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Makes me notice the relationship between her and Mary is more extreme in theory, Mary wanted to die, and so did Maria. But Maria became a tool for James kinda like how Mary felt like a burden, Mary can live through Maria and "be useful"
@@sinisterfawn Mary also wanted to live; she was young. She didn't want to die and only had those thoughts because she was slowly dying and nothing could stop it.
Born from a Wish is so tragic and beautiful. Really haunting. Maria adds this feminine horror that we later see done to perfection in Silent Hill 3. Wild to think that this medium peaked artistically in the sixth console gen.
Generation 6 I think is the best console generation. So many incredible games out of this one gen. Gen 7 is also amazing, but the the gens that followed afterwards have not been able to live up.
@@meponenlassillas8464 *no,* but what they mean is it’s more defined by focus on 3 than it is here, a man’s story. heather mason’s journey almost always has undertones of the way the world reacts to a young girl developing, something completely natural met with unnatural judgement or standards. however, if you have any better examples, please feel free to add! genuinely, im interested.
There's something surreal and truly horrifying about the fact that even the town of Silent Hill's creation Maria becomes this broken independent force that still has to battle their own identity and existence. The attention to detail that these creations don't JUST exist for James and can influence things completely unrelated to him is so intriguing.
I think it's because maria is also an embodiment of Mary, what are part of her wanted to be for James, since her sickness kept her from being this way, in one of the talks in the hallway she talks about how James must be disgusted by her, how she looked. Maria is Mary ideal representation of how she wanted to be view by James possibly in her last moments or how she WISHED to be remembered
@@ywaern I agree. I think that Maria is Silent Hill's version of the Onryo; the spirit of a person who died with a grudge or hatred. Silent Hill merely facilitated the manifestation of Mary's fears, anger, regrets, sadness, and sense of betrayal at the time of her death. The creators are Japanese, afterall.
I wondered if Maria was born from Mary's wish not James. Mary was discusted of herself, she "was wrapped of cacoon of pain and loneliness" definitely wanted to be free (remember Maria has a tattoo on her belly). Maria knows things that James doesn't. She remembered Laura and cared for her as Mary. Maria also might be combination of James's and Mary's desire. BTW Mary is present in the town in the back of James's car. Even though she died, her spirit probably was in the town like Ernest and his daughter and MAYBE reborn as Maria.
I think Born from a Wish just adds enough context to make Maria's character tip over the line of ambiguous side character to real tragic co-protagonist. And if she is born from a wish, was it Jame's or Mary's wish?
I think this actually makes a lot more sense than having maria be a total projection of James's psyche as mary hated herself and how she looked and felt, so its possible that the sexual undertones represent how mary wanted james to see her. Also i keep thinking back to her letter where she mentions feeling cocooned by her condition and then when she returns as maria she has the butterfly tattoo.
@@charlieholland8924Brilliant interpretation regarding the butterfly tattoo and I fully agree. She is born from both of their wishes and yet also a being of her own. Born from a wish couldn't have been done better. Truly elevates the material.
@HeelPower200 Thank you. I think the interpretation of maria being marys Wish just makes more sense the more you look at it: Knowing laura, her characterisation in born from a wish, her desperation to not be abandoned by james and lashing out happens with both mary and maria, and we know her corpse is in the car with him. Then, when she gets a chance at rebirth, she would want to appear more fun, flirty, and attractive after feeling like a burden and less attractive to james in her sickness. I think this all just makes maria a far more interesting, complex, and tragic character instead of just saying shes a manifestation of his horny brain, which is a factor in her character but not her entire character like most people say, so i think it is a limiting analysis to say so. Also everyone mentions the christina aguleira thing with marias outfit, not to judge james but do we seriously think he looks like the kind of guy to care about that stuff, so i think that would be something from mary also. Sorry for the long rambling comment haha.
I just have to live with the fact that, no matter how much I appreciate a Silent Hill related piece of media beforehand, I will appreciate it even more once the one and only eurothug makes a killer analysis about it.
I've always thought of Maria as being in a similar situation as Lisa in SH1. Both of them are in SH to serve a purpose, both of them are born supernaturally in SH from the memories of someone else, and both of them have multiple "deaths" within the "fate" of the protagonist. They're both victims of Silent Hill itself, created by the dark Gods that hold sway over it in order to play games with the people it ensnares..
@@falconeshield Homecoming is a very incomplete game, if you read the diary of Alex, he claimed he is a PFC, that's the start of army, he never said he was at the special forces, or something like that. If his mind was so broken, like the plot is trying to explain, he will said, he is a marine, or a seal, or something even more badazz than a PFC. That means probably Alex was a soldier, but he enlisted after the accident, so his mind blocked that. Then he died at war, and the wish of Elle bring him back. This explained the words of him to her, that once Josh is ok, he will be gone. If you read the diary, he doesn't want to return to war, that means he knew. he is already in afterlife. If Elle is in fact Laura, the story was almost like a full circle for her. The narrative is very complex, if we dig more in the idea. The writers seems to inspire the plot in the Owaku concept of Maria, and in the Owaku narrative about Stanley on SH3. I doubt the writers were clueless of SH, like some fans believe just for PH, that was a request of Konami once again, bc the monster is really popular on Japan. Also Elle's diary claimed that Alex barely stay at his house, he was sleeping on Elle's house a lot, again, the game is very incomplete, where is the house of Elle, and also the high school? By this perspective, seems that in the game we gonna explore Elle's house, the high school, and the grosery store with her as a playable character, or as a DLC like "Born from a wish", but the writers never get along with the designers, therefore the game was going bananas.
