16:33 "Silent Hill may not have the most intricate survival horror systems, but the title's expertly executed vibe, player character presentation, and heavier emphasis on the experience over gameplay loop sells survival horror genuinely." That is exactly what made Silent Hill so special back then and today, distilled down into a sentence.
Love to find you here Max! I just finished your newest video, and them recommended me here and funnily enough I found you here 😂 love to see it, thanks for saving me Max and for making such amazing videos, I’ve literally watched them all in order to study for my game, perhaps look after a game “project 13” one day, you will be highly credited too btw! Thanks!
@maxderrat you're also here? Of course! When there's Silent Hill, there's you! Thank you for explaining some of the things I don't fully understand from the original and the remake!
Silent Hill has always been about atmosphere and psychological dread over action and survival, so it's certainly meant to be a very specific cup of tea for fans of the horror genre who're more interest on mood and tone than action and survival.
My late mum who was never into games, watched me play SH4: The Room and was hooked and wanted to see me play the whole game. The Silent Hill series will always hold a special place in my heart for that reason. ♥️
What a coincidence that two other people in this thread watched someone else play SH4 like I did. My brother and I used to stay up late together and I would watch him play the game. I remember feeling so creeped out and fascinated at the same time. This was around the time when everyone still hated SH4, but I loved it for its haunting story, visuals and music. I'm glad people have come around to it now!
SH2 and 3 are obviously the fan favorites and for good reason, but Lisa's death is very easily one of the best scenes in any pieces of art ever produced, such a heartbreaking and disturbing scene where every aspect of the game comes together to produce something much greater than the sum of its parts
@deadbeef6332 she never said that. And you are coming out here and saying that as if it is fact is idiotic. She said she wouldn't cover the sh2 remake, lol not this game.
@@halbarmensch6304 "she" said a lot of contradicting things before, not sure what is all this about really since I cant see other comments anymore just yours but I will just add that related to your comment no need to be protective or sugarcoat anything. It's pointless. "I played this game 20 years ago" "I played this game close to it's release" so WHICH ONE IS IT?! things like that trigger me hard like wtf is this narrative even ... Who the f k even needs to cover cashgrabs and pointless toxic w ste like SH2Remake is anyway ?! WHAT is there to even cover !!!!!!??? And why even bother to argue over it. Move on people. You people should give it all a rest and not take seriously what ANY youtuber says since 95% of them are nothing but clickbaiters, attention seeking weirdos among other things ... Even if they are right sometimes I cant trust them. Mood swing weirdos etc who cant make up their mind over anything like who even cares I mean this person even changed a you know what, so do I need to take such people seriously? No thanks ... Moving on.
It's insane that all of us made it past the piano puzzle back when the game first launched, but none of us can remember how. It's like the secrets in Symphony of the Night. We were just born with the knowledge.
oh as a child playing the SH1 demo I absolutely had no idea how to solve it. I didn't put together the "voiceless birds" hint meaning I should hit the broken keys instead of the ones that sound normal.
Back then, I got that puzzle even harder 'cause the game was in English and my english level was basic, at best. but once I figured out and with dictionary in hand, I felt like the smartest person alive.
Secrets of SotN.... Dude, that game is significant in my life because years would go by and I'd learn some new secret about it. A new weapon, spell, breakable wall. It just kept surprising me over and over. To this day, I'm sure I'm missing a wall or two.
That's how I am with the safe code in the original RE2. I know it's in a document somewhere in the game but it's been twenty something years since I needed to find the document, and the code is just burned into my brain.
I am absolutely in love with the way Silent Hill does their maps. It's so immersive because it really feels like it's a dude holding a map and circling things with a marker. I mean I know that's what it's supposed to be but it really feels that way and it just is so little but it just takes the immersion just that bit farther to sell that you're just a normal person walking around this town mocking on a map
Yeah, that's actually one thing I really liked about the remake. How James literally pulls out the map every now and then to jot down notes. It's a small touch, but it adds a lot
What I really love about some of your long format videos Suzi is how you really take time to dig deep and give credit and insight into some of the major developmental roles for these games. Having full sections to talk about composers, directors, producers, character designers, SFX artists, and more is great! I love getting those insights into their inspirations and thought process while developing these games. It's something I think you do very well and helps your videos stand apart nicely! I know it can't be done for all of the videos, and for certain games there isn't always a lot of behind-the-scenes info available, but when it is; it's nice to see you show so much love towards the process of creating the game you're covering!
A keystone in Mad history, art and gaming. And able to handle challenging themes like psychiatric survivorship and CSA with empathy and grace. And damn, do her outfits slay
It's a great review, here are some insights I'd like to add: First, the horror direction of Silent Hill 1 is stellar. These parts are not mentioned by Suzi, but Silent Hill is excellent in being subtly creepy. The first example of this is the portal to the Hospital's Other World. The way the 4th floor button appears without fanfare was so subtle it took 14-year-old me to realize a few beats too late that something was wrong. Another example would be the two trips Harry makes into the sewers. One thing that you unconsciously rely on as a player is the radio. With it around, the devs have made it impossible for them to truly jumpscare you, since you will have advance warning of any incoming creatures. That all went away in the sewers, since radios don't work underground. Also, having both sewer trips end with a chase to the exit makes those sections extra daunting and memorable. Second would be the music. Akira Yamaoka really knew his stuff to unsettle you, with his brand of industrial noises in the soundtrack. At least in Resident Evil, while the crisis music (like the infamous zombie door or Marvin rotting into a zombie in front of you in RE2) is intense, you still expected it on some level. In Silent Hill 1 though, while I could power through Resident Evil's scariest music, Silent Hill's industrial noises were something else entirely. It was like my mind came to a dead stop in processing the noises, especially in the School. In the end, I had to turn off the music or be overwhelmed psychologically and left unable to play. Finally, the bit about the dentist drill Suzi mentioned was the final boss music. Apparently it represents the sound of the radio. Normal creatures get static. The Incubus on the other hand had such a humongous presence that the radio went so haywire that only distorted dentist drill sounds could reflect what kind of otherworldly being it was.
Just wanted to say thank you for all your content! Your knowledge and relationship with the survival horror genre is unmistakably strong. It is one of the many great reasons why your channel resonates with so many!
