So today my friend Jake and I finally completed the original Silent Hill. I’ve beaten it before, but it was nearly 10 years ago and needless to say, it hasn’t aged well. Don’t get me wrong, the atmosphere’s still terrifying and the sound design holds up just as well, but the graphics and some of the outdated play mechanics that have unfortunately continued plaguing the series are more than a little hard to swallow. But, I don’t play it because it’s got fantastic graphics, controls, or even story. I play this series because of the atmosphere and while it’s certainly got its shortcomings, the Silent Hill series has always excelled at flat-out scaring the piss out of me. I think that’s what drew Jake in as well, but he cut his teeth on Silent Hill 2 with me a few years back and like me, has eagerly anticipated each new release like the rabid and ravenous dogs we so often scuttle away from, terrified as we desperately claw our way to Alchemilla Hospital.
After finding just how much charm the original had to offer, I figured periodically I would start playing some of my old favorites and talk about the differences I see between when I first popped it in my system and now, when I likely will dust off that old system and load up a revered classic. So read on to see some of my now and then thoughts about Silent Hill.