Konami reflects on Shattered Memories

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

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Yuki
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Post by Yuki »

Szyxis wrote:Okay where in SH2 does it reference Harry? If it does I'm forgetting something. And yes, I know they originally said that but who's to say that was what everyone wanted it to be...maybe at that time they wanted alt universe and then decided it would be more fun to have it ambiguous. These are human beings we're dealing with here...they change their minds, they make mistakes...this stuff doesn't just materialize out of thin air, and I think it's kinda lame to rag on the devs despite all their hard work and not really recognize them for it.

First off: we're not ragging on them at all; we're recognizing that they made a very successful game. What we're saying is that their initial statements, not to mention a lot of evidence from the game itself, show that the game is in a completely separate universe from Silent Hill 1. After they stated that, some fans were furious, and so they changed their tune to "If you want to find connections, you can"... which to me sounds like "It's not connected but we left stuff in there as homages that you can read as connections", despite there being major contradictions.


Aura can probably help more with the connections to SH1 from SH2, but we know from the Book of Lost Memories that had Alessa never been burned, people would never have been drawn to Silent Hill. Specifically, in this instance, I mean James. Had Alessa not been burned, chances are that the town would remain dormant with occasional supernatural blips, and James would not have gone to find "Mary". Also, SH2 mentions Walter Sullivan, who is Henry's enemy in SH4; in SH4, we have... I don't remember who, but either Dahlia or Claudia are mentioned, which further links it. Silent Hill 1-4, Origins, and Homecoming are part of the original universe; they all add to the mythos of the town, and were indirectly caused by the Order (and their burning of Alessa). Shattered Memories, on the other hand, can be read as completely non-supernatural; there is no mention of Alessa, no mention of cults, and several major facts (including Cheryl's residence) are changed.
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Post by Dogg Thang »

Unfortunately, I'm not sure the Book of Lost Memories is a great way to prove a point because it's outside the games. An official source of course, but so is the more recent topic of this discussion - Hulett's interview that states clearly 'there is no canon'.

But, really, it's very hard to see Shattered Memories as anything other than a completely different existence. The parallels of Harry's journey certainly provide much fuel for some fun speculation but it seems pretty much impossible to me to reconcile the two. Nevertheless, Tomm Hulett is about as official a source as there is right now.

And I think you're right in your interpretation of what happened with the 'is SM canon or not' question.
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Szyxis
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Post by Szyxis »

Yuki, there were a few things there I didn't realize at first as I haven't had the chance to play SM yet...didn't know there was no mention of Alessa. However that still doesn't change my opinion.

I know about all of those connections between the games, but that's like saying that Seinfeld and Law & Order are related based on the fact that they both take place in New York and feature Rudy Giuliani in an episode or two. I do see what you mean though, they're definitely connected, but I wouldn't consider that a continuous storyline...the characters aren't really related other than through coincidence.

Dogg who's interpretation are you referring to?
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Post by AuraTwilight »

Okay where in SH2 does it reference Harry? If it does I'm forgetting something.
Well, for one thing, James can find Alessa's cockroaches and some of the symbols she drew around town. Secondly, SH3 references James and Maria, and possibly Angela.

Not only that, but James reads about Walter Sullivan,and Walter met Dahlia, and was apparently intended to be used in conjunction or as back-up to Alessa in her ritual. Walter also has Valtiel, the figure from SH3, inside his mind.

So through this, all four of the first games are linked, factually and canonically.
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Post by Kenji »

Don't forget Frank Sunderland, he's integral to "The Six Degrees of Harry Mason."

Ignoring the statements of Lost Memories, it was SH4 that established concrete connections between SH1 and SH2. The references in SH2 were easy to miss and the stuff in SH3 could be written off as easter eggs: it was SH4 that did it plainly and seriously.
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Post by Dogg Thang »

Szyxis wrote:Dogg who's interpretation are you referring to?
I meant Yuki's interpretation of the announcement that SM wasn't canon and the subsequent backtracking.
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Yuki
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Post by Yuki »

Unfortunately, I'm not sure the Book of Lost Memories is a great way to prove a point because it's outside the games. An official source of course, but so is the more recent topic of this discussion - Hulett's interview that states clearly 'there is no canon'.
I would disagree with this, to a point. I think the Book of Lost Memories works for SH1-3, and blends well with the later SH4, Origins, and SH5. I honestly believe that Hulett's "there is no canon!" is bullshit, because we already know through the games themselves that the first four and Origins are definitely connected.
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