Wow I remember that game, it was pretty dang hard!

Argh, I want to know more about the characters and the story!! D:

I'm too much of a wimp, so this is probably the only time I will ever learn about Silent Hill. X(

Oh well, still two parts to go. Great videos so far!!

I'm with the guy above me, I'm too timid to play a single one of them alone.

YES! One of my favorite review shows has a new part!

All hyperness aside, this was a great part and I can't wait to see the next!

video uploads need to be faster! :(

Even though I know all this stuff, it's nice to see another fan that actually knows their shit. A lot of newer fans today dont know anything about the story and confuse either the movie or the crap from homecoming to be canon... yes, i said it, homecoming is not canon to the series! :(... and try to tie their stories in to the series when everything they say contradicts crap in the previous games and half the time doesnt even make any sense.

I'm ranting again... Love the vids, cant wait for the rest. Glad there's still fans out there that know the story... Upload Faster!!! :D

Where is it said that Homecoming wasn't canon?

Or do you just wish it wasn't?

Either way, I preordered Shattered Memories, from what I hear, everyone was loving it at E3, so hopefully it'll be pretty good.

I liked Homecoming, it's a pretty good game imo, though it is my least favorite Silent Hill.

Apparently it references the cult from the movie.

Yeah, that seems to be true, but didn't Silent Hill always have a cult?

I know they took the cult members you fight from the movie.

[quote=shollern]A lot of newer fans today dont know anything about the story and confuse either the movie or the crap from homecoming to be canon...[/quote]
Yah, I had a bad experience when I did the Silent Hill episode of Still Gaming. There was a line where I mentioned Harry having to trudge through the snow and fog to find his daughter, and in response was a ridiculous amount of people claiming "It's not snow, it's ASH!" ... which was really disheartening with how much work I put into that video--all they could do was nitpick about a little detail ... that they were WRONG about.

Not that I'm bitter or anything =P

so then whats you take on the new movie being made, these people know the story and I'm sure have played the game? You know how it being very loosely based on the third game.

Thanks for doing these reviews of my fave game series, Dena! :cheer: I love Silent Hill from the top of my head to the tips of my toes, and this has been a real treat for me. I really enjoyed your in-depth look into Silent Hill 2 (and I'm jealous, insanely jealous, that you were able to score the voice actor for James! :woohoo: ) and am enjoying your look at SH3 just as much. Between your reviews and Linkara's look at Dying Inside, I'm in Silent Hill-vana! :D

I got into the series late (I'd never heard of it until the third one came out), but I'm making up for it. I've played all but the first one (like I said, got into it late), Origins (that one pissed me off and I traded it in halfway through), and I'm working on Homecoming now. The series itself is not without its faults, no matter how much I love it, and yet, the spot that it has in my heart is big enough for the rebellious and bastardized children of its own popularity. Good or bad, incredibly deep or stupidly shallow, I love the whole series (except Origins, I hated that one with a passion :angry: ...yet it still stays with me even after I dumped it. Go figger :huh: ), and it's great that a loving fan such as yourself is looking deeper into it. I look forward to the rest of your review!

On a side note, I'm *not* happy about Shattered Memories. :dry: I was totally psyched when I heard they were making one for the Wii, but goddammit! Why did they have to make it a real-time inventory system?!?! I hate those things!! :angry: I happen to LIKE being pulled out of the game to change weapons or heal, it gives me a chance to pause for a moment, breathe and then get back into the game. Sonuva...they did it with the fifth Resident Evil and turned me off, and now with Silent Hill. It would've been so badass, too... :(

I like the little tribute at the end. Poor Harry did get shafted. As much as I did like the movie a little, mostly for the scenery, it would have been a lot better if they actually kept Harry.

:cheer: gotta love Harry. Him and his strangely greaser like appearance. I mean seriously,am I the only one who thinks he gets ideas for hair from 1950s magazines?

I don't think I'll ever forgive the movie adaptation for turning harry into a woman. Then again, they made a whole slew of unnecessary changes in that movie.I'll never understand why they can't just make a straight adaption. Other then the town itself-the movie was all wrong. It had great potential too. :(

But I love the fact that they expanded the story in the third. When they do that right-it gives the characters lots more depth and makes it a whole more epic. Its a feeling that gets a lot of people interested in any game or movie in the first place.

personally,I'm not too excited for the remake either. None of the characters are right. Dahlia Gillespie is a teenager...for some reason. But I'll admit,I like the new design for Cybil (even though there are multiple different designs anyway) And I am not pleased with Harry's complete change either [original one ftw]. The gimmick of it (alternate game play and game design based on a survey taken early on) is interesting but still-not really ecstatic. But since I have the Wii,I guess its worth checking out when its released. But I honestly think that it should have been done like the Metal Gear Solid remake was done. Which was basically just taking the same game,changing a few things and improving the graphics. All they needed.

