This thread series promised to take you back there one day, and now it has. You're not alone there. In our restless dreams, we see that town...
Silent Hill
Mainline Entry 01 - Silent Hill
Formats: Playstation
Launching the series with an entry that would prove to be the template for most of the series that followed, Konami took the limitations of the host hardware and played them to the games strengths with its slow pacing and dense fog masking the limits the engine faced. Harry Mason takes the lead, searching the town for his missing daughter as he fends off the creatures that lurk amidst the mists. The game initially appeared to be trying to cash in on the Resi craze but trying to use a 3D engine instead of pre-rendered backgrounds, however, the game won over gamers on its release by being much smarter than was to be expected and remains a fondly thought of title.
Mainline Entry 02 - Silent Hill 2
Formats: Playstation 2, Xbox, PC, Playstation 3, Xbox 360
A new generation of consoles meant the series returned with an updated look however no-one expected it to return with such a visually accomplished title. Largely following the model of the original game, players assumed the role of James Sunderland who has returned to Silent Hill following him receiving a letter from his dead wife promising she would meet him there. Refinement was mostly the order of the game in comparison to the original title however it was the incredibly well thought out storyline and characters that made the sequel hit home the hardest and is why it's considered to be not only the best entry for most but also one of the defining titles of the entire genre.
Mainline Entry 03 - Silent Hill 3
Formats: Playstation 2, PC, Playstation 3, Xbox 360
Following on from the second game, the third aimed to ride the success by taking players back to Silent Hill in a new entry that was broadly more of the same from a gameplay stand point but delivered something that would please fans of the original game a little more from a narrative stand point. This time Heather Mason took the lead, the child given to Harry in the original game, as she found herself being pulled back into the town.
Mainline Entry 04 - Silent Hill 4: The Room
Formats: Playstation 2, Xbox, PC
The very next year Konami put out the fourth game that marked itself out by not being quite so traditionally linked to the previous games from the outset and was instead based from an apartment within a nearby town. Players controlled Henry Townsend as he fought against the creatures that came for him as he sought a way out of his domestic prison. The game was positively received but sales took a slump thanks to general decline at the time and how heavily Konami had been pushing the series.
Spin Off Entry 01 - Silent Hill: Arcade
Formats: Arcade
Beginning to go all in on milking the series, Konami put out this rail shooter to arcades. The series aesthetic was essentially applied to an otherwise typical arcade gun shooter.
Mainline Entry 05 - Silent Hill: Origins
Formats: Playstation 2, Playstation Portable
Initially launching on handheld, the fifth canonical entry was ported over the PS2 to join the rest of the series and acted as a prequel. The gameplay remained traditional as the story followed truck driver Travis Grady as he made his way through the town recovering his childhood memories. The game was notable as the first entry where Team Silent had been taken off development duties with Climax UK ultimately delivering an entry where they'd aimed to make it as close to the traditional entries as possible.
Mainline Entry 06 - Silent Hill: Homecoming
Formats: Playstation 3, Xbox 360, PC
With the series third generation of hardware came a new entry and by now Konami was settling into rotating who got to make the game with Double Helix taking the lead this time. The new entry followed Alex Shepherd, a returning soldier, who comes home to find his brother missing and the city in a mess. At the time the game was received fairly favourably but with time its reputation has become less positive.
Spin Off Entry 02 - Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
Formats: Wii, Playstation 2, Playstation Portable
The next title was a reimagining of sorts but not canonically so as the game is considered to take place in a separate universe to the original game it is based on. The game was mostly notable for the absence of combat and how answers to psychological questioning shapes the story and the creature pursuing you. The game was Climax's second attempt at the franchise and the title was well received but ultimately sold very poorly.
Mainline Entry 07 - Silent Hill: Downpour
Formats: Playstation 3, Xbox 360
Inmate Murphy Pendleton took the lead this time after his prison transporter crashes whilst passing through the town. This lightly aped some of Climax's work by introducing a morality system that would dictate elements of the story. Otherwise the game was a return to the third person town searching the series was known for albeit with more of a water theme rather than fog this time. Once again though the changing of hands led to a series struggle and Downpour disappointed by only getting a lukewarm reaction.
Spin Off Entry 03 - Silent Hill: Book of Memories
Formats: Playstation Vita
Deviating from the series core design a manner not done so directly since the arcade release came this final game in the series, a top down hack and slash with rpg elements. The game was deeply untraditional to the series and so whilst it proved disappointing for fans it did garner some positive responses. With Konami now in a poor gaming position the series seems to be finally enjoying a restful dream.
