My thoughts on the Game

[Jon253]

So, I just beat the game today, it was great, I couldn't stop myself from playing.
So here are a few thoughts:

For the gameplay this is one of the best Wii games I've played. The motion controls were amazing and I loved the use of the speaker on the Wii remote, most other games only have dings or simple noises coming out. It sure was freaky the first time I heard "I need you daddy" coming from the remote. The puzzles and exploring was really well done, I did have trouble with the chase parts, I keep getting lost and turned around.

On the story, lots of spoilers:

REVEAL SPOILER

That was one of the most disturbing endings ever, I felt so bad for Cheryl at the end. My dad actually died in a very similar manner at the exact same age as Cheryl when she lost hers (did that happen for everyone or was the physiology in the game really that good). When they said it would create a personal nightmare, I didn't think it would be that personal.

Most of the game, I though Cheryl was older, but Harry lost his memories and just though she was still young. My guess was that something happened to her in High School, like the movie Carrie.

Also, did the whole thing with Harry actually happen? I'm thinking everyone but young Dahlia was real. The other thing I don't really understand is the significance of the Ice? Is it kind of like Dante's Inferno where the lowest circle of hell is frozen in ice because those in it are separated from God, similar to how Cheryl is separated from her dad or did I miss something?

I'll have to go through again and find more phone messages. I would definitely like a sequel to this game.

[masteroftheclaw]

I agree with you that the game really was taking advantage of the Wii remote and I feel a little sad for those who will have to play it on PS2 or PSP. However, maybe not completely as I had trouble shaking the Raw Shocks off me and I also would sometimes do the motion for "turn around" and run right back into everything.

As for the use of the speaker, it kind of annoys me because the speaker on it is cheap, so the sounds come out grainy. Now, yes, that goes with the vibe of the town in this case, however No More Heroes also had cell phone calls through the Wii remote and they sounded pretty awful too. The notification aspect of it, where you get closer the sound gets louder, was pretty good though and nicer than having the sound come from the tv. It felt more like you WERE a SH protagonist with the radio in their pocket or something.

REVEAL SPOILER

It felt strangely personal for me as well, though my father didn't die, my parents did break up and I got to experience that "loss" of a parent at a young age.

When it was the high school segment and those cell phone pictures showed up with a very Cheryl-looking girl I was worried she was chastised like Carrie as well! Haha, I'm not sure what I thought about Harry though. I guess I kind of thought there were two Cheryls somehow... I really don't know, I guess I was just letting the story lead me completely.

How could it have happened? Sure, we got to experience it and it was probably damn real for Cheryl (as it was for us!) but it couldn't have actually occurred. Actually, I remember one part where I kind of guessed that Harry wasn't alive. It was when you're in the mall and if you call the mall security number the guy will talk to you but say "if you're in the mall, why can't I see you on any of the monitors?" suggesting he wasn't ever there. I guess that was Cheryl's subconscious throwing little hints out to herself that this wasn't actually happening. As for the ice, I really don't know the reason for it. I haven't really thought about that aspect yet.

Also, was it just me (and possibly my "Sleaze and Sirens" ending) or did you notice some electra complex stuff going down?

[xavier95]

REVEAL SPOILER

Harry died 18 years before. The Harry we were playing as never existed. He was just a part of Cheryl's mind. She imagined her father going to save her from the bad guys. He walked into the office at the end because Dr. Kaufmann had finally gotten her to accept reality. So only herself and Kaufmann reallly existed. However, the Dahlia of the game was based on her real mother, and all of the others are based off of real people, but it's not actually then. None of the otherworld sequences actually happened. This is the only game in the series where Silent Hill is a completely normal town. There was something wrong with her, not with Silent Hill.

[TheCuddlyDevil]

I just finished this game last night!

While there are some downsides, I'm not gonna complain of how they "ruined" Silent Hill, because I like how different this game is. It seemed to me like a horror-version of Broken Mirror (if anyone recalls that game).

I got the Broken ending. Shouldn't that be the default ending? I might go for the others.

I think the game felt more fresh and different when it started out, and slowly became stale. Not so stale that I couldn't finish the game, though, but it was a notable aspect. Also, while I was really freaked during the first chase scene or two, they become less effective near the end. Although near the end there were some very interesting scenes such as the rooms and such.

Alas, I am one of the poor souls who've played it on the PS2

Although I got my hands on a wii, is it really worth a retry?

[clips7]

I'm just starting another run thru with this game again....and as i've found, the otherworld sequences are just as annoying as ever. I found myself running in circles, even when i try to look for the exit on the map, it's still a chore to find it with those annoying raw shocks on your backs.

