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Did you like the Mirror Transition

Yes: 43; 80%

No: 11; 20%

Total votes : 54

Interesting thing in Silent Hill Origins, Mirrors. They are the portal to the otherworld, and in real life they are the display of a world that is not real. This is something that I think the developers at Climax had looked into. What do you guys think about the changing of worlds through Mirrors? There was something said about Mirrors in SH3 by Heather. Not sure if that has anything to do with it or not.

In modern times, the mirror is considered falsehood, and earlier people thought that it was the realm of souls, whre they existed and could possibly take control of people in the real world. As a side note, it was thought that mirrors were a cure for schizophrenia. Do you think Climax used the history of Mirrors to influence their decision on transition between worlds?

I liked it, but I feel they could have done things better with them, like maybe a one time use type of thing, once you used a mirror it would break and you would have to find another one.

it was the realm of souls

Explains Travis "seeing" his dead father, mother, and Alessa

the mirror is considered falsehood

hence Travis's statement "This isn't right" when he examines the first mirror in the game.

whre they existed and could possibly take control of people in the real world

Would explain Travis's mom and Travis's odd movements he made when first touching the mirror.

it was thought that mirrors were a cure for schizophrenia

The mom once again.

I would say Climax definitely used the history of mirrors when developing the game to help influence the story.

There were interesting references. What was wrong with Helen definitely connected with the mirrors. I'm with you on the different mirror thing. When one was used, there should have been a way to block that way into the otherworld.

i think the mirror thing was a good idea in theory, but it killed so much of the atmosphere.
for the 4 games team silent made, the character had no control over the switch to the otherworld. it made you feel totally defenseless and at the whim of a very, very, evil town. in those games, the town was as much of a character as Harry, or James. it had this room 1408 feel to it, like it had it's own personality and motives for dragging the protagonist in there.
with the mirrors, all of that is gone. by giving you control over the shifts in the otherworld, you've just destroyed probably the most terrifying character in all of the games. you have power over the town, not the other way around. and i don't know if it's just me, but being in control of things, having power, it isn't scary at all.

That is something I hadn't considered. In theory, you are in control of what happens in Origins. Travis chooses to go to the otherworld, where with Harry, James, Heather, and Henry, it was no choice. Henry chose to go through the hole, because he felt like there was some responsibility to Eileen later. It is a let down, when put that way.

Mirrors are portals to the otherworld in Jewish mythology/folklore and in Mesoamerican lore. So are other reflective surfaces like puddles of water. (Think SH4's puddle near Walter's body that leads to the final battle.) They did look into it because not only does SH series have Jewish mysticism in it, it also contains Aztec/Mayan references too.

If you were forced into the mirror otherworld but could not return it would have been much scarier, but knowing you could go back to the "safe" side of the mirror after transitioning ruined the horror for me. I liked how it was in previous games when you were really locked in to the horror and couldn't go back.

I liked the idea.
I thought it made a nice change from what it was like in Silent Hill 1.
The mirrors were a winner for me. They could have made it a little more interesting though.

I like very much ! one of my favorite movies is Mirrors with Kiefer Sutherland, so can understand why i like so much the idea of mirrors in Origins

Now that was a good movie. I like the thought of souls being banished to the mirrors, like in the movie, ad that was what Helen saw as well. She saw the condemned Silent Hill that was Alessa's nightmare. It is interesting that Travis can traverse through the normal and otherworls through the mirrors. I like the theme.

I thought it was a great idea as far as the video game goes. It made for some great and creative level design and puzzle solving. But the problem with it was that you knew... It's like, "Normal world, normal world, okay, here's a mirror, I'm gonna go into the dark world now," and you know it's coming. Whereas with most other SH games, you never know when the dark world will come along, and you're pretty much trapped in it.
Still, I think they did a great job of pulling it off. Particularly at the sanitarium which is so gritty that at one point I forgot that I was still in the normal world, and once I reached a mirror I thought, "Phew, I can finall go to the happy normal world," but then ended up in the otherworld, which was even that much darker and more gritty.

That was how I was with the sanitarium and the theatre. Both were very dark, and it was just a different experience alltogether. True, you know when it happens, but there is something oto that. Travis has to either way, whether it is by choice or not. That is what made the game good.

I thought it was really good, the ability to travel to and from the otherworld whenever needed, instead of being stuck in it until a certain time.

You don't have a choice, you have to go in to finish the game. But I do like the idea where they would only work once, but then the game would have to be linear, or you could get stuck somewhere without the items you need. So it could kind of kill the exploration factor of the series.

True. If there was a one-time-only use of the mirrors, then the whole point of the game would be trashed. The theme is

REVEAL SPOILER

that Alessa is using the pieces of Flauros to manipulate Travis, by using his curiosity and guilt to do what she wants. All the creatures are representations of Travis' emotions and desires. I've a feeling that even the cult can represent something of what Travis sees or doesn't have. (Lisa is a prime example) and she is using the memories that he has suppressed to get what she wants.

If there was no way to get to and from the otherworld, then the game would be a bust.

Doesn't he say "How about we get in your sick little mind?"

Yep. He says that I think after the boss in the Motel. I think that's right, anyway. Can't remember for sure, though.

Yes that happened right after...

REVEAL SPOILER

He killed his father´s monster form in the motel room. It is strange that he mentioned all of them being a happy family in heaven.

It is odd. Could be Alessa's doing, or it could be something Travis wanted to hear. Not sure what that was about. Maybe they could be a happy family in heaven if Travis had died, which Alessa wouldn't have let happen, I'm sure.

God's Condemned wrote:It is odd. Could be Alessa's doing, or it could be something Travis wanted to hear. Not sure what that was about. Maybe they could be a happy family in heaven if Travis had died, which Alessa wouldn't have let happen, I'm sure.

Do you really think that? That it was all Travis fault? Curse that demon child? :evil:

Well the mirror people started it.

Mirrors

Did you like the Mirror Transition

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