I finally got a chance to play this game.

[captain crowbar]

MY MUTHA FUDGING OPINIONS BROHEEZZIES

To be perfectly clear from the get-go, I'm a tryhard, die-hard Silent Hill fan. I love the potential that new games present for building on the story and on the series as a whole. So far, I haven't played a Silent Hill game since 4 that didn't make me feel disappointed, but this game does have a great deal of positives. As a rule, I didn't even classify this game as a Silent Hill game as I was playing it. I didn't want my opinion to become too tainted by expecting it to be similar in ways I knew it wouldn't be, so I just imagined I was playing a totally independent game on the Wii. That's really what it should have been all along, then there would be room for sequels and it would have it's own unique series anyway.

Also for starters, do not dare regurgitate the word "reimagining" when discussing this game. It's no more a reimagining of Silent Hill 1 than The Sonic the Hedgehog is a reimagining of Super Mario Brothers. It's a game in the same genre. Harry is looking for Cheryl in a town called Silent Hill, and that's where they end the similarities. But you know what? That's a good thing too. I'll get to that. Before you start barking and getting upset that I challenged Climax's overly used word, realize that I have way more positive than negative things to say in this breakdown.

1. The game looks beautiful. I don't mean in terms of super hot HD graphics. I mean that the design and artistic way of handling things is truly unique and lovely. The structures are well conceived, the snow is amazingly well animated, and the random stuff in the background, etc. is very believeable.

2. The controls are most assuredly fantastic. They really showcase the best that the Wii can offer. I really feel like I'm using a flashlight, and walking around somehow feels more natural when I'm using the nunchuck than when I'm using a thumbstick on a bulky controller from another console. Harry does what I tell him, when I tell him. A definite improvement from Origins and Homecoming. Maybe even from the big 4.

3. I like the concept of being stuck in a blizzard this time...but that comes with it's own negative side, as I will say later.

4. It's more or less a completely unique and disconnected story from Silent Hill. When you meet a character with the same name as someone from SH1, you soon realize that they are really NOTHING like their counterpart. This allows for some surprises along the way. Surprises in a story are good.

5. The Psych profile system is a cool concept. TBH, Silent Hill 2 did the same thing better, but this game made if genuinely feel like a therapy session. It's kind of easy to cheat it, though...I mean, if I only look at bottles of booze and tell Kaufman I'm a lush, then of course I'm getting the drunken monkey ending. But still, I doubt theres any way to make the same concept less exploitable. Even in SH2 you could choose your ending if you knew the tactics involved.

6. Cheryl's hot. Like, the grown up one...and I didn't quite see that ending coming.

7. The cell phone is a cool mechanic, and I didn't really miss the radio at all. It was getting cliche. Everyone needs a flashlight. Not everyone should get a radio that makes a racket. The sound got annoying at times, and the phone calls weren't creepy to me and felt like a waste of time, though. I still love taking random pictures.

Now, I do have several complaints...once again, this my personal opinions put forth as honestly as possible.

1. The puzzles, although an interesting and sometimes entertaining use of the Wii control style, are completely insulting to a long-time gamer's intelligence. That goes without saying if you have played the entire series.

2. It's not scary to me. Ever. I mean, I guess if I had a small child, losing them in a blizzard would be frightening. But I don't, so it was just another "your princess is in another castle" game, and I felt annoyed more often than inquisitive about her whereabouts. Sure, the concept of not being able to fight something coming after you could be scary, as it is in games that implement it well like Clock Tower and Amnesia. Running and hiding would be awesome, if the monsters weren't so unfrightening...I simply dash around town until the ice world finally decides to go away, and then go back to not being scared while I look at random stuff in the safety of the snowy little town.

3. People people everywhere, and not a lonliness to be felt.

4. It was pretty boring at times. Nothing scary in the real world, so you just look at stuff for a while. Easy to manage ice world where running away effectively becomes all too easy and repetitious.

5. It's really really short, and a bit too easy to beat.

6. I miss the good music from the prior titles. This one was pretty bland in that department (Hell Frozen Rain is nice.)

I will be compiling a video version with more expressive terminology and visual examples related to what I've said as soon as I complete it a couple of more times and get all endings and unlockables. All in all, I personally give the game a 7/10. That's me being completely unbiased as a SH fanboy, and instead treating it like everyone should...it's own game.

[The Gentleman]

An awesome comprehensive review man! I would however move to argue some points:

1) Call me a pussy, but I found the normal sections of the game creepy, not in the way of being hunted, but by the fact there's no-one there; something that, since watching 28 Days Later has always put me at unease. Not helped by the long dark shadows put out by the flashlight and that creepy face on the cinema screen. *Shudder* They creep me out on a level that doesn't come from being hunted by something physical.

