Customer Reviews

Silent Hill Origins

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

When it comes to the Silent Hill franchise, I'm a pretty dedicated fanboy. I could probably dedicate several chapters worth of pages to each and every one of the installments, from the masterpieces to the mediocre. In the name of dignity, however, I'll keep my opinion on Origins, like the game itself, fairly brief. And the brief here is that Origins doesn't quite capture the same charm as any of the straight-to-console releases; it does, however, maintain the trademark feel and standards of the franchise, and it even adds a couple cool new things to the mix, making it a completely worthy addition to what is hands down the best survival horror series around.

Probably the most important challenge facing the developers behind Origins was the necessity to prove to fans that they could harness the very distinct feel created and maintained by Team Silent, the original group, throughout the four previous titles. It couldn't have been an easy task. One of the things that makes these games so successful is the incredible atmosphere. The horror found in Silent Hill is often psychological and always enigmatic, and there's a really deeply disturbing sense of pathos that elevates the terror from strictly visceral to a very emotional level. The original composer was on board, so the famously spooky music and audio effects were there to help bolster the effect, but the rest was up to the new guys. Well, they delivered. Origins feels absolutely genuine; the foggy streets, the shambling, crippled monsters, the radio, the peeling paint and the layers of rust and blood - every motif within the series is reproduced with meticulous care, and it just feels right. The gameplay is still the same, with the one addition of breakable weapons (a potential inconveniance offset by the sheer abundance of weapons lying around). This, then, might be Origins greatest accomplishment in relation the series as a whole - proving that an American team can take the creative child of a very tight, very Japanese team and do it justice by finding its roots, all of which bodes well for the upcoming Shiny-developed PS3 release of Silent Hill 5.

Of course, there can't be enough said for innovation, and Origins' incredible conformity to the series formula has the aforementioned downside of robbing it of that certain individual charm that holds up the other titles, even the controversial black sheep entry SH4. For the most part it plays as a great homage to the other games. It even attempts to cover the two overarching themes that have up til now mostly been handled seperatly - that is, the malevolent cult that resides within the town and its mythology (SH1 and SH3), and the physical manifestion of personal torment (SH2 and SH4). These two themes have done a good job of keeping the town itself suitably mysterious by begging the question whether the forces behind Silent Hill are driven by the demons worshipped by the cult or a more vague force that projects the subconcious of its victim into its twisted Otherworld. In trying to work both sides, however, Origins becomes somewhat muddied and the benfits of both themes are diminished. The focus on the protagonists dark past seem to be the intended focal point, but it comes off a a little bit of an afterthought. This point is perfectly illustrated by the Butcher, Travis's own version of Pyramid Head, who in Silent Hill 2 was meant to be a reflection of a particularly dark element of our hero's psyche. The developers attempt to recreate this with the Butcher, but the monster unfortunately lacks the development and plot integration of Pyramid Head and ends up looking like a weak imitation. Likewise, the cult aspects we're shown, which lead directly to the occurences of SH1, are extremely shallow.

On that note don't be fooled by the title: Origins is a prequel to the storyline covered in SH1 and SH3, nothing more. It doesn't attempt to explain the origins of the actual evil residing in Silent Hill, which is probably a good thing. The mystery is part of what keeps the town frightening. Plus, I think if any installment were to take a whack at a real origins story, a PSP title wouldn't be the one to do it. The scope is necessarily too limited to tackle such an important issue.

What Origins lacks, then, in forward momentum, it gains in a few nice additions to gameplay. The most noteable of these is the fact that, unlike all previous installments, the player has control over when the foggy world will switch to the nightmarish Otherworld. This is achieved by travelling through mirrors which display a reflection of the parallel world, which is a pretty savvy callback to Travis's story and one example of the psychological themes being handled effectivly. I wouldn't want to see this in any of the future titles, mind you, as nothing quite compares to being suddenly thrown unknowingly into a nightmare realm from which there's no short escape, but it does add a whole new element to the horror in Origins; the really ominous necessity to willingly throw yourself into Hell's open jaws. In fact, while playing the game I really tried to do everything I could to stay in the foggy realm as long as possible and make my stay in the Otherworld very brief. My really visceral reaction to having to enter the Otherworld really surprised me as to how good the game is at creating genuine fear.

