Silent Hill 2

Plot synopsis:
=== Setting ===
While not a direct sequel to the events and characters of the first Silent Hill game, Silent Hill 2 takes place in the series' namesake town, located in the northeastern United States. Silent Hill 2 is set in another area of the town, and explores some of Silent Hill's backstory. The town draws upon the psyche of its visitors and ultimately forms alternative versions of the town, which differ depending on the character. The concept behind the town was "a small, rural town in America"; to make the setting more realistic, some buildings and rooms lack furnishings.
=== Letter from Silent Heaven ===
James Sunderland (Guy Cihi) is the protagonist of the main scenario of Silent Hill 2. He comes to the town after receiving a letter from his wife Mary (Monica Taylor Horgan), who died of an illness three years before. While exploring the town, he encounters Maria (also Monica Taylor Horgan), who strongly resembles Mary except for her different personality and clothing; Angela Orosco (Donna Burke), a teenage runaway searching for her mother; Eddie Dombrowski (David Schaufele), another teenage runaway who was somehow brought to the town; and Laura (Jacquelyn Brekenridge), an eight-year-old who has met and befriended Mary.
After arriving in Silent Hill, James decides to search a local park, where he meets Maria, who claims that she has never met or seen Mary. As she is scared, he allows her to follow him. While looking for Laura inside a hospital, James and Maria are ambushed by the monster Pyramid Head, and Maria is killed by him just as James escapes. He resumes his task of finding Mary, and chooses to search a local hotel where he and Mary spent their vacation. On the way, James finds Maria alive and unharmed in a locked room. She claims ignorance of their previous encounter and discusses elements of James' and Mary's past that only Mary would know. James then sets off to find a way to release Maria from the room and eventually returns to find her dead again. Later on, he rescues Angela from a monster; she confesses that her father used to sexually abuse her, and a newspaper clipping James can find implies she killed him in self-defense before coming to Silent Hill. He also confronts Eddie, who admits to maiming a bully, and killing a dog, before fleeing to Silent Hill. Attacked by Eddie, James kills him in self-defense. At this point, it is revealed that in Eddie's version of Silent Hill all the monsters experienced by James are experienced by Eddie as people laughing and taunting him to violence.
At the hotel, James locates a videotape which depicts him killing his dying wife. At this point in the game, the letter from Mary is shown to have been a blank piece of paper the entire time. In another room, a final meeting with Angela sees her giving up on life as she is unable to cope with her trauma and guilt any longer. She walks into a fire and is not seen again. At this point it is revealed that in Angela's version of Silent Hill the town is always on fire.
James later encounters two Pyramid Heads, along with an alive Maria, who is killed again. James realizes that Pyramid Head was created because he needed someone to punish him, and all the monsters have been manifestations of his psyche. The envelope from Mary disappears and both Pyramid Heads commit suicide. James heads to the hotel's rooftop; depending on choices made by the player throughout the game, he encounters either Mary or Maria disguised as her.
Silent Hill 2 features six endings, all presented as equally possible; Konami has kept their canonicity ambiguous. In "Leave", James has one last meeting with Mary, reads her letter, and leaves the town with Laura. "In Water" sees James commit suicide by driving his car off a cliff. The "Maria" ending sees Mary as the woman on the rooftop, who has not forgiven James for killing her. After her defeat, James dismisses her as a hallucination and then leaves the town with an alive Maria, who briefly coughs, suggesting she will become sick just as Mary did, and the cycle will repeat. The other three endings are only available in replay games, including "Rebirth", in which James plans to resurrect Mary using arcane objects collected throughout the game, and two joke endings: "Dog", where James discovers that a dog has apparently been controlling all the events of the game, and "UFO", where James is abducted by extraterrestrials with the help of the first game's protagonist, Harry Mason.
=== Born from a Wish ===
Born from a Wish is a side-story scenario in the special editions and re-releases of the game in which the player takes control of Maria shortly before she and James meet at Silent Hill. After waking up in the town with a gun and contemplating suicide, she resolves to find someone. She eventually encounters a local mansion, where she hears the voice of its owner, Ernest Baldwin. Ernest refuses to let Maria into the room he is in and will only talk to her through its closed door. After Maria completes tasks for him, Ernest warns her about James, whom he describes as a "bad man". After Maria opens the door to Ernest's room and finds it empty, she leaves the mansion. At the conclusion of the scenario, Maria contemplates suicide once more, but ultimately resolves to find James.