Love your videos on silent hill anything and of course...can't wait for the next of the line up.

*sniffles* Harry is one of my favorite characters in the Silent Hill series. I hated how he wasn't in the movie.

On a happier note, anyone besides me love using the Konami code on a second run through of this game? ...No one? Am I the only one that is highly amused by the results of the code?
[/hides]

*whistles nonchalantly*

[quote=Cyborcat]*whistles nonchalantly*[/quote]
*high fives*

Harry...you will be missed.

jesus christ Dena! FIVE FRIGGIN PARTS! that's alot of work! you've got me really interested in this game now. i think i'm gonna bump it to the top of my list of games to buy.

LOL, it's not any longer than the Silent Hill 2 episode =P But yah, this is why I only do these once a year.

Wow I was surprised about being told Harry died because I hadn't played 3 :( R.I.P Harry You Will Be Missed.

man i love your intake on the SH games and for me i'm happy about SHSM mostly for two things one: i can now get and play one (i can't for the love of god find them and when i do they are $100 :0 ) and two: as far as i know wii only hellyea :woohoo: lol, hey just asking but are you next year going to do SH 4?

Shattered Memories will be on PS2 and PSP as well as Wii

You forgot the Slurpers and the Scrapers! Sorry, didn't mean to nitpick, still awesome!

Also, doesn't "Shattered Memories" Harry look like the Tenth Doctor?

I didn't forget--I mainly picked the ones that I felt had fairly obvious symbolism I could talk about ... and the numb bodies and nurses just because I felt like it =P

I was thinking about how I feel about the games and this one is interesting. One thing I used to think was they would go; all odd nubered games would be an on going story while all the even numbered games would be side stories. Not sure if it would be good, but it would have been nice to see another game (maybe I missed it) with the main girl from this. :confused:

Nice review there! :D

I too also agree that monsters in SH3 seems didn't have much meaning or significance compare to SH2. But I thought its okay since in SH1, I also thought that monsters there didn't have any meaning either.

Yeah, its kinda sad that they killed Harry at SH3 and thought we'll going to have a chance to see Harry again there. Harry's not a best character but I feel sorry particularly in that scene that Heather didn't even had a chance to talked to him again... or at least Harry would had a last dying message before he passed away

Anyway, its already been done and SH3 is still a good SH game. :D

I'll be waiting for Part 3! Thanks for the vid!

R.I.P Harry Mason! May you find your daughter waiting for you in heaven, with your epic hammer.

Oh, I do love that hammer!

Well the nurses at least had an explanation of sorts. It's not so much a manifestation of Heather's so much as Alessa's imo(similar to how there were dog enemies for her in SH1).

No matter how much I try to wrap my brain around it though I still have no clue what the hell the Numb Bodies or Closers are supposed symbolize.

Also you should have mentioned the burping nurses in 4 haha.

If Harry had been through Silent Hill before, fought gods only know how many monsters and such. Then Why the heck would he not be on guard?

I mean if I were some random guy, I'd be freaked out if a giant monster attacked me.

But if I'd been their done that, got the T-shirt, had the T-short ripped to pieces by a couple nurses, I think I'd notice if Silent Hill came after me again. Heck I'm surprised he doesn't keep a gun on hand just encase...

Some Vietnam veterans keep fire-arms at hand...loaded too, even though they must know Charlie isn't coming to get them.
You'd think Harry would keep a 12-gauge handy and all times.

Because he thought he was well hidden enough. I mean, he trusted letting his daughter go out by herself, and didn't teach her to be completely armed at all times (taser notwithstanding, because come on, using a taser on those nurse things?). He thought things were safe and good.

He just let his guard down, and was pinned down by evil.

Considering it had been ten years since he had heard anything from the cult, and
seventeen years since the events in Silent Hill, I think it's fair that he could
have let his guard down.

None of the monsters are exactly ninja like. I mean I'm sure you'll correct me if I'm wrong, but what are the odds of any monster being quiet enough to sneak up on him even if he was relaxed.

Also I guess age is a factor, I don't know if it said his age, but if he was twenty years old he's be almost forty years old, and if he was twenty five he'd be over forty and somewhat near fifty, so I guess you could say a monster got him from behind or something....

I also wonder though why he didn't move like to Hawaii or something, as far away from Silent Hill as possible. It seems like if he was raising ((Warning Spoilers))the daughter of a girl burned to death in Silent Hill he'd move somewhere FAR FAR away...
((Spoilers ended))

Well, I think it's fairly obvious that he fell asleep watching TV and a monster/cult member came in through the window and impaled him in his sleep.

