Jecca Mehlota (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
jecca_mehlota) wrote2007-12-02 02:19 pm
jecca_mehlota) wrote2007-12-02 02:19 pm
Entry tags:
Silent Hill musings
I've been thinking for a while now about Silent Hill crossovers. I know both of mine (an Original Character-centric one and the recent Transformers one) draw heavily from Silent Hill 2, and, even before I finished the first, I thought it was a bit weird. Almost - or maybe all of the Silent Hill crossovers I've read have done the same. Why?
Control.
When you draw from Silent Hill 2, you have a lot more control.
I can't speak fully from experience, as I have not played Silent Hill 3, Silent Hill 4, or Silent Hill Origins (and I probably won't be playing Silent Hill V random change to Roman Numerals for the win? after it comes out, as I do not at this time own either system it will be released on, though from the summary I've seen, maybe it's closer to 2). I have read fairly complete summaries of the games and do plan on playing them eventually (I actually own 3 and 4), but if I'm completely off here, someone who has played them? Please tell me, because I am interested.
Excluding 2, all of the other games currently out (and the movie, in an AU kind of way) focus on Alessa/Cheryl/Sharon/Heather and The Order. The characters you play as aren't entirely drawn to Silent Hill on their own.
In Harry's case, it seems more that he's in the wrong place at the wrong time (with the wrong person, so, essentially, the man is completely luckless). The same can be said for Rose in the movie, I think. They both go through the town looking to find their daughters. They both find them, sort of (Silent Hill 3's existence points to one of the "Good" endings from the first game as being 'true' canon, but, I confess, while I do like the movie's weird ending, I have never quite known what to make of it).
The town they both visit, though, in all its varying stages, is brought about by Alessa and the demon-thing going on with her.
In Silent Hill 3, Heather is drawn back to the town (again) when the Order tries to "birth a god" and all that other such nonsense again.
In Origins, while Travis definitely has issues of his own, he still ends up in the town because of the actions the Order is taking in regards to Alessa and the burning and whatall.
What Henry (and Eileen) experience in the fourth game is drastically different, but still brought on by someone associated with the cult/Order's (Walter Sullivan, in this case). Maybe there are still influences from their subconscious, but the majority is, I believe (again, correct me if I am way off base, here), brought about by Walter and her previous victims.
So essentially, if you want to play around in any of those scenarios, you have to work with Alessa's demons and The Order. It can still be fun, but if you're looking to really mess with the character (and, let's face it, why else are you sending them into Silent Hill?), you don't really have that much wiggle room.
Which is, of course, where Silent Hill 2 comes in. It's still connected to the same reality (Walter Sullivan gets a mention in the gameplay, and there's the character of Frank Sunderland, who may be related to James in the fourth game. I suppose you could argue this ties James into The Order's Silent Hill, but I really rather doubt it), but it's different.
The town there is different to all of the people you meet there. Laura, who isn't carrying around any problems, doesn't find anything distressing (other than maybe James, but that's a bit different). Angela, we know, can encounter the monsters there. She may also, judging by what she says in the burning stairwell -
James: (...) It’s hot as hell in here.
Angela: You see it too? For me, it’s always like this.
- see the town engulfed in flames, or something similar.
I have no idea what Eddie sees (nor, really, do I want to), but taking what he says and how his mental stability deteriorates even further throughout the course of the game (or at least until you fight him), the town clearly affects him, as well. We know he sees monsters based on something he says when you first meet him.
Eddie: Red pyramid thing? I don’t know what yer talkin’ about. Honest. But I did see some weird-lookin’ monsters. They scared the hell outta me, so I ran in here...
Each character sees things different - not even the monsters are the same. James certainly sees things no one else seems to (Pyramid Head, for one, and I don't think Maria is ever around when James meets one of the other people in the town, either).
So when you take a character and put them into the Silent Hill presented in the second game - or a Silent Hill drawn from the one presented in the second game. Obviously it doesn't have to be the exact same town - you have a good deal more control. You can take that character and put in things that would affect them most.
Which is fun, if also a bit disturbing and upsetting at times.
I also think it's interesting to note that, in the Order run, the character's escape is determined by outside influences. In 2, the character can simply walk out, but only if they let themselves. Angela doesn't forgive herself and she presumably burns up. Eddie doesn't believe anyone can forgive him, as he tells Laura in the bowling alley:
Eddie: It’s no good. They wouldn’t listen. Nobody will ever forgive me.
From what he says to James in their numerous encounters, he doesn't seem to be able to let go of it. He's also just a wee bit mad, but that's rather beside the point (sort of. Not really).
James' endings, of course, vary depending on the player's actions. If he finds his forgiveness, he gets the "Leave" ending and... leaves the town. If not, you get things like the "In Water" ending.
And I find the 'character getting over their issue/s to leave, or at least working on it even if they're going about it the wrong way ("Maria")' spin fascinating.
