Silent Hill
Silent Hill (Japanese: サイレントヒル Sairanto Hiru) is the title of a survival horror video game franchise, produced by Konami.
As of 2006, there are five Silent Hill games available (one available only in Japan), all of which were released to strong sales and critical acclaim. Gameplay includes action as well as puzzles, detailed environments, and storylines revealed through numerous cinematic cut scenes. Each game unfolds like a movie with several possible endings; the player's choices during the game determine which ending is shown.
Setting
The title's namesake, 'Silent Hill', is an isolated lakeside resort town in the United States which--like many such small towns in horror fiction and movies--is permeated by an ancient evil. Demonic and disfigured creatures roam the streets and buildings, and the town continually shifts between everyday reality and a decaying "Otherworld." In the first two games, the protagonists are drawn to the seemingly abandoned town; in the third and fourth games, the town reaches out to characters who have some previous connection to it.
Determining the exact location of Silent Hill is complicated. The games portray Silent Hill as a small, secluded town, smothered in fog, surrounded by large hills and flanking a lake, but this could be any one of a hundred towns in the United States. The manual to the first game describes Silent Hill as a small New England resort town, and the town's surroundings--particularly the fog--are similar to the region. In the second game, the number plates on all the cars are from Michigan. The fourth game takes place in a town called Ashfield, which resembles Fall River, Massachusetts, home to famous alleged axe-murderer Lizzie Borden (dark American folklore is one of the series' influences).
Evidence of Silent Hill's location can be seen in the first game when Harry searches the school. Placed on some classroom walls are flyers with "Chicago News" printed in bold type. With the rocky climbs nearby, it's possible the town is situated near Lake Michigan. It's an uncertainty though whether Silent Hill is situated more in the middle of nowhere or close to a city (see: the road signs in Silent Hill 2 portray long distances between Silent Hill and neighboring towns/cities).
The town of Silent Hill is also located near a large body of water called Toluca Lake, which suggests a Southern California location. This is reinforced by the fact that Douglas' car in Silent Hill 3 has California tags, although to wit, Silent Hill 3 does not initially take place in the town, which itself is only visited in the second half after both Douglas and Silent Hill 3 protagonist Heather Morris go on a long, overnight drive. Again, this provides a fair amount of ambiguity about Silent Hill and its surrounding environment.
However, the Japanese version of the Silent Hill 4 soundtrack lists an address for Heaven's Night, a strip club in Silent Hill, and the state is listed as Maine, so many fans have decided that Silent Hill is in Maine.
The film adaptation Silent Hill, released in spring of 2006, places Silent Hill in fictional Toluca County, West Virginia.
On the other hand, while the town may be an actual "resort town", the "otherside" of the town that the protagonists encounter (with the pulsating walls and creatures roaming around), could be argued as being the physical manifestation of the darkness in the protagonist's minds. Put simply, the town could mostly be in these people's minds.
Atmosphere
The games' visual design has come in for strong praise, depicting dark, fog-enshrouded, decaying environments enhanced by chilling (and very sudden) sound effects and thoroughly unnatural, disturbing and surreal/absurd creature designs, some of whom seem to have been included simply to frighten and cause mental alarm rather to cause actual physical harm. Composer Akira Yamaoka has provided atmospheric and emotional music for the series, which ranges from the first game's post-industrial noise music to more traditional melancholy piano solos to heavy rock pieces. Many fans and reviewers have referred to the Silent Hill games as among the most disturbing ever made.
Gameplay elements that create the unique atmosphere in the game are the dense fog/pitch black settings, limiting visibility to about a three foot diameter about the character, coupled with the use of a radio that emits some of the so-called 'chilling sound effects' whenever a monster comes close to the main character. This creates a general feeling of paranoia in the player. One finds themselves dreading hearing the noises that indicate the presence of the monsters roaming the streets. Being unable to see them the player is forced to either run or hope they are facing in the correct direction for attack. This element is what distinguishes the series from other horror video games, which usually resort to simple surprise tactics, as opposed to suspense.
In researching the different elements of Silent Hill, screenwriter Roger Avary (Killing Zoe, The Rules of Attraction) came across the town of [1] Centralia, Pennsylvania. Centralia planted the seed for what developed into the cinematic version of the town of Silent Hill. [2]
Film adaptation (2006)
In 2003 a motion picture based on Silent Hill was announced, with French director Christophe Gans (Brotherhood of the Wolf) attached. The movie features a storyline very similar to the events in the first Silent Hill video game, but with the protagonist being a woman named Rose. She travels with her daughter to Silent Hill because her daughter has recurring dreams about the town. When they arrive, events occur similarly to the story in Silent Hill 1. It features music from the game series. The film was released on April 21st, 2006. Although its plot appears to closely follow that of the first game, the movie incorporates various elements from all four games.Unlike the Silent Hill video game series, the movie rendition situates Silent Hill as a small coal mining town in West Virginia.
