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After receiving Silent Hill 3 as a Christmas present because of my obsession with horror I was hesitant after seeing 3's opening trailer which made me absolutely certain there was going to be gore in it. (I did kind of expect it before I got it though from friend's feedback about it) ... Read review
Play Silent Hill 3 and you'll never scoff at anyone that admits they got scared by a ... more
video game again: this isn't survival horror, it's full on survival terror. Away from the shlock B-movie stylings of the Resident Evil series, the Silent Hill games...
Postage & Packaging: £1.99 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Advantages: Great storyline, scary, lovable main character and excellent monster designs. Disadvantages: Some bad voice acting, new players will be confused if they haven't played SH1.
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After receiving Silent Hill 3 as a Christmas present because of my obsession with horror I was hesitant after seeing 3's opening trailer which made me absolutely certain there was going to be gore in it. (I did kind of expect it before I got it though from friend's feedback about it) But I loved the first game in the series and after hearing three was a direct sequel from that rather than Silent Hill 2 which was more of a stand alone ... ...spoiled of what happens in Silent Hill 1 if they play this game first, so this is a warning to someone interested in this game. I'll also try and make my basic description of what happens in the beginning as spoiler free as possible but there are some things that might make some go; "...what?".
It's been around seventeen years since Silent Hill 1 and Heather, Harry Mason's daughter, is out shopping and hanging around ... more
Age Rating: 16+ Can also be played on: PC There is no multi-player. Can be bought new and used for £13+ on ebay.co.uk or new on Amazon.co.uk for £14.90.
After receiving Silent Hill 3 as a Christmas present because of my obsession with horror I was hesitant after seeing 3's opening trailer which made me absolutely certain there was going to be gore in it. (I did kind of expect it before I got it though from friend's feedback about it) But I loved the first game in the series and after hearing three was a direct sequel from that rather than Silent Hill 2 which was more of a stand alone so I faced up to my distaste of blood (and realised there was pound signs for this on Ciao) and began the game.
People who haven't played the first game in the series, which featured Harry Mason as the main character, will be completely and utterly spoiled of what happens in Silent Hill 1 if they play this game first, so this is a warning to someone interested in this game. I'll also try and make my basic description of what happens in the beginning as spoiler free as possible but there are some things that might make some go; "...what?".
It's been around seventeen years since Silent Hill 1 and Heather, Harry Mason's daughter, is out shopping and hanging around the mall when nightmarish dreams begin to haunt her of a place called Silent Hill where grotesque and twisted creatures attack her. Soon her dreams begin to seep into reality and take control of the real world when a cult intent on bringing the birth of an unknown God uses these creatures to make Heather remember what happen seventeen years ago.
As I've said in earlier game reviews, I become twitchy around extreme gore if there isn't anything else to back it up except the violence. Luckily, Silent Hill make lovely storylines to explain why everyone is being killed in gruesome ways. The gore factor in this fits the sixteen plus rating exactly, some scenes are violent and may be considered disturbing but somehow it's done in a tasteful and chilling way rather than just having a fun time with the blood graphics.
The game's storyline is magnificent, I found rather wacky and confusing in some parts but it was also fun to make my own theories at some parts that didn't focus too heavily on the main plot. It'd certainly make a good horror story if this was in book form but overall the storyline is original, adds a new look on the first game and was creepy enough to keep me hooked long enough to see what the ending was. Heather is also a realistic and likeable character whose personality made me want to continue playing her character for a long time.
Graphics were great, it's not as 'visually stunning' as some of the latest games would be considered to be but it's easy to tell things apart, the characters and enemies add to the game's atmosphere so that it levels up the creepy and terrifying factor even more. Some of the background areas in some places like the Hospital and Mall looked similar to the other rooms but there are plenty of other rooms just there to scare that took my mind off that.
Game playability can be tricky sometimes when it comes to interacting with things like climping up or down something but I wouldn't consider all of the controls hard to get the hang of although they can be a little clunky at times. Camera angles can become a bit annoying at some parts but it also freaked me out even more because I was worrying that something would run up and attack me before I could put up a defense because I couldn't see them from this camera angle. Silent Hill 3's puzzle level can be decided between difficulty modes on how challenging you want them to be although even on begginer mode it can be quite difficult and a walkthrough may be needed. I know I had to use it at some points but most of the puzzles are simple enough if you choose and easy level.
Gameplay consists of fighting all different kinds of enemies that fit the game area, solving complex puzzles to proceed further, picking up clues and finding out more about Silent Hill's story line and what exactly this town represents or is. This is more a solve and fight than a hack and slash.
Silent Hill's replayability consists of three different endings, several difficulty modes, unlockable weapons and over twenty costumes that can be unlocked. Although the game is short and could last to around 2-3 days with a long play through, the unlockables are worth it to just over again and to discover the cool new extras that game with a completed save file. I did wish it was a bit longer though.
The soundtrack is atmospheric, scary enough for me to turn the volume down when I'm on my own and fits the game extremely well. As well as musical scares, Silent Hill 3 plays with the player's mind with the story-line and made me question what exactly was going on in this game and whether the explanation given in the first really was the truth behind it. The voice-acting isn't exactly terrible, Heather's voice fit the character perfectly but I felt some of the other character's voices were a little lacking.
I loved the intriging plot, unique character and monster designs and terrifying horror scenes. The scariness is watered down by some naff voice acting and I was disappointed in how short the game actually was but the beautiful atmosphere makes up for this.
Fans of Silent Hill 1 will find this a welcome sequel to the storyline, it's scary, atmospheric and has a brilliant plot. Although I do suggest that newbies to the series play the first game before this one because they're just going to be confused about what's happening.
Who here has read my Silent Hill 2 review?
Now, half of you with your hands up are either shaking your fists angrily or agreeing wholeheartedly.