In short, because I have to go to work and I've blathered mindlessly long enough as it is, Silent Hill 2 (both the game and as a background for crossovers) is just more interesting, because you can go into the focus character more.
* Quotes all pulled from the script up at GameFAQs.
On a completely different note, cards?
Control.
When you draw from Silent Hill 2, you have a lot more control.
I can't speak fully from experience, as I have not played Silent Hill 3, Silent Hill 4, or Silent Hill Origins (and I probably won't be playing Silent Hill V random change to Roman Numerals for the win? after it comes out, as I do not at this time own either system it will be released on, though from the summary I've seen, maybe it's closer to 2). I have read fairly complete summaries of the games and do plan on playing them eventually (I actually own 3 and 4), but if I'm completely off here, someone who has played them? Please tell me, because I am interested.
Excluding 2, all of the other games currently out (and the movie, in an AU kind of way) focus on Alessa/Cheryl/Sharon/Heather and The Order. The characters you play as aren't entirely drawn to Silent Hill on their own.
In Harry's case, it seems more that he's in the wrong place at the wrong time (with the wrong person, so, essentially, the man is completely luckless). The same can be said for Rose in the movie, I think. They both go through the town looking to find their daughters. They both find them, sort of (Silent Hill 3's existence points to one of the "Good" endings from the first game as being 'true' canon, but, I confess, while I do like the movie's weird ending, I have never quite known what to make of it).
The town they both visit, though, in all its varying stages, is brought about by Alessa and the demon-thing going on with her.
In Silent Hill 3, Heather is drawn back to the town (again) when the Order tries to "birth a god" and all that other such nonsense again.
In Origins, while Travis definitely has issues of his own, he still ends up in the town because of the actions the Order is taking in regards to Alessa and the burning and whatall.
What Henry (and Eileen) experience in the fourth game is drastically different, but still brought on by someone associated with the cult/Order's (Walter Sullivan, in this case). Maybe there are still influences from their subconscious, but the majority is, I believe (again, correct me if I am way off base, here), brought about by Walter and her previous victims.
So essentially, if you want to play around in any of those scenarios, you have to work with Alessa's demons and The Order. It can still be fun, but if you're looking to really mess with the character (and, let's face it, why else are you sending them into Silent Hill?), you don't really have that much wiggle room.
Which is, of course, where Silent Hill 2 comes in. It's still connected to the same reality (Walter Sullivan gets a mention in the gameplay, and there's the character of Frank Sunderland, who may be related to James in the fourth game. I suppose you could argue this ties James into The Order's Silent Hill, but I really rather doubt it), but it's different.
The town there is different to all of the people you meet there. Laura, who isn't carrying around any problems, doesn't find anything distressing (other than maybe James, but that's a bit different). Angela, we know, can encounter the monsters there. She may also, judging by what she says in the burning stairwell -
James: (...) It’s hot as hell in here.
Angela: You see it too? For me, it’s always like this.
- see the town engulfed in flames, or something similar.
I have no idea what Eddie sees (nor, really, do I want to), but taking what he says and how his mental stability deteriorates even further throughout the course of the game (or at least until you fight him), the town clearly affects him, as well. We know he sees monsters based on something he says when you first meet him.
Eddie: Red pyramid thing? I don’t know what yer talkin’ about. Honest. But I did see some weird-lookin’ monsters. They scared the hell outta me, so I ran in here...
Each character sees things different - not even the monsters are the same. James certainly sees things no one else seems to (Pyramid Head, for one, and I don't think Maria is ever around when James meets one of the other people in the town, either).
So when you take a character and put them into the Silent Hill presented in the second game - or a Silent Hill drawn from the one presented in the second game. Obviously it doesn't have to be the exact same town - you have a good deal more control. You can take that character and put in things that would affect them most.
Which is fun, if also a bit disturbing and upsetting at times.
I also think it's interesting to note that, in the Order run, the character's escape is determined by outside influences. In 2, the character can simply walk out, but only if they let themselves. Angela doesn't forgive herself and she presumably burns up. Eddie doesn't believe anyone can forgive him, as he tells Laura in the bowling alley:
Eddie: It’s no good. They wouldn’t listen. Nobody will ever forgive me.
From what he says to James in their numerous encounters, he doesn't seem to be able to let go of it. He's also just a wee bit mad, but that's rather beside the point (sort of. Not really).
James' endings, of course, vary depending on the player's actions. If he finds his forgiveness, he gets the "Leave" ending and... leaves the town. If not, you get things like the "In Water" ending.
And I find the 'character getting over their issue/s to leave, or at least working on it even if they're going about it the wrong way ("Maria")' spin fascinating.
In short, because I have to go to work and I've blathered mindlessly long enough as it is, Silent Hill 2 (both the game and as a background for crossovers) is just more interesting, because you can go into the focus character more.
* Quotes all pulled from the script up at GameFAQs.
On a completely different note, cards?