Ever since rewatching NakeyJakey’s vid on SH2 and rewatching your RE4 videos, I’m really happy you made this and hope that you can do similar videos for 2 and 3
Silent Hill is one of those games where I vividly remember that I was still way to young for a game like this when I played it the first time. Never made it very far.
I remember playing the demo at my friends house. It creeped us out. I didn't have a PS yet. But the first game I rented when I got one was Resident Evil. I think it took a while to revisit Silent Hill after the demo.
I'm thrilled to see you covering my favorite PS1 game. ❤ For that piano puzzle, I remember having to borrow a friend's beginner piano book to try and solve that thing. XD
The reason why she wasn't even referenced was stated by Team Silent to be due to them not seeing Cybil as a relevant character which Alessa had any reason to know anything about. Since Cybil's fate is inconsequential to Harry and Alessa's survival, it makes sense for her to be ignored in Heather's story.
@@Snook1985 Do you have a source for Ito's statement? I've read contradictory statements from other Team Silent members suggesting Harry did figure out that throwing liquid Aglaophotis on Cybil would exorcize the parasite controlling her.
I have always said that the Silent Hill trilogy is a series that is about Violence Against Women. The first game you see the perspective of the victim, (Alyssa) the second game you see the perspective of the culprit (James) and the third game you see the perspective of the survivor (Heather.)
@@VegetaHitsGirls it's clear she's poking fun at the twitter morons in two different instances in the video. Saying the video is 'full' of it is hilarious.
Im very interested in seeing what you have to say about Silent Hill 3, since it’s your favorite if i remember right. Also i Really REALLY want to see that Heather mason cosplay 👀
The "horror adventure" analysis on the Japanese cover was brilliant insight. The self-awareness of what Silent hill was at the time from Konami themselves, and how they were marketing the game, is something I didn't know much about. Awesome as usual, great video!
I tried to play this so many years ago and the radio always freaked out to the point of quitting. I finally finished it last week. I can't say I enjoyed playing it myself (or watching my partner play it), though there are some really cool things in it. I honestly enjoy watching your video, or thinking about the game way more than interacting with it.
To be fair thats what most SH retrospectives do. RE is part of SH history. It wasnt just inspired by RE, it was Team Silent's answer to RE. The 2 games that are responsible for the entire horror genre in gaming.
yay I almost never get to watch video essays on just silent hill one because there’s often straying into talk of other titles in the franchise, and I’ve only just beat the first and second games for the first time in the last couple years!! I still want to indulge in content for the game I just finished without risking spoilers for the ones I’ve yet to get to. Thank you Suzi for taking the time to produce this. I wasn’t sure id want to replay the first game, but im really nostalgic of my one playthrough of it, as well that I was streaming at the time and so I didn’t get to experience the game with just myself and I’d like to have that! And now watching this it’s making me want to actually replay it aaaa *looks away from my unplayed copy of silent hill 3* PS I’ve longed for years to see you, fellow sphere hunter, talk about Final Fantasy X-2!! if ever you’ve considered it, I just want to assure you I will watch!!
Finally caved into covering Silent Hill, huh. It's about time, because opinions aside of how you or anyone feels about it. It's too damn good of a horror game for it to be left behind and forgotten like many that will suffer that exact fate.
There also happens to be a band called Portishead, and their 1994 album dummy definitely had some influence in Akira Yamaoka and how the soundtrack turned out. Listen to the song Sour Times and you can hear the original silent hill theme immediately. The next one strangers i feel also had a bit of a hand in the feel of certain tracks throughout the series
I actually think this is one of the best videos you have done. I also loved the sponsoring, it was fun and fit well. Also Goth Alessa Suzie is a think I didn't know I wanted, but it hit the spot perfectly.
Silent Hill 1 is the most scariest i absolutely love every playthru. Im playing it again now im gonna get the bad ending as i have never done it before. Cheers and thankyou so much Sphere Hunter xo :)
Lucky you, i got it on my first playthrough due to the game giving the impression i had to rush through it in order to rescue Cheryl. Team Silent, you devils.
I played the first Silent Hill a couple of times as a teen, though for some reason I never reached the end. Not until like... two years ago? It certainly wasn't because I was disinterested. I think I was just too occupied with exploring the later entries. I LOVED my experience with it, and I've been meaning to replay it ever since. But, once again, things (or rather, other games) keep getting in the way. I've kinda started to enjoy this relationship I have with the game. It's like it's trying to hide away from me, somewhere in the fog. But I'll find it again, one day. Perhaps as soon as I'm done replaying the SH2 remake for the second, third, or fifth time?? Great video Suzi! Can't wait to see you cover the rest of the series!!
One thing I always thought was interesting that you didn't bring up. What Dahlia calls the "Mark of Samael" is actually the Seal of Metatron. Alessa was using this seal to try and prevent the awakening of the cult's god. Harry is essentially playing right into Dahlia and the cult's plan until the end of the game.
@57:45 agreed, can't wait for you to naturally get to SH3... it's a masterclass in sequels that makes both media such perfect companion pieces that enhance the story and brings it to something legendary.
I intend to make EN videos debunking Twin Perfect's The REAL Silent Hill Experience since there is so much misinfo, but needless to say the missing memo doesn’t confirm Alessa was burned by a boiler explosion. It merely says the police believe the fire to have been caused by an antiquated boiler. Alessa's story mirrors alchemy, and the steps involve burning, splitting, recombining and such. And the third game pretty much confirms Dahlia intentionally set fire to Alessa with not only memos but the Halo of the Sun, which is a real ritual where a sorcerer sets fire on a sacrifice.
Doesn't SH: Origins show the ritual happening in real time while Travis is trying to save Alessa? I know that to many, the post-Team Silent games aren't considered part of the canon, but seeing as Konami has shown continuity with all of them, i don't see reason not to acknowledge them as well.
While Silent Hill 2 was my first experience into this world. I do love this one quite a lot. It might not be the typical survival horror, but I think it really nails the atmosphere. Especially when it comes to the use of sound and silence. The movie style camera angles makes it feel like you're being watched, which just adds to the creepyness! Also very nice having the intro sound as the outro!
