Silent Hill

Silent Hill

Systems:

• PlayStation
• PlayStation Network
• Releases:
  • Original Release: 1999
  • PlayStation Network Release: 2009

Publisher:

• Konami

Developer:

• Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo

ESRB Rating:

• Mature (M)
• Reasoning:
  • Animated Blood and Gore
  • Animated Violence

Silent Hill is a horror game and the beginning of the popular Silent Hill game series. The protagonist, Harry Mason, is taking his daughter on vacation. However, before they reach their destination they are in a terrible car accident. He awakens from the accident to find his daughter missing somewhere in the town Silent Hill. As he desperately searches for her, the town slowly begins to descend into nightmares.

General Comments

This game has multiple endings based on gameplay; spoilers from these endings are in this review.

This review references Kaufmann's Sidequest multiple times. To read more about the sidequest click here and scroll down (link contains spoilers).

Animal Abuse

There are skinned dog enemies that will attack the Player Character. The player can choose whether or not to fight them.

A severed dog's head can be found in the game. The Player Character will comment on it if it is examined.

Animal Death

There are skinned dog enemies that will attack the Player Character and can be killed by the Player Character. The player can choose whether or not to fight them.

A severed dog's head can be found in the game. The Player Character will comment on it if it is examined.

Avians

First seen in the cafe area, there are pterodactyl-like enemies called Screamers that will swoop down to attack the Player Character. After the cafe area they tend not to be common until night falls in the game.

Blood

Blood is ever-present throughout the game and is found in most locations. It is also an unavoidable side effect of fighting enemies.

Blood is used to write messages throughout the game.

In Alchemilla Hospital the player is required to sue a blood pack for a puzzle.

After Lisa has her “I’m just like them” speech she begins to bleed heavily.

Body Horror

All the monsters in Silent Hill are horribly twisted. They are unavoidable.

In the first area after the sirens go off, the Player Character finds pieces of bodies strewn around the environment.

In the Good and Good+ endings {complete Kaufmann’s Sidequest) a demon graphically emerges from a woman’s back.

Canines

There are dog enemies throughout the game that will chase and attack the Player Character. They are only found outside. When they are near howling noises can be heard.

Claustrophobia

There are multiple narrow hallways and rooms throughout the game. Fixed camera angles are also used throughout to give a sense of claustrophobia.

In Midwich Elementary School, the Player Character must enter a small, enclosed clock tower. Fixed camera angles are used to make the space seem even smaller than it is.

On the 4th floor of Alchemilla Hospital doors are locked behind the Player Character so he cannot get out of hallways.

Darkness

Darkness is a major game mechanic. If the environment is not purely dark, then it is shrouded in fog. Enemies will appear suddenly out of the fog/darkness, and sometimes the player can hear an enemy but not see it.

Dead Bodies

The bodies of enemies do not disappear after they are killed.

Throughout the of the game pieces of dead bodies or whole dead bodies can be found in environments. In particular:

• There is a mutilated dead body hanging in a bathroom in the Otherworld Midwich Elemantary school. The camera lingers on it. In the Otherworld Version of the locker room of Midwich, a dead body falls out of a locker into the Player Character.

• The Player Character can go into the morgue at Alchemilla Hospital. The morgue only has health items, so it is not required to enter. Later in the game, however, the player is required to visit it.

Death of Family/Friends

It is revealed that the Player Character’s wife died before the events of the game.

At the end of the very first area it appears that the Player Character is murdered on screen. This is not actually the case.

Lisa is infected with a parasite dies towards the end of the game. She does not die on screen but the player hears her crying and then die.

In the Bad and Bad+ endings (don’t complete Kaufmann’s Sidquest, kill Cybil/don't complete Kaufmann’s Sidequest, save Cybil), Alessa and Cheryl both die.

In the Bad ending (don’t complete Kauffmann’s sidequest, don’t save Cybil), Harry dies.

In all endings Alessa will die.

Dehumanization

Alessa is arguably dehumanized by her mother into nothing more than an incubator for the cult’s god.

Depiction of Disaster

At the end of the game an earthquake happens as part of the town is supposedly destroyed. Fires break out and the room shakes violently and begins to fall apart.

==Dolls

There are child-sized enemies that are doll-like in nature that make baby cooing noises that will attack the Player Character in the first area and Midwitch Elementary School and beyond. The player can choose whether or not to fight them. These monsters do not exist in the Japanese and European versions.

Electrocution

There is a key in Nowhere that will electrocute the Player Character if he touches it. The game warns the player not to touch it beforehand.

The final boss always uses lightning to attack.

Emotional Abuse

It is revealed late in the the game that Alessa was abused by her mother. She verbally abuses Alessa on screen after the Flauros activates.

It is revealed late in the game that Alessa was emotionally abused by her classmates at school. They write her horrible messages on her desk.

