Re: Games Beaten 2016
Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2016 11:01 am
1. Metal Slug (MVS)(Run and Gun)
2. Puzzle Link (NGPC)(Puzzle)
3. Illusion of Gaia (SNES)(RPG)
4. Warhammer 40,000: Rites of War (PC)(Strategy)
5. Shadowrun: Dragonfall (PC)(RPG)
6. Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss (PC)(RPG)
7. Drakkhen (SNES)(RPG)
8. Flight of the Amazon Queen (PC)(Point and Click Adventure)
9. Shadowgrounds: Survivor (PC)(Top-Down Shooter)
10. Lufia & The Fortress of Doom (SNES)(RPG)
11. BioShock (PC)(FPS)
12. Jeopardy! Sports Edition (SNES)(Game Show Sim)
13. Turok: Dinosaur Hunter (PC)(FPS)
14. Thief Gold (PC)(Stealth)
15. Call of Duty 2 (PC)(FPS)
16. Might and Magic III: Isles of Terra (PC)(RPG)
17. Alone in the Dark (PC)(Survival Horror)
18. Silent Hill (PS1)(Survival Horror)
I first acquired a copy of Silent Hill less than a month after its release in 1999. Due to various circumstances, I was unable to beat the game despite multiple attempts with a few different copies. When I finally reacquired it a few years ago, I decided at some point I would sit down and force my way through it, to stop it from being the one white whale of gaming that I had to stare down. Nearly 20 years have passed since the game first ended up in my hands. At that moment, on my last birthday of the previous millennium, I was a novice at horror gaming; I'm a seasoned veteran now, with multiple wins over Silent Hill games in my belt. With the Summer Games Challenge up and running, I decided it was finally time. I engaged, and I succeeded.
There are a lot of aspects of Silent Hill I could talk about. If you followed my progress in the Summer Games Challenge thread, you'd have already witnessed that first hand(for those of you who did not, I will link my entries at the end of this review). The important thing to understand is that this was a game obviously designed by horror enthusiasts who love the genre. It's particularly nostalgic for me because it represents or ties into many troubling moments over the course of my life, and even events in recent years tie back to it in my mind. Despite not beating it, Silent Hill became a sort of benchmark for me, a linchpin in the fabric of the horror genre as well as a sort of graphical representation of some of life's weirder, freakier, or scarier moments.
In short, I think the game is amazing.
Yes, there are problems. There feels like a lack of information with one major subplot involving the local narcotics trade that really helps tie it in to the main story, and what plot you receive is often guided through intentionally cryptic and vague hints. I like this because it makes the plot more disjointed, a sort of dilapidation of story that adheres to the world around it, but at times I felt it might have been due to awkward translation. There are also some relatively minor but important differences across versions, including cut information that explains elements I found important.
Silent Hill is also not an easy game. Combat is rudimentary and often lacking. Camera control is limited and often stuck to specific angles that may hinder or disorient the player. Controls are in a quasi-evolutionary state as survival horror tried to move away from tank controls. View distance is extremely limited, and enemies are mobile or sometimes work together. Puzzles are intentionally designed with red herrings that may throw you off. In truth, I didn't beat Silent Hill in 1999 because I wasn't ready to. I wasn't capable of handling and coping with the difficulties that are inherent in its design.
Audio is one of the game's absolute triumphs. While sound effects are decent, specifically the radar-like radio stands out as one of the most important tools in your inventory, and you will need it to serve as your eyes more often than not. Music in the game is intentionally designed to ape on that fire, and it will come on unrelenting, often with a steady hum that makes you suspect the radio might be lying to you. What other soundtrack instills a creeping dread on this level? None that I know of.
As of now, I've made it through a large chunk of the Silent Hill line, and considering what I have left of the series to play, I am confident in declaring that I've seen the pinnacle of the franchise. Many people declare endlessly on the qualities of Silent Hill 2, followed by 3, and I don't disagree with them on either. 3 is actually a personal favorite. But having finally cleared the first one...I'm having trouble deciding which of the three is the best. If you consider yourself a horror fan, you owe it to play the first three.
