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[Sadist]

If all goes well, my copy will finally arrive this Thursday.

Yay Europe. >_>

 

[hellclerk]

Oi, Euro-land, the game is coming out there today. BUY IT.

Here, have an ONM review - 86/100

Silent Hill: Shattered Memories is one of the most original, well-designed and detailed games we've ever played on the Wii. The controls are sublime, the plot is engrossing and the soundtrack is first class. It's just a shame it's all over so quickly.

http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/article.php?id=15395

 

[Mafro]

My copy arrive this morning. Played it for around two hours so far and it's really good. I love using the torchlight with the Wii remote, and the lighting effects are fantastic.

Got lost during one of the chase sections, and spent around ten minutes going round in circles with those things after me :lol

 

[Sadist]

Now it says it won't arrive till tomorrow. FFS, Wii games and their distribution here in Europe is just pathetic. The official release of this game is actually the 4th of March.

 

[Dascu]

Huh, release today? But my pre-order from Zavvi won't ship until next week. Bollocks.

Edit: Nevermind that, they've shipped my copy. Yay!

 

[Tab0203]

Finally. Got it this morning.

 

[Sadist]

Oh man, they have the PSP and PS2 versions, but no Wii version in sight :lol

 

[hellclerk]

Oh man, they have the PSP and PS2 versions, but no Wii version in sight :lol

Didn't Konami say that they were going to market the game in Europe?

 

[CaVaYeRo]

Well, this must-have went out last Thursday here. We got to follow some readers questions to Sam Barlow, writer and lead designer for Climax. The response has been pretty deep and interesting:

“I can't think of a game that has done something so "post-modern", in this way, before. Taking a previous title and reacting to it, producing a unique take on it -- in the way that in movies and TV you have, say, Cronenberg's The Fly or the recent Battlestar Galactica”

“[For the cover track] he choose Brenda Lee's "Always on my Mind". So now Akira has joined the list of classic artists who have performed this track, alongside Elvis, Willy Nelson and the Pet Shop Boys.”

“The Vitality sensor sounds like a fun item -- it sounds like Nintendo are going to push it as a relaxation aid, so it would be fun to flip that and us it to unsettle and disturb the users!”

“Myself and the Game Director both had therapy sessions as research for the game, and we also spoke to academics who were performing research in psychometrics and tracking people's gaze”

“perhaps it is the "hardcore gamers", who are used to having weapons, to more typical level designs and tactics, who found this [nightmare-escape escenes] the most difficult”

“A major goal throughout was that "the player has to make it to the end", otherwise all of our efforts are in vain. Much of our "streamlining" was to try and ensure as many people as possible saw the whole experience. And yes, like any rich work, it supports and benefits from replay. We all like to watch our favourite movies again and again.”

“'ve seen a lot of people who responded very emotionally to the game -- crying; people who finished playing the game and went out and made changes to their lives as a response to the game's exploration of its themes and the way it does so in such an involving, personal and emotional way.”

“originally, we had infrequent weapons that Harry could find in the Nightmares and use as a 'weapon of last resort' -- knives, etc. However, players were so hard-wired in to how to play a horror game that they invariably went "on the attack" as soon as they got one of these weapons”

Complete interview (pages 4-6)

 

[Dascu]

Well, this must-have went out last Thursday here. We got to follow some readers questions to Sam Barlow, writer and lead designer for Climax. The response has been pretty deep and interesting:



Complete interview (pages 4-6)

Does this interview have any spoilers?

 

[TheJollyCorner]

bear with my long post here. It's been a while since I've written this much about a game.



Silent Hill: Shattered Memories really surprised me. In fact, I’d say it has surprised me more so than any other game in recent memory and especially in the SH series.