Felines

In Midwich Elementary School, in the locker room, there is a locker that makes noise, if the locker is examined, a cat will jump out at the player character. The cat will not attack.

Fire

After the Player Character goes into the elevator at Midwich Elementary School, a body going up in flames is shown. The flames continue during the ensuing boss fight.

A puzzle requires the Player Character to set part of the floor on fire.

After the player examines the alter in the “other church” the alter will suddenly set on fire.

Lisa mentions a child dying in a fire.

In all endings fire falls from the sky after the boss fight.

At the end of the Good and Good+ endings (complete Kaufmann’s Sidequest), Alessa is engulfed in flames.

Forced Implantation

It is revealed late in the game that Alessa was forcibly impregnated with a god. She was impregnated supernaturally without physical sex.

Ghosts

In Midwich elementary school, there are small shadowy creatures that could be seen as ghosts. They do not attack. They appear later in the game in Nowhere and do attack.

A book in the Otherworld Midwich Elementary School mentions poltergeists attacking people. This can be avoided by not examining any of the books in the library.

An apparition of a young woman appears before the Player Character several times throughout the game. She could be seen as a ghost.

Gore

There are multiple graphically mutilated bides scattered around the game.

In the Good and Good+ endings {complete Kaufmann’s Sidequest) a demon graphically emerges from a woman’s back.

Graphic Violence

There are multiple graphically mutilated bides scattered around the game.

In the Good and Good+ endings {complete Kaufmann’s Sidequest) a demon graphically emerges from a woman’s back.

Guns

The first weapon received is a gun. The Player Character is required to use it at least once.

A shotgun can be found in Midwich Elementary School. It is not required to be used and the player doesn’t have to pick it up.

After the player enters Alchemilla Hospital the Player Character is attacked by a man with a gun.

The Puppet Cybil boss attacks with a gun.

Heights

The Player Character must run across a narrow board over a seemingly bottomless pit to retrieve the Key of Scarecrow. This is required to access another area in the game.

Multiple roads in town end in seemingly bottomless pits. There are invisible walls in front of these so the Player Character cannot fall in.

In Alchemilla Hospital the Player Character must walk over several narrow platforms over seemingly bottomless pits.

While running through the upper floor of the shopping mall, the floor will suddenly fall out from under the Player Character.

The Player Character must climb up an extremely tall lighthouse at the lake. The camera looks down to emphasize the height.

Insects

Giant cockroach enemies begin appearing during the Midwich Elementary School Otherworld level. They are common in the school and the sewers.

After the Player Character falls through the floor in the shopping mall a giant centipede enemy appears and attacks the Player Character. It must be fought.

Late in the game (after Lisa begs Harry to stay with her) there is a giant moth boss on top of the hospital roof.

There are giant insect enemies in the sewer level.

After defeating Cybil’s boss, an insect-like parasite comes out of her back.

Jump Scares

The game purposefully creates an atmosphere of tension similar to waiting for a jump scare. There are also several actual jump scares in the game:

• After meeting Cybil a monster jumps through a window suddenly.
• In Midwich Elementary School, in the locker room, there is a locker that makes noise, if the locker is examined, a cat will jump out at the player character. The cat will not attack.
• In the Otherworld version of the locker room from above the same locker will make noise. If examined the locker will slowly open and it seems empty. After the Player Character walks away, a dead body will very suddenly fall out of a different locker. This sequence is required to get a key.
• Whenever the player picks up a plate in Alchemilla Hospital a loud noise is suddenly heard. This is also true of the hospital basement.
• In the shopping mall the televisions suddenly turn on by themselves.
• While running through the upper floor of the shopping mall, the floor will suddenly fall out from under the Player Character.
• The sewer level has enemies suddenly jump out of the water.
• After using the Ring of contract in Nowhere, something will begin banging against the doors.

Kidnapping

It is revealed in the game that Silent Hill's cult purposefully lured Harry and his daughter to Silent Hill to kidnap her.

Medical Malpractice

It is revealed in the game that the doctors at Alchemilla Hospital purposefully keep Alessa in a state of pain and don't try to heal her.

Mind Control

Puppet Nurses and Puppet Doctors in Alchemilla Hospital are mind-controlled by parasites.

Cybil is mind-controlled by a parasite late in the game. The player must fight her as a boss and can choose to murder her or save her.

Later Lisa is controlled by these same parasites.

Murder

At the end of the very first area it appears that the Player Character is murdered on screen. This is not actually the case.

The Puppet Nurses and Puppet Doctors in Alchemilla Hospital are human. Killing them constitutes murder. The player can choose to fight them or just run away.

It is implied during the Kaufmann sidequest that Kaufmann has been murdering people who threaten his drug trafficking. This can be avoided by not doing the Kaufmann Sidequest. However, not doing this sidequest bars the player from getting the Good+ or Good ending.

The player can choose whether to murder or save Cybil after her boss fight.