My Summer Challenge SH posts:
2. Puzzle Link (NGPC)(Puzzle)
3. Illusion of Gaia (SNES)(RPG)
4. Warhammer 40,000: Rites of War (PC)(Strategy)
5. Shadowrun: Dragonfall (PC)(RPG)
6. Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss (PC)(RPG)
7. Drakkhen (SNES)(RPG)
8. Flight of the Amazon Queen (PC)(Point and Click Adventure)
9. Shadowgrounds: Survivor (PC)(Top-Down Shooter)
10. Lufia & The Fortress of Doom (SNES)(RPG)
11. BioShock (PC)(FPS)
12. Jeopardy! Sports Edition (SNES)(Game Show Sim)
13. Turok: Dinosaur Hunter (PC)(FPS)
14. Thief Gold (PC)(Stealth)
15. Call of Duty 2 (PC)(FPS)
16. Might and Magic III: Isles of Terra (PC)(RPG)
17. Alone in the Dark (PC)(Survival Horror)
18. Silent Hill (PS1)(Survival Horror)
I first acquired a copy of Silent Hill less than a month after its release in 1999. Due to various circumstances, I was unable to beat the game despite multiple attempts with a few different copies. When I finally reacquired it a few years ago, I decided at some point I would sit down and force my way through it, to stop it from being the one white whale of gaming that I had to stare down. Nearly 20 years have passed since the game first ended up in my hands. At that moment, on my last birthday of the previous millennium, I was a novice at horror gaming; I'm a seasoned veteran now, with multiple wins over Silent Hill games in my belt. With the Summer Games Challenge up and running, I decided it was finally time. I engaged, and I succeeded.
There are a lot of aspects of Silent Hill I could talk about. If you followed my progress in the Summer Games Challenge thread, you'd have already witnessed that first hand(for those of you who did not, I will link my entries at the end of this review). The important thing to understand is that this was a game obviously designed by horror enthusiasts who love the genre. It's particularly nostalgic for me because it represents or ties into many troubling moments over the course of my life, and even events in recent years tie back to it in my mind. Despite not beating it, Silent Hill became a sort of benchmark for me, a linchpin in the fabric of the horror genre as well as a sort of graphical representation of some of life's weirder, freakier, or scarier moments.
In short, I think the game is amazing.
Yes, there are problems. There feels like a lack of information with one major subplot involving the local narcotics trade that really helps tie it in to the main story, and what plot you receive is often guided through intentionally cryptic and vague hints. I like this because it makes the plot more disjointed, a sort of dilapidation of story that adheres to the world around it, but at times I felt it might have been due to awkward translation. There are also some relatively minor but important differences across versions, including cut information that explains elements I found important.
Silent Hill is also not an easy game. Combat is rudimentary and often lacking. Camera control is limited and often stuck to specific angles that may hinder or disorient the player. Controls are in a quasi-evolutionary state as survival horror tried to move away from tank controls. View distance is extremely limited, and enemies are mobile or sometimes work together. Puzzles are intentionally designed with red herrings that may throw you off. In truth, I didn't beat Silent Hill in 1999 because I wasn't ready to. I wasn't capable of handling and coping with the difficulties that are inherent in its design.
Audio is one of the game's absolute triumphs. While sound effects are decent, specifically the radar-like radio stands out as one of the most important tools in your inventory, and you will need it to serve as your eyes more often than not. Music in the game is intentionally designed to ape on that fire, and it will come on unrelenting, often with a steady hum that makes you suspect the radio might be lying to you. What other soundtrack instills a creeping dread on this level? None that I know of.
As of now, I've made it through a large chunk of the Silent Hill line, and considering what I have left of the series to play, I am confident in declaring that I've seen the pinnacle of the franchise. Many people declare endlessly on the qualities of Silent Hill 2, followed by 3, and I don't disagree with them on either. 3 is actually a personal favorite. But having finally cleared the first one...I'm having trouble deciding which of the three is the best. If you consider yourself a horror fan, you owe it to play the first three.
My Summer Challenge SH posts: