Silent Hill (Sony PlayStation 1, 1999)

Silent Hill is an immortal classic survival horror video game. The game is creepier than most of all the other Silent Hills and other survival horror video games out on the market much less the ps1. The game isn't overly difficult, isn't completely obscure, and focuses on story and puzzles over combat.
One thing I don't like about this game is certain clues have to be found in order in progress in the game. Example: you have to find a piece of paper that says that there is a key in the dog house on levin street but if simply examine the dog house before finding the paper, it will not reveal the key even if the player knows it's there. Kinda minor but slightly agitating especially since all Silent Hill games have multiple endings so a fast play through can be frustrating if you miss a very minor clue or forget to read one thing and the game won't let you progress in the story because of it. My only other fanboy gripe is Silent Hill's standby image is Pyramid Head but he's not in this game, not even the butcher is in this game. Pyramid Head was first introduced in Silent Hill 2 for ps2 and later on xbox and yes, he's freaken awesome. This game, however, does have a number of cool, interesting enemies from flying pterodactyl-like birds to dogs to children to grotesque humans to praying mantises as well as abominable, inventive bosses to finish it all off. The graphics for the game aren't horrible but they're definitely not good. That's really only because the new consoles that came out rocked the graphics and made games such as this not appear nearly as good as it did when the ps1 and its games were new.
The aspects of this game I do really enjoy are vast. The story is pretty good, it was very original for when it came out (the other Silent Hill games are kinda repeats of the basic story), combat isn't overly difficult which means enemies don't kill you in just two hits, you can actually do damage to the enemies with both your melee weapons and your guns, there is plenty of health items and bullets in the game, and the environment really pulls you into what the city of Silent Hill really is. The game has a fairly good amount of gore, decent amount of blood, lots of fog, tons of destroyed streets, the infamous alternate world of Silent Hill, good ideas and convincing dialog, believable voice acting, the game has pretty much complete voice acting actually, the cinemas aren't jerky or glitchy, really even though it's an old game, you can see the level of quality Konami put into their game.
Bottom line, Silent Hill is an awesome, horrific city, great game and real life history is present in this game as well with its origins, this game is a class through and through, and if you're not shallow and can get past the poor graphics, this game is great! This is easily one of the best ps1 games ever made, one of the best survival horror games ever made, and goes into my list of top video games ever made. Don't worry about the re-imagining coming out soon, this game is completely worth it!

The game is old. The case is beat up and full of stickers. The disc
is dirty.

These are not complaints, the game play perfectly fine. These things
give the game character. As with almost any used PSx game, or any
disc based game, the older it is, the more playtime it has seen. And
the more it has been passed around. The CD case is chalk full of
used game store stickers and price tags. It's made it's rounds, it's
seen a good amount of owners. People have played and enjoyed it, and
used it to get more games to play and enjoy. Or maybe they hated it,
who knows?

After two solid hours, I have yet to run into a glitch, be it audio
or video. The cut scenes don't skip, the sound is still crisp. The
game works great. Unlike most used games a quarter of it's age, this
copy still has a user's manual, intact and whole. Overall, this was
a great buy at a great price for a great game that spawned a great
series.

A true innovator in the survival horror genre, Silent Hill set the
bar for spooky and atmospheric gaming on the PSx. In game voices,
creepy villains, and haunting music are a staple of this series and
owe it all to this one game. Sure it has it's flaws, the came
controls like a bad RC car, but it's overlookable.

Any complaints I have about this game are things that have been
resolved later in the series. The dated graphics, the shoddy
run/walk controls, the overacting in the voices. All of these things
are a product of the timeframe from when this game launched. The
fact that it has full 3D backgrounds rendered in the in-game engine
and not prerender wallpaper backdrops like other games it's age is
amazing.

The story is probably my favorite part of the whole experience. It
sets a tone, a mood, and makes you feel uneasy. It builds a world, and then tears it apart. It will show you one thing, and mean another. With multiple endings and difficulty levels, there is always a reason to play again.

Bottom line, I love it, and always will. 4.5/5

Silent Hill is a now well known PSX title in the genre of survival horror. The story centers around Harry Mason and his daughter Cheryl; and their trip to their favorite vacation spot the eponymous Silent Hill. The opening scenes highlight a car wreck and Harry losing his daughter after the accident. As Harry begins to explore the now deserted town in search of his daughter he soon realizes something is terribly wrong. With monstrosities at every turn, and a dense fog setting in, you will soon know the horrors that lie in wake of Silent Hill.

For a PSX title the graphics are fairly standard, and have good FMV cutscenes which give more clues into the twisted and dark tale. The controls can tend to be a little clunky, but the interaction and problem solving make up for the lack of a good sense of direction so to speak. The voice acting is similar to an after school special, but all around you can see through the small lacks of luxury to truly enjoy this amazing game. There's a good reason for why Silent Hill put Survival Horror back on the map.

This game is a real classic. It features a somewhat confusing story line, but that's what makes it so intriguing. You will play through just to find out what is really going on.

As you make your way through the town of Silent Hill, it shifts into an alternate reality on many occasions. Various monsters try and make you their next meal as you attempt to solve twisted puzzles so you can ultimately find your missing daughter. The only downfalls this game has are the voice acting can be B grade at times and running down the streets to your next destination seems to be unnecessarily long. Despite these flaws, this game still delivers plenty of fun, surprises, and replay value.

This game is a must have for any Silent Hill fan. If you haven't played it and you enjoy survival horror games, get it!

An excellent game for people who are not too squeamish and like a good (and lasting) thrill or two into the deep and dark unknown... and when i mean dark, i mean so dark that a flashlight is your best bet to see, but it not the greatest...

Sight and sound are a vital importance to the game, as it is your only hope in order to pass the games little tests of logic and wit as well as basic survival in this horror.

The town is massive and rather detailed, despite the game being on a console with graphics that are now laughable in today's standards.

The background music will calm you and thrill you, all at the appropriate times between the foggy reality and the blackened hellish nightmare of the game.

The creatures are fairly inventive and disturbing, sometimes frightening on a game play standpoint.

The controls are iffy, but they sorta emphasize the game in it's key element for a true survival horror... panic.

The game itself will, on more than on occasion, make you, the player, panic against the elements of the maze like town, the creatures cornering you, the things outside chasing you till you run out of breath, and even the fiendish little puzzles that could make or break your final ranking to get a good ending, a bad ending, or the oh-so-comical alien ending. :}

This is a good game to purchase, whether you are a collector, a horror genre nut, a Silent Hill fan, or someone looking for a frightening and good challenge with an ordinary man instead of a high powered super-soldier. Everyone else... try it anyway. It's a good beginning to an elaborate and scary story.

>: }