Welcome to Silent Hill. Again. For the first time... or something.



To get to the point, read the last sentence of this blog.

What is it: Silent Hill: Shattered Memories is a reimagination of the original PS1 game, Silent Hill, and is available for the Wii, PS2, and PSP (although it is developed from the ground up with the Wii in mind. The rest are ports of the Wii version.)

Graphics: Very smooth with crisp looking designs and animations. Simply put, at times, it looked like a decent 360 game.

Gameplay: There is more of an emphasis of exploring over combat this time around. Without going too specific, the controls are smooth as you control your character doing the exploration sequences of the game. However, in the "running sequences" of the game (yes, you run, not fight from the monsters), the controls can be spotty as you try to escape to a given point (which is mostly found through trial and error. You will die at least once per map. It's frustrating, but beatable). Overall, the wii controls enhance, not hinder, the overall experience.

Sound: It's Silent Hill. The music's ing great as always. But the monsters' annoying screeching sound in each map may put you off after a while. Luckily, those running sequences are short enough (and those sounds infrequent enough) to make it tolerable (no muting required!).

Story: If you're a diehard SH fan, like my wife, then you may be put off by the extent to how different the story is to the original, despite being a "reimagination". But if you're a fan of slow developing story games (RPGs, adventure, etc.) and have an open mind, it is a very atmospheric and enjoyable experience.

Replay Value: Even though this game can be beaten as a retail (6-7 hours), there is replay value as mentioned above (many aspects of the story change depending on your many "psychology test" results). As for the famous "multiple endings", My wife and I (played together) have only beaten it once so far. I'll let you know ASAP if there is more than 1. Stay tuned (or comment below)!

Overall my die-hard SH fan/wife has mixed feelings (she wants to see all of the endings before she decides), but I (the average survival horror fan), will prematurely give it a thumbs up.

The Point: It's better than .