Silent Hill 2

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.

A masterpiece in storytelling and atmospheric environment, this game is every bit as great as everyone says it is and team silent really did something special here.

The characters look and feel real, the game goes deep into the human emotions and depression the way that no game at the time had ever done before, literally each and every corner of this game has a creepy story behind it, specially the incredible music of the game.

It's a heartbreaking experience, a very sad tale about grief, loss, loneliness, bullying, sexual ebuse and many more messed up things that you will never forget and it's one of the greatest psychological horror games ever made.

This game is a sequel to Silent Hill, the surprise hit videogame that came out in 1999 and scared the crap out of almost everyone who played it. Silent Hill 2 is quite different from the first one. It is completely independent, and it does that just right. This game, while nowhere near as scary as the first one, is more psychologically disturbing. The story has a theme of dealing with the ghosts of your past, which plays in very well with the psychologically deranged characters. The characters are more developed than in SH1, and the story is much better done. This game gains something that was missing from the first game, but loses something that the first game had. James Sunderland is my favorite character of all the games. It also has a twist near the end that I really didn't expect. A great game. Pick it up. I command you!

I seriously cannot get enough of this game, I've played it four times now and I still get stuck and confused in parts. The storyline still never ceases to amaze me and I still can't get enough of it. There can't be another game series like Silent Hill, it is unique in it's own special way. Sure, the first one always prevails as the scariest of the latter, being the original game, but there's something about Silent Hill 2. It's just the most amazing game I've ever played. I knew I was going to be in for some scares, but nothing could have prepared me for what I actually felt while playing it. It's not just a scary game, it's literally terrifying, and like I said I can't get enough of it. It has such a complex storyline that always leaves you wondering. The cut-scenes are just 'WOW' now there's some great graphic design. The first game might have been the scariest, but THIS is the more stylish of the two. The graphics are great and wonderful to look at, the darkness that always surrounds you makes it hard to keep playing but once you're eventually used to it, there's no going back. I can't think how Resident Evil is the overall more popular game series of the two. Don't get me wrong, I love Resident Evil, but Silent Hill is something special. There are a thousand games out there like RE, but are there a thousand games out there like Silent Hill? No, sir! There certainly aren't. I've played many games and I can't think of any game that even compares to Silent Hill. These games are just godly. I will continue to play them, I'll try to get my hands on Silent Hill 3 next, and I have to say I can't wait. I've never been so excited to play a video game before. But with Silent Hill, whether you're into playing video games or not, you'll love every friggin' second of it.

I recently purchased a PS2 and with it a copy of Silent Hill 2. I haven't really read any of the reviews and bought it solely because of the original Silent Hill, which is a classic.

Upon popping the disc in my system, I was immediately astonished by the weird, creepy and distinctive atmosphere of the beginning. I knew at that moment, that this wasn't like any other "horror" game I have ever played. This game is impressive on every level. The visuals and sound are so polished and atmospheric, that the experience is way more immersive than even today's standards of graphics. The action is well balanced with puzzles and, luckily, Silent Hill 2 didn't forget the running away aspect of survival-horror games (as many new games do forget). But the real knock-out is the massive, deep and emotional story line, that keeps you guessing and never really let's you in on what's real, and what's not. All of these features add up to what is Silent Hill 2, the scariest game I have ever played.

In all, Silent Hill 2's creepy, yet beautiful visuals, haunting story and terrifying sounds are definitive proof that video games can be art, and darn fine art at that.