So, here's the issue. I've been over at the Gamefaqs board discussing Shattered Memories with a lot of people. Now, naturally, we're not going to be interacting with the same kinds of people as we are on this forum, mainly because the people on this forum have dedicated so much of their time and such trying to decipher all of the hidden mysteries behind Silent Hill. (That's not to say that some of the Gamefaqs members haven't done the same, but you get what I mean)

As I'm talking to them I'm seeing comments like "This game is much better than SH2" or "This game is the best in the series!" or "This game has the best storyline!" and I'm wondering whether or not this could potentially be bad for the Silent Hill franchise as a whole. I'm sure many of you would agree that, regardless of whether or not Shattered Memories is a good game, it is decidedly different from previous Silent Hill games in both story and substance. Are you worried that a game like this could be hurtful to the franchise?

I'm going to vote yes, and here's why. I feel as though gamers have become much more simplistic in that they want everything spoon fed to them. Whereas, with the original SH games, the majority of the game remained unexplained and left up to the imagination and user created theories; This game tends to explain most of itself to you. I think, in reality, this is why some people would think that Shattered Memories is the better game, simply because the story is less convoluted.

At any rate, please let me know what you think!

The sheer amount of information available by simply typing "plot guide" into Google should seriously alleviate that. Besides, the only game that doesn't spell out the important details is the first game. The others are pretty good at telling you EVERYTHING (I'm looking at you, 3 and Homecoming.)

There are even members in this community that are saying that this game is the best since two and I think I trust them more than some Gamefaqtard.

I don't think a different style or story is going to kill the series. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Homecoming and Origins, while not bad, were kind of stale. We need a change, even if it is as drastic as you're making it sound.

I don't see how positive comments on a game within a series could be harmful to the series... bad logic is bad.

To say SM spoon-feeds anything to the player is ridiculous. I'm assuming you've completed the game based on what you've said, but browse the spoilers forum for the game and see how many people have differing opinions on what's real and what actually happens. Hell we're not even sure if the endings all happened or if only one of them is possible. There's plenty of unanswered questions with SM.

Conclusion: NO.

eh i don't know im not gonna vote yet because i haven't played shattered memories. But if the game is good it shouldn't really hurt silent hill but, if the game is too different then its not a silent hill game even if it is good. Think about resident evil 5.

from the little i've seen it's not ruining silent hill, more like the opposite it's giving a fresh view, and i guess improved.

Don't you mean 4?

Nah, I can see him meaning RE5. RE4, as different as it was from the traditional Resident Evil, still had more in common with the rest of the series than RE5 did. By the time we get to 5, it's a straight-up third-person shooter with virtually none of the exploration/adventure elements that were still in RE4.

That said, my problems with RE5 are entirely plot-based, namely the treatment of Wesker... I prefer the way I used to perceive him (as an unscrupulous man willing to go to any extreme for profit and advancement) to what RE5 turned him into (a Final Fantasy villain, complete with god complex and boss transformation).

Gameplay-wise, RE5 is probably my favorite, and I really like RE4.

That's where the comparison with Shattered Memories ends. SM does alter the gameplay formula drastically, but I feel the overall mood is preserved with respect to the series, especially the storyline. I feel it picks up where SH2 left off, so I'm rather happy with the result.

I also like how it plays to the strengths of games as a storytelling medium... in that respect, I'd put it up there with Team Ico's works, in that it's the playing of the game that tells the story more than the watching of the cutscene or reading of the text.

Incidentally, a convoluted story doesn't equal a deeper story.

LOL.

Mostly everyone on the Gamefaqs forum is retarded/asshole-ish in some way. That's why I stopped participating there when I wanted to talk Silent Hill to other fans-then I found this site

Silent Hill was killing itself through its unwavering formula. Origins and Homecoming were lackluster, and The Room, which tried to do something unique, collapsed under its own flaws.

Shattered Memories shakes things up, and does it well. It's in my opinion the only thing that can SAVE the series.

All great comments.

Let's go a bit further, then. For those of you who have played it, what exactly freshens up the formula for you?

For me, the fact that you do not encounter any enemies while exploring outside of the nightmare events is peculiar, and it is touched upon in many of the "professional" reviews. I mean, after all, isn't Silent Hill, at its core, supposed to be a scary game? If you can explore with your flashlight, that's all fun and everything, but if no monster is ever going to pop out at you, doesn't this kind of detract from the fear?

I did complete the game, and in all actuality I completed the game in just a few hours, it couldn't have been more than 4-5 at the most, and I'm not entirely sure it was that long. I was able to finish it quickly for two reasons. The first was that I feel like I was quite lucky navigating through the nightmare sequences and picking the right directions to go. The other reason I was able to finish it so quickly was because I was not, I guess, creeped out by the atmosphere. I knew there was no danger lurking around, and that I could run around the rooms without fear.

That's what worries me. I realize that Resident Evil got a rejuvenating boost to the series, but can there really be any argument that the new Resident Evil's retain any of that classic creepy feel? I mean, quite honestly, the game turned from survival horror to action adventure. I'm just worried that, in the end, we might lose everything that made Silent Hill unique.

I'm sure that the game could be re-invented in such a way as to stick closer to the key core elements, don't you think?

For me personally, I feel like the addition of monsters and perhaps tying the game a bit more into the original lore would have made this a giant success in my mind. I'm not saying it's a terrible game, but I really feel like the designers missed a few critical designs.

I don't think shattered memories is going to kill the serie. Even though I would have liked a more "standard" silent hill, it was a fresh and good addition.

To me, what make it different is the way the plot is going. Since there is no monsters in the "normal silent hill" and there's a lot of character interactions it felt like you're in a movie and you're allways advancing in the story.....but then the world become icy... but not for long, and then you're back in the story. I liked it but I still prefer the old formula...

There's also all the new gameplay elements witch I liked (phone, wii controls, etc.)

I'd say the series was already dieing on risk of getting stale, SM is simply the jolt of fresh life back into this classic series.

With ppl like us do you really think the series will die i mean its already a minority series and genre but has survived. We just have to be openminded especially with the departure of Akiria


I VOTE NO

The only thing killing the Silent Hill series is the idiotic fans.

Before i feel threatened by that comment i would like to ask for a little explanation into your comment mmy, Also what type of fan you are calling idiotic

I would say this is one of the best SH games only because I haven't truly enjoyed a Silent Hill game since SH3. It was refreshing to play a Silent Hill game that felt right.

The only bad thing I would say about the game is...

Don't click if you haven't played SM to the end!

[spoiler]This game feels like Silent Hill, but not the first one. It felt like SH2 (as if the part where you drop deep into the mind wasn't a dead giveaway).

This wasn't a story about the town's history and their cult. It was a story about coming to terms with repressed guilt for a loved one that died. Which is fine because I love SH2's plot about the subconscious. But SM was a re-imagining of the first game, not the second.

That's a very small complaint though considering I'm fully satisfied with how it turned out.[/spoiler]

[spoiler]The further Silent Hill gets away from the cult the better it will be for it.[/spoiler]

Shit, I agree with you!

I'll be honest: I voted "yes" but that was only because I can't play the game yet

Completely agree with Drew's spoiler. Thank God for that...we really don't need another storyline revolving around that, it's so damned tired.

Personally, I'm interested in playing the game, but I need a price drop first since I'm broke.

Jesus, generalisation much?

Personally I think some Silent Hill fans are sanctimonious, repetitive, stubborn and utterly up their own ass. Particularly when they use sweeping stereotypes.