Silent Hill 2

noodler

I never played any of these, and keep hearing that 2 is the best so I may try and pick t up. Initial searchs show I should get one on Ebay.

Is it the best one? How long is it etc

Any other thoughts? Spoiler-Free I guess

Call Me Jimmy

I've only finished the first one which was class but it's just such a scary ordeal I doubt I'll be playing any other ones.

rizzla

Silent Hill 2 is amazing a defining moment in interactive stroytelling.

i_am_dogboy

If you're interested in the story it might be worty playing through all the first 3 games in order, the 4th is(I think at least) a pretty good game with some major problems, but I don't recall it being related to the others directly in terms of the story.

The first game is a bit dated, but still playable if you're dedicated, the second and third are both awesome. Fantastic in terms of storytelling, the characters are pretty cool too. The music is amazing. It's one of my own favourite game series.

Retr0gamer

Silent Hill 2 is an absolute masterpiece. It's one of the very, very few games that can stand up to the best in the other entertainment media in terms of intelligent story telling. It's not perfect, some puzzles might require a walkthrough since they can be very obscure but it's well worth it just for the atmosphere and unique storytelling. The other silent hill games are good but storywise they are much like any other survival horror except a whole lot scarier. Silent Hill 2 is a far more cerebral experience. I'm trying not to be pretentious here but it's a pretentious game

noodler

Retro has an opinion on every question I ask! We have number upstairs, my bro is a big fan, ill get 2 then

Retr0gamer

I'm stalking you :cool:

Rhyme

Worth it's weight in gold in terms of scares, pure skin-itching uncomfortable fear, chilling atmosphere, involving story etc.

The soundtrack in the game alone is worth the price.

CCCP^

Silent Hill 1 was very ambitious for a Ps1 game, it might not have had the best graphics, but as for the experience of the gameplay - outstanding. There wasn't anything like it until then. Silent Hill 2 has the graphics, it looks alot better than its predecessor. The sense of foreboding, of dread is thick and juicy in this game. It's probably the best in the series. Buy it or....wait....something wrong with my radio...godamn radio...

....OH JESUS WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!?!.........*Sounds of grunting, struggling, chair knocked over, gunshots, blood curdling scream, panting....unnatural growl...then silence*

ghouldaddy07

dose the movie share any plot simalaritys to the first two games?

WEST

How does Silent Hill 2 compare to SH4? I played the SH4 and never ended up finishing it. Just looking for a good horror game.

Just finished the two Pennumbra game by Frictional games and thought they were excellent so I'm going through a horror game buzz!

conzy

Too scary tbh

Retr0gamer

ghouldaddy07 wrote: »

dose the movie share any plot simalaritys to the first two games?

The film is extremely poor compared to the frist two games. It kind of follows a similar storyline to the first game and rips a lot of the enemies off from the second (which are totally out of place in the film when their symbolism is taken into account).

Silent Hill 2 is a completely different beast though and doesn't really fit in with the other games in the series other than having the same tone and feel. It's pretty much an arthouse videogame, it's extremely well written and intelligent. It's well worth reading up about the game after you finish it, there's a lot of symbolism in it and many of the characters backstories are only really hinted at in the game, you really need to be studying it very carefully to get the full picture. Also I got the worst ending when I played it 'in water'. I don't think I've been affected by a game ending like that ever, very harrowing stuff. The whole game is basically the journey into the mind of somebody who has been driven crazy by guilt.

How does Silent Hill 2 compare to SH4? I played the SH4 and never ended up finishing it. Just looking for a good horror game.

Silent Hill 4 is the black sheep of the family. It originally wasn't a Silent Hill game but got shoehorned into the franchise late in development. It's not bad but compared to the rest of the series, especially SH2, it's way inferior.

elekid

I watched my brother play through the whole of Silent Hill 2 and it was almost like watching a movie for me. Very few games tell stories as affecting and memorable as this. I can't comment on the gameplay but would definitely recommend it you want a good story. It also scared the hell out of me and I wasn't even playing it!

Retr0gamer

It also had the best use of vibrating controllers ever.

Sticking your hand into the hole in the wall, scared the absolute **** out of me.

evad_lhorg

I have them all and havnt gotten anywhere far in them becuase Im a wimp. It is really hard to play 1 because the graphics are just complete rubbis but 2 looks great and I think three looks brilliant.

Rhyme

Retr0gamer wrote: »

It also had the best use of vibrating controllers ever.

Sticking your hand into the hole in the wall, scared the absolute **** out of me.

