Okay, I've changed my mind

[DeeBye]

I used to think that System Shock 2 was the scariest game ever made. It is indeed scary, but today I started playing Silent Hill 2: Director's Cut for PC and I've changed my mind. SH2 is scaring the crap out of me.

Man I love this game. It has more atmosphere than any other game I've ever played. For a 5 year old game, the graphics are fantastic. Creeping through blood-stained dark hallways with a flashlight looks and feels amazing.

This game is freaking me out so much that I often find myself relieved when closed doors turn out to be locked and unopenable. Sometimes I just don't want to know what's on the other side. If a door opens and a movie sequence starts, it's time to run for cover!

I almost puked when I found Eddie (the fat guy) heaving in the toilet. THE SOUND MY GOD THE SOUND! I could almost smell it.

Pyramid Head has to be the greatest game villian ever conceived. He's a zombie monster with a giant red metal pyramid. On his head! With a giant screw you KNIFE! I don't know what he was doing with those mannequin zombies but it gave me a severe WTF moment :huh:

I played SH1 years ago and it was pretty good. Is the rest of the series as good as SH2? If so, I might have to scour some more bargain bins.

Here is James checking out a weird face cube puzzle. I haven't figured it out yet, but I WILL SOON! I love the chainsaw.


The lighting effects while using the flashlight are pretty cool. OH GOD I DON'T WANT TO GO UP THAT LADDER!


OH SHI-


edit: PLEASE DON'T SPOIL THIS GAME FOR ME!

[Rinnhart]

Silent Hill 3 is even better. Silent Hill 4 isn't supposed to be quite as good.

Definately one of the best survival-horror series.

[[wcip]Angel]

Silent Hill2 is the best one of the series, IMO, however, it should be noted that when I was playing SH1, I was too young to understand what was going on. Actually, when I think about it, I was too young to understand what went on in SH2. Perhaps I'm just a little thick.

When you have completed the game (a couple of times, you want to see all those endings don't you?) use a walkthrough to show you what you need to do to get the various endings. (No UFO ending this time though).

SH2 is a great game, but I didn't feel it was *as* creepy as SH1 and 3.

Oh, and by the way Deebye, you absolutely, positively *must* read this plot guide when you've finished the game. When I finished the game, I felt I didn't understand anything. This guide opened up my eyes and showed me just how terrifically layered this game is.

Oh, and look behind youAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!


Also, there are some who claim to see the shape of "Pyramid Head" in the trailer for the upcoming Silent Hill Movie. It's towards the end; the thing hitting the camera with a ragdoll or something :)

edit: I haven't played the PC version, but on the European PS2-release there was a bonus disc with a documentary about the making of Silent Hill2. You should try and get ahold of that if you can.

[Zippyy]

I played Silent Hill 1 ages ago. I remember jumping a few times.

Doom 3 wasn't exactly scary, but it was startling, especially when played in the dark with high volume.

FEAR is a monster. The first half is quite spooky, but then the formula starts to sink in and further scare tactices are less effective. The combat is unreal though.

[Rinnhart]

Thanks for mentioning the movie, I had no idea one was in production.

[Artega]

Doom3 isn't scary, but it's intense. Try playing it at night with the volume all the way up, on Nightmare difficulty :)

[Arethor]

FEAR is a monster.  The first half is quite spooky, but then the formula starts to sink in and further scare tactices are less effective.  The combat is unreal though.
[right][snapback]99578[/snapback][/right]

Tried to play FEAR. Seems my computer can't handle it unless all the settings are on "utter crap" What i did play (first 3 missions or so) was really good and made me want more. Guess I'll just have to wait for a better PC to finish it though, because my computer does it no justice.

[ima_nerd]

I'm not much for scary games (I though Q4 was pretty freaky) but I may have to check out the Silent Hill series. Of course, I'll play them in the light of day with my window open so I can hear birds chirping and whatnot :whistling: I haven't seen a good scary movie since Event Horizon (which scared the SH*T outta me) so Silent Hill may be the next "ohmyGodwhyamIwatchingthis" movie for me.

