One pitfall videogame designers sometimes fall into is placing too much emphasis on one aspect of a game, assuming that it will carry the game from start to finish. Even when that aspect is as strong as the designers planned it to be (and it usually isn't), the lack of attention to other areas can be painfully evident. In this way Silent Hill was a risk, as it places heavy emphasis on atmosphere. Fortunately, not only is the atmosphere of the game sufficiently strong, but the other aspects of the game don't crumble under its weight.
The works of Stephen King undoubtedly inspired Silent Hill's atmosphere. Most obvious is the similarity to King's "The Mist," a novella about a vacation town that is overtaken by a monster-filled fog. But Silent Hill's eeriness doesn't end with monsters hidden in the dense fog; it's simply beginning. Much like the Overlook hotel in the movie 'The Shining' (based on another King endeavor), the town morphs from normal (or close to it, at least), to downright terrifying, with rotten corpses hanging on blood-streaked walls, gurneys and wheelchairs strewn on floors of rusty metal grating, and entire levels of buildings appearing out of nowhere.
While the physical settings are disturbing in and of themselves, Silent Hill also uses sound to its advantage. Used correctly, even simple sounds can become frightening. For instance, the most suspenseful parts of the movie 'Aliens' featured the Marines' motion trackers, devices that emitted increasingly shrill tones as the aliens drew nearer. This effect elicited much trepidation from the viewer; there was something there, it was getting closer, but no one could see it until it was too late. Silent Hill creates much of its fear in this way, thanks a radio Harry finds at the beginning of the game. When monsters are in the vicinity, the radio emits white noise that gets more intense as the number and proximity of monsters increases.
There are other ways sound is used to instill dread in the player as well. Sometimes strange background effects loop, giving the game a surreal feeling. (The most insanity-inducing effects loop is reminiscent of the Nirvana song 'Radio Friendly Unit Shifter'.) Other times, bumps or crashes are heard at unexpected times for good measure.
Silent Hill's intense visual and auditory stimuli mesh perfectly to create a genuinely frightening world. There's so much to look at and hear that even the uneventful parts of the game (e.g., walking down streets) keep the player's attention.
With so much emphasis on atmosphere, it's a pleasant surprise that the gameplay is as solid as it is. Controls are set up in typical survival horror "tank" style. While not a favorite control scheme of gamers, it fits horror games well; if a monster was chasing you, would your legs work right? Even if that explanation doesn't placate you, the controls function well in the fully 3-D environment. For instance, controls are tighter than those in other horror games; you won't find yourself inadvertently zigzagging when trying to walk straight.
Silent Hill also allows for a little strategy in combat. First, the main character, Harry Mason, is an everyday, average guy: a Z-Score of zero in the distribution of humanity. He has no training with weapons, so you have to be careful aiming your shots. While ammunition conservation is a factor, it's not as pressing as in Resident Evil. Also, guns aren't always the most effective (or fun) weapons to use for certain enemies. Although some melee weapons are useless, the hammer comes in quite handy for offing zombie medical personnel. Finally, lighting plays a part in many areas. Harry has a flashlight that can be turned on and off. When the light is on, your vision improves and ranged weapon accuracy goes up. However, the light attracts monsters like flies to a bug zapper. If you turn off the light, it's harder to see but easier to slip by monsters or get the drop on them. In the big picture, it's enough to keep combat interesting for the duration of the game.
Silent Hill also has wonderful puzzles. Although you spend a lot of time finding keys, you're called to use your riddle solving skills much more often than in Resident Evil. Puzzles range from fairly simple to requiring a good amount of thinking, but none so easy that you'll feel your intelligence insulted and none so hard that you'll need a walkthrough. My only complaint is that sometimes the game is too leading in a spot or two.
Although most of Silent Hill is excellent, there are a couple spots were the game lags. The worst of these I like to call "The Gauntlet," in which you just follow a narrow path full of monsters, and then you come right back. It feels thrown in, and the game takes awhile to recover. Around this time, the story also falls apart.
The story starts out interestingly enough; Harry and his daughter Cheryl get into a car accident. When Harry comes to, Cheryl's gone and the town is barren and foggy. Bit by bit, Harry meets people and learns things, and pieces slowly fall into place. While it seems that the game is steering towards a believable angle of recreational drugs gone wrong, things suddenly get supernatural and kooky, dealing with demon spawn and black magic. Yawn.
The bottom line? Play Silent Hill for its atmosphere. Turn out the lights, turn the volume up, and let yourself get drawn into Harry's world. Check out the buildings and walls, get nervous when you hear the radio, challenge the puzzles, and jump at a few good "boo" moments. With so much to offer, Silent Hill is one of the best horror-themed adventure games around.