Let me start by saying this is the first Silent Hill I didn’t buy Day 1 (not including the GameBoy Advance Play Novel from ’99, of course). I went into it with almost complete apathy- renting it on a weekend where I literally had nothing else to do and my eyes glanced over it at the video store. The whole idea of my indifference to such an important series for me was depressing… and this game, if nothing else, looked to be the final nail in the coffin. News had just hit about a month ago that Akira Yamaoka was quitting Konami and going freelance. Sure, that’s not quite as apocalyptic as it initially sounds (he can contribute to SH- just make more money)- but it still brings up the reality that the man might want to move on with his career. Silent Hill without Yamaoka is pretty damn disheartening to me.

So here we have Shattered Memories- a game that, at least on the surface, made me wonder what Konami was thinking. A ‘remake’ of the original when the series is getting desperate for some new life? I just wasn’t looking forward to this. Maybe it was the negative feedback on message boards I continuously saw? Mediocre review scores? Serious lack of hype/enthusiasm/advertising from Konami? The delays? My own bitter belief that Konami has essentially abandoned the series and figured they’d try to take advantage of the Wii-craze with just one more game by little ole’ CLIMAX?



None of those things mattered once I sunk my teeth in this game.



I am a believer now… and, given the opportunity, I would shake the hands of the creative team at CLIMAX for (most of) the things they did with this.

Now, I won’t deny that this game is definitely a ‘love it/hate it’ affair- actually reminds me SH4 in those regards- but I’m mostly surprised at the level that I legitimately love this game. What it does, IMO, is something not even SH3 & SH4 could do, though- it made good on its overall potential. Unlike Team Silent in 2002-2004, Team Climax went into this knowing exactly what they wanted to do and they did it (see some of the postmortem interviews regarding SH3 and 4 for reference). If I’m wrong, they did a brilliant job in making me believe this was an extremely concentrated effort.



I’m going to start breaking things down here:



-Motion Control. I really liked it. It’s one of the few games with these gimmicky controls that actually felt more functional/tangible and less tricky & tacked on. Something as simple as unlatching a door lock brought me further into the game just enough to make an impact without getting annoying. I really can’t imagine how much is lost in the PS2/PSP versions without this.

Now to the negative- I don’t know if this is just a Wii problem or a problem with my set-up- but sometimes in the chase sequences the motion control would be completely non-responsive. For example, I’d escape a creature, but then the sensors would be all jacked up and it couldn’t determine the placement of my controller. It ended up getting me to take more damage (even get killed) than I felt I should have. I finally figured out I had to pause the game sometimes so the sensors could re-establish connection to my controller… but even that would still damage the flow of the chases. There were also some motion control frustrations in the struggles with the creatures, but I’ll touch on that later.



-Gameplay Changes/Additions. Shattered Memories does a lot of things different- and I can see how people wouldn’t like these changes. I not only appreciated them, but also enjoyed them. For one thing, the game is very ‘exploration’ heavy. Even though Silent Hill is very linear this time around, I found there was a lot to look at/discover. I also really liked that when you were exploring you didn’t have to worry about annoying monsters and a ‘too-fancy-for-its-own-good’ combat system (*ahem* Homecoming…). For me, this made things much more moody and desolate. Yeah, for those living under a rock for a year, there is no combat in this game- and you know what? I didn’t miss it. I also thought the use of the iPhone-like cell phone was brilliant. It’s functional, coordinates with puzzles, and opens things WAY up for creepy situations. There’s another (kind of) new gameplay mechanic (first-person sequences) that’s worth talking about- but I’m giving it a whole separate category here in a bit.

The one big thing I didn’t like? I wasn’t a big fan of the new map system- especially in the chase sequences. I consider the map navigation in the SH series some of the best in the business, but this one just didn’t gel with me. Although the idea of ‘drawing’ your path was neat, it really never helped me.



