Okay, I guess I'll try to sort out my thoughts so far. Uh, LakeEarth and anyone else playing it don't read these spoilers.
You're onto things, that's for sure. Keep following the story with that sort of thinking and you should really appreciate it even more. Where exactly are you in the game at this point?
It's wonderful hearing about the game again. I can't help but feel a bit nostalgic when I think about it.
Silent Hill 2 and ICO were released on the same day and that day was one of the best gaming moments I can recall. 2001 is one of my favorite gaming years. I mean, we started off the year a bit slow, but ended up with Twisted Metal Black, Sonic Adventure 2, Klonoa 2, GT3, Silent Hill 2, ICO, Metal Gear Solid 2, Final Fantasy X, Halo, Devil May Cry, ZOE, and more! So many incredible games...
A bit off-topic, but what was the general consensus on Siren in these parts? Worth picking up?
It depends on how easily frustrated you become. The game is flat out difficult. Basically, the story is pieced together kinda like Pulp Fiction in that you piece the story together from bits that have taken place during and around 3 specific days. You switch between a number of characters and days and have to piece the story together through your actions. When actually in game, you'll find that you are generally given a simple goal, but reaching that goal requires some thinking.
The areas you explore are typically filled with enemies. You can sight jack these enemies in order to gain information on their location. This essentially allows you to see through their own eyes and provides a method of learning what they might be doing (and you can assign the viewpoints of 4 different enemies to shortcut buttons). I found that sight jacking both adds and detracts from the sense of fear. In some cases, knowing the locations of all enemies removes some of the tension (though, in the darkness, you can't easily see them all with your own eyes), but there are other times where you'll take a look at an enemy only to see your character right before your eyes as the enemy moves in for an attack you weren't prepared for.
What makes the game so difficult is that you are forced to solve puzzles in an EXTREMELY dangerous environment. For one, the enemy AI is incredibly intense and can go anywhere you can. They are also very powerful and can kill you rather quickly with certain weapons. So, in order to survive, you must be very cautious when approaching a situation. If you are sneaking through an old school, for example, you can't just run up and down the halls trying doors and such like Silent Hill. You'll actually need to hide in various rooms and really sneak through the areas while trying to distract the enemies. It can be pretty intense at times. It should also be noted that you aren't really able to flat out kill the enemies. The crimson rain will revive them over time and they will be back in action...
The puzzles you are forced to solve are not necessarily simple either, and they are made much more difficult by the fact that you can't simply run around an area trying out various solutions. You better come up with a gameplan before you actually start running around solving things.
What really ends up making Siren even more challenging is the fact that death will result in you restarting whichever section you were working on. This is why you need patience. You are in a world where you could die very quickly and you must approach most situations carefully. It's pretty intense at times and the story is very cool and, with that in mind, I'd recommend trying it out. There are some really good ideas in the game and it is topped off with some great atmosphere. It was also directed by one of the original creators of Silent Hill. Just keep in mind that it is VERY difficult. This is TRUE survival horror here...
If you play Silent Hill 1, 3, and 4, you'll know that it is caused by
