Silent Hill 2 Turns 20 Years Today

 

It's been two decades since Konami and Team Silent released one of the best survival horror entries in Silent Hill 2 - a sequel that enhances everything that its predecessor laid out by giving us a much more terrifying experience into the cursed town that the game derives its name from. Released on this day in 2001 for the Sony PlayStation 2, the game introduces us to widower James Sunderland - who is drawn into the mysterious town of Silent Hill due to a letter sent by his wife Mary... Who died three years prior to the events of the game. Exploring the town to find answers, he is instead drawn to the mystery of his surroundings - encountering people with their own problems as well as creatures that are demonic manifestations of a person's own dark nature.

The backstory of Silent Hill is a convoluted case - which is built on the notes and mysterious letters that center on a town that had a cult worshipping a demon and unleashing dark energies that have remained a part of it even after the events of the first game. Silent Hill 2 and the other sequels explore in great detail other aspects of the town and expand on its lore - as well as the poor unfortunate souls like James who are drawn to go there and their "skeletons in the closet" are brought to life because of the dark energies that still reside inside the haunted town. 

Gameplay of course is typical Survival Horror fare - you guide the character through a town and explore collecting items, solving puzzles, and defeating enemies to progress through the story. There are multiple endings for this entry as well - the most out of any installment, and one that is dependent on the choices you make and conditions you set about completing the game. It's this attention to detail and these design choices that among the great aspects of the games Team Silent made, and why this sequel is beloved by many fans to this day.

Happy 20th Anniversary, Silent Hill 2.

Silent Hill 3: 10 Years Later... It's still a terrifying sequel and an awesome classic

10 years ago, I never imagined that I'd revisit a certain "spooky town" for the third straight time in a video game series, let alone find myself controlling a teenaged girl with a feisty attitude, "life preserver" jacket, and some horrible and mysterious nightmares that could make any sane man crack at the seams.

Of course, I'm talking about none other than Konami's 2nd Playstation 2 Survival Horror epic "Silent Hill 3", which was released in North America on August 6th, 2003, and serves as the first direct sequel to a previous installment in the series, namely the very first Silent Hill.

Players take control of a young girl named Heather, who is the adopted daughter of first game's hero Harry Mason. Set seventeen years after Silent Hill, Heather is unaware that the same cult group responsible for unleashing the horrors in the town have found her, and are slowly manipulating those demonic forces to use the teenager for their own sinister whims. Of course, Heather won't go down without a fight... But will she survive the experience and make it out in one piece?

Fan made awesomeness: Silent Hill: Stolen Heart!

While browsing around the interwebz, I stumbled upon this on a post in Kotaku - a fan made Silent Hill film that actually looks good as it is creepy! Entitled "Silent Hill: Stolen Heart", the 5 minute feature was directed by Paul Leeming, and was filmed in an abandoned mining town that actually looks like Silent Hill itself given the proper effects and fog! Do check out this wonderful treat for fans by fans, which was released just a few weeks ago!


Silent Hill: Stolen Heart

As a big fan of the original Team Silent Silent Hill games, this pays great tribute to the source material and Konami's survival horror franchise! For more info and details, visit the source post at Kotaku, and visit the creator Paul Leeming's official Facebook page, Visceral Psyche Films!