@@morganalabeille5004 There’s a Welsh myth that fits that description pretty well. Blodeuwedd was created out of flowers to be the wife of a great hero, but she eventually falls in love with another man. They plot to get rid of her husband, but he survives and she gets transformed into an owl as punishment. The traditional reading was that she deserved it for her treachery, but nowadays there are more feminist interpretations that acknowledge the absolute horror of existing solely for someone else
@@theladycata9648Well duh. People still crap on Eve and Lilith to this day, figures this other story. Reminds me of the revisited ending of Carmen, the opera. Why did she have to die because of an overzealous lover she didn't want? Because she was....openly promiscuous? Oh the horror!
This is fried gold. I love your idea that the tragedy of Maria's story culminates in depriving the player of agency by surrendering her selfhood into James's story. Like a ludic nightmare entirely playable - until it isn't.
It's so nice to see somebody talk about Born From A Wish as its own thing, rather than as a small part of a larger video/article/etc on the main game. I really hope it's included in the remake, and I really really hope it's still a separate thing rather than a bit you play during the main game. Interestingly, I'd never noticed that "you that isn't you" line's similarities to what the paper bag says in PT. That has to have been a deliberate reference, especially with how PT seemed like it was going to be more focused on the ghostly aspects on the franchise.
I wonder if Maria looks the ways she does because Mary also wished she could be more desirable and bold, she said she felt so ugly. Maybe she was Mary's wishes too, since she remembers Laura.
I always thought of Maria as part of the town, or whatever demon haunts it, that she was just some manifestation, extracted from James' mind for only James to see (she always conveniently avoids interacting with the other people in the town). After playing this though it raised questions, was Maria really the actual Mary? Ripped out of the afterlife, disorientated and used as part of the town's plans for James? If she used that gun on herself, would she have escaped or would she have been brought right back?
My personal theory is that Maria is basically like the other monsters in town as in she’s just as real as they are .. and can be hurt like they can .. I don’t think she would come back if she got hurt .. she was born from the towns magic .. but is essentially like the monsters .. but she has way more personality than any of the other monsters because she has Mary’s memories.. I think she didn’t know what she was in Born from a wish .. but eventually realized what the towns plan was for her .. I think she avoided other characters because maybe they wouldn’t see what James saw when they looked at her .. or maybe it’s just because she was only there for James .. who was the sole reason for her existence .. I could be wrong though lol 😂
I think it’s really sad to see her give up on everything she is or could be to fulfill James’ desires. The way she acts in this scenario reminds me of how looking for your own sense of self outside of expectations bestowed upon you feels. I wonder how she would have become if she hadn’t accepted that fate, or if it would even be possible. I think it’s also very interesting to revisit her scenes after experiencing this short story. We already know at this point that she’s only a facade, but now we also know she is very much conscious of what she’s doing. Everything she does or says is calculated, not by the town, but by herself.
@@SamuelBlack84The idea of her fulfilling a wish not of somebody else but of her own is interesting. It's the opposite of what we've seen, so I do wonder what that'd look like.
I felt more dread playing in the mansion than most of the areas in silent hill 2. The attic scared me quite a bit. Overall this game holds up really well now and more people should play it
weird thing i have no idea how to make sense of: Maria guesses Ernest's last name is Hemmingway, and Ernest says it's Baldwin, which is the surname of another globally famous midcentury American writer, whose first name is James. i don't think it's an explicitly lore-relevant piece of information, and it could just be a cute lil nod to those writers and James's name. but it always made me wonder (as someone who never got too into the overarching lore of the franchise) if we're supposed to question whether Ernest (or, collectively, all the ghosts in Silent Hill) has some part in scripting the arcs of James and Eddie and Angela.
I've been obsessed with Silent Hill my entire life and I just learned about this sub scenario just a few weeks ago and my mind was blown. I watched a play through and was floored. Its so good and I can't believe I never knew about it all these years.
Okay that is a really cool thing to do with a character. You often dont see a character try to resist a games story in a meaningful way, and def not a side character. This is like the perfect mix of wow subtle 4th wall breaking but also not considering the story itself, but then can be considered it if taken as a whole. Aaaaaaah this is how you push the medium of games to the weird corners, god this is so cool. Like game and story perfectly combined, the line between a game and a story so blurred its great wowowow. You literally couldnt tell this story in any other medium effectively. Damn, ugh so cool. (Also super fucking awesome youve done pieces, god the must feel fucking amazing.)
man this shit makes me reflect on recent stuff that happened to me. i dont like what im seeing in myself right now.. maybe its time for another trip to silent hill.
To promote self-reflection is perhaps the key indicator of great art. It is something to be confronted, embraced, and not shied away from. Best of wishes and luck to you.
Silent Hill is a very well-analysed game, with much written about it already. Finding a new angle for a video is not easy, but this is definitely a take I haven't heard before. Almost everybody ignores Born from a wish, which is a shame, because it is excellent. Very good video. :) I especially love the point that Maria cannot be created entirely from James' mind, which a lot of people miss.
I appreciate the point you made about the camera angle when you enter the Baldwin Mansion giving the feeling of being watched. This is my main worry about the remake with its fixed camera. I'm afraid it will lose the uncanny 'being watched on CCTV' atmosphere of the original.
I watched a playthrough of Born From a Wish and I had a hard time understanding it. This video helped a lot, and now I really like Maria as a character!
hell ye always liked her character so when i learned she had a sub story i was super interested and now revisting it thru you has made me love it even more as cool as silent hill maria is you are still my fav maria thank you for this incredible video ^_^
Born From A Wish has such a creepy atmosphere with a strong sense of being watched which is amplified by wandering around an empty haunted house The moment that I set foot on the attic stairs and heard the voices and commotion coming from upstairs I felt such a powerful sense of dread, especially as to how they suddenly stop I was convinced that ...domething was up there waiting for me Also, Ernest's monologues with the background music gave me such a profound feeling of loneliness and emotiness that I could imagine sitting in those rooms for years heavy with regret and melancholy
I just replayed SH2 last month, and I too had never played Born from a Wish. I'm so glad you also really got something out of it, I wish I had played it before! Maria is also my favorite part of SH2 and it was really revealing about her character.