Another gift Origins gives to the series is the addition of probably one of the very best environments in the whole series - the theatre. One thing that tends to plague the other games is typical of all survival horror, and that's very linear environments. Halls upon halls, all boasting rows and rows of locked doors, can get tired really fast. The theatre really avoids this problem and its wonderful for it. One part in particular, which involves a puzzle utilizing stage props from the foggy realm transformed into real locales in the Otherworld, is brilliant and probably the highlight of the entire game. Even the enemies here are great - dummies that at first seem innocently inanimate that eventually come alive to attack Travis by crawling along the ceiling - very creepy.

All in all Origins is a pretty small addition to the Silent Hill franchise, but a worthy addition nonetheless. It maintains the core qualities of the series while adding a few cool new things of its own. And while its additions to the cult storyline aren't really substantial or even essential, they do feel very organic and real, which is pretty impressive. If you're new to the series, definitely start with one of the other games - as I said, Origins' beautiful imitation cripples it from attaining the same immersive charm - but if you're already a fan, what are you waiting for? Get this!

Another PSP to PS2 conversion, Silent Hill Origins is a prequel to Konami's original Silent Hill game, and fans of the long running survival horror series will happy to know that this installment retains the series' penchant for the unbelievably creepy. You play as a trucker named Travis, who has just stumbled into the town of Silent Hill, and naturally, it isn't too long before some very, very, bad things start happening. Fans of the series will see some familiar faces and surroundings, and the game also manages to provide some ultra-creepy environments and events, as well as a spectacular musical score that perfectly underlines the frightening proceedings. The game has been slightly visually enhanced in its transition from the PSP to the PS2, although things still look more grainy then they should. The only downsides to Silent Hill Origins is that the game's camera doesn't always work the way you'd think it would, and the game's length may leave more to be desired. Flaws aside though, Silent Hill Origins is still a scary blast, and there's enough extra content (like different endings) to find and comb through to justify picking it up. If you already played through the PSP version of the game, there really isn't any reason to play it again, but if you didn't and you're a fan of the series or of survival horror in general, take a trip to Silent Hill.

Being a rabid Silent Hill fan, I was somewhat skeptical of Silent Hill Origins, since A) it wasn't handled by Konami, B) it's a PSP entry, and C) prequels are usually a very bad idea. However, once I actually started playing it, I was, if not amazed, then at least pleasantly surprised. I played the PS2 port, and despite some glitches, it worked fine. I can safely say that Origins is a decent addition to the SH series, and if it stays firmly on safe, familiar ground -- well, you don't always need to reinvent the wheel.

I'll discuss the plot first, since it's possibly the weakest part of the game. Our hero is Travis Grady, a trucker with the usual tragic past, who saves a girl from a burning building one dark night on a lonely road. Of course, the girl is (not-really-spoiler alert) Alessa Gillespie, the creepy psychic waif whose botched religious sacrifice turned the town of Silent Hill into an empty, mist-shrouded nightmare realm crawling with twisted monsters and psychological subtexts. Travis finds himself in said nightmare realm, exploring locations both old and new, and interacting with younger versions of the characters from the very first game. Sadly, the plot marches along an episodic and very predictable path, and Travis is a rather lame hero who doesn't talk much and gives no clue as to why he doesn't just head for the hills. I mean, seriously.

So, what about the gameplay? It's good, mostly. Origins retains the freaky, muted atmosphere of the series, with desolate streets and dark, labyrinthine building interiors. The flashlight and the staticky radio are here, as is the combat system with its emphasis on desperate button mashing. The big difference here is that all melee weapons break over time, even sledgehammers and katanas, and the game compensates by tossing Travis a rather hilarious number of weapons to carry around. Gotta love unlimited inventories. Travis can also beat on enemies with his bare fists, which is at least fitting for his character. The monsters are very well-designed and creepy, though some are recycled from Silent Hill 2, and one in particular seems determined to fill Pyramid Head's shoes (and fails). I love these games for their atmosphere and all the proper elements were nicely in place. It was nice to revisit some areas from the first Silent Hill, and the new locations -- an asylum, a theatre, and a motel complex -- worked just fine.

