Silent Hill: Shattered Memories Review

The latest game of the Silent Hill series, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories is the reimagining of the first game. You take on the role of two players: one unknown and played in first-person perspective, the other is Harry Mason and played in third person. Once again, you are on the mission to find Cheryl after a car accident in the town of Silent Hill.

As the unknown person, you are given tasks to complete by a man who seems to be a phychiatrist. The player's choices will affect the game - monsters, attitudes, and monsters. Harry is equipped with a cell phone that can take pictures, make calls, check the map through GPS, and receive messages. Throughout the game, Harry will meet people who may help him discover the root of Cheryl's disappearance. But there's a twist in the plot...what Harry knows as his life apparently isn't real.

Unlike the first game, combat is completely removed from the game, which only means that to get out alive, you must evade the monsters chasing you. You can either run for your life or knock down some furniture to slow them down or use a flares that you find in the game (they don't last forever though). The only way to escape from the nightmare is to find the exit by using your map. However, there are instances in the game that in order to get out, you must complete a puzzle that involves you going out of the safe place where the exit is, facing the monsters, and completing the task. The ending is based on the player's psychological profile. There are 4 endings to unlock.

Compared to the other Silent Hill games I've played, this one is poor. The graphics are good, the real world-to-nightmare world sequences are very well-planned out but they took out what made the game worth playing - the combat. I mean, who wants to run around doing tasks but evading monsters like a sissy? Harry's a man, he should be able to fight! The game does get boring and repetitive after a while because of that and though there is the horror factor to consider, it's not the same vibe as the other Silent Hill games. All in all, 6/10 :p

Spoiler:

Combat would be my main forte. I probably wouldn't pick it up just because of that. I'd like to at least stop SOME enemies in my tracks.

i hated running, it was so annoying. i wanted to shoot some monsters dammit!

Yumiyuri wrote:

i hated running, it was so annoying. i wanted to shoot some monsters dammit!

If running in the game was so annoying and you hated it. Why play the game? Seems to me like it's sort of lame. That's just my opinion.

LOL, I probably wouldn't waste my breath on it without a weapon.

played it out of curiosity, finished it cause i was bored xD

don't waste your breath on it xD

They should have named the series "Silent Kill", the Hill part was probably a mistake just like they accidently spelled Monkey Kong in japanese to Donkey Kong and released it before they had a chance to change it back.

Another fun fact. Donkey Kong was actually the first Mario game. Even before bowser or king koopa came along. It's ironic though that Mario was named JumpMan before his name would be Mario. But I'm getting off topic with the "Silent Kill" series. It's just a mix of disturbed looking enemies come at you that you either shoot or hit with an Iron bat. And ammo is limited.

Then they had Donkey Kong on the gameboy which was actually one of the best Donkey Kong games I've played apart from the Donkey Kong Country series.