The sh2 remake soundtrack is so ridiculously good it baffles me that I've never heard anything like it before It literally makes the game 1000 times scarier
Akira Yamaoka is truly a genius for creating such an extensive soundtrack able to encompass emotions and moods through creative use of percusion, real life sounds and exquisite blend of synthetic sound and real instrumentation.
@HugoStiglitz88 If you look into Japanese rock from about 1994-onward, you can hear a lot of stuff like SH2's and 3's songs-it's all fairly standard J-rock with a lot of the natural minor scale-and people have tracked down the specific stock effect CDs he used to make the abstract tracks in 1-3. He uses very standard, pre-existing tools very smartly. Great tunes and tones, but you absolutely could have heard things like it before if you'd looked for them.
Another Suzi banger, no surprise there! SO happy to finally hear you cover this game. It's so easy to lose sight of just how much of a BEAST this was on the PS1 technically, especially when it gets so overshadowed by SH2, even before the remake. Poor Harry getting snubbed by James yet again.
So true on poor Harry getting shoved aside in favor of the wife-killer with issues. Goes to show how favoritist Konami is to have preference for the overrated sequel over the original title which started it all.
Yesss , the later silent hills are great ofc but I feel like based on its later successes and graphical jumps 1 is left behind in discussions. Played it for the first time couple months ago and loved it! Perfect blend of psychological, and occult. Great atmosphere and that fixed camera has some gorgeous shots - glad to see it get the love it deserves! Except the bosses lol
Correction: If you already start moving by pressing the D-Pad, bumpers for strafe or Left stick, it does take a second to sprint after pressing square, BUT if you pressed square before moving you sprint immediately. Great video nonetheless Sphere.
I really appreciate you diving into Silent Hill from the beginning. 1 and 3 were always my favorites as a pair, and I feel like most everyone like to just gloss over them and focus on 2.
This is crazy I follow you since who know how much years ago and I always tought, how is that she havent done any SH revew I would love to see that, glad that it finally comes up, great work as always =)
Suzi always looks so good in these cosplays I played Silent Hill 1 years ago on my ps vita. It was great but lately I've been playing Silent Hill 2 remake on ps5 and I cannot believe how good this game is. I heard sh2 was the best horror ever, but I didn't think it would crack my top 5 games ever and it really might. Top 10 at the very least. Theres been so many times in it where I thought some of its ideas for gameplay, presentation, scares or its best horror soundtrack EVER were all so ingenious that I kept asking, why have I never seen this in a horror game before? Idk if people are as high on that game as I am but I seriously think it's a masterpiece and blew my expectations away in a way only 1 other game ever has (the last guardian) I'm only sad that I'm so insanely desensitized To horror that nothing scares me anymore because I can easily tell how terrifying the game actually is even though I'm not getting scared Definitely the scariest game ever
SH2 is actually considered to be the LEAST SCARY and THE EASIEST game in the series. The demake was just tiresome, generic modern OTS action game, that fucks up the atmosphere, tone, pacing, gameplay, story and acting. It's also a bizarre time-paradox SEQUEL to the 2001 original SH2, for some weird reason. tl;dr: play the SH1-3, originals. Ignore modern de-makes.
@@abinas7077I've played all of the old SH games, I've been a SH fan since the beginning. SH2 remake is legitimately really good. You don't speak for all of us.
I was disappointed when you said you were not going to cover SH2 Remaster but I respected the decision. But I'm ecstatic that you decided to do SH1! I had no idea I wasn't alone in fumbling through that piano puzzle.
I've completed this game like 20 times and love every single one of these experiences. I've wandered about reading store signs, finding Easter-eggs and enjoying the hell out of my saty in the town of Silent Hill
Ive always loved silent hill from far away. I just never had the opportunity to play the series but the idea of horror not being this jumpy in your face terrifying but subdued terror that tells an incredibly deep story is a concept i love dearly.
I told my brother as we tag teamed the SH 2 remake that the difference between SH and RE is that RE has you on guard from tactile, physical threats that can always pop out to get you. SH, meanwhile, leaves you in a deeply gross, spooky space and then just tries to crack your sanity with the soundtrack while nothing comes to get you...yet. Combat is objectively very easy in SH, IMO. It's the idea of what could confront you that really gets you.
It was crazy for me seeing your analysis because recently i gave it my second playthrough, perfect timing hahah, this game is awesome, a true masterpiece ❤
You did a TON of really fun stuff in this video. Quality is A Plus. Even the ad with Robbie was great. Been watching your vids for a while but this one blew me away! The lighting of your set locked me in. I’ve heard people talk about Silent Hill so many times throughout the years, I’m not sure if there’s anything I haven’t heard about it… doesn’t matter. I had to watch the entire thing. You really went in on the research too. I can tell you’re a long time fan.
What happened to Lisa is the most haunting thing I've ever experienced in a videogame, full stop. Awesome retrospective. I still own this, of course, and you do a great job of conveying a lot of what this felt like when it first came out. Really agree with the dreamlike loading screens of Harry running. Just an interesting little side note. Another big one for me are the character designs. I don't know if it's the shadows under the eyes or what, but there's a "look" to the people in this game (and SH2 and 3), that I find gives a lot of Silent Hill it's visual identity. The very reason SH got on my radar was the image of Cybil that came as an ad in the Metal Gear Solid CD case.
As a stupid babby 17 year old when this game came out I absolutely got the "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" ending my first run. Silent Hill; I think, is the first piece of media that taught me to actually pay attention to what characters were saying and introduced me to concept of context clues from a video game standpoint.
SH1 is still the very greatest Silent Hill game, and thus one of the greatest survival horror games ever made. Start with this one, folks! Do not jump straight to SH2. Especially not its ""remake"" (*sequel).
21:20 I find it funny how many people still consider the Piano puzzle to be a "massive roadblock". The hints were pretty darn obvious to me, even as a pre-teen kid; "silent tongues" + a bunch of black and white birds!
I know you’ve got remake fatigue. Which is totally understandable. But now that SH2 Remake is a resounding success. You thinking of maybe giving it a look see? As a fan of the OG as well. I actually really enjoyed this remake. It was genuinely one of the most terrifying games I’ve played in a very long time. In my personal opinion, they knocked it out of the park with this one. Love the vid by the way!