[DeeBye]

I just finished the game and the extra Maria mission. The second-to-last boss fight was terrifying.

[Doc]

I do believe that the Smith & Wesson 500 model revolver would neatly take care of Mr Pyramid Head.

Seeing that screenshot gave me the creeps and I haven't even played that game.



JIBBLIES!

[DeeBye]

I do believe that the Smith & Wesson 500 model revolver would neatly take care of Mr Pyramid Head.
[right][snapback]99619[/snapback][/right]

BULLETS BOUNCE OFF HIS GODDAMN METAL HEAD! AHHHH!

[Doc]

BULLETS BOUNCE OFF HIS GODDAMN METAL HEAD!  AHHHH!
[right][snapback]99620[/snapback][/right]

Not THESE bullets... The 500 is a frigging brass sausage.

And if that fails, aim for the arms and legs!

JIBBLIES!

[DeeBye]

Not THESE bullets... The 500 is a frigging brass sausage.

And if that fails, aim for the arms and legs!
[right][snapback]99621[/snapback][/right]

There seems to be a lack of high-powered weaponry in the town of Silent Hill. Besides, the only thing I want to do when I run into Pyramid Head is run the other goddamn way as fast as I can.

[whyBish]

I used to think that System Shock 2 was the scariest game ever made.[right][snapback]99554[/snapback][/right]

Well, I'll have to take a look. I'm currently playing Deus Ex (cost me $US4), and it is much better than I thought for such an old game. Unfortunately I think I have come to a dead end by using a rocket launcher on a guy who has the only key out (at least I think I was supposed to poison him instead :-( )

[Wyrm]

The scariest game I've ever played was the original Resident Evil back when it first came out. I would still have the jitters long after the console was turned off. RE2 introduced the guy that was stalking you, but lost some of it's effect since Capcom didn't use live action for the movie sequences anymore. RE3 had Nemesis. Code: Veronica was actually a bit disappointing on the fear scale... Haven't played any of the others yet, so we'll see.

Unfortunately, by the time I started Silent Hill, I had become sedated by th RE series so it really didn't scare me. Spooked and grossed out a few times, but nothing that's made as lasting of an impression as when that first time a dog jumped through a window at me in RE1.

[Walkiry]

Unfortunately, by the time I started Silent Hill, I had become sedated by th RE series so it really didn't scare me.
[right][snapback]99634[/snapback][/right]

That's exactly how I feel about RE games after having played the Alone in the Darks when they originally came out. Sure, they make you jump here and there (the quiet scene then "Boom!", noise, and movement is an tried and trusted method) but eh, nothing too special.

[[wcip]Angel]

I just finished the game and the extra Maria mission.  The second-to-last boss fight was terrifying.
[right][snapback]99618[/snapback][/right]

So answer me this: How come the protagonist could see all those monsters while Laura saw none?

Doom3 isn't scary, but it's intense.  Try playing it at night with the volume all the way up, on Nightmare difficulty :)
[right][snapback]99596[/snapback][/right]

Doom 3 was too predictable to be scary. Whenever you'd hear a noise, you knew a secret doorway had opened up behind you and reveled some horrible-looking creature. I swear, you see more monsters walking backwards through the game than you do facing the direction you're moving.

Thanks for mentioning the movie, I had no idea one was in production.
[right][snapback]99593[/snapback][/right]

Don't mention it. Hey, did you know Boromir is in it?

I just finished the game and the extra Maria mission.  The second-to-last boss fight was terrifying.
[right][snapback]99618[/snapback][/right]

I forget; who was the second to last boss again?
The lake creeped me out.. A lot!

