Some would argue that Resident Evil is the Godfather of the survival horror sub-genre. You could definitely make a strong case for that, however, Resident Evil never really terrified me. But it would be foolish of me to ignore it. After all, it is because of Shinji Mikami that we now have so many other great survival horror games to play. There is one game that could be considered the best video game horror franchise period. That honor would go to Silent Hill.
Fresh off the success of 1998’s blockbuster Metal Gear Solid, Konami decided to release a psychological horror title named Silent Hill in 1999. There was nothing like it at the time. “Silent Hill's creators remarked that one of their main goals with the game was to frighten people on an instinctive level, and that's something that, in my mind, they've clearly succeeded at doing.”(Gamespot review Feb. 1999). I love that. The creators wanted to terrify you like no game before it.
Silent Hill is frightening on a very different level. Akira Yamaoka’s haunting soundtrack plays an enormous factor in this. Using ambient industrial music and guttural sounds, the music is a character within itself. When you aren’t being attacked by skinned dogs, demonic midgets or flying aberrations, the music is always there to remind you that you’re never safe. While games like Resident Evil relied heavily on cheap scares, Silent Hill toyed with your head.
The game preys on our fear of the unknown. For instance, Harry Mason is drawn to this town called Silent Hill to find his adopted daughter. Why this town? Why does the town seem abandoned? Why is there a cop in an abandoned town? Why are things getting so weird? What are these creatures? Why does the town turn into Hell at night? These are all the questions to the player and to Harry, and while you may be completely taken aback by what’s occurring, the only way to find out is to go forth. That’s what makes Silent Hill so…Silent Hill. While playing the game I noticed myself remembering the first time I played it, and how I found myself in positions where I didn’t want to go any further because I was afraid of what was behind the door. What other unknown and shocking surprises could there possibly be? I was afraid, but I had to know. I wanted to be scared because that’s what makes the experience so damn fun.
The game does an excellent job of making you feel conflicted all the time. You’re scared to go any further, yet you have the inexplicable desire to keep going. Silent Hill may have lived in the shadow of the more popular Resident Evil, but manages to create its own legacy in the process. Silent Hill is a hell of a game. You can scoop it up on PSN for a mere $5.99.
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