I remember after playing SH2 I immediately began imagining suitable actors. Eddie Dombrowski / Philip Seymour Hoffman, James Sunderland / Aaron Eckhart or Sean Bean, Angela Orosco / Sandra Bullock, I couldn't think of an actor for Laura. And finally Mary+Maria Sunderland / Bridget Fonda is perfect. Of course this list was a long time ago, so their younger selves. In a bizarre stroke of random luck Sean Bean was actually picked. But he played Harry Mason in SH1. But that was still cool. Seymour rip. ...but oh what could've been. Great review and thank you for highlighting Maria's story. It was so tragic, eerie creepy, and very interesting. Even now, with more information, she's still mysterious. 💯👍
i ddint' play BFAW until relatively recently too. it was such a nice surprise because it doesn't feel tagged on at all. it feels like the team put just as much love and care into this sub scenario even though they knew that it would be a unnecessary addition and that it would be so short. But man... it feels like SH2 which is a pretty incredible accomplishment. SH2 is the GOAT.
Iv seen many sh2 videos but this one by far is my favorite one. Love how u went in depth on one of my favorite characters in one of my favorite games of all time. I swear I been watching this video every morning since it released. You deserve way wayyyy more vids. Keep up the good work
Thank you for introducing me to a sub story that I’ve never even given a second thought to. I find your analysis of it very interesting, Maria’s story is definitely that of a tragedy and I feel you covered all the aspects that I can think of when thinking about it myself. Thank you for the video and I hope you have a good day !
The music, story, and themes. The Silent Hill series just enamors me like no other horror game(s) can. Absolutely stoked for the recently announced remake.
I had to tell you just how right I feel you are and how much I deeply agree with your feelings about Born from a Wish. It is far and away my absolute favorite part of Silent Hill 2. In it lies such a muted but painfully poignant intrigue and sadness. After playing it the first time I realized that is wasn’t James who wished for Maria, but rather it was Mary who wanted to be her. I adored your video about this most precious of experiences. It was thoughtfully and beautifully composed. 💜
I'm often rather baffled whenever someone talks about "Born From a Wish", because usually it's from fans of Silent Hill 2 that... don't exactly like "BFaW". I've always personally really liked it, both as a way to stay within the specific world of SH2, as well as to tell a little, rather humanizing horror story from Maria's perspective, giving us some details while keeping just enough shrouded in fog. Glad there are more people out there that like it.
Something about the warmth of the curtains, carpet, and wallpaper of that mansion brought me to tears. I wish I could lay down in that hidden garden and just feel the space. Thanks for a good cathartic cry on this Halloween evening
The end to this dlc truly broke my heart. you want to grab both her shoulders and turn her around to walk the other way because you know what is waiting for her. She gets proper butchered multiple times in the game and all so James can somehow "learn" something. Whats worse is that Maria KNOWS this. Imagine knowing this and trying to change it anyway. Terrifying.
I found out this channel 2 halloween ago. Never disappoint me. It already begun a tradition, i hope will be in the next years cause i like horror contents and love silent hill.
This dlc is really underrated and İ don't know why the majority of people reviewing the game ignore it. Thx for this video you are one of the few who took the time to appricate it
Okay, so the “he’s looking for the you that isn’t you” quote said to Maria is eerily similar to the line: “the only me is me. Are you sure the only you is you?” from PT (the cancelled SH teaser)
I love your Silent Hill content. You manage to give a fresh take on the series despite its age and many other analyses by other creators. There is a different flavour of existential horror that comes from playing one of the town's constructs. It's like the opposite of solipsism, whatever you'd call that. I'd love to hear your take on the music of Silent Hill. I love Akira Yamaoka's work. I've been recording covers of songs from the series for years now: ua-cam.com/play/PLUtlBB8uCz78sUAZzqO9I5spX4Qb4GsCA.html
Truly a tragic character, i wish there was a happy ending for the both of them, maybe they raised Laura together. Hope they make something similar in the remake.
4:48 It's been a good while since I played this, never noticed this but imagine being the cook and having to live in a room that's smaller than the pantry...never mind being the chauffeur and envying the small bathroom for how spacious it is
I know that being unable to fight fate is one of the oldest plot points in fiction so I can’t really be surprised, but a woman giving up her agency to play a role in some dude’s story feels like a depressingly realistic ending
4:38 It feels like this house was the one James and Mary lived in before she got sick. It was supposed to be full of kids and life. When Mary got sick the house became a burden. No wonder Maria wanted out.
amazing video!!! made me want to replay it actually - i love just how far away this feels to the actual game and really makes me reconsider who Maria actually is
OMG thank you. I didn't know that this even existed. and how it fulfills a wonderful part of the entire story. It opens up a whole new avenue of storytelling for me.
This was definitely one of the more unique campaigns of the franchise. I remember way back in 2004/2005 when everyone was speculating where the franchise would be going next. There was a rumor the Born From A Wish segment would be a hint and that it would deal with "death and desire". I remember reading something someone shared on a forum about the protagonist being someone who died(a long time ago) and finds himself/herself mysteriously resurrected in the town of Silent Hill, confused and alone. This was around the infamous "fear in daylight" interview. It may have been bs but it sounded cool and I was hoping the franchise would find new and exciting ways to tell stories like this moving forward instead of "the protagonist did something bad and forgot about it" twist being rehashed over and over again.
This was great, thank you. I like that this scenario fleshes out the power of Silent Hill to manifest ghosts like this, echoes of memories. Something explored in Shattered Memories to excellent effect.
How do you get these in game cinematic shots ? I love what it adds to your videos, it is so immersive and surprising to get a new perspective, a new look on these familiar places.