Main Series
As of 2006, The Silent Hill series has four games, plus one Gaiden game, and another planned for release onto the next generation PlayStation 3 console. The series plays in a continuous chronological order, meaning each game takes place after its predecessor.
Silent Hill (1999)
The first Silent Hill was released in 1999 for the Sony PlayStation. The plot of the game was centered around Harry Mason arriving in Silent Hill and his subsequent attempts at finding his lost daughter, Cheryl.
Silent Hill: Play Novel (2001)
In 2001, Silent Hill: Play Novel was released in Japan on the Nintendo Game Boy Advance. It featured a subplot set in the first game. It has not yet seen an official release outside of Japan.
Silent Hill 2 (2001)
A fully new sequel, Silent Hill 2, was released in 2001 for the Sony Playstation 2, Microsoft Xbox and PC. The extended versions for XBOX and PC are sometimes known as Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams and feature an extra subplot scenario, as do the "Greatest Hits"/"Platinum" budget re-releases for PS2. The plot centered around James Sunderland, who had received a letter from his deceased wife that led him to Silent Hill. The game's story may be an adaptation of the tale of Orpheus' journey to the netherworld to retrieve his wife Eurydice, or perhaps the similar Japanese tale of Izanagi and Izanami.
Silent Hill 3 (2003)
2003 saw the release of a second full sequel to the Silent Hill series as Silent Hill 3, released for the Sony Playstation 2 as well as for PC. Highly tethered to the events of the first game, the plot surrounds a teenager named Heather Morris and the mysteries that surround her past..
Silent Hill 4: The Room (2004)
Although not originally intended as a part of the Silent Hill series, Silent Hill 4: The Room was released in 2004 for the Sony Playstation 2, Microsoft Xbox and PC. Largely unrelated to the previous games and only briefly set near Silent Hill, the plot follows Henry Townshend who finds himself mysteriously locked in his own apartment until a hole appears in his bathroom wall. The game features characters that are mentioned in previous titles and possibly related to other personas therein.
The Silent Hill Experience (2006)
This Video UMD was released for PSP by Sony Entertainment as a promotional item for the now released film.
Features:
- View over 2 hours of digital comics based on the Silent Hill comic series presented with music.
- Includes the comic series "Silent Hill: Dying Inside" and a brand new story "The Hunger"
- 20 music tracks selected from series' producer and music composer Akira Yamaoka
- Exclusive video interview with the director of the Silent Hill movie Christophe Gans and series' music composer Akira Yamaoka
- Rare video content from previous Silent Hill games
- Trailers from all four games and the movie
- 3 videos from the DVDs "Art of Silent Hill" and "Lost Memories"
Source: Konami.com [3]
Silent Hill 5 (TBC)
Not much is known about Konami's next Silent Hill title. While very little has been officially confirmed, Chief Designer of Silent Hill 5 Masashi Tsuboyama stated in a 2004 interview that the game would not appear on any of the then-current consoles[4]. He also clarified rumours during the same interview that it wouldn't be titled 'Shadows Of The Past' as reported previously from one website. According to IGN, many speculate that the game is already in development and that the game is likely to be released on the Sony's upcoming PlayStation 3 video game console to be released in early November 2006, though nothing has been officially announced[5]. However, many rumours and hints have arisen around the plot and gameplay style of the game. Many people believe that it will be set in a mental asylum (perhaps Brookhaven hospital), and will be told through a series of flashbacks depicting how the main protagonist got up to that point. As of March 2006, the game still hasn't been officially announced to be in development, and the exact console platform hasn't been confirmed. Rumours still speculate a PS3 release and is believed to be released shortly there after in 2007.
Silent Hill: Remake (October 18, 2006)
The quotation below has been confirmed as just a rumor, and team silent has no plans to remake the game with or without Rose. Some wonder if this rumored Silent Hill remake (which is apparently planned for the PSP) is confused with the future fifth installement of the series.
