Silent Hill 2 (2001) (VG)

Director:

Masashi Tsuboyama

Writer:

Hiroyuki Owaku (scenario writer: sub scenario)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

No one knows what they are or where they've come from...

Plot:

After receiving a mysterious letter from his late wife, James Sunderland takes a terrifying trip to the small...

Plot Keywords:

Letter | Monster | Gem | Mirror | Gore

Cast

Guy Cihi	...	James Sunderland (voice)
Monica Horgan	...	Mary Shepherd-Sunderland / María (voice)
Donna Burke	...	Angela Orosco (voice)
David Schaufele	...	Eddie Dombrowski (voice)
Jakey Breckenridge	...	Radio Voice - Game Show Host (voice)
Dominic Allen	...	Game Show Host (voice)
Dennis Falt	...	Doctor (voice)
Ward E. Sexton	...	Ernest Baldwin - Restless Dreams version (voice)
Florence Minowa	...	Laura / Amy Baldwin - Restless Dreams version (voice)

Also Known As:

Silent Hill 2 - Saigo no uta (Japan) (reissue title)
Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams (USA) (reissue title)

Country:

Japan

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

South Korea:18 | Germany:18 | Ireland:15 | UK:15 | Sweden:15 | France:-16 | Sweden:18 (PEGI) | USA:M

Company:

Creature Labs

Trivia:

Although not appearing in the game, several deleated scenes can be found in early trailers for the game, including a scene of Pyramid Head dragging a nurse away, and Laura singing "Ring Around the Rosie".

Goofs:

Errors in geography: The speed limit signs in South Vale are in kilometers per hour. The game takes place in the United States, which uses miles per hour.

Quotes:

James Sunderland: Stop! Leave her alone! Leave us both the hell alone!

Movie Connections:

References Lost Highway (1997)

Chilling and Beautiful

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.