Might be a weird take but I kinda saw Maria's story as symbolism for how the natural power in the land was corrupted and used by the settlers who developed what became The Order. If Maria hadn't met Ernest she would have been a different person by the time she met James and might not have been aware of the extent of her powers. I know the cult isn't really part of SH2's story but ultimately it was them that twisted what could have been spiritual experiences into an attempt to summon Samael. I guess I'm saying SH2 could be about spiritual/cultural pollution and the long lasting side effects it has on regular people. Mind you that's pretentious as fuck. Really hope we get this scenario in SH2 remake.
So maybe Maria was actually the spirit of Mary after she had already been killed. Her shadow self was allowed to live again through the power of Silent Hill. She kept fighting to find her true self, which in fact was Mary all along. I believe this is the ghost of Mary & is just totally confused about her former existence
watching this video felt like a dream - the one that you described while observing Maria's story thank you for your wonderful content! i could never described this backstory better myself. you added so much to it!! 🎀
9:03 i've always wondered if Maria's face was modeled from Twin Peaks' infamous femme fatale Evelyn March. They look oddly similar. The TV series were very popular in Japan, and there's at least one other reference in the game (the shoe suitcase).
appreciate it! I hope to cover most of (or maybe all) the games eventually :) in between covering other series as well of course so I don’t get bored 😂
Interesting that Alex did a similar puzzle with a woman named Carol, that he never saw, just like Maria with Ernest. One particular detail is that both stories are related to Mary. The items that Maria found were use by James in the rebirth ending, The cards that Alex found were similar to Mary's journey with James. Seems to me that the mansion is a manifestation of what Mary is, she was a very beloved wife, that was very into her house, but also she wants to be a mother. All these details are presence on that place. But there is a catch, remember that Silent Hill is a manifestation of your own fears, that means that's what Mary was afraid of at the same time. That's why the phrase said "Stay away from that haunted mansion". One thing that is always the big question is, why the town cursed Mary with a disease?, some people believe this happen because of her surname, she is Shepherd. Both James and Mary were target by the town by their ancesters.
Your analysis is right on point. Maria’s name was chosen specifically for a reason she represents the Virgin Mary but in the case of Maria a hyper sexualized version. This is exactly what silent hill is all about every character is representation of(in this case James) someone’s deepest fears, longing and/or intense desires. Not every character in Silent Hill is evil. Angela would be the one exception since she is a real person
I just thought of that idea ... Maria is the product of James and Mary - The Idea of being Born from a wish ... The Wish from James to want a more healthy and better looking partner and Mary wishing to be well and not to pathetic and ugly like Mary described herself... and there Maria has a life of its own. The gun at the beginning hinting the wishes of Mary to end it all.
I might be misremembering, but I think the gun she starts with has only one bullet loaded in, which made me think she was contemplating suicide when I played it.
Another amazing video, so happy I found your channel, never played the sub scenario, paused this video yesterday so I could go play it and wow...its really well done..nothing like I expected, I was shocked by how normal and clean everything was too. Hope you had a great Halloween, thanks for giving me reason to finally play this part of SH2.
Welp, that makes one of you.. Kidding! I really enjoy this scenario even though I don't have it on my original copy of Silent Hill 2 so I've never been able to play it, but I enjoy watching the playthrus! I love the atmosphere and how it explains how Maria came to be! Great video, thanks!✌️
Born from a Dream originally released with Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams, the Xbox port/remaster. At some point it got ported back to the PS2, but I think it was in the Greatest Hits release or somesuch. I didn't even know it made it back until years later.
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One detail that gets often overlooked is that in your inventory the revolver starts with one bullet in the chamber, hinting at her intentions
Wow thank you so much for noticing that
Makes me notice the relationship between her and Mary is more extreme in theory, Mary wanted to die, and so did Maria. But Maria became a tool for James kinda like how Mary felt like a burden, Mary can live through Maria and "be useful"
Oh. That's quite the detail.
@@sinisterfawn Mary also wanted to live; she was young. She didn't want to die and only had those thoughts because she was slowly dying and nothing could stop it.
Eurothug lives in Silent Hill, these documentaries are her only connection to the outside world.
Well...I mean the UK does look like it wayyyy, more often than it should. 🤣
We must save her
@@SnowWhiteTheU2 in Silent Hill you can only save yourself.
Born from a Wish is so tragic and beautiful. Really haunting. Maria adds this feminine horror that we later see done to perfection in Silent Hill 3. Wild to think that this medium peaked artistically in the sixth console gen.
Generation 6 I think is the best console generation. So many incredible games out of this one gen. Gen 7 is also amazing, but the the gens that followed afterwards have not been able to live up.
if you think silent hill 3 is 'feminine horror done to perfection' boy do i have news for you
@@meponenlassillas8464 *no,* but what they mean is it’s more defined by focus on 3 than it is here, a man’s story. heather mason’s journey almost always has undertones of the way the world reacts to a young girl developing, something completely natural met with unnatural judgement or standards. however, if you have any better examples, please feel free to add! genuinely, im interested.
There's something surreal and truly horrifying about the fact that even the town of Silent Hill's creation Maria becomes this broken independent force that still has to battle their own identity and existence. The attention to detail that these creations don't JUST exist for James and can influence things completely unrelated to him is so intriguing.
I think it's because maria is also an embodiment of Mary, what are part of her wanted to be for James, since her sickness kept her from being this way, in one of the talks in the hallway she talks about how James must be disgusted by her, how she looked. Maria is Mary ideal representation of how she wanted to be view by James possibly in her last moments or how she WISHED to be remembered
@@ywaern I agree. I think that Maria is Silent Hill's version of the Onryo; the spirit of a person who died with a grudge or hatred. Silent Hill merely facilitated the manifestation of Mary's fears, anger, regrets, sadness, and sense of betrayal at the time of her death. The creators are Japanese, afterall.
