Silent Hill Origins
Find out how the town of Silent Hill became a town of horror.
November 12, 2007 | 11:38 PM PSTby: Matt Furtado
AMN's Review Policy: Our reviews are written for you. Our goal is to write honest, to-the-point reviews that don't waste your time. This is why we've split our reviews into four sections: What the Game's About, What's Hot, What's Not and Final Word, so that you can easily find the information you want from our reviews.
What the Game's About
Silent Hill Origins is the first true Silent Hill title to arrive on the PSP and it carries all the aspects of the previous console incarnations. Origins tries to give gamers the a better understanding of the original happening behind Silent Hill and what caused all the horror to occur in the once peaceful town. Silent Hill Origins introduces Travis Grady, a truck driver who just so happens to be suffering from insomnia and some other problems. Sadly, he decides to pass through Silent Hill on his way to another small town to save himself some time but as he approaches Silent Hill he sees a young girl cross the highway. Upon seeing this he slams on his breaks and decides to look around for the girl he saw on the highway. Unfortunately for him, he has been dragged into the horror that is Silent Hill.
What's Hot
The first thing people will notice is the atmosphere that the game presents. With the mixture of great visuals and music, the game really puts you in the place of Travis through his horrific journey in Silent Hill. Using the same gritty look that the previous versions used, Silent Hill fans will quickly feel the horror nearly instantly. Silent Hill Origins takes the visual style of the console titles and shrinks them down to fit on a PSP screen. As you walk around Silent Hill, you'll notice the infamous fog that is a trademark to the series. The city is detailed to an incredible extent and holds a gritty dark look that fans of the franchise will greatly appreciate. Outside of the city itself, Travis and enemies are loaded with detail, which helps give off the sense of horror and fear. Upon seeing the first mutated nurse, you'll feel fear as the light shines off their shiny skin and then a shadow forms around their disfigured form.
Combined with the visual flare, the soundtrack really puts you in place. Upon starting the game you'll be prompted by a message telling you to put in the headphones and turnoff the lights. This is one of messages you should listen to if you want to become engulfed by the true Silent Hill experience. Since horror is about environmental setting, you'll only be able to truly become engulfed when you can crisply hear all the little things that truly give you sense of fear. With creaking doorways, the out of tune radio, clings of metal objects, and several other background sound effects, the game will more than likely scare many gamers out there.
What's Not
The fighting system in Origins is overall pretty solid but there is one flaw with the disposable weapons. Every melee weapon can only be used so many times before it breaks. Now the problem that arises is that every melee weapon breaks after 4-5 swings, even metal weapons like meat hooks. Now you can avoid this whole problem if you use firearms but ammo is fairly scarce throughout the game so you'll want to use firearms on stronger enemies only.
Aside from disposable weapons, the camera can be bothersome. Since the camera is fixed to give off the most dramatic angle, your view will be blocked at some points. The camera angle changes often and only becomes a hindrance during battles when you can't see the enemy that's off the screen.
Final Word
Silent Hill Origins is a solid entry into the Silent Hill series and should satisfy fans thirst until Silent Hill 5 hits on next-gen consoles next year. Even with the camera problems and disposable weapons, the storyline, atmosphere, and replay value will please any Silent Hill fan's need and gives the PSP another great fall title.
What the Game's About
Silent Hill Origins is the first true Silent Hill title to arrive on the PSP and it carries all the aspects of the previous console incarnations. Origins tries to give gamers the a better understanding of the original happening behind Silent Hill and what caused all the horror to occur in the once peaceful town. Silent Hill Origins introduces Travis Grady, a truck driver who just so happens to be suffering from insomnia and some other problems. Sadly, he decides to pass through Silent Hill on his way to another small town to save himself some time but as he approaches Silent Hill he sees a young girl cross the highway. Upon seeing this he slams on his breaks and decides to look around for the girl he saw on the highway. Unfortunately for him, he has been dragged into the horror that is Silent Hill.
What's Hot
The first thing people will notice is the atmosphere that the game presents. With the mixture of great visuals and music, the game really puts you in the place of Travis through his horrific journey in Silent Hill. Using the same gritty look that the previous versions used, Silent Hill fans will quickly feel the horror nearly instantly. Silent Hill Origins takes the visual style of the console titles and shrinks them down to fit on a PSP screen. As you walk around Silent Hill, you'll notice the infamous fog that is a trademark to the series. The city is detailed to an incredible extent and holds a gritty dark look that fans of the franchise will greatly appreciate. Outside of the city itself, Travis and enemies are loaded with detail, which helps give off the sense of horror and fear. Upon seeing the first mutated nurse, you'll feel fear as the light shines off their shiny skin and then a shadow forms around their disfigured form.
Combined with the visual flare, the soundtrack really puts you in place. Upon starting the game you'll be prompted by a message telling you to put in the headphones and turnoff the lights. This is one of messages you should listen to if you want to become engulfed by the true Silent Hill experience. Since horror is about environmental setting, you'll only be able to truly become engulfed when you can crisply hear all the little things that truly give you sense of fear. With creaking doorways, the out of tune radio, clings of metal objects, and several other background sound effects, the game will more than likely scare many gamers out there.
What's Not
The fighting system in Origins is overall pretty solid but there is one flaw with the disposable weapons. Every melee weapon can only be used so many times before it breaks. Now the problem that arises is that every melee weapon breaks after 4-5 swings, even metal weapons like meat hooks. Now you can avoid this whole problem if you use firearms but ammo is fairly scarce throughout the game so you'll want to use firearms on stronger enemies only.
Aside from disposable weapons, the camera can be bothersome. Since the camera is fixed to give off the most dramatic angle, your view will be blocked at some points. The camera angle changes often and only becomes a hindrance during battles when you can't see the enemy that's off the screen.
Final Word
Silent Hill Origins is a solid entry into the Silent Hill series and should satisfy fans thirst until Silent Hill 5 hits on next-gen consoles next year. Even with the camera problems and disposable weapons, the storyline, atmosphere, and replay value will please any Silent Hill fan's need and gives the PSP another great fall title.
