rss feeds
@gamegrep
Facebook
Survival Horror games have really taken a turn from where they started. Graphics and detail have improved dramatically, but they don't really give you a legitimate fright. I explore games that have done it well and others that have done it not so well. We can get better experiences, we just need to make sure the developers know what we want.
Multiple retailers may have revealed the North American release date for the upcoming Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 remastered compilation, Silent Hill HD Collection.
Halloween is here and Goozernation has a list of the top 10 scariest games to play. There are so many to choose from, Silent Hill 2, Dead Space, Alan Wake, Eternal Darkness, Condemned 1, Amnesia, as well as many others. Nothing like playing in a dark room with the surround sound cranked up.
The original voice actors from Silent Hill 2 have apparently signed waivers so that their voices will be included in the upcoming remastered release of Silent Hill HD Collection.
The original voice behind Mary and Maria in Silent Hill 2 chimes in about the voice-acting recasting controversy stemming from the upcoming release of Silent Hill HD Collection.
Konami has confirmed that the Silent Hill HD Collection will contain Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams, the definitive version of Silent Hill 2 which includes the extra “Born from a Wish” scenario.
Several new comparison screens have been revealed for Silent Hill HD Collection, matching the upcoming compilation up against the PC versions of Silent Hill 2 and Silent Hill 3.
Guy Cihi, the original voice and motion capture actor for James Sutherland in Silent Hill 2, has written an open letter to Konami Digital Entertainment on his Facebook page regarding the voice-acting recasting controversy in Silent Hill HD Collection.
Several new screenshots have been released by the Japanese branch of Konami for their upcoming Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 compilation, Silent Hill HD Collection.
Several new screenshots have been revealed by Konami for their upcoming remastered compilation of Silent Hill 2 and Silent Hill 3, Silent Hill HD Collection.
"The Silent Hill HD collection, which will feature the second and third installments of the horror classic, has been given a release window, allegedly releasing this coming September or October exclusively for Playstation 3."
There are always those moments in certain video games that make you do a double take and think to yourself, "What the heck just happened?" A mark of a memorable game is when...
GameStop has just put up a product page for the Silent Hill HD Collection (or the Silent Hill Re-Mastered Collection) on Playstation 3, revealing several additional details that weren’t in the initial press release.
Ever been creeped out by a game? Joystick Division has. In this article they look at the ten most disturbing things they've ever seen or done in video games.
"Some are iconic games that help define a franchise's trajectory. Some are simply great, innovative titles that are breathtaking in their delivery. But they all have one thing in common: they are the most supreme sequels in the horror genre, and they all deserve top praise."
This is not a "best scary games of all time" list, but rather a healthy selection of genre greats that ranges from psychological thrillers to jump-scare-marathons and undead blast factories.
"Why Are Survival Horror Games Devolving?
Short answer: action is mainstream. Survival horror is, unfortunately, a niche genre. While it has dedicated fans, action is naturally going to be the best seller. Take the Resident Evil series as the best example in devolution: the first three games were what defined the survival horror genre, yet Resi 4 was almost entirely action; ditching zombies for angry, infected Spaniards and putting more focus on run-and-gun.
Resi 5 is the final step in ..."
"5. Final Fantasy VIII - The Gun Blade
This weapon made the list because it is likely the most impractical weapon ever created in a video game. It was harder to use than a simple sword and, despite what you might think, didn’t actually fire any projectiles. Instead, pulling the trigger would send a powerful vibration through the blade that would deal extra damage to your enemies. This brings two questions to mind. First, why wouldn’t you want this extra damage? Why not set up the blade to a..."
"In the UK, our friends at LOVEFiLM had wanted to poll their customers and users to what the best video game to movie adaptions were in preparation for this summer's blockbuster Prince of Persia starring Jake Gyllenhaal. So out of all the movies, which adaption topped the list? Silent Hill!?!?"
It has been a while since we heard any news on the sequel to the first Silent Hill movie, leading many fans to believe the project may have been cancelled.
