While Silent Hill: Origins doesn't exactly use everything the PSP has to offer, it's definately a must have game.
Let me start off by saying that this was the first Silent Hill game, and indeed, the first Survival Horror game I have ever played. When I first played the demo for Silent Hill: Origins, I was instantly transfixed, though I wondered whether the final product would be able to retain the magic for the entire game. I am pleased to say that it did.
The gameplay involves travelling throughout two worlds, a the foggy "real" world, and the dilapidated, horror-ridden "mirror" world that you travel to through the use of mirrors. You can pick up and use almost any object in the environment as a weapon: meat hooks, kitchen knives, crates, lamps, and even miniature television sets, and later in the game, you even get access to several guns including the M1911A1 and the AK-47. Though as it is a survival-horror game, you'll want to be fairly conservative with your use of these weapons.
The game can be beaten fairly quickly; my first playthrough clocked in at exactly 4 hours and 35 minutes, but don't let that fool you. The game has three different endings and a plethora of unlockable costumes, weapons, and more. I had so much fun playing the game, I didn't even keep track of the amount of time I played it. Fortunately, there is a screen that displays miscellaneous statistics after you beat the game. Even after unlocking everything, the game is still fun enough to warrant playing from time to time.
Another fine point about the game are the graphics. Silent Hill: Origins depicts squalid dilapidated environments in both the real and the mirror world with great detail. The game runs at the standard 222Mhz, which has its pros and cons, with the advantage being the increased playing time due to less battery consumption. So while the game may not have the texture fidelity of a PSP game such as.. Logan's Shadow, it still looks amazing and even surpasses Logan's Shadow in some ways. The most noticeable thing about the visuals in Silent Hill: Origins is the lighting; it's unsurpassed on a handheld. Most of the environments are dark and dreary, so you have to use a flashlight to navigate. All the objects you shine light upon create dynamic shadows; which is revolutionary for a handheld. Though a sour point about the lack of a bright environment is that it can be rather difficult to see the game when playing in a brightly lit room.
So if you were asking yourself whether you wanted to get this game or not, the answer is yes! Even if you previously thought you didn't like surival-horror games, this game may change your mind. The gameplay is simple, fun, and addictive. Not to mention there are some rather innovative puzzles.
If you own a PSP, you'd be doing yourself a disservice by not going out and buying this game!