I wondered if Maria was born from Mary's wish not James. Mary was discusted of herself, she "was wrapped of cacoon of pain and loneliness" definitely wanted to be free (remember Maria has a tattoo on her belly). Maria knows things that James doesn't. She remembered Laura and cared for her as Mary. Maria also might be combination of James's and Mary's desire. BTW Mary is present in the town in the back of James's car. Even though she died, her spirit probably was in the town like Ernest and his daughter and MAYBE reborn as Maria.
I think Born from a Wish just adds enough context to make Maria's character tip over the line of ambiguous side character to real tragic co-protagonist. And if she is born from a wish, was it Jame's or Mary's wish?
probably both since she has some memories of laura (even though she was just born) and the fact that she looks sexually attractive...
I think this actually makes a lot more sense than having maria be a total projection of James's psyche as mary hated herself and how she looked and felt, so its possible that the sexual undertones represent how mary wanted james to see her. Also i keep thinking back to her letter where she mentions feeling cocooned by her condition and then when she returns as maria she has the butterfly tattoo.
@@charlieholland8924Brilliant interpretation regarding the butterfly tattoo and I fully agree.
She is born from both of their wishes and yet also a being of her own.
Born from a wish couldn't have been done better. Truly elevates the material.
@HeelPower200 Thank you. I think the interpretation of maria being marys Wish just makes more sense the more you look at it:
Knowing laura, her characterisation in born from a wish, her desperation to not be abandoned by james and lashing out happens with both mary and maria, and we know her corpse is in the car with him.
Then, when she gets a chance at rebirth, she would want to appear more fun, flirty, and attractive after feeling like a burden and less attractive to james in her sickness.
I think this all just makes maria a far more interesting, complex, and tragic character instead of just saying shes a manifestation of his horny brain, which is a factor in her character but not her entire character like most people say, so i think it is a limiting analysis to say so. Also everyone mentions the christina aguleira thing with marias outfit, not to judge james but do we seriously think he looks like the kind of guy to care about that stuff, so i think that would be something from mary also. Sorry for the long rambling comment haha.
More like antagonist. Shes not a bad person, but an antagonist isn't always that.
I just have to live with the fact that, no matter how much I appreciate a Silent Hill related piece of media beforehand, I will appreciate it even more once the one and only eurothug makes a killer analysis about it.
I've always thought of Maria as being in a similar situation as Lisa in SH1. Both of them are in SH to serve a purpose, both of them are born supernaturally in SH from the memories of someone else, and both of them have multiple "deaths" within the "fate" of the protagonist. They're both victims of Silent Hill itself, created by the dark Gods that hold sway over it in order to play games with the people it ensnares..
Same case of Alex Shepherd, that drill in his leg, and then he walked fine, that's a proof that he is in this same group.
@@LosMSR Good point.
@@LosMSRI'm still pissed about that twist it ruined the game
@@falconeshield Homecoming is a very incomplete game, if you read the diary of Alex, he claimed he is a PFC, that's the start of army, he never said he was at the special forces, or something like that. If his mind was so broken, like the plot is trying to explain, he will said, he is a marine, or a seal, or something even more badazz than a PFC.
That means probably Alex was a soldier, but he enlisted after the accident, so his mind blocked that. Then he died at war, and the wish of Elle bring him back. This explained the words of him to her, that once Josh is ok, he will be gone. If you read the diary, he doesn't want to return to war, that means he knew. he is already in afterlife.
If Elle is in fact Laura, the story was almost like a full circle for her. The narrative is very complex, if we dig more in the idea. The writers seems to inspire the plot in the Owaku concept of Maria, and in the Owaku narrative about Stanley on SH3. I doubt the writers were clueless of SH, like some fans believe just for PH, that was a request of Konami once again, bc the monster is really popular on Japan.
Also Elle's diary claimed that Alex barely stay at his house, he was sleeping on Elle's house a lot, again, the game is very incomplete, where is the house of Elle, and also the high school? By this perspective, seems that in the game we gonna explore Elle's house, the high school, and the grosery store with her as a playable character, or as a DLC like "Born from a wish", but the writers never get along with the designers, therefore the game was going bananas.
@@LosMSRalex being a tulpa is an interesting concept
Marias story is legit the bleakest of silent hill 2. She basically just exists to fill James needs. Messed up
She’s like if Galatea understood the reason for her existence and was rightfully furious about it.
@@morganalabeille5004 There’s a Welsh myth that fits that description pretty well. Blodeuwedd was created out of flowers to be the wife of a great hero, but she eventually falls in love with another man. They plot to get rid of her husband, but he survives and she gets transformed into an owl as punishment. The traditional reading was that she deserved it for her treachery, but nowadays there are more feminist interpretations that acknowledge the absolute horror of existing solely for someone else
@@theladycata9648Well duh. People still crap on Eve and Lilith to this day, figures this other story. Reminds me of the revisited ending of Carmen, the opera. Why did she have to die because of an overzealous lover she didn't want? Because she was....openly promiscuous? Oh the horror!
This is fried gold. I love your idea that the tragedy of Maria's story culminates in depriving the player of agency by surrendering her selfhood into James's story. Like a ludic nightmare entirely playable - until it isn't.
this!! 13:39
It's so nice to see somebody talk about Born From A Wish as its own thing, rather than as a small part of a larger video/article/etc on the main game.
I really hope it's included in the remake, and I really really hope it's still a separate thing rather than a bit you play during the main game.
Interestingly, I'd never noticed that "you that isn't you" line's similarities to what the paper bag says in PT. That has to have been a deliberate reference, especially with how PT seemed like it was going to be more focused on the ghostly aspects on the franchise.
I wonder if Maria looks the ways she does because Mary also wished she could be more desirable and bold, she said she felt so ugly. Maybe she was Mary's wishes too, since she remembers Laura.
I always thought of Maria as part of the town, or whatever demon haunts it, that she was just some manifestation, extracted from James' mind for only James to see (she always conveniently avoids interacting with the other people in the town). After playing this though it raised questions, was Maria really the actual Mary? Ripped out of the afterlife, disorientated and used as part of the town's plans for James? If she used that gun on herself, would she have escaped or would she have been brought right back?
