Silent Hill Origins

It's only fair to warn people that this is being written by a person who has completed silent hill 2 more times than he can count. Half of my favorites on my browser link to silent hill sites. I asked a girl out because she looked like Cybil, I'm sure you get the point.

That said, this is still a really cool game with some interesting mechanics. The mirror thing gets a little tedious at times, but the newer combat style is much less frustrating than any previous titles. I say this because I realize you are not supposed to be a Navy Seal, you are supposed to be average. But in most other silent hill games, I felt more cheated than helpless. When they boosted the combat skills for homecoming they cancelled it out by giving the creatures lightning speed, ridiculous health and what I call psychic A.I. (i.e., when you press a button, it makes the creature respond, instead of having it's own patterns). I feel that the combat has the right amount of ability and hopelessness to keep it interesting in origins. I died a few times, more so from getting triple and quadruple teamed than from boss fights, but I usually saw it coming and tried to fight my way through.

The puzzles usually involve the mirror world and this is where it gets annoying. I don't know whose concept this was, but apparently they've never heard how people are annoyed by the go find the key concept. What a solution, not only do I now have to go find the key, I have to go find it by bouncing between worlds to get around an invisible wall that often looks like something our rather sturdy player-charachter could easily muscle his way through or over. after all, he does kill the straight-jackets with his bare hands.

So why the five star rating, Travis is one of the best charachters in Silent Hill's confusing history. He is fully aware that this is all insane, and he talks to people the way anyone would in his situation. When his weapom breaks, He puts up his dukes instead of somehow fighting off hundreds of creatures with a wooden stick. I'm looking at you, Sunderland.

Also, for a Silent hill fan this is a cool story, that elaborates on the Alessa story without changing anything. The best part is that Travis' past makes his part in the story a stand-alone. It has plenty of creepy and cryptic cut scenes (Pyramid Head has a cameo, maybe more I can't remember) and truly bizzare boss battles.

The weapons are another star here, not because they are powerful or ground breaking, It's the weapon variety, in both endurance and damage dealt. Tell me the truth, you've always secretly yearned to bash a demon-nurse over the head with a T.V., who hasn't? I really like to hit the straight jackets with a typewriter. Talk about melee!

I'm not so incredibly hip on the whole task of maintaining energy and health, but the sports drinks are a nice plus. I was kinda wishing they were health drinks but hey, being half dead for the whole game is what survival horror is all about, right? Kinda short on ammo, but that forces you to use the 75 melee weapons you have been carrying. I would really like to know where he stashes all this stuff, than again, maybe not.

All in all, it is a great addition to your Silent Hill collection, but it won't replace The Suffering or F.E.A.R. as far as action. as far as innovative combat goes, it is worth a play even if you don't like survival horror. This is hands down my favorite edition since Silent Hill 2.Get more detail about Silent Hill Origins.