Tags: insanity, violence, murder, flashback

Review:
I don't know if that will happen within my lifetime, but games like Silent Hill 2 make me confident that it WILL happen.As a fan of the Resident Evil series, I was ready to rip this "pathetic copycat" title (the original SH) to shreds.
Everything about Silent Hill 2 is excellent--the graphics, the voice acting (I'd like to hear these newcomers in other roles), a musical score which rivals--and shames--many film soundtracks, the writing (considering it's been translated by the industry that gave us "the master of unlocking", it's very well done), the design--the list continues.
To enjoy the series the player must be willing to participate, in thought as well as action.Many people--especially parents, I'm sure--will be turned off by the edgy content in Silent Hill 2 and will subsequently dismiss it as valueless.
Yes, there's blood is spilled; yes, there are disturbing images; yes, (in Silent Hill 2) there are strong sexual overtones; and yes, this would be a poor choice for the less mature or easily frightened; but ALL of it is essential in the creation of atmosphere, emotion, and storyline- in short, the entire experience.
This is by far the most character-driven (non-RPG) series I've experienced.Not too long ago I was discussing video games with a professor of mine, an intelligent person whose opinion I respect and value.
I'm convinced she either knows nothing at all about the Silent Hill games (has likely never played them, not to mention completed them--is it not incredibly presumptuous to judge a book after reading only a few chapters?) or that she looks down upon video games in general.
All have stories to tell, none of which are pretty, and we watch in fascination as various characters fold under the mental strain of the sights they are seeing.By the end of the game, there are several questions left unanswered, and several new ones are raised.
And (most interestingly) does this nightmarish Silent Hill actually exist, or is it all a figment of James' twisted imagination?The game provides some brilliant environments and creature design, some challenging puzzles and creepy, grainy camerawork.
The action is well balanced with puzzles and, luckily, Silent Hill 2 didn't forget the running away aspect of survival-horror games (as many new games do forget).
All of these features add up to what is Silent Hill 2, the scariest game I have ever played.In all, Silent Hill 2's creepy, yet beautiful visuals, haunting story and terrifying sounds are definitive proof that video games can be art, and darn fine art at that..
This video game is plot-driven; not like Resident Evil which can be summed up thusly: We Have to Kill Things.The sound effects and scenes are better-done than in any other comparable video game, and most motion pictures too.
This game is a sequel to Silent Hill, the surprise hit videogame that came out in 1999 and scared the crap out of almost everyone who played it.
This Game has one of the best story lines ever; James Sunderland, recived a letter from his wife Mary, it said, "In My restless dreams I see that town, Silent Hill, You Promised you'd take me there again someday, but you never did.
Well, I'm alone there now in our speical place waiting for you..." James is very suspisious of this letter and decides to go to Silent Hill, only one thing bothers him about doing so, His Wife Mary has been dead for 3 years.
i thought that the first silent hill game was really good, even though its story was really complicated!
the story is miles better (more like a catastrophic love story than a horror)the graphics are hellish (PS2 though, the graphics on SH1 were great for the PSOne)but the one thing that it lacked was that feeling of fear that was present throughout the first one.
Filled to the brim with symbolism, as you walk through the town of Silent Hill, you begin to empathize with James, the main character, unsure if what you're seeing is actually real or a product of the imagination, while also becoming more and more detached as more is revealed.
I am 31 years old and this game is still stuck in my mind, the atmosphere the monsters the voice acting the music the puzzles the graphics at time, everything was just near to real perfection in this game..
Fantastic game silent hill 2 with many different endings i love this game and still play and play with my ps2 fantastic i dont know more to say but i think people will understand play this if you havent and have fun :).
For a video game that came out almost 16 years ago, Silent Hill 2 is one of the best, or maybe even the best, survival horror/psychological horror games ever created, the disturbing and gut wrenching atmosphere and captivating story telling that this game delivers is something that is truly unique and superior compared to other games in the genre.
In my opinion, Silent Hill 2 has one of the most memorable characters and one of the most terrifying gameplay elements I have seen in horror games, but whether it's the static of the radio, or the never ending fog, anyone who plays this game will most definitely find something that will truly horrify them.Rating: 9.5/10.
It also improves the graphics, and those are excellent in this, regardless of release: The beautiful, impeccably done and realistic lighting, shadows, weather effects, "static noise"(invaluable for the mood), the *gorgeous* CGI cut-scenes(and the in-engine ones, that now have their mouths move, if perhaps not always perfectly synced), the cinematography that gets to be even freer and it's been loosened up, that it helps a ton and the dynamic camera(that brings with it immensely interesting and effective angles) that you can exert limited control over all add up to make this a truly cinematic experience.