-Graphics/Presentation. You know, for a Wii game this is a pretty damn good looking game. The character models, although not quite up to SH3/4 standards, kill the models in Homecoming. There are some rough textures here and there, but nothing detracted me from the overall atmosphere. Effects like the snow fall and lighting are great. Even completely normal (albeit abandoned) locations still manage to have that SH feeling to them that Homecoming was missing. Voice acting in the cutscenes is great- and the cutscenes in general are directed very well. Not much else to say. Transition from normal-to-nightmare SH is awesome if you can appreciate the change- but it’s not nearly as technically impressive as changing to ‘steel-and-rust’ from SH1, 3, and especially Homecoming. CLIMAX did an awesome job on the PSP with Origins- and Shattered Memories is easily one of the best looking Wii games I’ve seen. Let’s put it this way- I’ve been playing some great looking PS3/360 games recently and Shattered Memories’ graphical downgrade was in no way a distraction.



-Music. I don’t know if he’s just losing interest, but Yamaoka has seemed a lot more down-key since SH4. Maybe that’s a good thing? Both his soundtracks for CLIMAX’s SH games have been very effective. Maybe not as unique as SH1 or as memorable as SH2 and 3, but it sets the mood. I’ve also appreciated him moving a little further away from his trip-hop fascination that began to take over with SH3.

Again, nothing too fancy, but everything works. I especially love two of the most common songs you hear while exploring (the one that sounds like something from Carpenter out of Halloween and the one with the echoey guitar). The use of Yamaoka's cover of You Were Always on My Mind in the

Spoiler

high school gym scene
was awesome.

Definitely one of my favorite scenes- mostly due to the lonely, dreamlike feel to it.



-Chase Scenes/SH Nightmare. This is what will really divide people, I’m sure… and I have to imagine I’m in the minority when I say I applaud the overall idea- which is that of complete and utter vulnerability. It’s amazing how much difference it makes when you remove a weapon from the equation. First of all, let me say I had my share of frustrations in the beginning- mostly stemming from, again, non-responsiveness from the Wiimote. I had a hell of a time getting the ‘side-shake’ down when a creature grabs you from the side… and that surprised me, since getting creatures off from the front and the back is so easy. For those of you confused, this is how ‘nightmare Silent Hill’ plays out. Instead of sirens and the world around you turning to bloody, rusty steel, everything begins getting covered in a deep freeze. Once this happens, you better put your running shoes on- because it’s all you’ll be doing until the nightmare ends. Admittedly, it becomes more of a routine than genuine fear the more you do it- more of a slightly-annoying break in an otherwise brilliantly moody game. I absolutely hated it the first few times- but once I really got the swinging motions down, learned to completely shut my flashlight off, use the flares wisely, use obstacles to slow the creatures down, and really pay attention to where I was going & where I had been, it didn’t bother me anymore. Oh- and don’t waste any time in any ‘hiding’ space you come across. They don’t give you any advantage. It might make you feel safe for a minute, but the creatures will find you. It’s best just to RUN RUN RUN until you find the exit.

One problem I had is they really don’t give you a tutorial run to get use to nuances like, for example, the flare and its importance. You will accidentally stumble across one, get a little window telling you what it does, and that’s it. There really isn’t a difficulty change from the first chase scene to the last one, so that opens the door to get really frustrated in the beginning- but by the end it’s so easy (due to repetition) that it’s merely an obstacle. The first nightmare should have been designed to help the player really get use to the controls. Despite all that, it is freaky at times- especially knowing that these things are always actively searching you out. The creatures also change forms depending on your psyche profile, which I’ll get into in a minute. Overall- I like the concept. I like not worrying about health items and ammo and breakable weapons. Hell, if I were Harry I’d be running my ass off, too (although there were a few times in my frustration I would have liked nothing more than a pipe to beat the shit out of those little bastards! :lol)



-The Characters/Overall ‘Remake’ Idea. So yeah… ‘remake’, it turns out, is not an accurate description of what CLIMAX was trying to do here. This would definitely be in the ‘Reimagining’ category. All of the characters from the original are in this, with the exception of

Spoiler

Alessa

and although they all share basic similarities with the original versions, they are all very much different. There are even a couple all new characters. The next part might be considered spoiler material to some, so I’ll do the safe thing and tag it:

Spoiler

With the exception of Harry and Cheryl, none of the characters are particularly that important. Their roles are much more in line with the way secondary characters in SH3 were handled… but even that isn’t a great comparison. Some characters have tremendous levels of importance when you hit the end of the game- other characters, like Lisa, I’m still trying to figure out why they were there at all.