The thing about Origins is, it very faithfully copies the Silent Hill formula and adds nothing new, really. This could be good or bad, depending on what you want from a franchise game. I loved the experimental nature of Silent Hill 2, but Silent Hill 4: The Room.....eh, not so much. Origins is basically Silent Hill 2 with a shorter running time, a cookie-cutter plot, and a more rugged, manly protagonist. It's not a bad game at all, though, and has some great stuff. I found the puzzles to be some of the best in any Silent Hill game, way more interesting than the standard "find object A for slot B" quests. I enjoyed a new gameplay feature wherein Travis can pass between the "real" world and the "dark" world by touching mirrors; it added a nice twist to the exploration of areas and required some strategizing. I dug the subtle, cerebral clues as to what might really be going on with Travis, even though they too were copypasted from Silent Hill 2. There's plenty of unlockable stuff for the diehard players. And the sight of Travis braining a monster with a toaster? Priceless.

I liked Silent Hill Origins. I just didn't discover anything new in it. It's a careful stamping out of all the good stuff from previous Silent Hill games in a neat, tidy package. If you're hoping for a re-imagining of the franchise that actually works.....well, you should probably avoid both Origins and Silent Hill Homecoming. But if you're a fan who simply wants another walk down those misty streets, radio crackling, unspeakable things lurking just out of sight.....here you go. Dig into Silent Hill Origins.

Fans of the series or those who have seen the movie should really get into this game. You meet Alessa, a younger Dahlia, and other characters from the first game (no spoiler, this is explained right in the booklet). Some connections and explanations are also offered which were pretty vague before. Lights and sounds also seem to draw monsters far more than other games (didn't seem to make much difference in the other games). The mirror idea was pretty cool too although it seemed to give you some controll over this horrific world.

The downside...
I was disappointed by the "new features" in this game. One is the use of fixed camera angles which I actually liked in resident evil. They could've worked here too but weren't handled as well as the RE games. At times a monster may be 2' in front of you but its off screen so you don't know until you either walk into it or shoot blindly. A couple times you walk down an aisle and disappear until you walk out- who knows if anything was there to pick up or examine. In other SH games camera angles may be used but at least you can hit a button and look around.

New combat features include punching... which makes sense (always thought it odd in SH& RE games that your options are basically run or shoot- noone can kick, etc). But on the other hand, I restarted this game and it takes something out of the "scare" when you can just walk up to the monsters and punch them into submission. Another combat feature is the ability to pick up assorted items for striking. At the end of the game however, I had a truck load of appliances and items which I never used. How many TVs, crates, etc did I have in my pockets?

As for the "scare", well there really wasnt one. This is more of an action game with horror elements that a disturbing horror tale. This is the only SH game that I made it all the way through without EVER getting killed. (I did run more than usual, but still, even the bosses were pretty easy).

There are also some movement differences and they couldve given you clearer reasons for going from one place to the next (If I hadn't looked at the map after leaving the hospital I wouldnt have known where I was supposed to go next). Still, overall I gave it 4 stars for fun, but just 3 overall because it was a step back in many ways from previous games.

before harry lost cheryl you play as a man who was there when alessa was burned for the original ritual! so exciting and fun to learn how it all started! the gameplay is classic, fun, exciting and scary. a neat new addition is the ability to control when you shift to the other world. you touch a mirror and you switch. also when you look into a mirror the room behind you is reflected as the opposite of what realm you are in. if you're in the normal world the reflection is bloody and scary and visa versa. the graphics aren't top notch but it in no way spoils anything. it's because it was originally a psp game. the butcher replaces pyramid head and leads you through the nightmare. you also learn about what happened to the main characters parents... i won't ruin anything, just play it!

It's only fair to warn people that this is being written by a person who has completed silent hill 2 more times than he can count. Half of my favorites on my browser link to silent hill sites. I asked a girl out because she looked like Cybil, I'm sure you get the point.

That said, this is still a really cool game with some interesting mechanics. The mirror thing gets a little tedious at times, but the newer combat style is much less frustrating than any previous titles. I say this because I realize you are not supposed to be a Navy Seal, you are supposed to be average. But in most other silent hill games, I felt more cheated than helpless. When they boosted the combat skills for homecoming they cancelled it out by giving the creatures lightning speed, ridiculous health and what I call psychic A.I. (i.e., when you press a button, it makes the creature respond, instead of having it's own patterns). I feel that the combat has the right amount of ability and hopelessness to keep it interesting in origins. I died a few times, more so from getting triple and quadruple teamed than from boss fights, but I usually saw it coming and tried to fight my way through.

