Summary
TheSilent Hillfranchise has always been a hugely important one for the horror genre. Over the years, it has helped to inspire all sorts of other games and even movies and TV shows with the spooky, mysterious supernatural style of these infamous adventures. One thing that helpedSilent Hillstand out in the early horror game genre was the absence of strong stories, whileSilent Hillalways put a huge focus on narrative elements.
As the franchise has grown and changed over the years, and even revisited some of these stories with remakes of older games,Silent Hillfans have continued to debate which of the games is truly the best, and which narrative remains the most impressive afterall these years of inspiring other games.
Imagine being imprisoned, finally thinking you have a chance to escape, only to become trapped in a place far worse than a prison.This was Murphy Pendleton’s nightmareinSilent Hill: Downpourwhen he became trapped in the town of Silent Hill after escaping during his transit to another prison facility. He is pursued by horrifying creatures and an officer who hates him with a passion.
The story ofDownpourwas about forgiveness and vengeance. The traditional multiple endings of theSilent Hillgames, a huge part of the narratives, can see life and death, murder mysteries unraveled, and all sorts of other intriguing ideas. Not to mention,Downpourcontained some of the most well-written side quests in the franchise, like The Gramophone, which features the ghosts of a family who were involved in a brutal murder/suicide. This sort of mission proved thatDownpourcould tell all sorts of stories and do so excellently.
Up until the firstSilent Hillgame was released, horror games, particularly ones in this sort of survival horror style, would focus on a character who was some sort of expert, like a soldier or police officer. But Harry Mason was an everyday guy, brought to Silent Hill to search for his missing daughter, and that narrative immediately created fear of the unknown, as players didn’t know what to expect, and fear ofnot being enough to fight off the creaturesinhabiting the town, a much more realistic feeling to have in such a situation.
While there are all kinds of excellent stories to be told within the world of Silent Hill, this one was the first great branch by which even more intriguing ideas could be formed. The reincarnation of an ancient deity,a terrifying cult, and an entirely different realm of existencefilled with monstrous creatures made for the perfect kickstarter to a huge franchise, and a winding tale that had five different endings dependent upon player choices.
AlthoughSilent Hill 2is beloved now, at the time it was a slow seller, which nearly led toSilent Hill 3being a cheaper format, such as a rail shooter. Instead, it featured Harry Mason’s daughter, who he was given at the conclusion of the firstSilent Hillgame, tracking his murderer back to the eponymous town.
Wanted by the same cult to birth their deity, Heather Mason goes on a rage-filled story involving vengeance, and how it can destroy you. The story, including the classic elements within the mall and the shocking twists, made for another of the best horror games of all time, without a doubt. Though this game hasn’t received a remake yet, it could well only be a matter of time.
Although it has divided fans over the years due to departing from the town of Silent Hill, the fourth entry in the franchise was consequently free from all story constraints.Silent Hill 4: The Roomfollows an introvert in his 20s who finds himself trapped in his apartment, witnessing the deaths of many peopleat the hands of an undead serial killer.
This different story stands apart in the franchise and manages to stand out from the crowd as the wonderful black sheep that it is.The Roomhas intriguing characters, a different sort of story and plot, which made it unpredictable even to longtime fans, and a set of endings that gave a lot of choice to players as well as some serious shocks.
Silent Hill 2took several bold strides following the first game’s release tobecome one of the best PS2 horror games. Instead of focusing on the cult’s activities, which made for solid stories,Silent Hill 2took some risks in staying focused on the psychological aspects of the game’s characters, leading to it surpassing all other entries to remain the best narrative,and possibly even the best game, inSilent Hillhistory.
While James Sunderland’s introspective search for his wife isn’t the loudest or most action-packed game, thisSilent Hillentry saw the town taking on different aspects for each visitor, including runaways, widowers, and even an annoying 8-year-old girl. The challenge of creating a game like this, a monster like Pyramid Head, makes the grandness and iconic nature of this game and its story all the more impressive and memorable.
Although it isn’t truly a full game,P.T.remains one of the most beloved horror games of all time. The story was never truly revealed or finished, but the lasting memory of this short piece of terrifying genius from Hideo Kojima and Guillermo del Toro made an impression as part of theSilent Hillfranchise. Featuring an unnamed protagonist who is trapped in a mysteriously looping house,P.T.was merely meant as a playable teaser for a game calledSilent Hills, which was never released.
Featuring cryptic messages about fathers killing their families and a mysterious apparition called Lisa, the unfolding story of the most obscure narrative in anySilent Hillgame remains one of the great unanswered questions in the history of all gaming.
