The Silent Hill Series.... and Planks.

[Benitosimies]

You have NO CONCEPT of planks!

This is you:

Spoiler:

1. Oh, hey, a clunking creepy hole in the wall I could investigate! What I should at least try to do is look inside it and try to fish out anything with my plank, that I have! Okay, here's what I'll do:
Step One: Look inside it.
Step Two: Stick my arm in it, towards the crushing sounds. This can only be good.

2. Oh, check out that key, that fuckin' key, behind that grate on the third floor of the apartment building, within plank distance. I'LL STICK MY GOD DAMN ARM IN THERE AFTER THAT, IN THIS HOUSE FULL OF ZOMBIES ON THE FLOOR AND QUIET LEG MONSTERS. I am a moron from the planet Moron.

3. Something good inside the toilet bowl!? Yeah, this is definitely a job for my bare hands.

4. Alright, yes. I'm gonna whack a zombie with this plank. First thing to do though is to put the plank clear behind me, waaaaay out of the picture, so that I may use my face to deflect attacks and push my target around. Also, I get hardly no control or torque or anything good this way. Super. Where's my fucking PhD?

5. Nurses!? With pipes!? Shit, I better hit my moronic girlfriend (who always walks into nurses) with my plank after I miss a nurse! That'll ensure my god damn victory. I am dumb as a shoebox of cougar piss.

[cyberdeftly]

Ah. Just figured out why I hated that game so much. Makes sense now. Planks!

[Belial]

Common characteristic of Silent Hill protagonists: They tend to be mildly suicidal, or at least incredibly apathetic vis-a-vis their own survival. Heather, in SH3, was kindof an exception to that rule, but it's incredibly true of the first two heroes.

In other words, he's not doing clearly idiotic things because he's an idiot. And now I'm desperately resisting the urge to spoil like a motherfucker. Just play the game.

[kwub]

Common characteristic of Silent Hill protagonists: They tend to be mildly suicidal, or at least incredibly apathetic vis-a-vis their own survival. Heather, in SH3, was kindof an exception to that rule, but it's incredibly true of the first two heroes.

In other words, he's not doing clearly idiotic things because he's an idiot. And now I'm desperately resisting the urge to spoil like a motherfucker. Just play the game.

I agree, but I still found it funny as hell.

[Belial]

"shoebox full of cougar piss" nearly made me laugh out loud at work, I agree.

[The Ethos]

Apparently in a connection I never new, due to this planks connection:

James and Shenmue are long lost brothers.

/Ok, so I know his name isn't Shenmue...what is it..
//Ryu Hayabusa?
///Ryo Hazukui?
////Ryu Hoshi?

[Stief]

The worst place to go on holiday or take a wrong turn into...

it is, however, the best place to set a game ^__^

I have the first game, and purchased the third one today...so far so good ^_^

any more fans?

(of course there are! )

[Rodan]

I've been thinking of acquiring these. Good idea?

[Stief]

I've been thinking of acquiring these. Good idea?

Yes ^_^ the best one would (obviously) be the first, as it sets up the story and introduces you to the beautiful town of Silent Hill

[Amnesiasoft]

Perhaps I should go give these another try. Last time I tried was one of the ones on GameTap, and the controls were just awful, rendering it nearly unplayable.

[Belial]

I've been thinking of acquiring these. Good idea?

Yes ^_^ the best one would (obviously) be the first, as it sets up the story and introduces you to the beautiful town of Silent Hill :D

Also, the events of the first game allowed all the subsequent games to happen. Definitely play it first.

[Izawwlgood]

WE DREW A LINE IN THE SAND AND SAID DEMON!

I actually really liked the movie.

I played the first two all the way through and couldn't get into 3 and 4. But I really like these games. I yelped like a little girl when... um... well I yelped a lot in those games.

[Liam079]

The worst place to go on holiday or take a wrong turn into...

it is, however, the best place to set a game ^__^

I have the first game, and purchased the third one today...so far so good ^_^

any more fans?

(of course there are! )

You don't have the second one yet? You gotta buy that one it's the best one.

Also looks like Silent Hill 5 could be fucked up as the original company aren't making it.

[Belial]

Same company, different team. Akira Yamaoka is still attached as producer, and he seems excited about it, so I'm holding on to hope.

It's also supposed to be most similar to SH2, which also gives me hope.

[Jesse]

For me, the second game was the best and most interesting. If 5 is anything like it, I will be pleased. And by pleased, I mean terrified.

[Belial]

The big thing that I can't decide whether to be pleased or horrified about:

The main character is a soldier. A veteran, specifically. So, accordingly, they made the combat in the game a lot more robust and....competent.

On the one hand, that will make combat less frustrating. On the other hand, I almost feel like Harry's/James'/Heather's amateur, undisciplined flailing added to the whole experience.

[Izawwlgood]

Questionable! I enjoyed feeling weak and helpless in this horrific and sketchy town, however, I don't like playing games and feeling more pathetic then I do in real life. Sometimes I found myself yelling at him to stop being such a bad shot, or to put a little bit of muscle behind that 2x4 swing!