My personal theory is that Maria is basically like the other monsters in town as in she’s just as real as they are .. and can be hurt like they can .. I don’t think she would come back if she got hurt .. she was born from the towns magic .. but is essentially like the monsters .. but she has way more personality than any of the other monsters because she has Mary’s memories.. I think she didn’t know what she was in Born from a wish .. but eventually realized what the towns plan was for her .. I think she avoided other characters because maybe they wouldn’t see what James saw when they looked at her .. or maybe it’s just because she was only there for James .. who was the sole reason for her existence .. I could be wrong though lol 😂
I think it’s really sad to see her give up on everything she is or could be to fulfill James’ desires. The way she acts in this scenario reminds me of how looking for your own sense of self outside of expectations bestowed upon you feels. I wonder how she would have become if she hadn’t accepted that fate, or if it would even be possible.
I think it’s also very interesting to revisit her scenes after experiencing this short story. We already know at this point that she’s only a facade, but now we also know she is very much conscious of what she’s doing. Everything she does or says is calculated, not by the town, but by herself.
Could she even have had a life beyond what she was made for?
She could only exist within Silent Hill and could never leave
@@SamuelBlack84The idea of her fulfilling a wish not of somebody else but of her own is interesting. It's the opposite of what we've seen, so I do wonder what that'd look like.
I felt more dread playing in the mansion than most of the areas in silent hill 2. The attic scared me quite a bit. Overall this game holds up really well now and more people should play it
weird thing i have no idea how to make sense of: Maria guesses Ernest's last name is Hemmingway, and Ernest says it's Baldwin, which is the surname of another globally famous midcentury American writer, whose first name is James.
i don't think it's an explicitly lore-relevant piece of information, and it could just be a cute lil nod to those writers and James's name. but it always made me wonder (as someone who never got too into the overarching lore of the franchise) if we're supposed to question whether Ernest (or, collectively, all the ghosts in Silent Hill) has some part in scripting the arcs of James and Eddie and Angela.
Just imagine if Silent Hill was REAL...not the crazy monsters and all that just the foggy town and Toluca Lake.
Well there’s foggy towns and probably a lot of Toluca lakes!
Its called Pennsylvania
@@mickeymickey9914 Isnt Silent Hill in Maine tho?
@@spyegle no.
@@mickeymickey9914 I'mmmm pretty sure it is. If i remember correctly it is only in Pennsylvania in the movies
I've been obsessed with Silent Hill my entire life and I just learned about this sub scenario just a few weeks ago and my mind was blown. I watched a play through and was floored. Its so good and I can't believe I never knew about it all these years.
Yeah I didn’t know about this one till like 2 years ago and I’ve been with the series since the beginning.
Okay that is a really cool thing to do with a character. You often dont see a character try to resist a games story in a meaningful way, and def not a side character. This is like the perfect mix of wow subtle 4th wall breaking but also not considering the story itself, but then can be considered it if taken as a whole.
Aaaaaaah this is how you push the medium of games to the weird corners, god this is so cool. Like game and story perfectly combined, the line between a game and a story so blurred its great wowowow. You literally couldnt tell this story in any other medium effectively. Damn, ugh so cool.
(Also super fucking awesome youve done pieces, god the must feel fucking amazing.)
I am always here for more Silent Hill videos from you. Brilliant work.
man this shit makes me reflect on recent stuff that happened to me. i dont like what im seeing in myself right now.. maybe its time for another trip to silent hill.
To promote self-reflection is perhaps the key indicator of great art. It is something to be confronted, embraced, and not shied away from. Best of wishes and luck to you.
I identify so much with Ernest
Not in losing a child, but filled with regret
Silent Hill is a very well-analysed game, with much written about it already. Finding a new angle for a video is not easy, but this is definitely a take I haven't heard before. Almost everybody ignores Born from a wish, which is a shame, because it is excellent. Very good video. :) I especially love the point that Maria cannot be created entirely from James' mind, which a lot of people miss.
I appreciate the point you made about the camera angle when you enter the Baldwin Mansion giving the feeling of being watched. This is my main worry about the remake with its fixed camera. I'm afraid it will lose the uncanny 'being watched on CCTV' atmosphere of the original.
I watched a playthrough of Born From a Wish and I had a hard time understanding it. This video helped a lot, and now I really like Maria as a character!
hell ye always liked her character so when i learned she had a sub story i was super interested and now revisting it thru you has made me love it even more as cool as silent hill maria is you are still my fav maria thank you for this incredible video ^_^
Born From A Wish has such a creepy atmosphere with a strong sense of being watched which is amplified by wandering around an empty haunted house
The moment that I set foot on the attic stairs and heard the voices and commotion coming from upstairs I felt such a powerful sense of dread, especially as to how they suddenly stop
I was convinced that ...domething was up there waiting for me
Also, Ernest's monologues with the background music gave me such a profound feeling of loneliness and emotiness that I could imagine sitting in those rooms for years heavy with regret and melancholy
I just replayed SH2 last month, and I too had never played Born from a Wish. I'm so glad you also really got something out of it, I wish I had played it before! Maria is also my favorite part of SH2 and it was really revealing about her character.
I remember after playing SH2 I immediately began imagining suitable actors. Eddie Dombrowski / Philip Seymour Hoffman, James Sunderland / Aaron Eckhart or Sean Bean, Angela Orosco / Sandra Bullock, I couldn't think of an actor for Laura. And finally Mary+Maria Sunderland / Bridget Fonda is perfect. Of course this list was a long time ago, so their younger selves. In a bizarre stroke of random luck Sean Bean was actually picked. But he played Harry Mason in SH1. But that was still cool. Seymour rip. ...but oh what could've been. Great review and thank you for highlighting Maria's story. It was so tragic, eerie creepy, and very interesting. Even now, with more information, she's still mysterious. 💯👍
i ddint' play BFAW until relatively recently too. it was such a nice surprise because it doesn't feel tagged on at all. it feels like the team put just as much love and care into this sub scenario even though they knew that it would be a unnecessary addition and that it would be so short. But man... it feels like SH2 which is a pretty incredible accomplishment. SH2 is the GOAT.
