!!!! The snow, the space, the town ...
atmosphere- Fantastic
Ingenuity- Kick ass fantastic!

...

(on PSP)
Image
User avatar
AuraTwilight
Historical Society Historian
Posts: 11390
Joined: 01 Aug 2006
Location: I'm here, and waiting for you
Contact:

Post by AuraTwilight »

why was there a brothel in Silent Hill? Of all places, Silent Hill.
So all the strip clubs and shit were fine, but a brothel is too far? you've played SH2.
I also didn't like how dang near sexually explicit themes were in the game. Silent Hill does NOT need boobs to be a good game. And I don't get why the game had to be so centered over that. With Silent Hill 2 it fit perfectly with the game, but I feel with this game Climax was trying to hard to have it make sense, but it was soo unnecessary. Seriously. How akward.
You don't see the relevance of the sex in this game. It's....kind've at the crux of Cheryl's complex and the tragedy of the Mason marriage.
I heard the game song a couple of times when I went through a couple of areas in a row. It's not supposed to be like that!
Says who?
I went back out into the woods and I don't remember music playing, but later in the game like in the High School I entered the Janitors room and heard the SAME EXACT SONG playing that I heard before in the woods. Talk about reuse of material.
Welcome to every other Silent Hill, ever.
^^Yeah but I mean with all that gossip stuff.
It's all shit Cheryl went through. Play the game again, or something.
[quote="BlackFire2"]I thought he meant the special powers of her vagina.[/quote]
User avatar
LittleRed
Just Passing Through
Posts: 72
Joined: 03 Mar 2009

Post by LittleRed »

I was pleasantly surprised.

I've only played the PS2 version, so I can't compare it to the Wii, but I thought the gameplay mechanics were transferred well onto the older console.
At first I was like "Bah, I bet I have this story all figured out, he probably killed his daughter, etc, etc." But the more I played, the more intriguing it was. Maybe I'm just not very perceptive, but the ending took me by surprise.

The attention to detail was great, I liked looking at everything. I even noticed cigarette butts on the ground in a few places. The ice world, instead of rust/blood/locked doors was refreshing.

As for cons, I felt it was too short, BUT it does have a lot of replay value for the endings/mementos/different character appearances. Personally, I would have liked to see less supporting characters, I never felt truly alone since I was always running into someone. This is a more personal preference for my own taste in Silent Hill atmosphere, and I can understand why there were so many other characters in this game, thematically.

Overall, a solid 8/10. Very fun and engaging, lots of interesting nooks, crannies, and nuances to explore, and an excellent addition to the dysfunctional Silent Hill family.
User avatar
BurningWitch
Just Passing Through
Posts: 122
Joined: 26 May 2009

Post by BurningWitch »

I actually agree with Sirea's initial review on page 1 or 2 almost exactly.

I agree with the plot being paper thin. Very predictable.

I do believe it has a bit of replay value, to try to change things up a bit, and the fact the game can be finished in about 3 hours is kind of disappointing, but makes it so replaying it many times doesn't take forever.

The controls I didn't have any problem with (PS2), and graphics (the least of my worries) weren't bad.

The game never made me scared or uneasy, but that's just me. I was never crazy about the ice theme, even when I first saw the trailer 6 months ago.

I don't know. It was alright for what it was, but pretty weak for a Silent Hill game.
User avatar
angelofROOM302
Historical Society Historian
Posts: 3073
Joined: 08 Apr 2008
Gender: Female
Location: Wisconsin
Contact:

Post by angelofROOM302 »

The music in the game was fucking reused way too much. It's fact! They may have done this in other Silent Hill games, but it was so darn noticeable in this game it drove me nuts. Way too repetitive.

And I'm not saying that a brothel was going too far, but brothels are extremely unusual. Maybe not to you.. but I've never heard of brothels. I know what it is, but sheesh I really guess there are not many out there in the world. So out of place in a town like Silent Hill, but I guess that's what the creators were going for. Creepy, out of place and unusual.

And so.. if the gossip was about Cheryl then I don't understand what the psychologist goes on talking about her having sexual frustrations.

You don't have to try and pick apart my opinion on the game, this is just my own review. Sorry everything about it was so perfect for you and not for me.

I don't think I will even play that game until at least a couple of years. I disliked it, a whole lot. :x
User avatar
cascade88
Historical Society Historian
Posts: 2195
Joined: 22 Jun 2009
Gender: Female
Location: Koholint island
Contact:

Post by cascade88 »

angelofROOM302 wrote:And so.. if the gossip was about Cheryl then I don't understand what the psychologist goes on talking about her having sexual frustrations.

You don't have to try and pick apart my opinion on the game, this is just my own review. Sorry everything about it was so perfect for you and not for me.

I don't think I will even play that game until at least a couple of years. I disliked it, a whole lot. :x
It's fine if you didn't like it, no one's saying you had to. d:

But one thing, Dr. K doesn't go on about sex that much, it just happens to be a mildly important theme in it. But hey, it was [somewhat] in SH2 as well [the feminimity of the mannequins, for one] and no one seems to mind entirely too much.

It was just like was stated, sex is death; to deny sex is to deny death; in other words, Cheryl keeps denying her father's death, and denying who he was, and it's fucking up her life. Her sexuality just happens to be a side effect of this, and he mentions it.
Image
єเภ ןє๔єг єภﻮєl เรt รςђгєςкlเςђ
User avatar
Ryoshockwave
Brookhaven Receptionist
Posts: 772
Joined: 17 Sep 2009
Gender: Female
Location: Portland, OR

Post by Ryoshockwave »

angelofROOM302 wrote:The music in the game was fucking reused way too much. It's fact! They may have done this in other Silent Hill games, but it was so darn noticeable in this game it drove me nuts. Way too repetitive.

The repetitive music would have been okay if it was actually good. If I didn't already know that the music was composed by Yamaoka, I would have been surprised. It was incredibly bland.

I agree with BurningWitch that the plot was very predictable. It was too obvious that there was no one in the car with Harry from the start of the game, and it was also pretty easy to figure out that Dr. K was most likely NOT talking to Harry. After thinking on it a bit, and unless you were thinking that Cheryl was dead or something, you will pretty much get that Dr. K was talking to her.

It didn't have much replay value for me, either, besides seeing some of the differences with cutscenes and dialogue, which would have been more interesting for me if I actually cared enough. But it's not like they could have given you any awesome unlockable weapons or anything, so oh well. At least the game had multiple endings.
User avatar
Kenji
Historical Society Historian
Posts: 5077
Joined: 19 Jul 2007

Post by Kenji »

Ryoshockwave wrote:unless you were thinking that Cheryl was dead or something, you will pretty much get that Dr. K was talking to her.
Actually, for about half of the game, I thought Dr. K was talking to an ephebophilic high school art teacher. It's not really a binary switch.
Image
Post Reply