There can't be another game series like Silent Hill, it is unique in it's own special way.
I've played many games and I can't think of any game that even compares to Silent Hill.
But with Silent Hill, whether you're into playing video games or not, you'll love every friggin' second of it..
Being a big fan of adventure/horror games such as Fatal Frame and Resident Evil, I couldn't help but pick up the first Silent Hill.
I played this video game when i was 14 years old, i really enjoyed every part of the game (having played the original Silent Hill back in 1999 when i was 11), even though i didn't get the emotional side of the story because i was too young, i did enjoyed the environments this game gave me in those times of "a friend is needed", they were so special as if i were dreaming, it was a dream becoming true, i was alone and i had no friends, everyone hated me at my school but i had my friend the PS2 console, just when it came out "SH2: Letters from Silent Heaven" was the hit of the year!
And i felt really concerned to unlock every hidden items and endings possible, and i did, without the help of anyone i solved the riddles and i felt i had my real, true and only friend.The music from SH2 got me deeply inside my mind, that's why i started to get more into this kind of artists and bands, when the "Psychedelic Trance" music appeared was when i was into SH2, and the sounds and name of the tracks were highly related to this video game, it was a true experience i will never forget, i felt so happy even though i was very depressed and lonely and i didn't liked my life, bands like : X-Dream, Juno Reactor, Infected Mushroom, Koxbox, Wizzy Noise, Lish, Electric Universe, SBK, were starting my path to a new music revolution that would break any boundaries of quality and perfect dark harmony and feelings.Silent Hill is my life and i will never forget those great moments when i was younger and i completed every single ending and gradually i were discovering new amazing things throughout the world of Silent Hill 2 Letters from Silent Heaven.Perfection for people who are only concerned with this video game and have had enough experiences that could prove that you're a real fan and not "fakes" that just pretend knowing it all when they really are just waiting to judge another masterpiece and make it a piece of trash, this is what i will always hate and despise in my life.I have dedicated my entire youth to Silent Hill!
and who expected Pyramid Head to be doing THAT??), but the true terror of Silent Hill stems from a myriad of different factors that blend together to create the most memorable horror experience in gaming history.
This is a true horror classic just like the first one (although maybe not as good)but this game take you to an place that you may not talk about,too terrible to explain,still too fascinating to stay away from.
A masterpiece in storytelling and environments, this game is every bit as great as everyone say it is and team silent really did something special here.the characters look and feel real, the game goes deep into the human emotions and depression the way no game in that time had ever done before.it's a different kind of horror, a one you will never forget and it will mess with your mind for days..
Game-play, graphics, puzzles, story-line and sound effects - Just EXCELLENT.
I don't like very much video games, but "Silent Hill 2" is one of the best games that I've played.
This sequel improves every aspect of the first game: The story, the characters, the graphics...And it made a great job combining horror and drama, creating a interesting story.
By last I want to mention something about the voice acting: It is much better than the first one(Propbably the weakest point of the first "Silent Hill" were the odd voices of the main characters) and the voices go very well with the characters.I recommend this game to anyone.
James Sunderland receives a letter from his dead wife, Mary, beckoning him to Silent Hill.
I also love how the monsters have meaning (you may have to do a bit of research to find out what, I do not currently have the resources on me but the Silent Hill Forum is a good place to start).
The game itself is so scary that i couldn't play it alone although i have watched many horror movies that didn't let my friends sleep at night and didn't even blink.
Silent Hill 2 imo is the best game in the entire series for it's epic storyline, great atmosphere, Soundtrack, graphics, characters, endings, puzzles, monsters/art design, etc.
Simply put it If you love Horror games and a deep epic story look no further then Silent Hill 2.
Despite more recent entries in the franchise- now at the hands of various Western developers- having faltered and crumbled at times, that original quadrilogy of releases will always be admired as classics of the genre.Perhaps the most popular of the ever-expanding media franchise is "Silent Hill 2", a game initially released fifteen years ago for Sony's smash-hit Playstation 2 console.
"Silent Hill 2" is simply perfection, and horror at its purest.James Sunderland is a man lost.
A letter apparently written by his deceased wife, Mary, beckoning him to return to the town of Silent Hill- their "special place." Knowing that this letter cannot possible exist and questioning his own sanity in following its direction, James still chooses to return to the town where he had once spent time with his beloved wife.
Some may not be a fan of the old-school survival-horror set-up which can make it hard to navigate maps and fight off the borderline-demonic foes tracking you at every step, but I find it lends a lot to the suspense and perfectly compliments that sense of all-encompassing chills.The fact of the matter is that this is an invaluable and important piece of gaming history and is a perfect example of video games as art.
the couple first time i played the game i was totally terrified , its amazingly horrifying , this is totally the perfect example of twisted psychological horror.