Granted, he wasn't screaming like a little girl like I was... Trade offs...

[SecondTalon]

The big thing that I can't decide whether to be pleased or horrified about:

The main character is a soldier. A veteran, specifically. So, accordingly, they made the combat in the game a lot more robust and....competent.

On the one hand, that will make combat less frustrating. On the other hand, I almost feel like Harry's/James'/Heather's amateur, undisciplined flailing added to the whole experience.

You mean, the lack of Plank Proficiency is being replaced by

This is my plank. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My plank is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. My plank without me is useless. Without my plank, I am useless. I must swing my plank true. I must swing harder than my enemy who is trying to kill me.

?

[Benitosimies]

1: It is not just James' lack of plank mastery that is so god damn irksome.

Spoiler:

"A letter from Mary? In the way-ass back of the breathing hospital room? Well shit, that makes sense, little girl who tries to fuck my shit at every turn."

2:

Spoiler:

There is power in the plank. It could parry a Pyramid Head whomp that had enough force to knock a guy through a chain link fence, and it came out without a scratch. This plank is three times as strong as any other plank. It may smash any zombie, even a zombie three times as strong as any zombie.

However, the plankholder is weak in the ways of plank, and in the end the power-hungry plank will consume the wielder, taking his power for its own, leaving the plankholder a husk of ruin and woe, a pile of ash and dust, scattered by the four winds. The plank, hungry for ever stronger souls, will bend time and space itself to seek the most capable plankholder to wield Plank Edge and feed it wave after wave of warriors, kings, and casters of potent runes. The plank will split mountains and slay armies and sever the stars from the sky for it was forged by the Dark Elves for the grandson of Jörth to crush the dishonorable and end the lives of trollkin. However, a curse was placed on the plank by the Brother of Byleist when a mortal gained it through Trickery, and the plank will doom whoever holds it in battle.

[Stief]

finally got 2 the other day, am loving it so far

Spoiler:

especially seeing Pyramid Head at the end of a corridor, going into a room, and coming out to find him gone...It actually made me say out loud "oh fuck, he's not there"

[Belial]

Spoiler:

My roommate will attest, when I first saw pyramid head there, I just stood at the end of the hall for, like, 10 or 15 minutes staring at him, waiting for him to move, terrified out of my mind

[Benitosimies]

Spoiler:

When I first saw him on the other side of that grate I was playing on this grainy little TV and I thought he was a naked fat hairy woman with a hidden face holding a baby, (gross part):pubes all tangled up with chunky afterbirth/gross part

I tried doing that with nested spoilers but the board wasn't liking it.

[Irrefutable]

Pyramid head, that nasty ole rapist.

That bastard always scared the **** out of me...

In the film he is slightly more horific though

Spoiler:

When he tears the girl's skin off, ive never been more horrified by a movie scene since tbh...

[NathanielJ]

Silent Hill 2 was a thing of beauty. It starts off great because the atmosphere is simply unmatched elsewhere, and then as you progress through it you realize that its story is told brilliantly too. Never has so much awesome been seen in one game.

When I first played through the apartments...

Spoiler:

I look around the 2nd floor for a while, check one apartment that is empty and has nothing unusual about it (I forget the room number, I'll call it room X) and leave. I look around for another minute or so, find a key elsewhere, and go back to room X to find a body sliced and diced sitting in front of a TV that is playing static.

I'd love to say that was the most freaked out I've ever been by a game, but the prison and hospital take the cake there I'm quite sure.

If you like SH2, then the Fatal Frame series is definitely worth a look as well. The first two Fatal Frame games in particular deal with very much the same themes as the Silent Hill games and are quite excellent at keeping you on your toes.

[Rodan]

I'm playing Silent Hill 1 (via emulator), and so far it's quite awesome. I'd probably be a lot more scared if I hadn't read a lot of spoilers in the scariest moments thread and such. (the locker room? Totally expected)

[aeki]

I got sick of listening to people talk about this series and not having a clue what they were talking about so I bought the first three games, but apparently although PS1 games can be played on a PS2 they can't be saved on a PS2 memory card. I played Silent Hill 1 up to the boss fight in the school, where I realized I hadn't picked up the shotgun and playing on without being able to save was only going to be an exercise in frustration so I gave up to move on to Silent Hill 2. I was enjoying it up until then, though (and I didn't expect the locker room).

As for Silent Hill 2... freaking Pyramid Head.

Spoiler:

I'm in the part where you have to get through the labyrinth by moving around between the two floors. My method of getting around this game is to kill all the monsters in an area first so I can explore in peace, and I'm down in the water shooting at a vague moving shape and getting frustrated because I'm not hitting it so I get closer and all of a sudden realize oh fuck, that's not a nurse/four-legged demon. So I ran back up the ladder the way I came, figure out that I need to turn left, then go back down and BOOM I get stabbed because Pyramid Head doesn't trigger the static so I can't tell when he's getting close and the camera certainly isn't going to let me know what's right in front of me, it's always focused on James' pretty face. I turned around and went back up the ladder (apparently PH is polite and doesn't stab people who are in the middle of climbing), re-healthified myself, then went back down and immediately got stabbed again. Now I'm too scared to go back down, but I don't want to have to do it over from the save point, so I'm hanging out in the upper level on pause.