It was pretty fun seeing new spins on these characters… and even more fun seeing what direction they were going to go in.

For me, the absolute best thing about Shattered Memories is that it completely strips away the cult-oriented theme of the original. Completely. I read interviews of the Homecoming designers over at Double Helix claiming they wanted to try to adopt SH2’s style of storytelling more. What CLIMAX is able to do with Shattered Memories makes Homecoming’s attempt laughable, IMO. This is absolutely one of the most emotionally painful and moving stories I’ve experienced in a game since Rule of Rose… and I put that second only to SH2. Much like RoR and SH2, you really don’t feel the full extent of the writers intentions until the very end.

This is just completely different than SH1. I still appreciate SH1 and have great memories of my first playthrough in April 1999… but Shattered Memories has changed the way I’ll look at these characters- and, especially with Harry Mason, for the better. One character, in particular, was redesigned masterfully… and his ‘gameplay’ additions are a stroke of genius…



-Dr. Kaufmann. ...which leads me to the good Doctor. Kaufmann breaks up each ‘chapter’ with first-person segments where you are sitting in his office. He gives you various psych tests, but also gauges decisions you make from chapter to chapter to better understand your psychological profile. It’s fascinating… and the way you respond to things/deal with tests directly changes the game. As you progress through the game, these ‘sessions’ also serve as a break from the mindfuck of Silent Hill- but Kaufmann doesn’t like to tap dance around things. I started to get the idea that he was enjoying jabbing me regarding certain issues. These parts were still very surreal, accompanied by some classic droning-ambient Yamaoka music.



-The Game Plays You. The warning at the beginning was pretty accurate to me. The game plays you as much as you play it (MGS4 jokes aside). Everything from the appearance of characters, to enemies, to pathways you can take… hell, even Harry’s house… changes based on the decisions you make (i.e. the things you actively look at, the responses to the psych tests you take, etc.). It’s fascinating. When I read about it months ago I figured it would be some gimmick… and although some might still consider it that, it’s a really neat addition and a breath of fresh air. I instantly wanted to replay just to see how things can change- but as I've come to learn with the best SH's, your original playthrough is usually the most pure/most accurate.

-Story. I've already touched on some of the story while talking about the characters, but based on my reaction to the overall story during and afterwords, I can easily place this as my second favorite in the series. Having a daughter now really changes things- and it hit home pretty significantly. The 'twist'... oh man the 'twist'. What can I say? It might be one of the best twists in a game. Much like in SH2, my jaw dropped and I just stared at the screen. Even more-so than SH2, I wanted to replay so certain things would make more sense. Things begin to piece together at the final moments of the game. Unlike Homecoming, where they really tried too hard with the twist, this one is just awesome and creative.