Share your thoughts and shattered memories of Silent Hill
Silent Hill
Mainline Entry 01 - Silent Hill
Formats: Playstation
Launching the series with an entry that would prove to be the template for most of the series that followed, Konami took the limitations of the host hardware and played them to the games strengths with its slow pacing and dense fog masking the limits the engine faced. Harry Mason takes the lead, searching the town for his missing daughter as he fends off the creatures that lurk amidst the mists. The game initially appeared to be trying to cash in on the Resi craze but trying to use a 3D engine instead of pre-rendered backgrounds, however, the game won over gamers on its release by being much smarter than was to be expected and remains a fondly thought of title.
Mainline Entry 02 - Silent Hill 2
Formats: Playstation 2, Xbox, PC, Playstation 3, Xbox 360
A new generation of consoles meant the series returned with an updated look however no-one expected it to return with such a visually accomplished title. Largely following the model of the original game, players assumed the role of James Sunderland who has returned to Silent Hill following him receiving a letter from his dead wife promising she would meet him there. Refinement was mostly the order of the game in comparison to the original title however it was the incredibly well thought out storyline and characters that made the sequel hit home the hardest and is why it's considered to be not only the best entry for most but also one of the defining titles of the entire genre.
Mainline Entry 03 - Silent Hill 3
Formats: Playstation 2, PC, Playstation 3, Xbox 360
Following on from the second game, the third aimed to ride the success by taking players back to Silent Hill in a new entry that was broadly more of the same from a gameplay stand point but delivered something that would please fans of the original game a little more from a narrative stand point. This time Heather Mason took the lead, the child given to Harry in the original game, as she found herself being pulled back into the town.
Mainline Entry 04 - Silent Hill 4: The Room
Formats: Playstation 2, Xbox, PC
The very next year Konami put out the fourth game that marked itself out by not being quite so traditionally linked to the previous games from the outset and was instead based from an apartment within a nearby town. Players controlled Henry Townsend as he fought against the creatures that came for him as he sought a way out of his domestic prison. The game was positively received but sales took a slump thanks to general decline at the time and how heavily Konami had been pushing the series.
Spin Off Entry 01 - Silent Hill: Arcade
Formats: Arcade
Beginning to go all in on milking the series, Konami put out this rail shooter to arcades. The series aesthetic was essentially applied to an otherwise typical arcade gun shooter.
Mainline Entry 05 - Silent Hill: Origins
Formats: Playstation 2, Playstation Portable
Initially launching on handheld, the fifth canonical entry was ported over the PS2 to join the rest of the series and acted as a prequel. The gameplay remained traditional as the story followed truck driver Travis Grady as he made his way through the town recovering his childhood memories. The game was notable as the first entry where Team Silent had been taken off development duties with Climax UK ultimately delivering an entry where they'd aimed to make it as close to the traditional entries as possible.
Mainline Entry 06 - Silent Hill: Homecoming
Formats: Playstation 3, Xbox 360, PC
With the series third generation of hardware came a new entry and by now Konami was settling into rotating who got to make the game with Double Helix taking the lead this time. The new entry followed Alex Shepherd, a returning soldier, who comes home to find his brother missing and the city in a mess. At the time the game was received fairly favourably but with time its reputation has become less positive.
Spin Off Entry 02 - Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
Formats: Wii, Playstation 2, Playstation Portable
The next title was a reimagining of sorts but not canonically so as the game is considered to take place in a separate universe to the original game it is based on. The game was mostly notable for the absence of combat and how answers to psychological questioning shapes the story and the creature pursuing you. The game was Climax's second attempt at the franchise and the title was well received but ultimately sold very poorly.
Mainline Entry 07 - Silent Hill: Downpour
Formats: Playstation 3, Xbox 360
Inmate Murphy Pendleton took the lead this time after his prison transporter crashes whilst passing through the town. This lightly aped some of Climax's work by introducing a morality system that would dictate elements of the story. Otherwise the game was a return to the third person town searching the series was known for albeit with more of a water theme rather than fog this time. Once again though the changing of hands led to a series struggle and Downpour disappointed by only getting a lukewarm reaction.
Spin Off Entry 03 - Silent Hill: Book of Memories
Formats: Playstation Vita
Deviating from the series core design a manner not done so directly since the arcade release came this final game in the series, a top down hack and slash with rpg elements. The game was deeply untraditional to the series and so whilst it proved disappointing for fans it did garner some positive responses. With Konami now in a poor gaming position the series seems to be finally enjoying a restful dream.
Share your thoughts and shattered memories of Silent Hill
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