Iv seen many sh2 videos but this one by far is my favorite one. Love how u went in depth on one of my favorite characters in one of my favorite games of all time. I swear I been watching this video every morning since it released. You deserve way wayyyy more vids. Keep up the good work
I never knew Maria packed that HEAT 🔫
Thank you for introducing me to a sub story that I’ve never even given a second thought to. I find your analysis of it very interesting, Maria’s story is definitely that of a tragedy and I feel you covered all the aspects that I can think of when thinking about it myself. Thank you for the video and I hope you have a good day !
The music, story, and themes. The Silent Hill series just enamors me like no other horror game(s) can.
Absolutely stoked for the recently announced remake.
Eurothug just got a new subscriber. Thank the UA-cam algorithm for bringing us together
I had to tell you just how right I feel you are and how much I deeply agree with your feelings about Born from a Wish. It is far and away my absolute favorite part of Silent Hill 2. In it lies such a muted but painfully poignant intrigue and sadness. After playing it the first time I realized that is wasn’t James who wished for Maria, but rather it was Mary who wanted to be her. I adored your video about this most precious of experiences. It was thoughtfully and beautifully composed. 💜
I'm often rather baffled whenever someone talks about "Born From a Wish", because usually it's from fans of Silent Hill 2 that... don't exactly like "BFaW". I've always personally really liked it, both as a way to stay within the specific world of SH2, as well as to tell a little, rather humanizing horror story from Maria's perspective, giving us some details while keeping just enough shrouded in fog.
Glad there are more people out there that like it.
Something about the warmth of the curtains, carpet, and wallpaper of that mansion brought me to tears. I wish I could lay down in that hidden garden and just feel the space. Thanks for a good cathartic cry on this Halloween evening
The end to this dlc truly broke my heart. you want to grab both her shoulders and turn her around to walk the other way because you know what is waiting for her. She gets proper butchered multiple times in the game and all so James can somehow "learn" something. Whats worse is that Maria KNOWS this. Imagine knowing this and trying to change it anyway. Terrifying.
I love impossible spaces. It's like dreams, the way geography can merge, shift and sway when you're in a pretty vivid lucid dream.
Gracias por poner subtítulos en inglés, así puedo traducirlos al español y disfrutar tu forma de pensar y presentar tus pensamientos/opiniones.
another video?! we are eating well ✨
this ending makes me upset i love her
I found out this channel 2 halloween ago. Never disappoint me. It already begun a tradition, i hope will be in the next years cause i like horror contents and love silent hill.
Talk about a treat. I rarely see any analysis on this scenario, which is a shame because I find it just as interesting as the main story
This dlc is really underrated and İ don't know why the majority of people reviewing the game ignore it. Thx for this video you are one of the few who took the time to appricate it
I love Born from a Wish. When she tosses the gun and just walks into the fog, slowly disappearing, sums up Silent Hill perfectly.
Wow never seen someone focus on born from a wish nice
Okay, so the “he’s looking for the you that isn’t you” quote said to Maria is eerily similar to the line:
“the only me is me. Are you sure the only you is you?” from PT (the cancelled SH teaser)
Love your videos, keep them up seriously I really appreciate them
I enjoy video analyses on Silent Hill 2, because there is still more details and questions to bring up. It's beautiful and mind boggling.
can’t wait for silent hill F and the remake ^~^
I love your Silent Hill content. You manage to give a fresh take on the series despite its age and many other analyses by other creators. There is a different flavour of existential horror that comes from playing one of the town's constructs. It's like the opposite of solipsism, whatever you'd call that.
I'd love to hear your take on the music of Silent Hill. I love Akira Yamaoka's work. I've been recording covers of songs from the series for years now: ua-cam.com/play/PLUtlBB8uCz78sUAZzqO9I5spX4Qb4GsCA.html
Top video and a fine example of the algorithm recommending perfect things for me.
Truly a tragic character, i wish there was a happy ending for the both of them, maybe they raised Laura together. Hope they make something similar in the remake.
Does this mean you're eventually going to do a video on the original Silent Hill? Regardless, interesting insight into a bonafide classic!
4:48 It's been a good while since I played this, never noticed this but imagine being the cook and having to live in a room that's smaller than the pantry...never mind being the chauffeur and envying the small bathroom for how spacious it is
born from a wish reminds me of vertigo. judy gives up her very identity for scottie. terrifying.
I just discovered your channel and I’m OBSESSED! You have amazing content!
I know that being unable to fight fate is one of the oldest plot points in fiction so I can’t really be surprised, but a woman giving up her agency to play a role in some dude’s story feels like a depressingly realistic ending
Pasan los años y sigo aprendiendo cosas nuevas de Silent Hill
¡Buen contenido!
Want to see this in SH2R. It's unnerving, effective, overlooked & efficient.
Video game environments are underrated pieces of Art. Like all that stuff was basically hand-made (albeit using a keyboard and mouse)
Silent Hill 2's rooms and interior spaces are so gorgeous and haunting.
The scene composition and lighting were art unto themselves.
8:05 she's doomed to be a manic pixie dream girl, whose only purpose is to help the protagonist
4:38 It feels like this house was the one James and Mary lived in before she got sick. It was supposed to be full of kids and life. When Mary got sick the house became a burden. No wonder Maria wanted out.
Nice find! Awesome stuff!
amazing video!!! made me want to replay it actually - i love just how far away this feels to the actual game and really makes me reconsider who Maria actually is
OMG thank you.