Well, good news for Silent Hill fans. It has been confirmed that the sequel's filming is expected to begin this Spring.
Game Podunk looks back at one of the most terrifying games to scare gamers. Silent Hill 2 will likely never be matched by a video game again. The timing of its release was perfect and the story and game play created puzzles that were not so difficult that they required hours of scratching your head but were challenging enough to require a bit of thinking.
We go back to one of the greatest Survival Horror games of all time, Silent Hill 2. So what is it about a game made in 2001 that still has us on the edge of their seats? What is it about this little outing that has gamers so enthralled, even after playing countless other games with arguably better graphics, better control scheme, better voice-acting?
"If there's one thing Destructoid doesn't do enough of, it's the cataloging and rating of female body parts in a cynical bid to keep the virgins and date rapists interested. Fortunately, we plan to address that with a new series of articles that catalog and rate female body parts in a cynical bid to keep the virgins and date rapists interested. The hits will come flooding in.
So, arses. Everybody loves a good arse, unless they're proctologists who I feel wouldn't want to take their work ho..."
"While rumors have been going around all day regarding Silent Hill series composer and producer Akira Yamaoka leaving Konami, OSV has received official confirmation from Yamaoka himself. This is huge news for the gaming industry, as Yamaoka has been one of the biggest critics of the Japanese gaming industry. It will be interesting to see what he does if he decides to work freelance in the gaming industry."
A 35 year old man, known only as "Jan H.", recently caused a blackout at the Sophia Hospital in the Netherlands because he thought he was in a Silent Hill game.
While no one was seriously hurt during the 45 minute blackout, Jan caused a great disturbance in the hospital. Elevators became stuck and workers had to manually respirate the patients in the intensive care unit.
Later in court, Jan claimed he had suffered a psychotic break in the hospital which led him to believe that shutting...
"How can a video game be scary? Unlike horror movies where you're stuck watching some hapless victim succumb to scary stuff, video games empower players to fight back. Or at least run away. It's October. Time to identify horror-gaming's essentials.
Some of the scariest experiences I've had in my life come from video games. I can remember running from the family computer room in tears after a wax skeleton in an Are You Afraid of the Dark game chased me through a basement.
My chest still g..."
A few months ago it was announced that Konami teamed up with Jeff Schiefelbein to create an attraction based on the Silent Hill series. Well the attraction is currently open at Sinister Pointe, California. Destructoid talks with Jeff Schiefelbein about creating the attraction and gives us a look at the disturbing things that will be inside...
"This rant deals with challenge of making sure, especially in regards to "artgames" like Edmund or Silent Hill 2, that the player's interpretational goals and the game's thematic ideas are in the same basic ballpark.
That sentence probably made no sense whatsoever. I'd recommend just watching the video, to be quite honest."
"With Gamer on the horizon, we've decided to celebrate the moments when games and movies converge, creating scenes that'd look as good on cinema screens as they do on our battered portable tellies.
So, rest your joypad on one knee, rest your DVD remote on the other knee, and join in. How many have you played?"
With God Of War 1 and 2 are being re-released on Blu-Ray, Kotaku asked other gaming companies whether they will consider re-releasing their big-name series for PS3.
Konami have no announcements at the moment, though they "are constantly exploring unique ways to expose players to some of our legacy titles such as Metal Gear Solid and Silent Hill".
Capcom have beeing seeing "some interested for Devil May Cry to get this treatment" and would like fans to tell them which games they'd like ...
This week in a retrospective review, Zero Punctuation goes around as Jaaaaaaames Sunderland, armed with only a plank with a nail through it in Silent Hill 2.
"A couple times over the past few years, we've decided to sit down and take a good, cold, hard look at the PlayStation 2's library and select the best of the best to let you know what our favorites were (and are). Even though the system is fighting with every last breath to stay alive, it's still surprising to us that new games continue to creep into our list. So, because it's been a while, we figured it was time to look at our picks again and update our choices for the best 25 PlayStation 2 g..."
