Silent Hill

Silent Hill is a Video game of action/ventures of type Survival horror developed by Konami THIS Tokyo and published by Konami in 1999 on PlayStation. Considered to have revolutionized the play of horror by its psychological approach of the fear, the title of Keiichiro Toyama was an international success. In 2006, Christophe Gans made a film adaptation of it.

It is about the first episode of the series Silent Hill.

Silent Hill has a cinematographic dimension often considered more led than of other titles of the time, like those of the concurrent series Resident Evil. Original ideas of Gameplay , the setting in clever scene (positioning of the cameras, expressivity of the characters…), the noticed band of the type-setter Akira Yamaoka, and the very alambiqué scenario (one thinks of the Jacob's ladder of Adrian Lyne from which the play borrows a good number of visual elements, with certain films of David Lynch or with the universe of H.P. Lovecraft…) make this production a notorious work of the fifth generation of console.

Scenario

Since the economic development of Silent Hill, moved back seaside resort, reached its maturity, the population is in prey with a sad apathy. All the more strong feeling as the tragedy sets fire to occurred seven years before always haunts the memories. It is the end of the summer and the majority of the tourists left the station. One could almost accept a phantom city. Harry Mason, widower, are the father of Cheryl, little girl to the hair of a major black, discrete and reserved, that it found approximately 7 years ago before on the edge of a road leading to Silent Hill, given up… The summer holidays having arrived, Harry as a good father makes a point of giving pleasure with his/her little girl while taking it along in vacancy, only it and him. But the destination was mysteriously decided by Cheryl itself, which begged his/her father to take it along to Silent Hill. Most disconcerting in all that, it is that Harry spoken to him forever about this city…

The way towards Silent Hill is long, the roads, sinuous and escarpées, are a torment for the cars. Harry leads prudently but a mechanical pip the constrained one to stop in a small station service from where it sets out again only at the fallen night. Cheryl fell asleep, a book of image on the knees. Harry poses a soft glance on his/her daughter, anticipating the pleasant stay which awaits them. Suddenly the humming of an engine tears the night, a motorcyclist of the police force catches up with them, exceeds them at once and disappears, with far, in darkness of the night. Harry shakes the head and throws a short glance towards his/her daughter. She did not awake. A shy person smile takes shape on his face; the unconcern of youth sighs T it. All with its thoughts, it sees only too late the motor bike laid down on the low side. Hardly T turns the head towards it that the headlights of its vehicle illuminate a silhouette in front of him. Including/understanding with horror that it will not have time to slow down it violently turns the wheel to be off-set on the line. But its operation is too abrupt. In a squealing of tire it leaves the road. With the energy of despair it tries to rectify its car, without success. It plunges in the thick vegetation which borders the roadway. The shock is violent. When the car stops, Harry for a long time lost consciousness…

When it takes again its spirits, its first glance is for the seat of the passenger. Vacuum! Cheryl disappeared. Submerged by Harry panic at the head extirpates carcass of its vehicle with only one idea: to find Cheryl. Outside it is struck by a freezing cold. A thick fog, crossed by large snowflakes, recovers the city. The city? Harry tries to remind the accident, in vain. However it is certain not to be never arrived at Silent Hill? Cheryl, CHERYL, CHERYLLLL!!!!! Its cry resounds in the city but remains unanswered. Harry seeks of the assistance of the eyes but the city seems deserted. Where are the inhabitants, that T it occurs and where left Cheryl?

Source: official site Silent Hill

Gameplay

Contrary to Resident Evil , Silent Hill is centered primarily on the escape. It thus results a manner from it of playing radically different. The weapons are only additional and are not the single means to progress. Indeed, most of the time you will have to lead the engagements to the body with body, with weapons of contact generally. You will notice besides that the main character, Harry, are not very gifted in the handling of the weapons, very far from the techniques muscular of the protagonists of Resident Evil . You will include/understand rather quickly that to progress, it will be necessary to start your brain, so as to solve the enigmas which strew the adventure. Even if they are sufficiently accessible, they are definitely more vigorous than those of Resident Evil .