While western horror mainly consists of running around with a chainsaw and slicing hordes of baddies, Japanese horror tends to be less direct about it - Its subtle, claustrophobic, and mostly psychological.The most remarkable thing about the Silent Hill series and SH2 in particular, is that it managed to pull off what was once considered to be impossible to achieve in video game format - a truly chilling and yet strangely compelling survival horror experience, unburdened by the usual design flaws that characterized earlier games in the genre, such as Alone In the Dark and Resident Evil.
Moreover, the astonishingly pathetic attempts to bring the franchise to the big screen only cemented the notion that the Silent Hill games are nothing short of peerless in both storytelling and atmosphere.It's a strange thing to say considering that a large portion of the game consists of running in fairly empty streets, often needing to resort to a pretty awkward combat system and the unwieldy nature of the in game camera which somehow always finds the least comfortable position to be stuck in, especially when my character needs to get away from the horrors in a hurry - meaning pretty much all the bloody time.
First of all, you play as James Sunderland , a helpless man who revived a strange letter from his dead wife saying "Come to their special place in Silent Hill".
The sound in mostly in all Silent Hill games is clearly creepy as hell making you wanna mute your TV.
Since Silent Hill is based on excellent atmosphere ,their is truly no pop-ups or any cheap scares which I like seeing how this is a psychological game playing with your mind.
Furthermore, Silent Hill 2 will forever be one of the best horror games of all time.
gonna tell you - after playing this game for first time 11 years ago i knew it gonna stay with me until the end of my life - and how right i was..
Creepy survival horror game with good atmosphere..
Yes the atmosphere is the thing that stands out the most in this survival horror that does not really resemble the more typical game of this genre such as Resident Evil.
However, this is where Silent Hill is not so good...the endings, nothing is really resolved at all, I won the game, but still felt I needed to know more.
However, I've played through the game twice, and there is a bit more revealed each time, so maybe those questions are answered in the end--just another trip through Silent Hill away.
However, I found myself playing SH1 more than SH2, because SH1 had more..."zazz"...to the game (despite the dated graphics and low resolution).When I first heard SH2 was on the verge of release, I was both happy and saddened...I was happy because, well, this is Silent Hill!
James Sunderland lost his wife to an illness 3 years ago, and he receives a letter saying that she's waiting for him at Silent Hill.
Sorry, but you'll have to check in on a plot guide to find out what that is.BOTTOM LINE: Although I did buy this game and play it (for the simple fact it's Silent Hill), it did not live up to the standards of the original.
In my opinion this is why the Silent Hill series is better than the Resident Evil games.
There was rarely a computer game (or a series) that has been as underrated as Silent Hill.
Playing Silent Hill with such cinematic feelings goes beyond every 'normal', non-interactive movie: all the time you have the feeling that YOU participate in the game; that you are not just observer, but you PLAY a 'REAL' character.It is interesting that everything started with the horror genre.
Yamaoka claims that the silence is also a sound, just its opposite part, and how right he is!Silent Hill 2 is not just psychological-horror game.
But let's hope it'll avoid Hollywood and stay on its own ground ...With Silent Hill, 50 people worked on the game for about 2 years, usually more than production time of a HW movie.
I remember playing the first game of this series, Silent Hill, for PlayStation back in 1999, and it terrified me.
That was when I was 6.It was only a few years later when I remembered the Silent Hill series, and decided to give one of the games for PS2 a try.
Here James' grief for his wife and his interest in this woman are brilliantly examined for the viewer and this realism unseen in the first game (along with better voice acting) manages to draw you in further than any video game ever has.For a horror game, Silent Hill 2 is strangely beautiful, with awesome graphics and handsomely rendered characters -some fragile and alone others dangerous, each with their own story and personality.
Silent Hill 2 is more like a tragic love story that will leave you stunned.
Rather than fall into the basic trap of games that value action over story, Silent Hill 2 revolves around character development.
Their internal conflicts are believable and intense, a quality that makes "Silent Hill 2" a unique gaming experience, being excellent in every single possible aspect: The graphics are impressive and well done, the music (Done by Akira Yamaoka)is superb, bringing the story the perfect combination of horror and sadness.
The story follows James Sunderland a man searching for his dead wife in the hellish madness that is Silent Hill.
Silent Hill 2 was, for its time, a great game.It was the first Survival Horror game out on the market, and was very much used as an exercise in demonstrating the then new PS2's power.