There seems to be a lack of high-powered weaponry in the town of Silent Hill.  Besides, the only thing I want to do when I run into Pyramid Head is run the other goddamn way as fast as I can.
[right][snapback]99622[/snapback][/right]

You'll be hard-pressed to find any BFG9000s, rocket launchers, plasma rifles or other weapons of mass destruction in a quiet resort town like Silent Hill. :)

Well, I'll have to take a look.  I'm currently playing Deus Ex (cost me $US4), and it is much better than I thought for such an old game.  Unfortunately I think I have come to a dead end by using a rocket launcher on a guy who has the only key out (at least I think I was supposed to poison him instead :-(  )
[right][snapback]99627[/snapback][/right]

Best game ever!

Hmm, I don't remember that guy. What level are you on? Have you been to Hong Kong yet?

The scariest game I've ever played was the original Resident Evil back when it first came out.  I would still have the jitters long after the console was turned off.  RE2 introduced the guy that was stalking you, but lost some of it's effect since Capcom didn't use live action for the movie sequences anymore.  RE3 had Nemesis.  Code: Veronica was actually a bit disappointing on the fear scale...  Haven't played any of the others yet, so we'll see.

Unfortunately, by the time I started Silent Hill, I had become sedated by th RE series so it really didn't scare me.  Spooked and grossed out a few times, but nothing that's made as lasting of an impression as when that first time a dog jumped through a window at me in RE1.
[right][snapback]99634[/snapback][/right]

The original Resident Evil came out in 1996. I was 14 years old then, and this game scared the *crap* out of me. I still tremble at the thought of that gigantic snake. Also, who knew big-ass mutated frogs could be that scary?

I've said this a bunch of times, but I'll say it again: While both RE and SH are scary games, they're scary in two very different ways. While RE relies on freaky terror-moments of having monsters and mutated animals/people suddenly jump at you from through walls and windows, SH creates an eerily freakish atmosphere with sound and graphics. It's not so much the monsters gnawing at your legs, it's more "what is that thing in the fog making that noise?!" Take the lake-thing in SH2. All you do is row a boat from one place to the other. No gigantic sea-monsters or people rising from their watery graves. Just a nice little boatride.. but it's still scary as hell, because you know what's been rotting in that lake for the last centuries, and that misty fog isn't making the experience any more relaxing.

In short: RE vs SH = Terror vs atmosphere
(They're both great game series though)

Also, if you haven't already, fans of Silent Hill might want to check out one of the biggest influences in creating these games, Twin Peaks

Additionally, and I cannot emphasise this enough, Deebye, please do read the plot guide when you get the chance.

[SwissMercenary]

  Unfortunately I think I have come to a dead end by using a rocket launcher on a guy who has the only key out (at least I think I was supposed to poison him instead :-(  )
[right][snapback]99627[/snapback][/right]

I'm pretty sure that there's an alternative way to bypass every key door in the game, be it with lockpicks, hacking a terminal, explosives, or taking a good long time crawling around the vent shafts (Or just finding another key on a table).

Was it an MIB or a Mech Commando? If so, then I'm quite sure that none of them carry game-breaking keys.

[DeeBye]

So answer me this: How come the protagonist could see all those monsters while Laura saw none?

I forget; who was the second to last boss again?
[right][snapback]99651[/snapback][/right]

It seems to me that a lot of what James experienced in Silent Hill was self-created. A lot of it was in his mind. James was being tormented by demons as a sort of self-imposed punishment for what he did to Mary. Laura was certainly real enough, but lots of clues point to Maria being a figment of James' imagination.

I guess the short answer is that the demons, real or not, were only interested in persuing James. They were drawn by his deep-seeded feelings of guilt.

The second-to-last boss was

SPOILERS BELOW






































Not one, but TWO PYRAMID HEADS! Ahhhhh!

[Rinnhart]

There seems to be a lack of high-powered weaponry in the town of Silent Hill.  Besides, the only thing I want to do when I run into Pyramid Head is run the other goddamn way as fast as I can.
[right][snapback]99622[/snapback][/right]

It's been a few years, but I vaguely recall a rifle and it punching straight through PH's silly hat.