The de-make was still trash. Appealing to the "wider audiences" always yields more income, but at the expense of the artistic integrity and the IP's identity.
If code veronica remake released this year, that ‘remake fatigue’ wouldn’t even come to suzie’s mind. Sh2 remake probably being the best of the modern bunch of remakes makes this even weirder.
That’s definitely the thing I like about Silent Hill 1, is that it’s not psychological when it comes to Harry. Unlike future games, the monsters aren’t connected to him at all. They’re Alessa’s creatures. Sadly, we only return to this in Silent Hill 4.
I know there's a lot of Thoughts about Silent Hill 2 Remake, but when I was a teenager I was not allowed to play survival horror games and I never got to play it. I'm very happy to finally play Silent Hill 2, and I'm excited to watch your retrospectives on these incredible games. I used to freak myself out reading the guides for these games in old Playstation Magazines, oh what a particular time in history.
@@deadmoon16 She is not tired of Capcom remakes lol. I mean, she was playing Dead Rising Deluxe 10 days before SH2R dropped, enjoying it and tweeting how she is going to do a second playthrough. But when SH2R was coming out she wad suddenly tired of remakes))) It is most ironic because Bloober present their own interpretation of the game, and honestly, in terms of overall faithfullness, the remake is on the level of RE1R. But Capcom just took the original Dead Rising, censored a bunch of stuff, hired mid-tier voice actors to re-record everything, made the game brain dead easy and released it. After this, and some other bullshit tweets like not wanting CV remade because SHE does not like the game, I cannot take anything this person says seriously.
Use code spherehunter at incogni.com/spherehunter to get an exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan!
@@TheSphereHunter thanks for another video! I am glad Bloober Team's Silent Hill 2 remake prove me and other people wrong.
@@fernandozavaletabustos205 you’re pathetic.
As someone who didnt care for the original i feel the remake did very good. The otherworld is especially better.
@@Zetchzie why are you tagging me in your posts?
Aspect ratio is part of art =)
16:33 "Silent Hill may not have the most intricate survival horror systems, but the title's expertly executed vibe, player character presentation, and heavier emphasis on the experience over gameplay loop sells survival horror genuinely." That is exactly what made Silent Hill so special back then and today, distilled down into a sentence.
Love to find you here Max! I just finished your newest video, and them recommended me here and funnily enough I found you here 😂 love to see it, thanks for saving me Max and for making such amazing videos, I’ve literally watched them all in order to study for my game, perhaps look after a game “project 13” one day, you will be highly credited too btw! Thanks!
@maxderrat you're also here? Of course! When there's Silent Hill, there's you!
Thank you for explaining some of the things I don't fully understand from the original and the remake!
man I love seeing both of you interact with each other, you have no idea how much I love both of you.
Ugh max- the most profound YT ever
Silent Hill has always been about atmosphere and psychological dread over action and survival, so it's certainly meant to be a very specific cup of tea for fans of the horror genre who're more interest on mood and tone than action and survival.
My late mum who was never into games, watched me play SH4: The Room and was hooked and wanted to see me play the whole game. The Silent Hill series will always hold a special place in my heart for that reason. ♥️
I keep hearing negative things about the more recent entries, so I am curious to see why.
I love this. What a beautiful thing to have shared. Bless you, man. I loved SH4 too as a departure from the traditional.
what was her reaction to the dash twist
I fondly remember watching my mom play SH4. Gaming with mom was the best
What a coincidence that two other people in this thread watched someone else play SH4 like I did. My brother and I used to stay up late together and I would watch him play the game. I remember feeling so creeped out and fascinated at the same time. This was around the time when everyone still hated SH4, but I loved it for its haunting story, visuals and music. I'm glad people have come around to it now!
That scene with Lisa discovering shes been dead is still one of the most incredible scenes in a psychological game ever.
I understand the feeling I always feel very sad wen i say goodbye to Lisa
I wanted to hold her so bad, even though you know she's beyond help.
SH2 and 3 are obviously the fan favorites and for good reason, but Lisa's death is very easily one of the best scenes in any pieces of art ever produced, such a heartbreaking and disturbing scene where every aspect of the game comes together to produce something much greater than the sum of its parts
specially the scene is made to be on Harry's POV. how she falls out of frame when she stumbles is just magnificent
Here's to hoping they'll make this scene even more memorable in the remake.
Ngl, an hour-long retrospective on Silent Hill is exactly what I need to keep myself preoccupied today.
same
same same
Me too!
same here
Suzi here to the rescue
Finally Suzie, I've been waiting for you to cover this for years. Thank you.
@deadbeef6332 she never said that. And you are coming out here and saying that as if it is fact is idiotic. She said she wouldn't cover the sh2 remake, lol not this game.
@@halbarmensch6304 "she" said a lot of contradicting things before, not sure what is all this about really since I cant see other comments anymore just yours but I will just add that related to your comment no need to be protective or sugarcoat anything. It's pointless.
"I played this game 20 years ago" "I played this game close to it's release" so WHICH ONE IS IT?! things like that trigger me hard like wtf is this narrative even ...
Who the f k even needs to cover cashgrabs and pointless toxic w ste like SH2Remake is anyway ?! WHAT is there to even cover !!!!!!??? And why even bother to argue over it. Move on people.
You people should give it all a rest and not take seriously what ANY youtuber says since 95% of them are nothing but clickbaiters, attention seeking weirdos among other things ... Even if they are right sometimes I cant trust them.
Mood swing weirdos etc who cant make up their mind over anything like who even cares I mean this person even changed a you know what, so do I need to take such people seriously? No thanks ...
Moving on.
It's insane that all of us made it past the piano puzzle back when the game first launched, but none of us can remember how. It's like the secrets in Symphony of the Night. We were just born with the knowledge.
oh as a child playing the SH1 demo I absolutely had no idea how to solve it. I didn't put together the "voiceless birds" hint meaning I should hit the broken keys instead of the ones that sound normal.
Back then, I got that puzzle even harder 'cause the game was in English and my english level was basic, at best. but once I figured out and with dictionary in hand, I felt like the smartest person alive.
Secrets of SotN....
Dude, that game is significant in my life because years would go by and I'd learn some new secret about it. A new weapon, spell, breakable wall. It just kept surprising me over and over. To this day, I'm sure I'm missing a wall or two.