I do enjoy the exploring sections tho....it's quiet and quaint and atmospheric....i just really don't like how the otherworld sections were handled, and i get what they were goin' for (weaponless combat) but the fear and tenseness that was supposed to come into play was replaced by irritation and annoyance. I find myself playing this game the least out of all of the games in the series. But the story itself and the twist at the end was crafted rather well and some of the symbolism and imagery added a nice touch to this game too. It's just the otherworld sections that bothered me with this game.

[gustavopi]

Alas, I am one of the poor souls who've played it on the PS2

Although I got my hands on a wii, is it really worth a retry?

Me too (PS2)! People said that SHSM is one of great titles for wii, it uses very well the resources of console. I believe it was made thinking in wii and PS2, PS3, etc, are limited experiences - so I read. I advise you to try again not just because wii, but second try is much more interesting than first - there is no rush to end the game. I'm ending turn four and still find interesting... #O

[Floodclaw]

REVEAL SPOILER

I could have sworn that Cybil at least existed, though. She seemed genuinely 'I give the fuck up I'm outta here' by the end of the game. Old Dahlia maybe as well. I overall got the feeling that the characters existed but the actual way they interacted with Harry wasn't real.

[monkeyme5]

Hi all.. I completed the PSP version and through my frustrations towards the end whilst in the nightmare sections something clicked!!! If you use some intuition and only run through the doors with bits of ice growing around them it usually leads you directly to your goal - dont know if anybody else noticed this just thought it worth a mention - remember to look closely at doors with more ice around them than usual!!!...

[monkeyme5]

REVEAL SPOILER

I could have sworn that Cybil at least existed, though. She seemed genuinely 'I give the fuck up I'm outta here' by the end of the game. Old Dahlia maybe as well. I overall got the feeling that the characters existed but the actual way they interacted with Harry wasn't real.

Harry did exist! -

REVEAL SPOILER

to some degree but perhaps not during nightmare sections as he is clearly seen knocking on his old address and speaking with the new tenants - also cybil drove him around town in her car and had full conversations face to face and on the phone - also close to the end its cybil who recognises that harry shouldn't be there!!! perhaps he's a physical manifestation from Cheryl/Allessa and until she lets go he's trapped wandering SH ... After all Cheryls mother was part of the occult and perhaps some rubbed off on Cheryl ... and maybe and I mean a big maybe! at this point there really is nothing wrong with SH as a town until Cheryl/Alessa starts conjuring up monsters/nurses etc for all we know this could all be Cheryls fault (just a theory dont whip me for it lol)

[The Gentleman]

REVEAL SPOILER

I could have sworn that Cybil at least existed, though. She seemed genuinely 'I give the fuck up I'm outta here' by the end of the game. Old Dahlia maybe as well. I overall got the feeling that the characters existed but the actual way they interacted with Harry wasn't real.

Harry did exist! -

REVEAL SPOILER

to some degree but perhaps not during nightmare sections as he is clearly seen knocking on his old address and speaking with the new tenants - also cybil drove him around town in her car and had full conversations face to face and on the phone - also close to the end its cybil who recognises that harry shouldn't be there!!! perhaps he's a physical manifestation from Cheryl/Allessa and until she lets go he's trapped wandering SH ... After all Cheryls mother was part of the occult and perhaps some rubbed off on Cheryl

REVEAL SPOILER

It is highly possible that this alternate Silent Hill does have the same amount of spiritual power as the one we all know and love, and if the canon SH can manifest entire labrynths and buildings, it can surely manifest people (like Maria, SHSM Harry and possibly Laura).

[Floodclaw]

It's also possible that, like I said,

REVEAL SPOILER

The entire game was simply Cheryl's idea of what would happen. She knew all of these people, Cybil, Dahlia, the tenants, the guard, et cetera, and she was simply imagining 'this is what would happen if I went missing and my dad came to find me'. The Raw Shocks and the Otherworld freeze and attack this 'memory' as she almost convinces herself that it isn't real.

[monkeyme5]

you know - my point of view earlier though plausible if Harry we're real was a goodun!... But -

REVEAL SPOILER

and even though no-one likes to admit lol I think you've knocked me out there mate - I must go with your theory (kicking n a screaming) I believe your right... None of it was real and it just seems clearer to me now - my idea was based off of the other characters existing (even though they do in the series)but not in Cheryl's mind - oh well
Hey a tell you what though - thinking of it this way doesn't make it feel so distant from the main series now does it - because all of this happens within her mind then it makes a whole lot more of this SM plausible within the SH series eheh...