Not so much for the vibration but

fishing in the toilet

made my stomach turn a little.

tread_softly

the music is indeed awesome, that promise reprise is one of my favourites; it was used in the movie also.

wasn't it in three that had

that horrible room with the mirror? if you stood in it too long all this blood-like substance started frothing everywhere and the door locked? then your mirror image stopped moving and you died?! that bit gave me nightmares.

silent hill games are brilliant but not to be played at 2am on your own

CiDeRmAn

This game nearly made me soil myself, awesome stuff, great ending, or should that be endings, I think mine made some sense anyway.
The 3rd and 4th ones didn't nearly have the same effect, hoping the soon to be PS3 edition will be great.

Rhyme

tread_softly wrote: »

wasn't it in three that had

that horrible room with the mirror? if you stood in it too long all this blood-like substance started frothing everywhere and the door locked? then your mirror image stopped moving and you died?! that bit gave me nightmares.

Enjoy your nightmares: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkYtflr1KsM

CCCP^

Rhyme wrote: »

Enjoy your nightmares: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkYtflr1KsM

F*cked up!

TheWitch06

Rhyme wrote: »

Enjoy your nightmares: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkYtflr1KsM

So good.

wayne040576

I've had silent hill 2 and 3 on my shelf for a few years now and had been meaning to play them for ages. I finally got around to playing 2 a few weeks back. I suspect I may have left it too late. As scary and atmospheric as the game is, the controls are just too bloody annoying after playing some more up to date games. I keep trying to move the camera with the right stick.

Usually I have to revert back to using the d pad for movement resident evil style because the analog stick is too clumsy. I suspect I'd have the same trouble if I went back to the older RE games.
I didn't get very far into the game before stopping (first apartment building).

I have to try finishing it off some time though.

WEST

wayne040576 wrote: »

I've had silent hill 2 and 3 on my shelf for a few years now and had been meaning to play them for ages. I finally got around to playing 2 a few weeks back. I suspect I may have left it too late. As scary and atmospheric as the game is, the controls are just too bloody annoying after playing some more up to date games. I keep trying to move the camera with the right stick.

Usually I have to revert back to using the d pad for movement resident evil style because the analog stick is too clumsy. I suspect I'd have the same trouble if I went back to the older RE games.
I didn't get very far into the game before stopping (first apartment building).

I have to try finishing it off some time though.

I must agree, on the PC the control system is a royal pain and most of the time the camera does not auto adjust. I'm at the apartment building now and becasue of the camera it very difficult to search the rooms. Understandable the graphics are crap by todays standards, the textures look very blurry.

However I'm not going to let the above stop me playing. The game is all about the atmosphere and I want to get involved in the story rahter than worry about the graphics. Bring on a few good scares.. hopefully!!!

Call Me Jimmy

evad_lhorg wrote: »

I have them all and havnt gotten anywhere far in them becuase Im a wimp. It is really hard to play 1 because the graphics are just complete rubbis but 2 looks great and I think three looks brilliant.

Tip: Play it on a ps1 emulator on PC and ye can drive up antialising and make it look about 5 times better. That's what I did and it was great.

EDIT: I used ps1 controller because I have the ps controller usb connector thing.

Gizzle

SH2 is a stellar example of engrossing storyline in a game, so much so that I'd liken the experience to getting stuck into a great book. It also birthed the greatest game character/device I've ever come across, the Pyramid Head.

Oh, and as creepy as SH3 was

I found the princess transformation to be hilarious. Up there with the Dog ending for random hilarity!

CCCP^

I played Silent Hill 2 last night for awhile, and made it as far as the asylum or hospital or whatever it is. The freakiest bit so far is when you enter into the locker rooms, really tight, narrow spaces. You move forward and the angle changes and there's Maria - just ****ing standing there, like some white devil, expressionless and watching you. That really freaked me out for some reason.

noodler

Jesus man, spoilers ffs. I did say "spoiler-free"

CCCP^

noodler wrote: »

Jesus man, spoilers ffs. I did say "spoiler-free"

That's not a spoiler. It happens everytime you enter a room or corridor, you met this woman way before that point anyway, it's just odd because she's always right beside you, just staring.

CiDeRmAn

I jumped upon getting the torch in SH2.

The odd thing is, I'm a nurse in a large victorian psychiatric hospital on the coast and some scenes in 2 were a little too close to the bone, it at least made me keep every light on I could find, just so's there's no dark shadowy corners, you know, just in case....

Rhyme

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

I jumped upon getting the torch in SH2.

The problem with that part is that before you take the torch from the stationary mannequin, you can walk behind it and see the mannequin that is going to jump up and f*ck your sh*t up the second you obtain the torch. It's not often that a game will let you see your aggressor before they become an enemy. Pity you can't bludgeon the mannequin before it pops up *shudders*