I do not usually write reviews but I will do it for this game... Before I start, I want to mention that in my opinion, Silent Hill 2 (SH2) is one of the greatest games ever created by humanity. So this review will be mostly a comparison of these two games. Pros: 1. The game seems to use the same game engine, so about 70% (overall) of the game does feel like Silent Hill 2 in terms of gameplay: - same navigation and fighting mechanics (the fighting is more challenging but in this 70%, it's mostly fine) - similar animations and cutscenes - similar puzzle mechanics 2. When you start the game in the room, there is a strange feeling of despair and bewilderment which is cool. Cons: 1. Well... the remaining 30% of the game is different: - Unkillable enemies... are just annoying. In Silent Hill 2 you could kill all the enemies in a location if you wanted (except maybe for the Pyramid Head). It will not work here. Some ememies are immortal and unavoidable. So there are places (and in some cases whole areas) where you have to just run pass them. And it's more annoying than scary. There is a limited way to kill some of such enemies though but it's a waste of time - Limited inventory... is just annoying. There are many items in the game that you collect but since you don't know if/when you will need them, you need to return to the chest to store them. It takes time and that's all - Companions. Rember Maria from Silent Hill 2? Well, this game also features a similar character, but unlike Maria, this one is just annoying and stupid (taking into account her mechanics). In the end, I did not even care about her anymore - Locations. Unlike Silent Hill 2 where you travel through the town, here you simply visit diffent locations that are not directly connected. It's not that bad, but it does not make you feel attached to these places. Remember that time when you entered the hospital in Silent Hill 2 in 'normal' world and eventually woke up in rusty-silent-hillish world? Well, don't expect such a great moment here - Repetition. After about 50% of the game you understand everything and see where it's all going and what to expect next. At about 60% of the game I wanted it to end already. - Story. The motivation of the antagonist is just not my cup of tea to say the least and I think it's extremely stupid just like him - Endings. Remember how any tiny action (e.g. looking at the knife, reading something) could affect the ending in SH2? Well, forget it. The ending decision in this game is extremely simple - Hauntings... are just annoying. No spoilers here, they just are - Bosses. Most are optional and just annoying. The last one is unnecessarily hard and annoying Conclusion: It's still a great Silent Hill game, but not close to Silent Hill 2. To make it more enjoyable just play it on Easy. Tiny Spoilers: - Don't hoard candles or amulets, just use them when you want to use them - Don't ignore hauntings - Don't hoard golf clubs, just use them if you want, as they are not that great - Don't hoard ammo, just use them if you want, as guns are not that great in this game
I do not usually play adventure games nor do I usually write game reviews... but this game is definitely worth the effort. First of all, I did not play this game when it was initially released, so this is not a nostalgia review. Long story short: buy this game and you will like it. If you hesitate for some reason, just wait until it is on sale and get it for almost free. Just do not let the graphics fool you. This game is not about bland, “realistic” 3D models like most modern games are, it is about the journey. And the journey is indeed long and interesting. The story line is an outstanding, unique mix of Sci-Fi, Cyberpunk and Fantasy genres. Every NPC in this game is unique and memorable, every dialogue has a sound and the voice actors did a great job. And the humor is great and used when it is relevant. Every puzzle is doable and logical. They vary in difficulty of course but even difficult ones are doable. The one about “the eye” (if you know, you know) took me a long time, but still it was doable and logical too. It is one of those good old games that will take you about 20 hours to complete (not quite long according to the “modern” standards) but the content of this game is so unique and there are so many different events in it that you will feel way more attached to this game and its characters than you do in most bland, modern games that take you 200 hours to complete. The only problem that I had with this port, was a couple of random crashes after cut-scenes. But reloading the game and skipping a scene, resolved this issue. Everything else worked flawlessly.