2) Tracks like Hell Frozen Rain, Always on my Mind plus that track where you exit the scrapyard at the beginning always get to me.

3) You may encounter alot of characters in the game, but the fact that there is no-one else other than them just makes them feel unusual and not meant to be there (in a good way that contributes to the atmosphere). The scene where you meet Michelle I feel is a great example.

4) (More of a point than a counter-arguement) My favorite story in the series, the way it's told is just mindblowing and shows Climax's story-telling muscles flexing. And had the only Silent Hill ending that almost moved me to tears.

That's just my two pence. As I said, great, comprehensive review.

REVEAL SPOILER

And adult cheryl is hot

[captain crowbar]

since watching 28 Days Later

My favorite movie ever.

[The Gentleman]

since watching 28 Days Later

My favorite movie ever.

Ditto, gonna be analysing it for my film studies coursework. Plus as someone who's familiar with the cultural iconography in the film, it's just endlessly terrifying to me. Seeing Manchester and London deserted to me is kinda like how seeing the Statue of Liberty ruined is to you guys.

[WhiteClaudia]

Definitely agree with you! (Besides the Cheryl being hot part for obvious reasons, but she was beautifully done!) I did love this game and to me has great replay value seeing as how there are so many outcomes and different possibilities! However, I too thought it was short. Happy to know it wasnt just me! I wanted it to be longer and scarier than I thought it was.

[monkeyme5]

awwww 28 days later - I was moved at the beginning! seeing my capital deserted like that made me feel uneasy - awsome film

[captain crowbar]

Definitely agree with you! (Besides the Cheryl being hot part for obvious reasons, but she was beautifully done!) I did love this game and to me has great replay value seeing as how there are so many outcomes and different possibilities! However, I too thought it was short. Happy to know it wasnt just me! I wanted it to be longer and scarier than I thought it was.

I wish more things changed with each playthrough. It's probably like I said, though. They did the best with what they had to offer.

More games with the same mechanics, thematic elements, and psych profiling would be good. Maybe not in the SH franchise...

[all_in_the_mind]

since watching 28 Days Later

My favorite movie ever.

Ditto, gonna be analysing it for my film studies coursework. Plus as someone who's familiar with the cultural iconography in the film, it's just endlessly terrifying to me. Seeing Manchester and London deserted to me is kinda like how seeing the Statue of Liberty ruined is to you guys.

^ The same kind of deserted that was a result of all the riots in August. It's only a matter of time before somebody makes that into a film aswell. I was so ashamed of the human race that month.

[The Gentleman]

The same kind of deserted that was a result of all the riots in August. It's only a matter of time before somebody makes that into a film aswell. I was so ashamed of the human race that month.

I was ashamed of my own fucking generation.

[captain crowbar]

We should all be ashamed of the current generation.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I have a notebook full of contingency plans for when we destroy civilization completely. Zombie plans, Apocalypse plans, etc.

[TraceBASS]

2) Tracks like Hell Frozen Rain, Always on my Mind plus that track where you exit the scrapyard at the beginning always get to me.

I...love...'Hell Frozen Rain'. If I could get a group together, and manage to get my vocal work right, I would perform that song. (Maybe not so much the same solo, but...I just love it.) And 'Always On My Mind' is a nice entreé with stuff like Portishead, and that's all I've heard from Shattered Memories. (And McGlynn's vocal work on 'Acceptance' is just mind-blowing.)

4) (More of a point than a counter-arguement) My favorite story in the series, the way it's told is just mindblowing and shows Climax's story-telling muscles flexing. And had the only Silent Hill ending that almost moved me to tears.

Agreed heartily. Watching the Love Lost ending got me a bit teary, too.

REVEAL SPOILER

I like Cheryl's haircut. It is made of win. ...What? I'm keeping it PG here, folks!

[WisHouse]

We should all be ashamed of the current generation.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I have a notebook full of contingency plans for when we destroy civilization completely. Zombie plans, Apocalypse plans, etc.

BRING ON THE NUKES !!!!

[what]

Also for starters, do not dare regurgitate the word "reimagining" when discussing this game. It's no more a reimagining of Silent Hill 1 than The Sonic the Hedgehog is a reimagining of Super Mario Brothers. It's a game in the same genre. Harry is looking for Cheryl in a town called Silent Hill, and that's where they end the similarities. But you know what? That's a good thing too. I'll get to that. Before you start barking and getting upset that I challenged Climax's overly used word, realize that I have way more positive than negative things to say in this breakdown.