I didn't know that this even existed. and how it fulfills a wonderful part of the entire story. It opens up a whole new avenue of storytelling for me.
Excellent video. You got another sub for this
This gave me a whole new appreciation for this sub-chapter. Thanks for doing this!
I love this.. thx for the video. This sub game is never talked about even today
This was definitely one of the more unique campaigns of the franchise. I remember way back in 2004/2005 when everyone was speculating where the franchise would be going next. There was a rumor the Born From A Wish segment would be a hint and that it would deal with "death and desire". I remember reading something someone shared on a forum about the protagonist being someone who died(a long time ago) and finds himself/herself mysteriously resurrected in the town of Silent Hill, confused and alone. This was around the infamous "fear in daylight" interview. It may have been bs but it sounded cool and I was hoping the franchise would find new and exciting ways to tell stories like this moving forward instead of "the protagonist did something bad and forgot about it" twist being rehashed over and over again.
I love the insights here. Thank you for digging into this wonderful extra scenario.
Great video as always - would also love to see you cover some of the lesser-liked Silent Hills like Downpour and Homecoming.
This was great, thank you.
I like that this scenario fleshes out the power of Silent Hill to manifest ghosts like this, echoes of memories. Something explored in Shattered Memories to excellent effect.
How do you get these in game cinematic shots ? I love what it adds to your videos, it is so immersive and surprising to get a new perspective, a new look on these familiar places.
Might be a weird take but I kinda saw Maria's story as symbolism for how the natural power in the land was corrupted and used by the settlers who developed what became The Order.
If Maria hadn't met Ernest she would have been a different person by the time she met James and might not have been aware of the extent of her powers.
I know the cult isn't really part of SH2's story but ultimately it was them that twisted what could have been spiritual experiences into an attempt to summon Samael.
I guess I'm saying SH2 could be about spiritual/cultural pollution and the long lasting side effects it has on regular people.
Mind you that's pretentious as fuck. Really hope we get this scenario in SH2 remake.
So maybe Maria was actually the spirit of Mary after she had already been killed. Her shadow self was allowed to live again through the power of Silent Hill. She kept fighting to find her true self, which in fact was Mary all along. I believe this is the ghost of Mary & is just totally confused about her former existence
I like that thought
I remember playing Silent Hill 2 and Born From A Wish when I was super little. I couldn’t finish either, way to scary for me 🗿
I’ve always overlooked Born From a Wish. It was overshadowed by the main story but this gave me a lot more of an appreciation for it. Great video
watching this video felt like a dream - the one that you described while observing Maria's story
thank you for your wonderful content! i could never described this backstory better myself. you added so much to it!! 🎀
9:03 i've always wondered if Maria's face was modeled from Twin Peaks' infamous femme fatale Evelyn March. They look oddly similar. The TV series were very popular in Japan, and there's at least one other reference in the game (the shoe suitcase).
I had always written off Born from a Wish until this video.
Thank you for reappraising this. 👍
Do more silent hill videos I seen you gave the serious mad love! I like it! Subscribed!
appreciate it! I hope to cover most of (or maybe all) the games eventually :) in between covering other series as well of course so I don’t get bored 😂
I always enjoy your work. You always have such a relaxing tempo and tone when speaking.
Interesting that Alex did a similar puzzle with a woman named Carol, that he never saw, just like Maria with Ernest. One particular detail is that both stories are related to Mary. The items that Maria found were use by James in the rebirth ending, The cards that Alex found were similar to Mary's journey with James.
Seems to me that the mansion is a manifestation of what Mary is, she was a very beloved wife, that was very into her house, but also she wants to be a mother. All these details are presence on that place. But there is a catch, remember that Silent Hill is a manifestation of your own fears, that means that's what Mary was afraid of at the same time. That's why the phrase said "Stay away from that haunted mansion".
One thing that is always the big question is, why the town cursed Mary with a disease?, some people believe this happen because of her surname, she is Shepherd. Both James and Mary were target by the town by their ancesters.
Fantastic video! Your choice of video topic is always so intriguing and your scripts are always so engaging! Well done!
Return of the Queen
Your analysis is right on point. Maria’s name was chosen specifically for a reason she represents the Virgin Mary but in the case of Maria a hyper sexualized version. This is exactly what silent hill is all about every character is representation of(in this case James) someone’s deepest fears, longing and/or intense desires. Not every character in Silent Hill is evil. Angela would be the one exception since she is a real person
I just thought of that idea ... Maria is the product of James and Mary - The Idea of being Born from a wish ... The Wish from James to want a more healthy and better looking partner and Mary wishing to be well and not to pathetic and ugly like Mary described herself... and there Maria has a life of its own. The gun at the beginning hinting the wishes of Mary to end it all.
I might be misremembering, but I think the gun she starts with has only one bullet loaded in, which made me think she was contemplating suicide when I played it.
I didn't know about this sub campaign. I really like the expansion of Maria's Character. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for the vid
Another amazing video, so happy I found your channel, never played the sub scenario, paused this video yesterday so I could go play it and wow...its really well done..nothing like I expected, I was shocked by how normal and clean everything was too.
Hope you had a great Halloween, thanks for giving me reason to finally play this part of SH2.
Always Love your Refreshing take, Analyses & Insight on gaming content, Eurothug 4000 😊
Welp, that makes one of you.. Kidding! I really enjoy this scenario even though I don't have it on my original copy of Silent Hill 2 so I've never been able to play it, but I enjoy watching the playthrus! I love the atmosphere and how it explains how Maria came to be! Great video, thanks!✌️
LETS GOO
Хороший обзор. Рождённая желанием тоже моё самое любимое DLC. Мария это трагичный персонаж
I like how you say eurothug so casually
Born from a Dream originally released with Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams, the Xbox port/remaster. At some point it got ported back to the PS2, but I think it was in the Greatest Hits release or somesuch. I didn't even know it made it back until years later.