Could or could not Maria be seen by others? (spoilers)

[what]

I haven't noticed, but then again, I wouldn't. When I got the Greatest Hits PS2 version ten years ago, when some of you were just being weaned off mother's bosom, I played through until I got a save file with all the endings completed. Ever since, I've just started new games from the menu, so I have no idea what it's giving to me.

[Purramid_Head]

Yeah, that's what I mean. It always does that to me. But I noticed depending on whatever ending you got last time effects the monsters. I dunno, I just spent a lot of time on 2 so I noticed weird shit.

[Devoured]

Well since LM specifically states this about Laura and not any of the other characters one might wonder if it actually applies to all of them. In theory it's not impossible that Eddie or Angela could see her and at some point in development did, but it's likely they simply bypassed this altogether to avoid further confusion for the player. I mean, any other character seeing her wouldn't change her nature in any way but the player might 'take it the wrong way' and would be less likely to figure out what's going on before James spells it out. Add to that the fact that in the beginning Eddie and to a lesser extent Angela are still pretty coherent and that could also have caused complications to James' delusion before it was 'his time' to figure it out. James has enough on his hands / mind as it is not to think about it too much, if Eddie or Angela were to ask her just why the hell she's the only person left in town and why she just so happens to look exactly like James' dead wife it would get in the way of his delusion as well, never mind the fact that they don't know Mary.

We even see Laura interact with the piano in Overlook and it's doubtful it survived the fire or subsequent water damage. I kind of assume that's just a small plothole though.

BFAW does insinuate it's possible. With Ernest being a ghost and all it doesn't conclusively tell us much about this but it does make it evident that Maria doesn't just appear when she's within James' field of vision and disappears when he's gone. I mean, if that were true, there'd be no need for her little trip to Rosewater, she'd simply 'pop up' upon James' arrival.

I have always wondered if those parts of Maria connected to Mary that James couldn't have known about might have been taken from Laura's mind as opposed to Mary's, though. Correct me if I'm wrong, but IIRC it's not all that much [I can only think of her mentioning the teddybears in BFAW actually?] and it pretty much all has to do with Laura. It doesn't change much but it's food for thought nevertheless.


I never noticed that about the respawning either, interesting...are you sure it's not connected to multiple playthroughs though [as in the respawning only happens from 3rd & consecutive playthroughs and not on the 2nd, to make the game harder]? Man I need a PS2 again

[lscalow]

i think she could i sort of have an idea of this, its that mary knew the little girl, and i think she may be able to see maria, as it may be her she is mistaking for mary. Maria's ending is clever, as in a way James gets his mary back "improved". I think this because she is like how James wishes mary was like, in a way sexually open (hinted at in game), but also dressing sexy with an attitude he prefers. This is constantly hinted at in the character of James is portrayed revealing more and more through out the game. But also how his warped creation of the creatures/monsters are.

[Mothersdecent]

The boss battles don't prove anything. Especially since there is no canonical ending. People were turned into monsters before in SH, its not unsual. Mary also turned in a monster and she isn't a demon. It doesn't mean they're demons. Also, I thought her "immortality" is obvious. She's being brought back by something else, likely Xuchilpaba since is procedes over the rebirth ritual. She's probably not immortal like Alessa at all.

Just my 2 cents, Mary doesn't turn into a monster because the Mary James sees in SH2 is either Maria or a manifestation of Mary. So his theory could make sense if we're talking Monster wise, Maria could be a "demon", something that torments James, or in the case of the Maria ending, something that torments him for eternity.
Fits the demon profile.



OT, i don't think any of the characters are able to see Maria, or at least see her as James sees her. Seeing how Maria is James' personification of the perfect woman, she's close to his heart and deep inside of his "otherworld".

[captain crowbar]

Laura and Eddie see each other, but Angela only sees James, and Maria only interacts with James (but apparently sees Laura).

Is Angela already dead? I've always sort of thought that was possible. Eddie apparently just got there about the same time as James, and Laura did as well, but Angela seems to have been there a bit longer.

[NarooN]

I don't think Angela was dead until she went up the staircase at the end. Angela was most likely the first one in the town since she seemed to just be chilling there for a quite a bit of time before we meet her.

[Purramid_Head]

Eddie and Laura arrived together. Eddie seems more connected to reality than the other two. I don't think Angela is dead. We don't see the spirits in the game, but they can see Maria and we can hear them.