The puzzles usually involve the mirror world and this is where it gets annoying. I don't know whose concept this was, but apparently they've never heard how people are annoyed by the go find the key concept. What a solution, not only do I now have to go find the key, I have to go find it by bouncing between worlds to get around an invisible wall that often looks like something our rather sturdy player-charachter could easily muscle his way through or over. after all, he does kill the straight-jackets with his bare hands.

So why the five star rating, Travis is one of the best charachters in Silent Hill's confusing history. He is fully aware that this is all insane, and he talks to people the way anyone would in his situation. When his weapom breaks, He puts up his dukes instead of somehow fighting off hundreds of creatures with a wooden stick. I'm looking at you, Sunderland.

Also, for a Silent hill fan this is a cool story, that elaborates on the Alessa story without changing anything. The best part is that Travis' past makes his part in the story a stand-alone. It has plenty of creepy and cryptic cut scenes (Pyramid Head has a cameo, maybe more I can't remember) and truly bizzare boss battles.

The weapons are another star here, not because they are powerful or ground breaking, It's the weapon variety, in both endurance and damage dealt. Tell me the truth, you've always secretly yearned to bash a demon-nurse over the head with a T.V., who hasn't? I really like to hit the straight jackets with a typewriter. Talk about melee!

I'm not so incredibly hip on the whole task of maintaining energy and health, but the sports drinks are a nice plus. I was kinda wishing they were health drinks but hey, being half dead for the whole game is what survival horror is all about, right? Kinda short on ammo, but that forces you to use the 75 melee weapons you have been carrying. I would really like to know where he stashes all this stuff, than again, maybe not.

All in all, it is a great addition to your Silent Hill collection, but it won't replace The Suffering or F.E.A.R. as far as action. as far as innovative combat goes, it is worth a play even if you don't like survival horror. This is hands down my favorite edition since Silent Hill 2.

This was my first SH game I have ever played and I was stuck to the series because of it. I was amazed by the graphics and the plot of the game. The monsters are very creepy and how some times they would just show up write there after you come out of a room.

The game has 4 or 5 levels. Because the last one. I'm not sure if it is considered a level. were you have to leave somewhere and walk/run to a house and fight the last boss. But the game starts with having to save a girl(I forget her name) from a burning house and after that you wake in the deserted town of Silent Hill. you then find a map of the town and you have to then go to the hospital. after you get a sample of what the game is you then have to go to a Sanitarium, but on the way there you get to meet the main villain for most of the game. then after having to go through the whole building you have to fight and kill your own mom. Next you have to get to the theater. There you will meet a creature that will make you shake every time you see it in a hall. You then deal with the last boss who later becomes a common creature you have to deal with. You then have to go to the last level witch is the River Side Hotel were you get to kill the Butcher/Pyramid Head and then fight and kill your dad. then finally you are then knockout for the last time and you wake up in the hospital. You leave the building and race to a shop and kill the last boss and there you find the truth about you.

the only low thing I can say about this game is that that main character never seams to have an expression most of the time witch make the fun of feeling the fear go away and that you have to go back and forth from both worlds witch can get boring after awhile. But I do say that you will not regret buying this game.

Here is my review of this game after playing it more time.

I went from thinking this wasn't that scary and sucks to thinking this game is awesome.

First let me say that I used to think that the combat sucked in this game. But actually it is not bad. I actually read the instructions (for once) and figured out how it is SUPPOSED to be played. If you turn off your light and use the charge up on the melee weapons and throw them you can fight off monsters and kill them more effectively. ESPECIALLY if you turn off your light which adds to the fear because you are in the darkness but also the monsters can't see you.

The music on this game rocks. This is a good game I think some have been too hard on it. I'm having fun with it and love it just as much as all the other SH games I own (accept for Homecoming).

Oh and yes I preordered Silent Hill: Shattered Memories! :D

Or at least that's what you'll think when playing, the PS2 version at least. I won't tell you the story because that's been said. The controls and camera angles are what you'd expect from a Silent Hill game and if you've never played one before I'd suggest starting with 2 or 3 ( or the original I guess, if you've got a PS1 lying around.) The graphics are pretty bad most of the time. The video scenes in the very begining and end of the game show how good they could be, but the developers either couldn't fit that good of graphics throught all the scenes or were just lazy.