Spoiler

What I took from it was the basic idea being that Shattered Memories is all about Cheryl talking to Kaufmann, coming to grips with her father's death in the car accident 12 years prior and how it shaped her life. The first-person Kaufmann scenes being you as Cheryl just blew my nuts off... especially in the ending I got where you see Harry walk through the door in the background while in first person. I was like "Uhhhhh... wha... HUH?" Seeing him kneel down in front of her and just disappear when Kaufmann says (paraphrase) "It's time for you to let him go, Cheryl..." made me almost fucking lose it. I instantly thought back to the start screen- an old home movie of Harry taking Cheryl to the Lakeside Amusement park on a sunny afternoon, hearing in her little voice how much she loves her daddy (which, hearing it from my own daughter in her complete purity, is the most beautiful thing I've ever heard). The game subtly created, IMO, an extremely deep character in Cheryl- and that depth is found in putting the pieces together. The pictures that you collect that relate to her- in high school, in the after school jobs, in the things she loves that you don't even realize because (for the most part) you don't even really know whose memories you are experiencing. You are just a father looking for his little daughter, running across seemingly random, fucked up memories of other people along the way... or so you are lead to believe.
I loved that Dahlia was Harry's wife- and you run into her in her teenage form (when Harry met her and fell in love with her/banged her presumably, whichever psychological path the game takes you, I imagine) and later in her strung-out widowed form. The whole story, like SH2, was just tremendously bitter-sweet by the end. I'm still not sure where Lisa, Michelle, and Cybil fit in... but that's for later playthroughs, I guess. Yamaoka's 'Acceptance' was a wonderful end credit song after all that.

Overall this was such a great experience. I started it when we had our own dumping of snow and ice- so the atmosphere in reality was perfect. I'm just amazed how well CLIMAX got the mood/atmosphere right. There are little elements that the Japanese team did that CLIMAX follows with- and after Shattered Memories, to me there is a HUGE difference between this and Homecoming as far as non-Japanese developers 'getting' Silent Hill.

I know you will whole-heartily disagree, Shidoshi.


Any SH fan owes it to themselves to at least give it a shot. Again, I have no idea how good/bad the PS2 and PSP versions are, but this really be experienced on the Wii.

CLIMAX says if this does well enough Konami will give them another shot. I hope sincerely that this happens. They've earned my respect... and my future money. I'd love to see them try something new again.

 

[MYE]

Finally. Got it this morning.

What, its out?

 

[beje]

What, its out?

It's out in Spain as well, there was a lot of people buying it yesterday

 

[Dascu]

What, its out?

Didn't you see all the ads?

 

[Sadist]

Saw it in Germany today. Allong with Sky Crawlers.

 

[CaVaYeRo]

Does this interview have any spoilers?

No

 

[Mafro]

Didn't you see all the ads?

:lol

This is actually keeping me form playing more of Heavy Rain. How long is it, roughly?

 

[Hellsing321]

:lol

This is actually keeping me form playing more of Heavy Rain. How long is it, roughly?

Probably 6-8 hours.

 

[MiniDitka]

Any SH fan owes it to themselves to at least give it a shot. Again, I have no idea how good/bad the PS2 and PSP versions are, but this really be experienced on the Wii.

They did a good job with the PS2 version, the graphics aren't as good and its not as immerse due to the controls but its still a very good game.

Contains potential spoilers.

Wii/PS2 comparison video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3npcgujs5EY

Ice-world comparison - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bj9ZR6G1zk4

Ice-world transition comparison - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFADEne_wfU

 

[evangd007]

Spoiler

I'm still not sure where Lisa, Michelle, and Cybil fit in... but that's for later playthroughs, I guess.

Spoiler

With regards to the 3 women, this is what I came up with:
Cybil: The "straight man" so to speak, representative of Kaufman trying to pry Cheryl away from her fantasy. It was no mistake that she was the one to break the news to Harry that he was dead, and once she "solved the case" her role in the story was complete, so she "retired."
Michelle: This was a tough one. On one hand the break-up between her and John seemed like it was referring to what happened with Harry and Dahlia's split. On the other she also seemed like a projection of Cheryl as well, what with the whole "I like guys who are like my dad" thing (there are undeniable underlying Elektra complex themes, both with Michelle and the memory of Cheryl's affair with her teacher). Taking both of these interpretations I can't really nail down a singular role for her.
Lisa: Given her brief appearance, she just seems like a random event, but I believe the interaction with her is representative of Cheryl's view of her father as a hero (helping her home, getting the pills, etc).

CLIMAX says if this does well enough Konami will give them another shot. I hope sincerely that this happens. They've earned my respect... and my future money. I'd love to see them try something new again.

