Silent Hill 2 is quite possibly the scariest video game out there on the market.
Silent Hill 2 tells the story of one James Sunderland who arrivals in the quaint little town of Silent Hill. Driven by a letter sent to him by his recently deceased wife Mary, James explores the depths of the seemingly empty town to look for his wife who may not really be dead after all. Our hero soon finds out that things are definitely quite as they seem.
During his journey, James meets a variety of individuals who have their own agenda of being in the town of Silent Hill. Angela is a young woman, who's searching for her mother. Eddie is a man seeking isolation and running away from those who look down upon him in society. Laura is a little girl who had a connection with Mary in her last living days, but is disgusted with James. Finally, there is Maria. She oddly resembles James' dead wife so much in a way that she could be her twin. These cast of characters are not the only ones James has to worry about.
In the game, our protagonist travels between the "foggy" or "normal" part of Silent Hill, and the hellish alternate reality of the town. The alternate reality of Silent Hill holds some of the most disturbing monsters you'll find in any horror game and seem to be inspired by books and movies (such as Jacob's Ladder). Some of which include the "doormen" which are shambling corpses trying to escape the door which cages them. The nurses from the first game make a return to Silent Hill 2, although a little more "sexier" which could be suited to James' taste. The "main" occupant of Silent Hill 2, has to be one of the best creature creations in a game to day. Pyramid Head, shows up from time to time to make a James' life an even more living hell than he's already going through. With a pyramid shaped head, and wielding a very large knife, this creature torments James and it's up to the player to find out who or what this creature is and what its true agenda is.
The player's little adventure through hell might be a little frustrating for some as it boasts some complicated puzzles. Although well done, the puzzles require some thought (and careful reading), even on the easiest puzzle level. Puzzles in Silent Hill 2 rely on either combining certain objects in order to reach or use a certain object or to use a certain door, and there are some that require key combinations that can fortunately be found in the various memos scattered through out the game. Another helpful feature is when James is near an important item or object, his head looks in the area of note.
In terms of gameplay, Silent Hill 2 plays almost exactly the same as its predecessor and plays like another "survival horror" game, Resident Evil. Even though these are like night and day, when compared to each other, Silent Hill 2 controls just the same. The player can move the analog stick in the direction they want James to go. The button and control layout can be changed if they are not satisfied with the default controls. The monsters themselves, even how menacing they can look, can be easily dispatched using one of the various weapons in the game you'll find. From your standard pistol to a wood plank, the are various weapons that can be found in Silent Hill 2. An an early part of the game James finds a flashlight and a radio. The flashlight is used to help see in the dark places of the game, and the radio mysteriously alerts James to any monsters that are present in the area. A nice feature of the radio is that the louder the static gets, the closer James is to an enemy. Maps of various areas or buildings in Silent Hill can be found and are very helpful, if you are lost or don't know where to go next. If James is in ill health, then you can pick up the various med kits that are scattered about. That's not to say that you must encounter every monster you face. Many of the monsters you can easily avoid by running past them, which makes the fighting seem pointless at times. If you're still having trouble with the enemies the game offers multiple difficulty levels for not only the fighting, but the puzzles as well.
For a game that came out in the early lifespan of the PS2, Silent Hill 2 boasts some impressive visuals. The enemies themselves are somewhat derived from a mind of a disturbed individual. This is not to say though that creatures look great while giving the player quite the scare. The environments themselves give the player a sense of isolation from the rest of the world, as seen in the horrific rust filled alternate settings. Although the Playstation 2's graphic limits are being pushed, it's limited technology can also be seen. Although the fog is a nice addition to the town, it seems as though it's also being used to hide the graphic pop ups of the environment. The same thing is also noted during the dark parts of the game. Even though it adds atmosphere and tension to the game, it makes the player unable to fully enjoy the surroundings during the alternate settings, although our imagination could quickly fix that.
Probably one of the strongest points of Silent Hill 2 is the sound. From the static of James' radio the alert the player of an enemies' presence, to the tortured sounds of a monster wailing as they are being attacked, the sound effects are top of the line. Also of considerable note is the music. Beautifully composed by Akira Yamaoka, Silent Hill 2 has one of the best musical score in a game. Each piece of music in the game fits well the situation and the environment, even if it's sparsely used. If there is any bad part to the sounds of the game it has to be the voice acting. While some of the actors do amazing performances, such as Maria and Laura, some voice acting is questionable although it can be blamed on the script writing. This is not to say that Silent Hill 2 has the best storyline in any game.
Your usual horror game has you explore, kill the bad guys and then take down the boss and that's it. Silent Hill 2 is a completely different game in terms of story. Sporting multiple endings, Silent Hill 2 leaves you wondering which ending is the right one. Getting a better knowledge of the story requires lots of thinking and retracing of your footsteps in the game, as this is not strictly a "one time" affair.
Silent Hill 2 is not just another pretty horror game. On the outside you have a game with very disturbing images and creatures, which is perfect for the gamer who wants to be scared, and on the inside you have a beautifully made game with an incredible music score, a very intriguing cast of characters, and quite possibly the best story in any game.