That's how I am with the safe code in the original RE2. I know it's in a document somewhere in the game but it's been twenty something years since I needed to find the document, and the code is just burned into my brain.
What I did was draw birds on a sheet of paper with the given poem...it took me like 3 drawings until I got it right 😂
"In my restless dreams, I see that channel... The Sphere Hunter"
"You promised me you'd take me there again someday, but you never did. Well, I'm alone there now..."
😂
I am absolutely in love with the way Silent Hill does their maps. It's so immersive because it really feels like it's a dude holding a map and circling things with a marker. I mean I know that's what it's supposed to be but it really feels that way and it just is so little but it just takes the immersion just that bit farther to sell that you're just a normal person walking around this town mocking on a map
Yeah, that's actually one thing I really liked about the remake. How James literally pulls out the map every now and then to jot down notes. It's a small touch, but it adds a lot
OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOODDDDDDDDDD SHE MADE THE VIDEO
Yep and there’s so many others 😂
She's a man.
@@adamcampbell6094your parents aren’t proud adam
@@nomnom3093Fr
What I really love about some of your long format videos Suzi is how you really take time to dig deep and give credit and insight into some of the major developmental roles for these games. Having full sections to talk about composers, directors, producers, character designers, SFX artists, and more is great! I love getting those insights into their inspirations and thought process while developing these games.
It's something I think you do very well and helps your videos stand apart nicely! I know it can't be done for all of the videos, and for certain games there isn't always a lot of behind-the-scenes info available, but when it is; it's nice to see you show so much love towards the process of creating the game you're covering!
I was waiting for this video for years. I'm glad to see it finally come true.
American Mcgee's Alice duology are good psychological, survival horror games too!
I love those gamebs tew
A keystone in Mad history, art and gaming. And able to handle challenging themes like psychiatric survivorship and CSA with empathy and grace.
And damn, do her outfits slay
I wish they made another one I hate ea 😢
I don't think I want to see a game with "survical" or cervical horror. 😉🙃
I agree with the psychology, but someone needs to remind me how they're survival horror?
Loved this video!! Ive been waiting for you to cover SH, can't wait for part 2!!
It's a great review, here are some insights I'd like to add:
First, the horror direction of Silent Hill 1 is stellar. These parts are not mentioned by Suzi, but Silent Hill is excellent in being subtly creepy.
The first example of this is the portal to the Hospital's Other World. The way the 4th floor button appears without fanfare was so subtle it took 14-year-old me to realize a few beats too late that something was wrong. Another example would be the two trips Harry makes into the sewers. One thing that you unconsciously rely on as a player is the radio. With it around, the devs have made it impossible for them to truly jumpscare you, since you will have advance warning of any incoming creatures. That all went away in the sewers, since radios don't work underground. Also, having both sewer trips end with a chase to the exit makes those sections extra daunting and memorable.
Second would be the music. Akira Yamaoka really knew his stuff to unsettle you, with his brand of industrial noises in the soundtrack. At least in Resident Evil, while the crisis music (like the infamous zombie door or Marvin rotting into a zombie in front of you in RE2) is intense, you still expected it on some level. In Silent Hill 1 though, while I could power through Resident Evil's scariest music, Silent Hill's industrial noises were something else entirely. It was like my mind came to a dead stop in processing the noises, especially in the School. In the end, I had to turn off the music or be overwhelmed psychologically and left unable to play.
Finally, the bit about the dentist drill Suzi mentioned was the final boss music. Apparently it represents the sound of the radio. Normal creatures get static. The Incubus on the other hand had such a humongous presence that the radio went so haywire that only distorted dentist drill sounds could reflect what kind of otherworldly being it was.
Wish Yamaoka worked for Capcom so that the RE soundtrack could be as scary and iconic as its Konami equivalent.
Adderall kicked in, huh?
YOU KNOW HOW LONG IVE BEEN WAITING GIRLY?! I LOVE YOU PLEASE KEEP UP THE AMAZING CONTENT SO I CAN SHOW MY FRIENDS
Sphere hunter is an actual real life Silent Hill monstrosity
You're one of the best to ever do it, love ya Suzie
She's definitely on the mount Rushmore of Survival Horror content creators 💯
Just wanted to say thank you for all your content! Your knowledge and relationship with the survival horror genre is unmistakably strong. It is one of the many great reasons why your channel resonates with so many!
Ever since rewatching NakeyJakey’s vid on SH2 and rewatching your RE4 videos, I’m really happy you made this and hope that you can do similar videos for 2 and 3
Silent Hill is one of those games where I vividly remember that I was still way to young for a game like this when I played it the first time.
Never made it very far.
the beginning when u gotta follow cherly into the alley was enough for me to put the controller down
I remember playing the demo at my friends house. It creeped us out. I didn't have a PS yet. But the first game I rented when I got one was Resident Evil. I think it took a while to revisit Silent Hill after the demo.
42:17 "shattered memories" LOL she knew she was cooking with that one
Foreshadowing…?
I just beat Silent Hill for the first time a few days ago and came straight here to watch the SH1 video I assumed existed. Glad it exists now!
Now? It always existed for me. Oh, could you hold onto my knife for me as well?
I'm thrilled to see you covering my favorite PS1 game. ❤
For that piano puzzle, I remember having to borrow a friend's beginner piano book to try and solve that thing. XD
the most soothing voice on the internet returns. for an hour no less, it's nap time bois. luv ya Suzi
I always find it weird that Cybil Bennett is not even mentioned in Silent Hill 3 despite the good ending suggesting they survived together.
I think canonically she died during the events of SH1. I could be mistaken
Edit: i just checked. Masahiro Ito conformed she died.
The reason why she wasn't even referenced was stated by Team Silent to be due to them not seeing Cybil as a relevant character which Alessa had any reason to know anything about. Since Cybil's fate is inconsequential to Harry and Alessa's survival, it makes sense for her to be ignored in Heather's story.
@@Snook1985 Do you have a source for Ito's statement? I've read contradictory statements from other Team Silent members suggesting Harry did figure out that throwing liquid Aglaophotis on Cybil would exorcize the parasite controlling her.
@@javiervasquez625 he said it via twitter. I'm not saying his word is law overall. But he did say it.