Another characteristic which has its importance: the radio. The latter indicates the presence of the monsters to you. Thus its grésillement will be done more important as a creature approaches you. A very judicious system which takes part largely in the effects of fear. Finally the icing on the cake comes from the use of the lamp-torch which has its turn remains has double edge, it lit the way but it attracts the monsters, which obliges the players has to use the light of the decorations to scan a plan which takes shape progressively. And which says required lamp-torch also says evolution in a dark universe, the player thus progresses constantly in a half-light distressing and oppressive which does not enable him to apprehend what will occur. With final, the gameplay is in total adequacy with the matter and the setting in scene of the play. For as much, the players will indicate certain problems involved in the orders like with the management of the cameras.

New running of the Survival-Horror

The arrival of Silent Hill on PlayStation mark also birth of a new current for the kind Survival-Horror. Until now, this type of plays was represented by Resident Evil and which was centered primarily around the action. Silent Hill thus brought a more psychological dimension which put initially on the emotions and the psychoanalysis (Freud). This setting in scene of the emotions is due in very great part to the very cinematographic realization of the play and the aspirations esoteric of the scenario. Music with framings while passing by thesound one, all the technical part (even if she shows some defects) contributes largely to this feeling of ambient vulnerability and thus to the pure and simple fear. Besides one will remember slogan of the publicity of the time: " Nevertheless death is not any more a issue". The saga Silent Hill tackles subjects very serious and very seldom seen in the medium of the video game. Thus it approaches there schizophrenia, the pedophilia (in the 2nd episode with Angela Orosco), adultery, the religion, the ill-treatment, etc… Thus one can say that Silent Hill invented the psychological survival-horror.

Anecdotes

The American version' presents a small difference with the Japanese and European versions. Thus in the US version of the play, one can face children zombies in a deserted school… what is not the case in the two other versions! This censure is explained mainly by the problem of morality because these scenes are very shocking and among most violent psychologically since you should strike these schoolboys-zombies. These children zombie S however were integrated in the film adaptation of the play.

Development team

Directing: artistic Keiichiro Toyama
Director: Akihiro Imamura
Directing of the sound/Musics and sound effects: Akira Yamaoka
Design of the characters: Takayoshi Sato
Design of the monsters: Naoko Sato, Masahiro Ito
Design of kinematics: Takayoshi Sato
Producing: Gonzo Kitao

Casting of the voices

Harry Mason : Michael G
Cybil Bennett: Susan Dad
Gillespie Dahlia: Liz Mamorsky
Dr. Michael Kaufmann: Jarion Monroe
Cheryl Mason/Alessa Gillespie: Sandra Wane
LISA Garland: Thessaly Lerner

Press review

Consoles max N°2: 82%

Comment a play truffle of wobbly enigmas to rather average graphics manage does to release an environment also flippante?

Consoles + N°90: 92%

Silent Hill is a small pearl of the adventure/action. This play has a true style and abounds in lucky finds.

Official Magazine PlayStation N°33: 8/10

a title as fantastic as disturbing. Not to put between all the hands.

Jeuxvideo.com: 19/20
Overgame.com: 8/10
Gamespot.com: 8.2/10

Film

Silent Hill, the film is a film adaptation of the play left on April 26th, 2006 in France. Realized by Christophe Gans, the realizer of the Pact of the wolves and Crying Freeman ), the film is based on the history of Silent Hill while borrowing elements from Silent Hill 2 (esthetic, characters) and from Silent Hill 4 (visual angles).

External bonds

Official site
File Silent Hill on Grospixels
File Silent Hill on Space-Emulation
Silent Hill France, site of fan
Silent Hill World, site of fan
Silent Hill Destiny, forum devoted to the series
It band-original of the play on Original Soundtrack

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