I always thought that video games were due for some respect as a legitimate art form, but far too many games relish their positions as mindless gorefests. That's why this game is such a breath of fresh air. It combines all the best elements of a video game with the creepy ambiance of films like SEVEN. Even better is that the game gives you characters that are complex and troubled.
You play as James Sunderland. James lost his beloved wife Mary to a strange disease three years ago, and he's been drifting through his life in a deep depression since then. Then, out of the blue, he receives a letter signed by his late wife saying to meet her in the town of Silent Hill, a faorite vacation spot of theirs when they were married and the site of Mary's death. So James travels to the town, to find it devoid of natural human life and engulfed in fog. Something terrible has happened here, and James starts to learn the truth about the town's horribly mutated, monstrous inhabitants.
Few games have made characters seem so real. James doesn't have superpowers, and he isn't trying to survive any longer than it takes to find his wife. He's not searching for treaure, he's searching for a reason to live, and he doesn't necessarily care if he finds it. There are several other mysterious characters inhabiting the town. All have stories to tell, none of which are pretty, and we watch in fascination as various characters fold under the mental strain of the sights they are seeing.
By the end of the game, there are several questions left unanswered, and several new ones are raised. Where did the monster's come from? Where did the strange little girl come from, and how did she survive? And (most interestingly) does this nightmarish Silent Hill actually exist, or is it all a figment of James' twisted imagination?
The game provides some brilliant environments and creature design, some challenging puzzles and creepy, grainy camerawork. It uses these things to grab hold of your emotions and twist them around. Few games have ever been able to capture raw fear, but this one succeeds brilliantly. Most importantly of all, this game makes you think. This is a formula that more games of this genre should follow, if video games ever hope to receive respect as an art form.