@@Snook1985 Could you provide me with the actual tweet where he makes the statement? Otherwise i can't see why i should believe it.
Suzi, thank you for this hour-long Silent Hill video! You're one of my favorite creators!
I have always said that the Silent Hill trilogy is a series that is about Violence Against Women. The first game you see the perspective of the victim, (Alyssa) the second game you see the perspective of the culprit (James) and the third game you see the perspective of the survivor (Heather.)
1 hour Silent Hill video?! LET 👏HER👏COOK👏
She already did, its how we got the vid
Hehee
She's a man
5:50 "Despite what you *may* have heard..." Is that a nod to the "rocks in a washing machine" comment?
This review is full of being annoyed by Twitter and drama. At least it gets less abrasive later in the review.
@@VegetaHitsGirls it's clear she's poking fun at the twitter morons in two different instances in the video.
Saying the video is 'full' of it is hilarious.
@@JolyneD k
Im very interested in seeing what you have to say about Silent Hill 3, since it’s your favorite if i remember right. Also i Really REALLY want to see that Heather mason cosplay 👀
It's a lot of people's favorite. It's just really good.
*bonk*
@@VegetaHitsGirls Not gonna lie, my favorite is 4
@THE_CYAN_TOP_HAT 4 has interesting things about it. But its definitely the kind of game I would hate playing through.
@ it’s definitely not for everyone. I love the game, it’s my favorite but it’s very flawed but i still think it’s the scariest
The "horror adventure" analysis on the Japanese cover was brilliant insight. The self-awareness of what Silent hill was at the time from Konami themselves, and how they were marketing the game, is something I didn't know much about. Awesome as usual, great video!
the scariest game ive ever played on ps1
I’ve been patiently, eagerly awaiting this episode for so long.
I tried to play this so many years ago and the radio always freaked out to the point of quitting. I finally finished it last week. I can't say I enjoyed playing it myself (or watching my partner play it), though there are some really cool things in it. I honestly enjoy watching your video, or thinking about the game way more than interacting with it.
> finally releases a silent hill video after a decade of horror game analysis
> first game mentioned in video is resident evil
Never change i love you
To be fair thats what most SH retrospectives do. RE is part of SH history. It wasnt just inspired by RE, it was Team Silent's answer to RE. The 2 games that are responsible for the entire horror genre in gaming.
@@BL00DYME55 Horror games existed way before SH and RE, RE was heavily inspired by AitD released in 1992.
@@BL00DYME55 Too bad because RE is shit and is barely scary or survival horror apart from a few titles.
yay I almost never get to watch video essays on just silent hill one because there’s often straying into talk of other titles in the franchise, and I’ve only just beat the first and second games for the first time in the last couple years!! I still want to indulge in content for the game I just finished without risking spoilers for the ones I’ve yet to get to. Thank you Suzi for taking the time to produce this. I wasn’t sure id want to replay the first game, but im really nostalgic of my one playthrough of it, as well that I was streaming at the time and so I didn’t get to experience the game with just myself and I’d like to have that! And now watching this it’s making me want to actually replay it aaaa *looks away from my unplayed copy of silent hill 3*
PS I’ve longed for years to see you, fellow sphere hunter, talk about Final Fantasy X-2!! if ever you’ve considered it, I just want to assure you I will watch!!
Finally caved into covering Silent Hill, huh. It's about time, because opinions aside of how you or anyone feels about it. It's too damn good of a horror game for it to be left behind and forgotten like many that will suffer that exact fate.
There also happens to be a band called Portishead, and their 1994 album dummy definitely had some influence in Akira Yamaoka and how the soundtrack turned out. Listen to the song Sour Times and you can hear the original silent hill theme immediately. The next one strangers i feel also had a bit of a hand in the feel of certain tracks throughout the series
I was wondering when you were gonna make this. More specifically SH2R, but 'the whole franchise' works too.
I actually think this is one of the best videos you have done. I also loved the sponsoring, it was fun and fit well.
Also Goth Alessa Suzie is a think I didn't know I wanted, but it hit the spot perfectly.
Silent Hill 1 is the most scariest i absolutely love every playthru. Im playing it again now im gonna get the bad ending as i have never done it before. Cheers and thankyou so much Sphere Hunter xo :)
Lucky you, i got it on my first playthrough due to the game giving the impression i had to rush through it in order to rescue Cheryl. Team Silent, you devils.
I played the first Silent Hill a couple of times as a teen, though for some reason I never reached the end. Not until like... two years ago? It certainly wasn't because I was disinterested. I think I was just too occupied with exploring the later entries.
I LOVED my experience with it, and I've been meaning to replay it ever since. But, once again, things (or rather, other games) keep getting in the way. I've kinda started to enjoy this relationship I have with the game. It's like it's trying to hide away from me, somewhere in the fog. But I'll find it again, one day. Perhaps as soon as I'm done replaying the SH2 remake for the second, third, or fifth time??
Great video Suzi! Can't wait to see you cover the rest of the series!!
Finally thx Suzie for convering my childhood horror game I used to play in the PSP :)
One thing I always thought was interesting that you didn't bring up. What Dahlia calls the "Mark of Samael" is actually the Seal of Metatron. Alessa was using this seal to try and prevent the awakening of the cult's god. Harry is essentially playing right into Dahlia and the cult's plan until the end of the game.
I remember just recently searching for Silent Hill videos on your channel and could not find any
So I am really excited about this!
I cannot believe how stunning those cutscenes look after 25 years. I really miss that 'silent hill cutscenes' style of graphics
Chef kiss intro 😂
And great timing, I just met "you" in cyberpunk again! Looking forward to chilling with the vid while I attend to my nightly duties
@57:45 agreed, can't wait for you to naturally get to SH3... it's a masterclass in sequels that makes both media such perfect companion pieces that enhance the story and brings it to something legendary.
Yet you won’t play SH2 remake?
@52:30 this would be such a sick way to expand a SH1R, and exactly what I think Bloober Team would LOVE to get to do.