What would like to see them do next? Something completely original or perhaps an examination of Mr. Sunderland?

 

[SlipperySlope]

Congrats Europeans on getting the game. Hope you guys liked it as much as me. I'm going to do play through #5 today. And #6 next weekend.

 

[mantidor]

Finished! I love everything and the twist caught me, it was awesome!

I got the wicked and Weak ending, which I don't know what says about me :lol I tried to answer everything as close as I would answer them in real life. As much as I want to replay, making up answers doesn't seem much fun, I'll try to convince everyone I know to play it, this is one of those few games I would enjoy seeing with someone else playing.

 

[TheDrowningMan]

I finished Heavy Rain on friday and this yesterday.

I enjoyed both greatly, but - I think - this might just edge out Quantic Dream's wonderful PS3 effort. The story and the pay-off is so beautiful and I think it may even take over from Silent Hill 2 in terms of which has had the most personal impact. Being a Dad myself made it all the more poignant. The ending I got was

Spoiler

Love Lost (Divorce)

.

 

[tiddles]

Finally. Got it this morning.

awesome cover!

 

[farnham]

ah gotta get this now!!!

 

[GC|Simon]

I'm through it! Fantastic game with a "Oh my God"-ending. More about my ending:

Spoiler

I ended up in Dr. Kaufmann's office and I realized that I wasn't playing Harry in those sequences. Then Harry turned to ice and the all was over. Additionally I saw some video tapes. Saw the scenes in the amusement park with the little Cheryl. Saw a beef between Harry and is wife.

I will definitely have another playthrough!

 

[abstract alien]

How is this doing sales wise?

 

[TheDrowningMan]

How is this doing sales wise?

Roughly on par with Homecoming in the US (ie - not that well, but surely considerably more profitable than that game, which will hopefully afford Climax further time with the series) and while I can't speak for the rest of Europe, it's all over the fucking place in the UK. Game & Gamestation (by far the biggest high street retailer of videogames here, if you're not English) refuse to believe it's out until next week, same for their online arms. Elsewhere, most places seem to have limited stock.

 

[scitek]

Roughly on par with Homecoming in the US

I think that's actually somewhat impressive considering this was only on one platform for two months. Hopefully it's a slow burner because it's getting a lot of good word-of-mouth, and I bet a lot of people that were initially not into buying it might because of what they hear.

 

[EatChildren]

I think that's actually somewhat impressive considering this was only on one platform for two months. Hopefully it's a slow burner because it's getting a lot of good word-of-mouth, and I bet a lot of people that were initially not into buying it might because of what they hear.

I really hope Climax are given another shot with a bit more of a budget and support, and again on the Wii. Pretty much every issue I have with Shattered Memories is still grounded on a mechanic I think has potential to be really awesome.

And the story still gives me goosebumps when I think about it. Its probably my favourite game story this generation, next to Hotel Dusk and Mass Effect.

 

[TheDrowningMan]

I think that's actually somewhat impressive considering this was only on one platform for two months. Hopefully it's a slow burner because it's getting a lot of good word-of-mouth, and I bet a lot of people that were initially not into buying it might because of what they hear.

Not combined, as far as I'm aware. But it may just have edged out either individual format version. Still, for a Silent Hill game in the present climate - poor distribution & next to no advertising - I cannot see how it could not be meeting expectations. Climax have a fantastic Wii engine up and running so a sequel could surely be served up at no great expense to Konami.

 

[Lonely1]

Is this out in Australia? I want the Zero Punctuation Review!

 

[scitek]

Not combined, as far as I'm aware. But it may just have edged out either individual format version. Still, for a Silent Hill game in the present climate - poor distribution & next to no advertising - I cannot see how it could not be meeting expectations. Climax have a fantastic Wii engine up and running so a sequel could surely be served up at no great expense to Konami.