As for moving, most writers that aren't J.K Rowling or Stephen King don't make much money, so maybe he couldn't afford a big move like that.

That said, it's a frigging video game--just go with it =P

I guess the reason not to move makes sense. Even though it would be stupid not to write a series of books about his "Adventures" in Silent Hill, even if he had to change names and such.

As for the falling asleep, it's a little plot device, but again I'll go for it.

And it's true, in a video game that makes monsters from your fear, and not corny monsters actual somewhat scary monsters, looking at a little thing like that is kind of stupid I guess.

Also I looked into Shattered memories, and I think it looks interesting you basically play as you looking for a child, with the game asking you psychological profiling questions and your answers change how things and people react to you.

Even if you think the game wont' be as good as the original one, and that it sucks you cant' fight that sounds interesting enough for the thirty dollars for a WII game.

If I get a WII I'll probably get it just for that fun aspect, because if it sucks I can pull a "what, SHSM? Their was no remake what are you talking about?" Just like with Star Wars, or Indiana Jones four. ((Just kidding I actually liked those movies...))

Plot device? Plot device?! We don't need no stinkin' plot device!
Plot device my ass, old people fall asleep in front of the TV all the time :whistle: (And can you imagine how the stress of his experience and the years of living in fear afterward would have affected his health?)

Wouldn't his T.V. immediately go static and make that god awful BSHSHHHH noise?

I mean radio make a static noise when the Monsters are around, so then would the T.V. not do the same, and that will wake you up....

Also, unless he was watching the black screen, or the Monsters turned it off to help his cable bill....

The T.V. was off remember?

I'm not saying I don't buy plot device, but don't try to say it wasn't.

easy enough, he knows he falls asleep while watching the TV so he makes sure to turn on the 'sleep timer' :P (& the clock on the wall does say 10:10) Don't you just love trying to find reasons for the 'why' of something that even the writers didn't care about? :woohoo:

Hm, I don't buy it the radio is always off. It doesn't even work until a monster appears.

And if you try to pull a "It's a cult member a fellow human" then it relocked the door after itself?

Also I have to wonder why around the house wasn't all foggy, can the monsters just be dropped off now.

((Imagines a nurse waiting on a corner looking at her watch before remembering she doesn't have one, then sees a bank of fog coming towards her and nods her head it "hits" her and then a minute later she and the fog are gone.))

I guess you could say ti was the "Dark" world, but, nothing was decayed.

This means it's most probably a cult member, and that's just lame.

Harry Mason killer of who knows how many monsters, a lot of bosses, killer of at least one human cult member, dies because a cult member garroted him while he was asleep?

Not to mention the chair has a higher back then his back so the attack woudl either have to pierce the chair and his head ((A LARGE caliber bullet would do it)) or attack from the side.

Besides I like to think he fought back and whatever killed him "Posed" him, but I wish he looked more battle damaged...

i thought that the cult member could have come through the front door somehow and made harry think that heather had come home and killed before he noticed. after all i think harry would hear, even if asleep,that someone was breaking in through the balcony. and he obviously believed the cult was back if he was holding a notebook telling heather about her heritage. that also could mean that he didn't think he'd be able to fight off the cult one last time. but that's just my opinion.

Another great review. I really like your narration, it never seems to get boring and has a good pacing. Keep it up! :)

Hello, long time viewer but first time leaving a comment. I loved your review, as always, but I thought I'd leave my two cents on the symbolism. Closers supposedly represent Alessa Gillespie's memories of her mother's abuse. There's a few descriptions of what some of the monsters possibly symbolize here that makes for an interesting read.
[url]http:// silenthill.wikia.com/ wiki/Category: Silent_Hill_3_Monsters[/ url]
Also, sorry if this seems rude or anything, wasn't my intent to be. Love your reviews, Dena.

I had to beat the Claudia/Goddess/Giant Abortion thing with a melee weapon after I ran out of the submachine gun ammo. I used it on Claudia's Dad in the asylum.

It took me 3 hours to work out the perfect pattern to beat it with a melee weapon. I nearly pissed myself with joy because I didn't have any earlier save stuff where I could start conserving ammo.

As for Shattered Dreams, I think of it like Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes. It's the same game as the first, but with new features. *shrug*. I'm mildly hopeful because I liked Twin Snakes.

I love that you're doing this, I thought SH2 would be the only one, but nonetheless SH3 and 4 (do you think you'll cover that game?) are worthy. Thanks!