So yeah, what I've seen of this series so far is good, aside from the camera angles and frustrating hotspots, and if I can ever get over my fear of being stabbed suddenly and without warning I will definitely continue playing.

[TallMax]

A new Fatal Frame or Silent Hill on the new gen of consoles must be pants-shittingly scary. The only time I've ever hyperventilated was playing Fatal Frame from 9 pm-1am in a rainstorm, putting myself through the torture in hope that it'd be over soon. And theres this one part where it sounds like someone talking, and we all turned to look at who it was, and realized it was the game, and just stood in wide eyed fear. Ever since I've sworn off survival horror, but I feel that I could handle it a bit better now.

And Silent Hill 2....

Spoiler:

Not only did I stare at Pyramid Head at the grate for minutes, but the hospital nurses were sheer terror. That sound they make, especially when you pop around the elevator for the first time and they're RIGHT THERE. And that underground jail cell's sound effects mess with your head.

[Rodan]

Man. Not having enough ammo to actually kill the final boss sucked.
Nut besides that, Silent Hill I wasn't too bad.
At some point I'll get II.

[Belial]

So. Homecoming is coming out at the end of the month.

I need to buy a 360

[Jack Saladin]

... Really? Your system seller is Silent Hill Homecoming?

Looks pretty meh to me. I've watched a few gameplay videos and it just all looks so very... Mediocre. Plus, they managed to make Pyramid Head not scary at all.

[whitelightwhiteheat]

Silent hill 2 is the only one i have actually played so my opinion doesn't really count but ignorance has never stopped me before so...
to me silent hill 2 was the scariest thing from any form of media i have encountered, to the point when i wanted to know the ending but just watched my mate play it instead lol. he would say to be 'go look in that room', so I'd walk to the door and just stand there because i was too scared to go in haha, this was in the apartment complex btw. the scariest bit i came across was where you see pyramid head behind the bars in the apartment block and then you go back later and hes no longer there.....
so anyway which of the games in the series to you guys rate as the scariest and which moments freak you out.
Also any recommendations for other books, movies or games which are scary in similar way are welcomed
Thanks!

[Belial]

2 is definitely the best, and probably the scariest. 3 has some moments that cause it to come in a close second, though.

[BMW787]

2 is definitely the best, and probably the scariest. 3 has some moments that cause it to come in a close second, though.

Seconded.

I've played 2 at least 4 or 5 times. I need to play 3 again. Unforunatly 4 was kinda crap. Really difficult. Whoever's idea it was to put invincible enemies in a game and then put them EVERYWHERE should be hit. Repeatedly

[NathanielJ]

2 is definitely the best, and probably the scariest. 3 has some moments that cause it to come in a close second, though.

I second the part about 2 being the best, but I personally found 3 to be scarier. The first half was pretty average, but the hospital/amusement park/church near the end were all quite intense, in my opinion.

[Nonmus]

2 is definitely the best, and probably the scariest. 3 has some moments that cause it to come in a close second, though.

I second the part about 2 being the best, but I personally found 3 to be scarier. The first half was pretty average, but the hospital/amusement park/church near the end were all quite intense, in my opinion.

Agreeing with this. The only location in 2 that made me feel uneasy was the prison, but the atmosphere of almost every location in 3 made me hesitant to progress. The nightmare worlds were especially creepy, and those weren't featured nearly as much in 2.

That said, I played through 2 several times, but I have trouble bringing myself back to 3.

[whitelightwhiteheat]

2 is definitely the best, and probably the scariest. 3 has some moments that cause it to come in a close second, though.

Seconded.

I've played 2 at least 4 or 5 times. I need to play 3 again. Unforunatly 4 was kinda crap. Really difficult. Whoever's idea it was to put invincible enemies in a game and then put them EVERYWHERE should be hit. Repeatedly

yeah 4 does not look that great, its the one with the enemies that burp when you hit them right? if so then who the hell thought to put them in a horror game?????
will i get the plot of 3 if i havent played the first one?
im gonna get the first one on psp when its rereleased anyway though, but still.

[NathanielJ]

will i get the plot of 3 if i havent played the first one?

You'll still get the vast majority of it. I hadn't played SH1 before playing SH3 and it wasn't a big deal.

[Belial]

The things you won't get you also won't realize you're not getting, generally.

That said, I'd still recommend playing SH1 first.

[BMW787]

Yeah, 3 is a sequel to 1. Plus you should play 1 first because its awesome

[whitelightwhiteheat]

The things you won't get you also won't realize you're not getting, generally.

That said, I'd still recommend playing SH1 first.

ok will do.
you really do get around belial if you dont mind me saying, ive seen you in heaps of topics
im loving the profile pic too!

i though the silent hill movie was fairly rubbish as well