Oh okay, well if it's keeping pace with the last game in the series, I don't see how Konami could consider it a failure. If anything, it should tell them more about the popularity of the franchise than about the platform it's being sold on.

 

[Futurevoid]

They did a good job with the PS2 version, the graphics aren't as good and its not as immerse due to the controls but its still a very good game.

Wii/PS2 comparison video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3npcgujs5EY

Ice-world comparison - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bj9ZR6G1zk4

Ice-world transition comparison - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFADEne_wfU

You might want to post that there are some MASSIVE spoilers in those comparison videos for those that may not have played the game yet. The ice-world transition video pretty much reveals the finale and a lot of the major sequences.

 

[mantidor]

I forgot one question that the ending left,

Spoiler

who was Dahlia anyway? A representation of Cheryll? a representation of her mother? both? or was she actually someone real?

, ok thats like four questions :lol

 

[Haunted]

bear with my long post here. It's been a while since I've written this much about a game.

Great review Jolly, it echoes a lot of my own thoughts on the title, now that I had a bit of time to let it all sink in.

Very happy a longtime and hardcore SH fan such as you enjoyed it, reading so many negative impression from the biggest SH fans around was a bit disheartening after I've liked the game so much.


And goddamn that twist. So good.

 

[GC|Simon]

One question to all who have already saw the credits (independently from the ending):

Spoiler

Why does the world transform sometimes?

 

[Ridley327]

I forgot one question that the ending left,

Spoiler

who was Dahlia anyway? A representation of Cheryll? a representation of her mother? both? or was she actually someone real?

, ok thats like four questions :lol

Spoiler

Dahlia is Cheryl's mother and Harry's wife.

 

[SlipperySlope]

One question to all who have already saw the credits (independently from the ending):

Spoiler

Why does the world transform sometimes?

Spoiler

Don't know. There's different theories. One theory is that Cheryl is trying to keep her father, and thus herself, from realizing the truth. Or it could be her unconsciously trying to make her father into a hero figure, fighting off monsters to save her. Or maybe a little bit of both as the doctor slowly puts reality back into her head.

Or maybe she's actually having a nightmare.

Dunno.

 

[ThatObviousUser]

I forgot one question that the ending left,

Spoiler

who was Dahlia anyway? A representation of Cheryll? a representation of her mother? both? or was she actually someone real?

, ok thats like four questions :lol

My theory is that

Spoiler

young Dahlia is Cheryl's personification of what she thinks her mother was like when she was younger and also a way for her to justify her actions with the teacher ("if my mom's a ho it's OK for me.") Old Dahlia is a real person still living in Silent Hill and is Cheryl's real mom.

 

[SlipperySlope]

My theory is that

Spoiler

young Dahlia is Cheryl's personification of what she thinks her mother was like when she was younger and also a way for her to justify her actions with the teacher ("if my mom's a ho it's OK for me.") Old Dahlia is a real person still living in Silent Hill and is Cheryl's real mom.

Spoiler

In some endings you'll see Cheryl walking out of the clinic and hugging her mom. I have yet to learn what triggers this little extra. It's either there or it isn't.

 

[EatChildren]

One question to all who have already saw the credits (independently from the ending):

Spoiler

Why does the world transform sometimes?

I dont really know what you mean by independently from the ending, but spoilers anyway;

Spoiler

It's Cheryl holding on to her image of Harry and fighting her therapy. The icey world symbolises everything staying still and remaining the same. A 'frozen' memory. No progression, no development. The monsters chase Harry and grab ahold of him, and if you 'die', you'll see they pet him as he lays on the ground. They're not trying to kill Harry but instead keep him as he is, or in reality how Cheryl sees him.

One could also say the monsters visual appearance, and changes throughout the game, represent who Cheryl really is or how she sees herself. They're 'her' and her developing through therapy chasing the idolised image of her father in an attempt to hold on and regect the healing.