The music is as good as always and Akira Yamaoka is truly a master at capturing the essence of Silent Hill in his music.

I found the story to be pretty linear considering how good SH2's story was, and the game was short. The Butcher came off as a cheap immitation of Pyramid Head of SH2. He was more violent than scary and was only given two instances of screen time. He doesn't come off as a big deal in the grander scheme of things. And although Origins had a few fairly memorable scenes, they seemed to not linger around long enough to make an impact.

But it seems like I'm complaining a lot which is weird because I really DID enjoy the game. I would say number 2 and 3 are better, but this one isn't bad. It held true to the Silent Hill formula while still adding a few elements (portals to the Otherworld; breakable weapons) and I liked the changes in the firearms used.

The rifle shoots much more quickly than in SH2 and Travis can move while firing (helpful!) and the shotgun is a double-barrel rather than a pump-action, so you can fire twice in quick succession and reload in the menu. However the "Service Pistol", an M1911 automatic, was incorrectly put with 9mm ammunition when it should have been a .45 caliber. Normally I wouldn't care, but in all other rights the firearm accuracy was solid. If anyone knows who the woman on the grip of the Redeemer is, put up a comment.

But yes, let's get back to the light level. It's low. The game is dark, and very much so. I often would tap the X button just to find objects I couldn't see. I can't tell you how often I picked up weapons lying on the ground or against a wall that I didn't even know were there. I know it's Silent Hill and they've always been dark, but jeez! And the grainy textures from the blown up PSP version didn't help.

But the story brough back the history of Alessa with Travis facing his inner demons in some memorable settings and managed it successfully, so is there even room to complain? It's not as good as 2 or 3 but those were fantastic games, so this one is at least good. And there are plenty (PLENTY) of games that can't say that. It's a solid entry. Silent Hill fans will love it, horror game fans would be best advised checking out one of the others.

(Note: I didn't mention Silent Hill, Silent Hill 4: The Room, or Silent Hill: Homecoming. That's because I haven't yet played them. I didn't mean to suggest they weren't as good as 2 or 3. I really have no idea if they are or not.)

I would like to start by saying I have been a huge fan of this series since the first game in the late 90s for the Play Station. However with each new game they release I always feel a little more let down in some ways.

This game was originally realeased for the PSP; the problem with this is that the PSP is a gamble, and a large number of gammers, some being former fans of the Silent Hill series hated the PSP. So they decided later that they would rerelease this title for the Playstation 2. When I first heard about this I was pretty hyped up about it. When I first saw it in stores, I bought it without a second thought.

It didn't take me too long to find something very screwed up about this game.

Simply put; SHADOWS... They screwed up the the shadow graphics very badly... When you shine your flashlight on an object, you get a strange jig-saw pattern that is suppost to be the objects shadow, and it's distracting and annoying. Next to that, the game is too freaking dark, and I don't mean that in a good way, I mean you can't see any further than a couple feet away from your character, even with the flashlight on. Because of this it becomes difficult to avoid enemies that are too close to you, and you may often miss important items that you run past unless you pay very close attention. The darkness facter in this game seems more geared towards eye-strain than trying to increase the fear-factor of the game as a whole.

Also it seems that since this was originally a PSP game, they got pretty simple with the level design sometimes, a lot of rooms in this game there were absolutely no need for... Very often you will open a door to an empty room with absolutely nothing in it... No monsters... No items... Not even a picture on a wall... Just an empty room... How exciting. And lets not forget the glitches with the inventory system. In the firearms menu for example, as soon as you change or reload a weapon, the picture of the weapon you are toying with will change to the next weapon to it... Why is it that your handgun suddenly turns into your shotgun?

Overall I did enjoy this game and I loved many of the ideas behind it. I loved the new combat system. I found the temporary melee weapons interesting, as well as a little annoying sometimes. I loved the new monsters they introduced. And most of all, I loved the fact that this game was a prelude to the first game, I enjoyed learning more about the story history behind what caused the first games' story to be.

This game had a lot of promise, but I just felt let down because it feels like the makers didn't care enough to test play it a few times before releasing it again. There are just too many glitches and errors that I felt that if they would have taken a little time to test it first that they may have been able to fix them before releasing the game.