Silent Hill fans may have noticed that Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, the "re-imagining" of Silent Hill 1, looks very different than previous games in the series. Each Silent Hill game has used a similar concept for the creepy "Otherworld" dimension that players are thrust into in each game: A dark, warped, rust and blood covered hellhole...
ohhh....icky!
But Silent Hill: Shattered Memories has a new style for the "Otherworld". Instead of blood and rust, there is snow and i...
"Arguably, the most memorable part of the Silent Hill series isn’t its fog and fire sirens, its gritty Otherworld or vicious monsters, but rather something on a level entirely its own: Pyramid Head. Known in some installments as the Bogeyman or the Red Pyramid Thing, the unforgettable villain says nothing; drags a giant, heavy knife; and walks around with a massive, blood-stained metal cone on his head. It almost sounds silly by rough description, but the true figure makes a very different imp..."
"You know that game you play for hours every single night, and dream about playing throughout every single day? We can’t stand the damn thing. You remember that game you treasured as a child, the one you still get warm and fuzzy and misty-eyed just thinking about? Seriously, it sucks.
What follows are the “classics” our individual staffers consider crap. The overrated gems we just don’t understand. You may not agree with us, but that's okay - in most of these cases, we don't even agree with..."
"A look back at some of the scariest games ever made. I find classics are usually more well thought out than the new scary games. The only thing I can really say better about the new releases are better graphics but otherwise, classics have always been able to give me the chills. Below is a list of the 10 scariest game that Ive played.
See source for full list."
"The gaming community has a morbid fascination with death, and something is always dying. Apparently E3 is dead, PC gaming is dead, and some say the survival horror genre is dying. Most gamers readily admit that Resident Evil 4 is a great game, but no one is trying to defend it as a survival horror title. Indeed, the Resident Evil franchise has changed over the years, and we're a long way from where Capcom started."
Jim Sterling of destructoid.com types about how the evolution of survival horror games has run them into the ground. This isn't the only speculation of recent times about the genre, with What happened to survival horror? and Survival Horror - Does it even exist anymore?. This blog is just one more look into how the genre is dying off.
Read on to see how the generations have been adding to the dragging down of the survival horror genre.
"Ghosts, demons, and zombies have been part of gaming since the beginning. Though they take on different forms in the hands of different developers, they all have one thing in common: they can no longer be counted among the living. Here is a ranking of some outstanding members. Drag your dead bodies off the floor and be recognized."
"When it comes to horror in games, there are a few things that are givens: it will likely be twisted, bloody, and terrifying. In other words, my kind of game. The genres of such games arent quite as predictable, however, ranging anywhere from RPGs to first-person shooters, and rightfully so; why limit a fun thing like terror to just one genre? Nevertheless, when looking at the overlying themes of these diverse games, trends have been emerging, giving everyone a glimpse of where things are pos..."
So, by now everyone should know that Silent Hill Homecoming is being refused a rating for Australia, as well as recieving a handful of negative reviews, disappointing a lot of fans. Blogger Ken La Kira has made an attempt at lightening the mood a little by typing up an article containing five other games from the same genre which they deem as better.
Ok, so perhaps that doesn't make you feel entirely better but at least you have alternatives. The list consists of:
Have you ever gotten so swept up in a game's storyline that you never want it to end? Have you ever played a game and thought, "wow, if only all game plots were this amazing"? GamesRadar has. Here are their top 15 list of best video game storylines ever. One of my personal favorites is in the quote.
Naturally, this list will have major spoilers.
Go to the source for the full list.
Kotaku's Leigh Alexander goes in depth with the rise and fall of the survival horror genre. A look at how today's gamers are almost too impatiant to appreciate the ambiance and nuances of the genre and require constant stimulation - which is why they are drawn to games like Halo or Call of Duty.
