Once the head of the survival horror games during its glory days on the PS2, for some people the Silent Hill series pales in comparison now to other survival horror series. So what would the latest incarnation of the series be like, would it be an upturn in the series fortunes or just another title that will be forgotten as quick as it is played? 

This time the action follows Harry Mason who is searching desperately for his missing daughter Cheryl. Harry is at the lowest part of his life, desperately broken and distraught he dosent realise that his luck is going to change for the worse as he enters the fog strewn snowy streets of the town that is Silent Hill. 

One thing you notice about the game straight away is that it is actually not a sequel. Much like the recent remakes of Friday the 13^th or Halloween this is actually a re-imagining of the original games told in a different way from a different character’s point of view. You will actually during the game come across some familiar characters from previous games and actually some story arcs that you have seen before. 

Released both on the PSP and the Wii the game is the same on both systems except for certain control mechanics. For example on the Wii the game features some of the best pointer controls of recent times and the flashlight is completely in the control of the player. On the PSP this is not the case as it actually shines automatically where ever the character walks. 

One thing added to the game, which is quickly becoming the norm is the idea of multiple endings. Depending on decisions and actions made within the game will ultimately determine which of the endings you will see. Of course this adds to the replay value greatly and I can see there is going to come a time soon where any game that does not have these, is going to be very frown upon. 

The graphics of the game are equally impressive on both the Wii and the PSP with very detailed environments such as hotel rooms, bedrooms, malls, amusement parks and the docks. Even the underground passages, which in most games lack details, are very well rendered here.
 

Sound wise the game has an excellent moody soundtrack which enhances the mood of the game terrifically. There is also some very good vocal acting to be found and some impressive sound effects especially the screams of the deranged monsters as they chase you through doorway after doorway. 

Overall this is an impressive title especially considering what machine it is presented on. (It would be very interesting to see what this developer could do with the series on the more advanced PS3!)

The game is intensely scary in places (something that you have not been able to say about all titles in the series) and the combination of story, graphics and sound has made the game in places, eerie, moody and impressive in places. 

There are times when the game is less impressive than others, noticeably when the character has no weapons but generally, on the whole, this is one of the better titles in the series and one that all PSP horror fans should have in their collection.

Developer:

Climax

Publisher:

Konami

Genre:

Survival Horror

Release Date:

02/10