That's silly. Shattered Memories takes the same characters and initial scenario as the first Silent Hill and takes it in an entirely different direction. Past those things, the game is almost entirely different, from concept to gameplay to the whole reason everything is actually happening. You can't find a more clear example of a re-imagined game in a textbook.

[captain crowbar]

Also for starters, do not dare regurgitate the word "reimagining" when discussing this game. It's no more a reimagining of Silent Hill 1 than The Sonic the Hedgehog is a reimagining of Super Mario Brothers. It's a game in the same genre. Harry is looking for Cheryl in a town called Silent Hill, and that's where they end the similarities. But you know what? That's a good thing too. I'll get to that. Before you start barking and getting upset that I challenged Climax's overly used word, realize that I have way more positive than negative things to say in this breakdown.

That's silly. Shattered Memories takes the same characters and initial scenario as the first Silent Hill and takes it in an entirely different direction. Past those things, the game is almost entirely different, from concept to gameplay to the whole reason everything is actually happening. You can't find a more clear example of a re-imagined game in a textbook.

Lolno.

The story is in no way similar except for one small detail: A man is looking for his daughter in a town called Silent Hill.

You could change the name from Silent Hill to New Jersey, change the names of certain characters (that have literally nothing in common with their SH1 counterparts) and it would be 100% a different game.

I'm telling you, it's not a reimagining. It would require at least a few similarities beyone the name of the town.

Silent Hill Homecoming or Origins is more of a re-imagining of SH1 than SHSM is.

[devil hunter]

No offense but something tells me you don't really understand what re-imagining means.

[Floodclaw]

No offense but something tells me you don't really understand what re-imagining means.

This. It shares character names and a location and an initial scenario. It takes those things and then does something completely different. It takes those original things and comes up with something that isn't SH1.

[Wooden Plank]

We should all be ashamed of the current generation.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I have a notebook full of contingency plans for when we destroy civilization completely. Zombie plans, Apocalypse plans, etc.

I'M NOT ALONE!!!

[captain crowbar]

No offense but something tells me you don't really understand what re-imagining means.

This. It shares character names and a location and an initial scenario. It takes those things and then does something completely different. It takes those original things and comes up with something that isn't SH1.

Definition of REIMAGINE: to imagine again or anew; especially : to form a new conception of : re-create

So apparently, any game with a man looking for his daughter in a town called silent hill is a reimagining.

I don't buy it. This game would have been better if it was just called Shattered Memories, lost the needless weak Silent Hill easter eggs (lol, Lisa? Durr, I'm going to bleed out on the couch because I bled a lot in SH1. REIMAGINE), and started it's own franchise. The names were pointless, as the characters essentially lacked any links or similarities to their earlier counterparts. The story had 0 similarities other than Harry looking for his daughter, although he seemed to be more interested in looking for chicks with huge tits when I played.

Know what was a good reimagining? Donkey Kong Country Returns.

Know what was a good game that developers thought needed a big franchise name on to help it sell? SHSM.



Look, this is irrelevant. I clearly stated in my OP that there was no reason to even consider having a convo about this. I swear, some of you just can't stop breaking a sweat when someone doesn't think exactly as you do.

Learn to acknowledge other points of view.

[devil hunter]

The names were pointless, as the characters essentially lacked any links or similarities to their earlier counterparts. The story had 0 similarities other than Harry looking for his daughter, although he seemed to be more interested in looking for chicks with huge tits when I played.

That's why it's called REIMAGINING.

Look, this is irrelevant. I clearly stated in my OP that there was no reason to even consider having a convo about this. I swear, some of you just can't stop breaking a sweat when someone doesn't think exactly as you do.

Learn to acknowledge other points of view.

I can acknowledge other points of view, but I can also point out when I think what someone writes is wrong. It seems that you can't acknowledge that.

[captain crowbar]

The names were pointless, as the characters essentially lacked any links or similarities to their earlier counterparts. The story had 0 similarities other than Harry looking for his daughter, although he seemed to be more interested in looking for chicks with huge tits when I played.

That's why it's called REIMAGINING.

Look, this is irrelevant. I clearly stated in my OP that there was no reason to even consider having a convo about this. I swear, some of you just can't stop breaking a sweat when someone doesn't think exactly as you do.

Learn to acknowledge other points of view.

I can acknowledge other points of view, but I can also point out when I think what someone writes is wrong. It seems that you can't acknowledge that.

1. That's not a reimagining, that's a whole new game with little to no similarities. Once again, you're not going to convince me otherwise so just let it go.

2. I acknowledge when people are wrong all the time. I don't make a habit of insulting their opinions though. It's pretty juvenile.