Old favorites such as the Silent Hill, Resident Evil, and Fatal Frame series are unfortunatly a dying breed - it is up to us dedicated fans (I'm looking at your GothicGirl) to keep the genre alive.
"I'll summarize them in chronological order, starting with Origins and going from there. Please note that I'm only going to state the canonical endings, if you want to see the other ones, you should buy or rent the games. I highly recommend these games to any survival-horror fan, but be warned: the Silent Hill series is incredibly graphic and disturbing. You should not play them unless you're mature enough to handle the content. And remember, this article contains major spoilers although I've ..."
"You know the formula. A pure-hearted beauty falls into the evil grasp of some snarling, spitting, mustache-twirling megalomaniac. A noble hero, driven by honor, courage and - let's face it - hormones, rushes to her aid. A brief kiss ensues and, before you can say sequel, the hapless lady has stumbled into imminent danger all over again. Tale as old as time... classic "damsel in distress."
Except sometimes, the damsel isn't worth the damn trouble. Sometimes you reach the end of your adventu..."
Matt Haigh, from Den of Geek, is a big Silent Hill fan. He has some suggestions for the next Silent Hill movie, including limiting the ridiculous CGI, not adding a pointless twist at the ending, and not adding the cliche "spooky children" that seem to pop up in these types of films.
To add to Haigh's suggestions, we can only hope that the directors will be smart enough to base the movie's storyline off the second game. It would fit perfectly if Sean Bean's Christopher goes into Silent Hill...
"Art in its many varied forms has, and always will be, a staple of every human culture that has ever walked the Earth. Over time, nearly everyone has debated what constitutes art thats worthy of display, of reflection; why a single image may evoke a great deal of emotions in one person while it leaves another cold and uninterested. This works rather well for art contained within the many varied galleries scattered across the globe, but that kind of ambiguity will rarely get you honorable ment..."
Tale of Tales recently interviewed Takayoshi Sato, the Character Designer and CGI Creator of Silent Hill and Silent Hill 2, about Silent Hill, the evolution of the series, and what he thought of the American movie.
He also discussed his role in Team Silent and what it's like being an artist.
Go to the source for the full interview.
A few years ago Konami sold 250 limited edition official replicas of James Sunderland's military style jacket (from Silent Hill 2).
Needless to say, they soon became a highly sought after item for any Silent Hill fan.
Now it looks like a few have popped up on the 'net for sale. The most recent one is being sold by a member of the Silent Hill forums ...
The Silent Hill series has always been known for it's disturbing themes and unique "otherworld" setting, where its main characters are dragged into a world that is either a manifestation of their worst fears, guilts or a reality that they cannot control.
Chris, from Chris's Survival Horror Quest, takes a look at the different Silent Hill "otherworlds", their themes and what they represent.
Go to source for full article.
When we play a Survival Horror game we want to feel scared. Not only for ourselves, but for the character we are playing as.
But what actually makes us scared for Survival Horror characters? Why do we want them to live through the horrors that they are faced with? And what happens if we aren't scared for them?
Chris, from Chris's Survival Horror Quest, takes a look at why gamers feel genuinely scared for their survival horror protagonists.
Go to source for full article
"We payed homage to the hottest survival horror babes last week but there are a small group of monsters from this genre that have caught our fancy too. We shouldn't like them. They're evil, often grossly deformed and may not even be female. But it's not our fault the concept artist's gave them appealing features. It toys with our poor minds!
Here are the stand-out monsters that caught our fancy while playing."
The survival-horror genre has a surprising amount of female protagonists, and many of them are well-known characters in the gaming world.
GI have listed their favorite survival-horror babes, as well as some classics that older fans may have forgotten. Go to source for full list.
![Box shot of Silent Hill 2 [Europe]](http://i.neoseeker.com/boxshots/R2FtZXMvUGxheXN0YXRpb25fMi9BZHZlbnR1cmUvTXlzdGVyeQ==/silent_hill_2_frontcover_small_P6xelm7sgGnsg1v.jpg)