I hated Silent Hill 2. I really hated it. I hated it with a passion, in fact. I hated it more than I've hated anything in a long time of hating. I'll spit venom about that game until I die. I hated almost everything about it, praising nothing but the graphics and the sounds.
Why, then, did I buy Silent ... ...I'm incredibly glad to say Silent Hill 3 changed my mind. Behold one of the most incredible and, importantly, terrifying games I've ever played.
Where to begin? I guess with the story.
So you play as generic-horror-teen-hero who's struggling to come to terms with her world slowly merging with the Silent Hill world. The game makes a bold start by not actually setting itself in Silent Hill for the first half of the game, which despite making you ...
reddragonflame87 18.07.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Silent Hill 3 (PS2)
Advantages: Playable and gripping, looks an absolute peach, decent loading times, good settings, solid replay value Disadvantages: 'The door is shut tight and cannot be opened', hideously linear, too short, naff voice-acting, not as good as either predecessor
...must say I've loved the Silent Hill series ever since the PSOne original burst onto the scene in 1999 and successfully scared the hell out of me. The developers at Konami may have 'borrowed' rather a lot of their ideas from fellow survival-horror top-dog Resident Evil, but would make good use of them, scaring on a whole new level with the depiction of freakish monsters, terrifically atmospheric use of darkness and a frequently-disturbing narrative.
... ...detective-cum-stalker Douglas, as well as Silent Hill's token righteous nut-case Claudia. Heather is in a mall when she has a hellish nightmare, though in a fashion typical of the great series, things get a lot worse before she can make them any better. The setup of the game remains almost completely unchanged from the previous outings - it's a third-person survival-horror game with the emphasis on conserving ammo, solving puzzles and generally finding ...
tom1clare 13.05.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Silent Hill 3 (PS2)
Advantages: Fun game, nice plot Disadvantages: game play length
...of my absolute favourite games, Silent Hill 3. The third instalment of the series is maybe not as good as the first but it is certainly a contender and a game which had me unsociable for quite a while. Anyway I better get on to what the game is actually about. Silent Hill 3 is set around 16 years after the first game. It follows Heather, a normal teenage girl who is shopping at her local Mall when a strange man, claiming to be a detective says she ... ...scary these games can get. Silent Hill has one of the best atmospheres I have ever experienced within a game. The noises and landscapes make you feel as if you are really there, experiencing these monsters with Heather. Quite a few times I have jumped while playing this game. How they have blended the music in this game is absolute brilliance. Just as you are leading up to a room, the music starts to get louder and the noises seem to pound harder ...
mamba17 07.02.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Silent Hill 3 (PS2)
Advantages: Once Again The Best Game Of This Type Disadvantages: None
...and completed both the previous Silent hill games I was a bit wary of forking out my hard earned £38.99 on what might be a cheap remake of the original Game. But I couldn't have been more wrong. Silent Hill 3 is the best of the 3.
For those out there who have not played or heard of Silent Hill, here is a quick run down.
Silent hill is your typical american town boasting a school ,hospital , museum shopping centre, and a lake, oh did I forget to ... ...of the actual game.
Silent Hill 3 is based this time around a heroin called Heather she is your typical teenager.
The game starts with Heather finding her self in a very creepy amusement park.
Suddenly she wakes up to find she is actually in the shopping mall where she fell asleep,The question is was it a dream or was it real., Now this is where Silent hill differs from other survival/horror games, it doesn't rely on blood and gore it messes with ...
NIGSY 01.06.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Silent Hill 3 (PS2)
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Advantages: Gripping story | Interesting to play through Disadvantages: Average graphics | Basic combat
(something they do seem to have bolted down with SilentHill3) because even on the PS2 I doubt it would have really pushed the machine. The game is either bathed in fog or in darkness and always has a slight ?grainy? texture to it, I don?t know how best to describe it, but the picture is never perfectly clear but this could just be another gimmick relating to James? state of mind. This does help the horror atmosphere, obviously. The game locations are suitably detailed, if rather grey, but its what is inside some of these locations that really lend SilentHill its trademark twisted visuals. Blood is often smeared on the walls, strange images are scattered across the town and some pictures that hang on the walls aren?t ones you?d normally find adorning home walls. Coupled to the fact that you are wandering round a deserted town saved ...
Advantages: A great challenge Disadvantages: Either too easy or too hard in places
Forget the resident evil series. Silenthill series is so much better why? because the horror is done better the puzzles are better the action is better.
Graphics - Ok it still has fogging like the first game but this was put in on purpose in this game what would a silenthill game be without the monsters hiding in the fog. Some good graphics in the cutscenes aswell
Sound - Can be a bit cheesy in place but on the whole very eery and atmospheric.
Gameplay - There are so many different things to do all puzzles are different and some require great thought.
Lifespan - This game should make you want to play it until the end. Some parts you can be stuck on for ages others you just sail through.
Overall - A must own game on your playstation 2 along with the 1st one on the playstation. Ill keep you informed about silenthill3 im ...
Advantages: Looks quite nice, five large scenarios, eight characters, massive selection of extras Disadvantages: Poor controls, naff dialogue, erratic puzzles, lacklustre storyline, not as enjoyable as previous titles
that the teamwork/cooperation ideas hamper the flow of the gameplay, you are still left with a fairly average action game, which is actually far less playable than its older PSOne-based siblings. Gameplay feels more tiring than exciting and there are hints that the series has begun to stagnate, with some rather ominous signs of complacency on Capcom's part. Buy the original trilogy - they'll collectively cost around the same and make for a far more convincing lesson in survival-horror gaming, even after all this time. The wealth of extras will make it worth while for die-hard fans, though for everyone else, SilentHill2 and 3 make a far better fist of the survival-horror art on the PS2. ...
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