Also! god im going on but - Cheryl must be at least 25yrs old in this one so maybe SH is'nt the creepy town it used to be and could it actually be classed as a re-imagining like everyones saying??? ... It could in fact be classed as the last in the series as she's older now than in any other previous game hmmmmmmm (ponders)...Remember - SH wasn't fogged over or creepy in this one!!!

[Floodclaw]

REVEAL SPOILER

I always saw SM as a branching of the main series, rather than completely disconnected. SH3 is connected to SH1 through the Good (or maybe the Good+) ending. SM is connected to SH1 through the Bad ending. It is a tenuous connection, but think about it. Harry crashed and had a delusion about the entirety of SH1 happening. After that, he died and Cheryl had to live alone with her mother.

[monkeyme5]

I have a confession to make eheh... ive never played SH3!!! oh god there - I said it phew - dont worry them socks off though! as as soon as the HD collection comes out im re-playing 2 and 3 in HD WOOHOO

[BitterSeason]

This probably will contain spoilers... too many in too many random places for me to want to cover up... sorry!

ANYWAY!
Shattered Memories.. It was fun enough, I guess.
I've played through it enough times to get through the nightmare sequences really quickly and get all of the mementos by memory, so the thrill is dead by now. I don't know.. the story was okay (though, unfortunately, the ending was spoiled for me literally a week before I was able to actually play it). I also only have the PS2 version, so I don't even get the fun aerobic workout. I only play it now if I need to be distracted for a few hours.
Aside from all of that (which I know I totally brought upon myself), it was fun.. I think my favorite part of the game was finding all of the mementos, closely followed by the therapy session with the coloring page (yes, seriously). The echo messages and the ghosts were also pretty spiffy and fun to find. I always loved scavenger hunts.
Hmm, about the characters... I have an undying love for Harry Mason. It was weird to see... eh, promiscuous Harry, though. I don't know... I didn't really like the recycling of characters... I liked them as they were. Maybe I'm being a crab.. but whatever. Also, I've realized that any time my mother was around while I played, Dr. K would ask a terribly awkward question. ("No, let me guess; you'd like to die having sex, right?" And, of course, there'd be that weird awkward moment where I would have to answer YES to get the ending I want and ultimately bring me to face the excruciating five minute silence that feels like five hours that passes between my mom and me. GREAT FUN!)
It had its good and bad.
I guess that's it, really.. The game was amusing, endings interesting enough to collect. A good distraction.

[monkeyme5]

if only it would of been heather sitting in the chair getting analyzed by anyone else other than an old Kauffman then this could of been classed as canon... Neat game tho I just keep going over and over in my head how to totally disregard all of SH1 just for a simple re-imagining of it - and thats it right there - it simply is a re-imagining... Nothing more nothing less - either way this will be staying in my SH collection more as a memento of all the good/scary times this series has given me

[gustavopi]

This probably will contain spoilers... too many in too many random places for me to want to cover up... sorry!

ANYWAY!
Shattered Memories.. It was fun enough, I guess.

If you play it the way you say, you like it a lot... or you need to see dr. K. asap...

[WalterisHere]

Wasn't the whole game in her head? I think what happened in the first SH game was what the real Harry Mason went through, Cheryl must have just made up SM's adventure and tale from her head. Considering

REVEAL SPOILER

Harry died in the first game...or third.

[gustavopi]

Wasn't the whole game in her head? I think what happened in the first SH game was what the real Harry Mason went through, Cheryl must have just made up SM's adventure and tale from her head. Considering

REVEAL SPOILER

Harry died in the first game...or third.

REVEAL SPOILER

Harry died in the third game, and Cheryl look for revenge. Yeah, the hole game is in her head, but how this happens is still polemic here. I think she lost her own personality as she can't rebuild her own past. The causes and the deep of problems will depend on your behavior during the game. It's a game to play four or five times to see the whole picture.

[WalterisHere]

Wasn't the whole game in her head? I think what happened in the first SH game was what the real Harry Mason went through, Cheryl must have just made up SM's adventure and tale from her head. Considering

REVEAL SPOILER

Harry died in the first game...or third.

REVEAL SPOILER

Harry died in the third game, and Cheryl look for revenge. Yeah, the hole game is in her head, but how this happens is still polemic here. I think she lost her own personality as she can't rebuild her own past. The causes and the deep of problems will depend on your behavior during the game. It's a game to play four or five times to see the whole picture.

I think I have beaten SM only about 4 times. Pretty short game, though. You really notice how short it is the third time through.