 

[SlipperySlope]

Why I feel this game's ending is probably the best ending in any video game (huge spoilers obviously):

Spoiler

The thing that's best about the ending is it is relatable. I think most of us have gone through a lesser (well, much lesser), version of what Cheryl went through. We've all experienced loss, and the difficulty in accepting that loss.

Might be a little embarrassing, but that loss for me was my cat. He lived to be 21, and was with me practically my whole life.

After he died, I went through about 3 weeks of periodic deniability. Like when walking through the house in the dark, avoiding the places he'd usually lay down to avoid stepping on him. Then realizing he's gone, and feeling sad.

I also had frequent dreams where he miraculously healed up, survived the sleep potion, and walked home on his own. Where I'd leave the house and see him walking home. Then everything was better. Everything was OK.

I'd then wake up from the dream, still believing it for a moment. Then reality set in, and the next few moments were very depressing.

It's those moments of periodic realization and sudden huge sadness that I can relate to Cheryl. That gives the ending much more impact for me, than any other video game, or movie, ever. Her sudden realization seemed very similar to my sudden realizations. You just break down.

 

[MiniDitka]

You might want to post that there are some MASSIVE spoilers in those comparison videos for those that may not have played the game yet. The ice-world transition video pretty much reveals the finale and a lot of the major sequences.

Fixed.

 

[mantidor]

Spoiler

Dahlia is Cheryl's mother and Harry's wife.

Spoiler

For some reason I thought Dahlia was never her mother but someone else, maybe I was getting the original silent hill games all mixed up in my head.

But I agree that young Dahlia was made up in Cheryl's mind.

Also I completely agree with Slippery's views

Spoiler

overall the game is about loss and acceptance, which is odd because after you finish a horror game you expect to be disturbed, or relieved, but not sad or broken. Yet it is indeed the best representation and feeling of "loss" that any medium has given me, you just feel down after you finish it.

 

[SlipperySlope]

Spoiler

For some reason I thought Dahlia was never her mother but someone else, maybe I was getting the original silent hill games all mixed up in my head.

But I agree that young Dahlia was made up in Cheryl's mind.

Also I completely agree with Slippery's views

Spoiler

overall the game is about loss and acceptance, which is odd because after you finish a horror game you expect to be disturbed, or relieved, but not sad or broken. Yet it is indeed the best representation and feeling of "loss" that any medium has given me, you just feel down after you finish it.

Too add to that,

Spoiler

The ending song Acceptance fits into that perfectly.

For me, the relatable part of that song is this part:
My eyes deceive what is wrong with me.
Deep in the night you think everything’s right.
Tell it to yourself—say it’s just a nightmare.

That pretty much fit me for a while.

 

[Keyser Soze]

I love that AmazonUK does not even have boxart up for this game... :lol

:/

 

[Gomu Gomu]

Finished the game a while ago. Gameplay wise, I thought it was boring. You are basically doing nothing but running through the city. And those chase sequences could not have been more atrocious. And the puzzles, while I appreciate having them, weren't good enough. HOWEVER, I think the development team did an outstanding job building Silent Hill city. My god, the amount of details in every room, every corridor and every corner is just fascinating. To be hones,t, I don't remember any of the original games very well, but I think Shattered Memories built the best and most believable SH city yet. walking through the city felt real to me. The funny thing is, graphically, I think this game is ugly as a sin lol. Also had some frameratre issues here and there.

The story and characters didn't interest me at all. But I have to say, I fucking LOVED the twist in the end. Never saw it coming. The ending alone totally justifies this game to me. So in the end, I thought the game did somethings right, but unfortunately, the pacing and the mechanics were not good at all. If you want to play a different game than your everyday shooter or whatever, this is a fairly good choice, but don't expect anything fancy.

 

[Nessus]

Tried to buy this at EB the other day. They didn't have it in stock. Must have been a really small shipment.

 

[John Harker]

I think you guys are kooky. I really like SM's music.