Dahlia is murdered at the end of the game.

In the Bad and Bad+ endings (i.e. if the player fights a woman in white robes as the final boss), the Player Character must murder Alessa and Cheryl.

In the Good and Good+ endings (complete Kaufmann’s Sidequest), Kaufmann is murdered.

Mutilation

In the first area after the sirens go off, the Player Character a mutilated body hanging from a fence.

There is a mutilated dead body hanging in a bathroom in the Otherworld Midwitch Elementary school. The camera lingers on it.

In the Good and Good+ endings {complete Kaufmann’s Sidequest) a demon graphically emerges from a woman’s back.

Parental Abandonment

It is revealed late in the game that Harry’s daughter Cheryl was abandoned on the side of a highway by her real parents.

Physical Abuse

It is implied via notes found throughout the game that Alessa was abused by her mother.

It is revealed late in the game that Alessa’s mother purposefully burned her alive. This is not shown on screen.

Psychological Horror

This game is considered a cornerstone to the psychological horror genre. It is meant to inspire paranoia and fear.

Reptiles

The Air Screamer enemies resemble pterodactyls. They are extremely common.

The Split Head boss in Midwitch Elementary School resembles a lizard.

There are giant lizard enemies in the sewer level.

Self Harm

A note found in the Nurse Center in Alchemilla Hospital references cutting one’s wrists. This can be avoided by not reading notes in the Nurses Center. However, this note may be used to complete a puzzle, so a walkthrough should be consulted.

Sexual Assault

It is revealed late in the game that Alessa was forcibly impregnated with a god. She was impregnated supernaturally without physical sex.

Substance Abuse

Kaufmann is revealed to be selling the fictional drug PTV. The Player Character finds his stash in the Indian Runner store but leaves it alone. This can be avoided by not doing the Kaufmann Sidequest. However, not doing this sidequest bars the player from getting the Good+ or Good ending.

It is revealed after Lisa’s “I’m just like them” speech that Lisa is a drug addict. She details the effects of her withdrawal in her diary. This can be avoided by not going back into the room after Lisa’s “I'm just like them” speech.

No drugs are used on screen.

Supernatural Evil

The monsters in the game qualify as this. They all look demonic.

Dahlia talks about a demon taking over the town.

The town itself is implied via books and dialogue throughout the game to be cursed by evil gods. Thus, the town itself could be considered the product of a supernatural evil.

The Player Character must confront and fight a summoned demon as the final boss. If the player has completed Kaufmann’s Sidequest then the boss will look demonic.

Unreality

After meeting Lisa the Player Character suddenly passes out. He awakens in a different part of the hospital unsure if his journey and Lisa were a dream. Later on, the Player Character will pass out again and awaken in Alchemilla Hospital with Lisa. Lisa will tell the Player Character that he never left and has been with her the whole time and has only been dreaming. Then Harry will appear in a completely different area, unsure if he was really with Lisa or not. This happens multiple times in the game.

Harry questions throughout the game whether or not Lisa and the Otherworld are hallucinations.

There are sudden shifts in environments throughout the game. The player is never sure if they are viewing the real world or the Otherworld.

After Alessa is taken away by Dahlia, Harry appears in a place called Nowhere that is confusing and has several different previous environments crammed into one, forcing a sense of déjà vu.

In the Bad ending (don’t complete Kauffmann’s sidequest, don’t save Cybil) it is revealed that the events of the game were a hallucination of Harry’s while he was dying from the car accident. This is not considered the “cannon” ending of the game.

Vehicular Trauma

The beginning of the game shows the Player Character driving. A person comes out on the road and the Player Character swerves to avoid them. This results in a car crash. The crash is not shown but it is heard over a black screen. The Player Character is apparently knocked out by the crash and awakens in the ruined car.

Verbal Abuse

It is revealed that Alessa's mother was verbally abusive to her throughout her childhood. One instance of this is portrayed on screen.

Violence Against Children

The Player Character’s daughter is missing from the beginning of the game on and is presumed to be in danger. Several characters state that she may have already been killed by the town's monsters.

There are child-sized enemies that make baby cooing noises that will attack the Player Character in the first area and Midwitch Elementary School and beyond. The player can choose whether or not to fight them. These monsters do not exist in the Japanese and European versions.

Lisa mentions a child dying in a fire.

It is revealed late in the game that Alessa was physically abused by her mother.

It is revealed late in the game that Alessa’s mother purposefully burned her alive when she was a child.

Vomiting

Lisa references vomiting in her diary. This can be avoided by not going back into the room after Lisa’s “I'm just like them” speech.

Weapons

The Player Character picks up a variety of weapons to defend himself.

The Grey Child enemies starting in Midwich Elementary School attack with knives. They do not exist in the Japanese and European versions of the game.

The Puppet Doctors and Nurses attack with knives.

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