The Rest of Silent Hill

This prequel predates the original game storywise, chronologically. You play as truck driver Travis, who rescues a burning girl from a burning building at first sight, but then soon stumbles upon the mysterious town of Silent Hill.

Gameplay is very similar towards the main entries, however it has been enhanced slightly to smoothen the experience. You will wander around the foggy town between 4 main areas, each of them comprising of a normal and an Otherworld segment, filled with freaky monsters.

Aside from survival horror using melee and range weaponry to kill enemies, and using supplies to boost your health back up, you will also have to solve puzzles of which hints have been scattered around. If you don’t pick up the map of the current area, expect to get lost quite soon.

Soon, it becomes clear that Travis is encountering his psychological manifestations as boss monsters, while also attempting to stop evil with a religious bad motive to doom everyone, also known as your typical Silent Hill plot.

Still, Origins/Zero captures the traditional Silent Hill mood good, which includes the fog, the dreadfulness, the Otherworld/Hellish depictions, freaky encounters and disturbing miscellaneous stuff. It’s worth checking out for the fans, but does not necessarily have the same quality or even scare factor.

Rating: 7.4

Also known as Silent Hill 5, this is the first entry developed by a Western studio, and also the first to use an over the should third person camera perspective. Gameplay wise, it's similar towards earlier titles in regards to exploring and puzzle solving.

You play as Alex, a Special Forces soldier who discovers that his family members are missing, as well as his mother being into a state of catatonia. After exploring his hometown Sheperd's Glen, he is leaded into the strange Silent Hill.

Homecoming is much more action oriented though, as you are able to upgrade weapons, perform counters and do light and heavy physical attacks and combo's. As you are able to control the camera here too, scare wise, I was not impressed, it definitely felt more like action horror than survival horror.

Rating: 7.1

This time, the next major and final title for the main series is developed by an European studio. Silent Hill Downpour lets you play as Murphy, a convicted felon who through a series of circumstances stumbles upon Silent Hill.

It's a more faithful return towards the pacing and the general mood than the previous game's action and linearity, and it's atmosphere, story and creepiness all deliver better too, however by this point, those weren't enough to fill in the void of the uninteresting combat, monsters and actual gameplay.

Certainly it has a unique style of presentation on it's own, kind of similar to part 4: The Room, and with six different endings being available depending on which crimes are committed, you might or might not re-enter this game.

 Rating: 6.7