"In a recent issue of Fangoria magazine, during an interview with Christophe Gans, it was revealed that Team SILENT are currently planning a remake of the original Silent Hill "for the near future." It will feature the character of Rose in the title role, replacing the original lead, Harry Mason. It is as yet unclear what other elements will be lifted from the Silent Hill feature film for the videogame remake, but it is speculated that some new monsters featured in the film will also be utilized."
A recently leaked Konami game schedule for 2006 (courtesy of pspcave.com) suggests that there will be a game titled Silent Hill: Original Sin coming to the PSP on October 18th, 2006. This title will be an actual Silent Hill title, with the style of gameplay for which the series is known for.
This title is NOT to be confused with the already released Silent Hill Experience. However, Silent Hill: Original Sin is rumored to be the remake of the original Silent Hill.
Silent Hill comic books
A series of comic books written by Scott Ciencin with artwork by Ben Templesmith (Dying Inside #1 and 2), Aadi Salman (Dying Inside #3,4,5) , Nick Stakal (Grinning man) and Shaun Thomas (Paint It Black, Among The Damned) have been published by IDW Publishing.
Silent Hill: the Original Graphic Novel (2000)
An original Silent Hill graphic novel was completed in 2000 by British comic company Com.X, but for some undisclosed reason the book was never published. Com. X and Konami have repeatedly officially stated that they still intend to publish the book, but no confirmed date has been set. Interestingly, IDW was unaware that this project existed when they pursued the license.
Silent Hill: Dying Inside (2004)
This particular story arc was released as five issues, with the first two dealing with a doctor and patient. The remaining three issues cover a group of goth kids. It was later released as a trade paperback.
In the first two chapters, Dr. Troy Abernathy wants to cure Lynn DeAngelis from her delusions, which began after she went to do a movie in the town of Silent Hill. Abernathy takes her back to the town... only to discover a world built from his inner fears, and ruled by a demonic little girl -- Christabella -- who seeks guilty souls. From Chapter 3 until the conclusion, a goth girl named Lauryn finds Lynn's movie and plans to go to Silent Hill to do the same stunt so her group can earn some cash. There, a final confrontation with Christabella occurs.
Silent Hill: Among the Damned (2004)
The central plot in this story arc concerns a soldier dealing with "Survivor's Guilt". Soldier Jason is drawn to Silent Hill to decide whether or not he's worthy of being spared during a war that took away all his comrades, including his childhood friend Aaron and being loved by his friend, Dahlia.
Silent Hill: Paint it Black (2005)
In this story we find an artist, drawn to the resort town of Silent Hill when he needs to find inspiration for his latest work. A homeless painter named Ike is told that Silent Hill is a place where he can find food and shelter. There, he witnesses creatures that demand paintings for their deeds, such as killing tourists. Things begin to get a little peculiar when a group of strange cheerleaders stop in town and challenge the monsters.
Silent Hill: The Grinning Man (2005)
State Trooper Robert Tower is on his last day of work before retirement when his new replacement, Mayberry, arrives. Despite the fact that Tower enters Silent Hill on a regular basis to look for missing people, he's never been exposed to the horrifying creatures that roam its streets. However, to play a prank on Mayberry (a firm believer in not only the lore of Silent Hill but also several other consipracy theories and supernatural concepts), he stages a "Monster" attack with two other officers. However, there is a new force in the town of Silent Hill -- A smiling madman with a mastery of both magical spells and firearms who considers the city his own personal hunting ground. The truth about the city is exposed to Tower and the showdown between him and the mysterious Grinning Man ensues.
Silent Hill: Dead/Alive (2006)
- Coming Soon -
See also
- Silent Hill
- Silent Hill 2
- Silent Hill 3
- Silent Hill 4: The Room
- Silent Hill (film)
- List of Silent Hill characters
- List of Silent Hill monsters
- List of Silent Hill locations
References
- ^ EuroGamer. Silent Hill 4: Two Guys In A Room 25 August 2004, 09:00.
- ^ EuroGamer. Silent Hill 5 coming to next gen 17 August 2004 16:57
- ^ IGN Silent Hill 5
External links
- Official Silent Hill 2 site (Konami Europe)
- Official Silent Hill 3 site (Konami Europe)
- Official Silent Hill 4 site (Konami Europe)
- Silent Hill series (Konami Japan)
- Welcome to Silent Hill The official site for the 2006 movie, contains teaser and information.
- Silent Hill movie news coverage at The Horror Channel plus a new review
- Slient Hill the Movie at Rottentomatoes.com
- Silent Hill Movie Clips and Trailers (AOL Moviefone)
Note: The Silent Hill fan community is quite large and maintains numerous websites related to the game.
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