[NarooN]

We don't see the spirits in the game, but they can see Maria and we can hear them.

Yeah, I loved this in the game... Just added another layer of mystique in the game. And it of course reminds me of BFaW... I dunno why, but I always swoon over that scenario.

[Purramid_Head]

We don't see the spirits in the game, but they can see Maria and we can hear them.

Yeah, I loved this in the game... Just added another layer of mystique in the game. And it of course reminds me of BFaW... I dunno why, but I always swoon over that scenario.

It was a good scenario. It was so different than James's and it really added to the fact that Silent Hill is a place of silenced spirits. I also liked how much background lore was added. I didn't feel as scared in it, I felt more like a peacefulness, but there were tense moments. Plus, on the ost for it the music sounds like old horror movies.

[captain crowbar]

I just thought of something...in SH3, is it canon that the poster in Heaven's Night says "Lady Maria"? So basically, is she a legitimate physical construct or just something less real that only James (and Pyramid Head lawl) can interact with?

[NarooN]

I think the "Lady Maria" thing is more of an easter egg type deal than anything else. Since we know that Maria wasn't really real and was "born" not long after James gets into town, there's no way she could be established in the club like that so quickly.

[Mothersdecent]

Lady Maria could be the model James' Maria was based on.
Who to say James didn't frequent Heaven's Night during Mary's hospitalization and met Lady Maria? He was sexually frustrated after all.

[NarooN]

That's always possible, but there's nothing to suggest that at all in the game. I always thought that "Lady Maria" was a real person at some point, but it just doesn't make sense... Like where did she go? No one mentions her ever. Granted, we don't really get to see the real world that much in the games, so maybe she was real and is still real? Who knows. But the fact that the poster shows up in SH3 seems to be indication that it's just a nod to that club in general, something players who played SH2 would get. Besides, I doubt anyone who played SH3 without playing Sh2 beforehand would even think of going to Heaven's Night in the first place.

[devil hunter]

I don't really remember but isn't that poster just one of SH 2 references if you have SH 2 safe file?

[Mindseye]

If Maria is not really real, how did she (SPOILERS) leave with James at the end of the Maria ending? I consider this the best ending, but did she really leave with James at all?? Any ideas?

[what]

We do not (indeed, cannot) know if they ever actually left together. It will be a mystery forever (hopefully).

[captain crowbar]

If Maria is not really real, how did she (SPOILERS) leave with James at the end of the Maria ending? I consider this the best ending, but did she really leave with James at all?? Any ideas?

If that ending were canon, then she did indeed really leave. But there is no right ending to SH2. Guy Cihi said that he believed based on James's character that his favorite ending was the Leave ending (the one with Laura, right?). He's not dev team though, just an actor.

But she was apparently physically generated based on that ending. It's really one of those "too vague to even speculate properly" things too.

[WhiteClaudia]

Lady Maria could be the model James' Maria was based on.
Who to say James didn't frequent Heaven's Night during Mary's hospitalization and met Lady Maria? He was sexually frustrated after all.

I've wondered that too, but I'm not sure if that's true considering Maria is almost identical to Mary. Which is why I believe that Maria is indeed just a manifestation of the type of woman James wished Mary to be. All of the sexual frustration that built up inside him.

Like others have said, I think the poster is just an easter egg. One of the fun things you can unlock in SH3. Just like how we can see posters advertising the other games in some points of 3 or Downpour. Obviously the series doesn't exist within the SH universe, it's just a fun little thing they added. MY opinion though.

[Dr. Robotnik]

E.g. in the bowling alley scene. I always pointed out how it made no sense for her to deny going in with James, and opting to stay outside where monsters are roaming. Didn't she come with him in the first place to be protected?

As far as I'm concerned, that was just a guilt trip; Mary seems to be doing perfectly fine before James shows up. I haven't played BFAW because I don't have that version of the game, but I figure Maria's purpose or desire is to replace Mary. To do that, she has to attach herself to James and either seduce him, or appeal to his protective nature by playing the role of the distressed damsel. As for whether Maria can be seen by others, I think she can, but it's against the "rules" (on a meta level and in-universe), perhaps because doing so would cause a "Reality.exe is not responding" kind of event. She can see Laura, and maybe Laura can see her, but it's been well-established that Laura doesn't play by the same rules as the other three.