Happy Halloween everyone! This year, we stray out of System Shock territory to review a game that is regarded as a classic of the horror genre, does this game score highly this year?
Let's find out!
Before we get into the review itself, there has been a creepy message, encoded in Morse code appearing at random videos in recent months. Here it is again.
Decoded it yet? It reads "in my restless dreams, I see that town"
The story itself is based on the Russian novel Crime and punishment, written by Fyodor Dostoevsky. You play as James Sunderland. You are drawn to the town of Silent Hill by a letter from his long-deceased wife, Mary Shepard Sunderland, claiming that she was waiting for him in her "special place." It is up to you to explore the town, filled with daemonic monsters, and find out what really happened to your wife.
The accessibility scores are as follows –
Visibility 9
There are no colourblind modes available, but there is very little need for one. There are no colour-codedelements that will cause an issue for a player with a visual impairment.
Audibility 6
When you are exploring the various environments of Silent Hill and is close to an enemy, your radio should sound. In the Silent Hill games, you are surrounded by fog, and in some areas, the darkness hides what's going on around you, therefore, you are mostly reliant on audio cues when an enemy approaches you. This puts a player with a hearing impairment at a disadvantage as you are mostly unaware when an enemy is in close proximity to you. Apart from that, the game is mostly accessible for a player with a hearing impairment.
Mobility 11
In terms of button layouts, there are four options available. In the first entry of the series, you are forced to use what is called "tank controls" you use left and right to, well... Turns left and right, up and down (yup, you guessed it!) Move you forward and back critics of the original game, said that the use of tank controls makes the controls a little clunky.
However, in this entry of the series, you can turn on an alternate stick layout, in this case, "2D controls" which allows James to move in whichever direction you move your left stick. This makes the controls feel more simplified, therefore easier to play. On top of that, in the HD Collection, the button layout can be completely customised. This allows you to customise whichever button layout is suitable for your impairments. So, a mobility-impaired player will be able to play this game with no issues.
Gameplay 11
If I were to compile a list of epilepsy friendly survival horror games, I would definitely put this game in the top three, if not number one. I understand that the game is 20 years old, and has been aged like a fine wine.
Team Silent has done a phenomenal job creating this sequel to one of the most recognisable, , influential titles of the survival horror genre of the 90s, the developers have used the volumetric fog, even darkness and indoor environments to make full use of the PS2's hardware capabilities. As a knock-on effect, to create a feeling of isolation and loneliness, and in some cases, helplessness and powerlessness
The story is, for its time, a masterpiece, as James travels through the town, battling his own psychological horrors, and unravelling the mystery of his long-deceased wife., with the odd puzzle or two to slow the pace down.
The way that the game is presented is somewhat unique, instead of creating a fast-paced, action-oriented survival horror experience. This game takes a slower pace, enemy encounters are a lot less frequent, this builds tension, leading to a climax when you least expect it.
In summary, Silent Hill 2 is one of the best horror games I have ever played, yes, more modern games, for example, Outlast was, indeed, a lot scarier than Silent Hill 2, this game still holds up, even to this day. This is one of the games I was playing during lockdown.
Similar to Final Fantasy VII, playing to this game is somewhat of a rite of passage. This game is backwards compatible with your Xbox , Xbox one, and Xbox series X consoles, thanks to the HD collection. Yes, it still has some setbacks, it still doesn't detract the experience of playing this game. The version of this game, included in the HD collection comes with the additional episode, born from a wish, which tells the Silent Hill 2 story and a whole new perspective. If you are a fan of the horror genre, and you haven't played this game yet. You are doing it wrong!
OVERALL SCORE 92.5%
And so, as Tails and Lucky escape the haunted town, filled with the undead, necromorphs, and the infamous pyramid head, the able breed a sigh of relief, as a ray of sunshine pieces through the fog, like a dagger of light, they knew it was over. They are safe...
By the way if you need a jjoke
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