Silent Hill Series..

I recently got Silent Hill 2 and before i play it (as it being the first full Silent Hill game i've played excluding playing bits of some at friends houses) do they link?
I mean, can i just go straight into 2 without me not of playing 1, and do they link storywise?
Thanks :D

Silent Hill 2 is independent from all other Silent Hill games, so the story does not connect to any of the others apart from the obvious (it's set in Silent Hill). Silent Hill 1 and 3 are connected though. And most of Silent Hill 4 is not actually set in Silent Hill. Sil;ent Hill 4 was weird... I didn't like it.

Fully independent stories. I played SH2 before I played the rest of them and even after the Resident Evil games - Fallout 3 and Oblivion:

Silent Hill 2 is still still my favourite - IMO the multiple endings give it additional replayabiity above and beyond the great fun there already is to this game.

just to be clear - each Silent Hill game up to and including the new Silent Hill:Homecoming is a separate story from all the other other games and they do not have to played in any order to be enjoyed.