The best scare you'll ever have!
User Rating: 9 | Silent Hill 2 (Special 2 Disc Set) PS2
Nothing in my 15+ years of gaming has ever scared me as much as Silent Hill 2. I am a grown, married man, and my wife and I would go to bed at night clinging to each other. Okay, so maybe that's a little bit of an exaggeration. But not much. I do admit to turning on every single light in the house and shrieking at every strange sound or blowing of the wind. Silent Hill 2 is the story of James Sunderland. Upon receiving a strange letter from his dead wife (yes, that's right), he returns to the small, tormented town of Silent Hill. The town holds great meaning for James and his dearly departed spouse, but all is not well and James is thrust into a surreal nightmare that confuses and astounds him. The story of Silent Hill 2 is engaging and addictive. With multiple endings dependant upon style of play and order of completion, the replayability of the game is enormous. Most gamers will find themselves wanting to play again and again until all of the special endings are achieved. It is easy to become attached to James during his journey because the cut-scenes and movies are of amazing quality and incredible depth. The music in Silent Hill 2 will also have your skin crawling. It draws you into the dark story and has your heart pouding along with it, and then you hear the scratchiness of your radio, telling you monsters are near. The gameplay of this game is wonderful. The addition of a right analog camera control to direct James' view is a great one. The controls are not glitchy, although at some points it can be difficult to navigate tight and narrow spaces. The combat in the game is simple and adds a lot to the scare factor of the game. It's easy to find yourself screaming for more ammo when a nightmare creature has you just beyond their grasp and all you have left is a wooden stick. The weapons are also incredibly realistic. James can't shoot well since he's not accustomed to gunplay, and when using the piece of wood or other blunt objects, swinging them takes time and perfect placement is necessary to achieve the most damage. The puzzles are also very challenging in the game. James will come upon clues which he carries with him or jots down notes. Depending upon the level of difficulty, the clues will be harder or easier. But figuring them out on the normal mode is no easy chorse, even for seasoned puzzle gamers. Overall, Silent Hill 2 is one of my favorite games of all-time. I could play it again and again. This is what true survival horror is meant to be and to this day I do not believe it has been topped in the genre. Try it out, (and probably for cheap now) but don't say I didn't warn you. Keep a light source nearby. 