I intend to make EN videos debunking Twin Perfect's The REAL Silent Hill Experience since there is so much misinfo, but needless to say the missing memo doesn’t confirm Alessa was burned by a boiler explosion. It merely says the police believe the fire to have been caused by an antiquated boiler. Alessa's story mirrors alchemy, and the steps involve burning, splitting, recombining and such. And the third game pretty much confirms Dahlia intentionally set fire to Alessa with not only memos but the Halo of the Sun, which is a real ritual where a sorcerer sets fire on a sacrifice.
Doesn't SH: Origins show the ritual happening in real time while Travis is trying to save Alessa? I know that to many, the post-Team Silent games aren't considered part of the canon, but seeing as Konami has shown continuity with all of them, i don't see reason not to acknowledge them as well.
it honestly boggles the mind that SH fans will sooner trust the cops than dark magic
While Silent Hill 2 was my first experience into this world. I do love this one quite a lot. It might not be the typical survival horror, but I think it really nails the atmosphere. Especially when it comes to the use of sound and silence. The movie style camera angles makes it feel like you're being watched, which just adds to the creepyness!
Also very nice having the intro sound as the outro!
This Game’s soundtrack is beyond creepy when I was kid. I love the SH sequels
The sh2 remake soundtrack is so ridiculously good it baffles me that I've never heard anything like it before
It literally makes the game 1000 times scarier
Akira Yamaoka is truly a genius for creating such an extensive soundtrack able to encompass emotions and moods through creative use of percusion, real life sounds and exquisite blend of synthetic sound and real instrumentation.
@HugoStiglitz88 If you look into Japanese rock from about 1994-onward, you can hear a lot of stuff like SH2's and 3's songs-it's all fairly standard J-rock with a lot of the natural minor scale-and people have tracked down the specific stock effect CDs he used to make the abstract tracks in 1-3.
He uses very standard, pre-existing tools very smartly. Great tunes and tones, but you absolutely could have heard things like it before if you'd looked for them.
It's always a good day to see a Sphere Hunter video is up!
I was so stressed out today with the election and starting a knew job in the morning, this is exactly what I needed 🥰 never stop please!!
Love the silent Hill content on UA-cam it makes me so happy and loving your vibe I'm definitely subscribing
Another Suzi banger, no surprise there!
SO happy to finally hear you cover this game. It's so easy to lose sight of just how much of a BEAST this was on the PS1 technically, especially when it gets so overshadowed by SH2, even before the remake. Poor Harry getting snubbed by James yet again.
So true on poor Harry getting shoved aside in favor of the wife-killer with issues. Goes to show how favoritist Konami is to have preference for the overrated sequel over the original title which started it all.
@33:24 "died in a fire, seven years prior" will be stuck in my head for a while.
Yesss , the later silent hills are great ofc but I feel like based on its later successes and graphical jumps 1 is left behind in discussions. Played it for the first time couple months ago and loved it! Perfect blend of psychological, and occult. Great atmosphere and that fixed camera has some gorgeous shots - glad to see it get the love it deserves!
Except the bosses lol
Here's to hoping they'll remake it soon to both enhance and fix some of the key points of the original.
Sophy - silent hill deserves credit for over shoulder camera
me - *rocking crying dead aim back and forth, 'its ok baby, its ok...' *
Sorry Suzie but there is a typo at 58:40. Great video otherwise 😂
Correction: If you already start moving by pressing the D-Pad, bumpers for strafe or Left stick, it does take a second to sprint after pressing square, BUT if you pressed square before moving you sprint immediately.
Great video nonetheless Sphere.
I really appreciate you diving into Silent Hill from the beginning. 1 and 3 were always my favorites as a pair, and I feel like most everyone like to just gloss over them and focus on 2.
Ive played 1, but haven't played 3, or the original 2, but I LOVE the remake of 2. Best horror game ever IMO
Harry Mason is the true Gigachad of Horror games. He is a truly good man and my fave character in the Silent Hill series.
In my restless dreams I see that retrospective...Silent Hill...you promised you'd take us there one day...and today you did.
This is crazy I follow you since who know how much years ago and I always tought, how is that she havent done any SH revew I would love to see that, glad that it finally comes up, great work as always =)
Suzi always looks so good in these cosplays
I played Silent Hill 1 years ago on my ps vita. It was great but lately I've been playing Silent Hill 2 remake on ps5 and I cannot believe how good this game is.
I heard sh2 was the best horror ever, but I didn't think it would crack my top 5 games ever and it really might. Top 10 at the very least.
Theres been so many times in it where I thought some of its ideas for gameplay, presentation, scares or its best horror soundtrack EVER were all so ingenious that I kept asking, why have I never seen this in a horror game before?
Idk if people are as high on that game as I am but I seriously think it's a masterpiece and blew my expectations away in a way only 1 other game ever has (the last guardian)
I'm only sad that I'm so insanely desensitized To horror that nothing scares me anymore because I can easily tell how terrifying the game actually is even though I'm not getting scared
Definitely the scariest game ever
SH2 is actually considered to be the LEAST SCARY and THE EASIEST game in the series. The demake was just tiresome, generic modern OTS action game, that fucks up the atmosphere, tone, pacing, gameplay, story and acting. It's also a bizarre time-paradox SEQUEL to the 2001 original SH2, for some weird reason.
tl;dr: play the SH1-3, originals. Ignore modern de-makes.
@@abinas7077he never mentioned the remake at all
@@abinas7077 "dEmAkE". Literally everything you said about the Silent Hill 2 Remake is objectively wrong.
@@chandlerburse ”I’ve been playing the Silent Hill 2 remake on ps5…”
@@abinas7077I've played all of the old SH games, I've been a SH fan since the beginning. SH2 remake is legitimately really good. You don't speak for all of us.
I was disappointed when you said you were not going to cover SH2 Remaster but I respected the decision. But I'm ecstatic that you decided to do SH1! I had no idea I wasn't alone in fumbling through that piano puzzle.
Filming the video in the game’s original aspect ratio is *chef’s kiss*
I've completed this game like 20 times and love every single one of these experiences.
I've wandered about reading store signs, finding Easter-eggs and enjoying the hell out of my saty in the town of Silent Hill
Harry Mason and Kiryu Kazuma would be best buds for being outstanding father of the year.
And Ethan winters
Great video as always Suzi.
26:55 till this day, I still see nobody talking about the weird random chewing animation Dalia has in this cutscene.