Silent Hill 3 has some lively and complex characters. I feel sympathy to a certain extent for all of them, despite their massive shortcomings. There's a lot of great religious, social, and psychological symbolism. For example, Heather is a perfect, though perhaps overstated teen, in her arrogance and staunch opposition to nearly everyone in the game (of course she has a reason later). There's also identity confusion, in the case of her top covering quite a bit but her skirt revealing her legs. Vincent is hedonism, Claudia (forced) devotion, etc.

Don't get me started on atmosphere, also. 3 might have one of the most beautifully terrifying aesthetics. One of the greatest in game moments IMO involves Heather going down a stairwell and the background changes from a grimy green/brown to a burnt red. While it's jarring, the change appears eerily seamless.

I think the difference between SH2 and 3 is that while 2 is like a complex puzzle or structure, the themes of 3 are more or less separate, though abundant.

Despite the game's departure from some of the subtlety of the first games, for real - this girl is still my favorite of all the protagonists. I think it might be because she's the most feisty of all of them. XD;

(That being said, for anyone who has never played don't think they'd be able to play it themselves: if you like the LPs floating around on this site, go head over to L0rdVega's channel over on youtube. He does the whole game blind LP style, and lulz are had.)

Anyway. This is a great review so far, Dena. I'm really looking forward to you talking about Vincent, and hopefully a certain scene which I will ALWAYS find incredibly creepy, personally. :s

Personally, I like From Earth's 'Silent Hill' LPs, one of the best LPers imo.

this's for SH3, he does SHs 1-4 (the other 3 are on the same site)

http://baldurk.org/ lpmaster/ archivesonly.php?stitle=& sauth=from+earth& stype=all& search=Search#results

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one that's a little mad about Harry's death. No epic fight, not even any lines. Just died offscreen. That no way for a Mason to go! :angry:

I think it's great that Harry died off screen with no epic fight. It shit happens without you knowing about it and would have just been fan service otherwise. Hell, stuff like that happens in real life, when my wife was 14 she said 'bye' to her dad as she left for school and when she got home she found out he'd died of a heart attack (her mom was so out of it, she didn't bother calling the school)

Hey there Dena

Is it safe to watch Part 2? (spoilers?) Because my game is still on its way and i dont think i will get it till next week... friday... :/

It's your call. Mostly I talk about the monsters and I spoil something that happens about halfway through.

Than i shall not do this dark deed until i get my peice of heaven...

Wow... VtM: Bloodlines is getting into my head! XD
I speak like a Malkavian.

Anyway, i wont watch it than untill i have played it.

That's probably for the best ^.^

I always saw those monsters with the big arms to have an overly phallic reference, especially when the ends of the arms have a slit similar to the uretha.

Meanwhile, I found SH3 to be one of the least appealing games imaginable. Certain things did this for me, though they were namely the subway (I never got past it, though I saw a friend complete the game), and the fact the game contains uzis!! Ugh

Still, better than the Room by a long shot, and Heather, Douglas, and all the main cast were brilliantly shot.

Have you ever played any of the following btw?
Haunting Ground/Demento
Clock Tower
Project Zero

Love to hear your thoughts.

To be honest, I haven't really played THAT many survival horror games, even tho I consider myself a fan of the genre.

I've really only played maybe half of the Resident Evil games, all of the Silent Hill games that have been released in America so far, Parasite Eve, D, and I played a bit of Fatal Frame 2.

I do plan to branch out more soon and try stuff like Clock Tower and The Suffering and such. I do actually have a copy of Haunting Ground, which I think I got from a bargain bin at Sam's, but I never got around to playing it. Is it any good? I hear that it's mostly running/hiding and little to no fighting--not sure if I like that idea.

Haunting Ground had some jarring mechanics at first, but once I got used to it the game was smooth, fun sailing. I wouldn't say it's as scary as Silent Hill, but there are some disturbing moments. The word I would use to describe the tone of the game is "sentimental."

Interesting. I'll try to get around to playing it soon.

Ah, [i]Haunting Ground[/i]...

A game that could be charitably described as an underrated Survival Horror with an interesting pet based puzzle and combat mechanic, and gameplay based more on avoidance then confrontation, much like the Clock Tower games.

...or uncharitably described as "Big bouncing breasts and their pet dog."

This is my favorite of the Silent Hill games, I haven't played the first one yet but I was aware of the characters and story, and the twists in SH3 were genuinely surprising. Also, Heather is the best protagonist. Being so completely intertwined to Silent Hill and at the same time so completely separate. And in the end her life can never go back to normal, nothing can bring her dad back.

And a side note, I love your reviews. Due to whatever I actually saw your reviews before Lee's. So I was like "Hey, there's some other guy doing Dena's still photo thing for his reviews." haha