I always assumed she was taking White Claudia for ritualistic purposes.
She might be tweaking on that drug they sold
Ive always loved silent hill from far away. I just never had the opportunity to play the series but the idea of horror not being this jumpy in your face terrifying but subdued terror that tells an incredibly deep story is a concept i love dearly.
The 4:3 aspect ratio is a nice touch.
What a great video. You also look great SH!
I told my brother as we tag teamed the SH 2 remake that the difference between SH and RE is that RE has you on guard from tactile, physical threats that can always pop out to get you. SH, meanwhile, leaves you in a deeply gross, spooky space and then just tries to crack your sanity with the soundtrack while nothing comes to get you...yet. Combat is objectively very easy in SH, IMO. It's the idea of what could confront you that really gets you.
This video was great. Sent me down memory lane on the Jampack 2000 demo which introduced me to Silent Hill. Great memories.
A strange choice to put the sound of a brick thrown into a washing machine as a background music of your video.
Thanks for the breakdown shawty
This is the Silent Hill review i was waiting for
It was crazy for me seeing your analysis because recently i gave it my second playthrough, perfect timing hahah, this game is awesome, a true masterpiece ❤
Thank you for making this retrospective Suzy!!
finally! oh god ive waited too long for a big fan to dive into the masterpiece. suzy awesome work
Yeah. Weren't you sh***ing on Silent Hill and Akira Yamaoka's works a few weeks ago???
Exactly
You did a TON of really fun stuff in this video. Quality is A Plus. Even the ad with Robbie was great. Been watching your vids for a while but this one blew me away! The lighting of your set locked me in. I’ve heard people talk about Silent Hill so many times throughout the years, I’m not sure if there’s anything I haven’t heard about it… doesn’t matter. I had to watch the entire thing. You really went in on the research too. I can tell you’re a long time fan.
I just got to the end. Bravo. 🎉
in restless my that dream. that i town see…hill silent
-Dissociated comment.
I swear reading this gave me a stroke
You had a stroke?
In my dreamless rizz, I seal that cow......Hillent Sill
What happened to Lisa is the most haunting thing I've ever experienced in a videogame, full stop. Awesome retrospective. I still own this, of course, and you do a great job of conveying a lot of what this felt like when it first came out. Really agree with the dreamlike loading screens of Harry running. Just an interesting little side note.
Another big one for me are the character designs. I don't know if it's the shadows under the eyes or what, but there's a "look" to the people in this game (and SH2 and 3), that I find gives a lot of Silent Hill it's visual identity. The very reason SH got on my radar was the image of Cybil that came as an ad in the Metal Gear Solid CD case.
Hey Suzi! Thanks for the vid, have a great day!
You nailed this. Just what I needed this week too.
WEEEEEEE ABOUT TIME!
As a stupid babby 17 year old when this game came out I absolutely got the "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" ending my first run. Silent Hill; I think, is the first piece of media that taught me to actually pay attention to what characters were saying and introduced me to concept of context clues from a video game standpoint.
SH1 is still the very greatest Silent Hill game, and thus one of the greatest survival horror games ever made.
Start with this one, folks! Do not jump straight to SH2. Especially not its ""remake"" (*sequel).
21:20 I find it funny how many people still consider the Piano puzzle to be a "massive roadblock". The hints were pretty darn obvious to me, even as a pre-teen kid; "silent tongues" + a bunch of black and white birds!
Wdym the remake is a "sequel"?
@@Johnspartan296 The game implies it's another version of James like Maria, that's been stuck in a loop for 20 years since SH2.
@@willfanofmanyii3751 That hasn't been confirmed.
@@Johnspartan296 yeah it hasnt but Gugure here goes to every SINGLE comment about the remake or remakes in general and spews his hate
Thanks for another video Suzi! It's nice seeing you cover Silent Hill finally!
I know you’ve got remake fatigue. Which is totally understandable. But now that SH2 Remake is a resounding success. You thinking of maybe giving it a look see? As a fan of the OG as well. I actually really enjoyed this remake. It was genuinely one of the most terrifying games I’ve played in a very long time. In my personal opinion, they knocked it out of the park with this one. Love the vid by the way!
It's my favourite video game remake so yes it was a smash hit!!
No its actually not understandable
Not after them tweets she ain’t LOL
The de-make was still trash. Appealing to the "wider audiences" always yields more income, but at the expense of the artistic integrity and the IP's identity.
If code veronica remake released this year, that ‘remake fatigue’ wouldn’t even come to suzie’s mind.
Sh2 remake probably being the best of the modern bunch of remakes makes this even weirder.
That intro to Silent Hill is just so good. Almost as good as getting an hour long retrospective on a silent hill game from Sphear Hunter!
That’s definitely the thing I like about Silent Hill 1, is that it’s not psychological when it comes to Harry. Unlike future games, the monsters aren’t connected to him at all. They’re Alessa’s creatures. Sadly, we only return to this in Silent Hill 4.
I know there's a lot of Thoughts about Silent Hill 2 Remake, but when I was a teenager I was not allowed to play survival horror games and I never got to play it. I'm very happy to finally play Silent Hill 2, and I'm excited to watch your retrospectives on these incredible games. I used to freak myself out reading the guides for these games in old Playstation Magazines, oh what a particular time in history.
Play the SH2 remake. You are missing out.
Didn’t she say she’s tired of remakes?
She said she won't, finally a UA-camr who doesn't glaze the remake!
@@deadmoon16 Only the ones which aren't _Resident Evil._
@@deadmoon16 She is not tired of Capcom remakes lol. I mean, she was playing Dead Rising Deluxe 10 days before SH2R dropped, enjoying it and tweeting how she is going to do a second playthrough. But when SH2R was coming out she wad suddenly tired of remakes))) It is most ironic because Bloober present their own interpretation of the game, and honestly, in terms of overall faithfullness, the remake is on the level of RE1R. But Capcom just took the original Dead Rising, censored a bunch of stuff, hired mid-tier voice actors to re-record everything, made the game brain dead easy and released it. After this, and some other bullshit tweets like not wanting CV remade because SHE does not like the game, I cannot take anything this person says seriously.
@@inventor4279"glaze" it's a great game. Quit hating for literally no reason lmao.