Silent Hill

It's good to see that movies aren't the only art form where the whole remake/reboot phenomenon is running wild. Game companies have been on the bandwagon for quite awhile now, too. The difference is that game remakes are generally more interesting because technological advances make them at least appear to be new experiences. Take, for instance, Konami's re-imagining of the original Silent Hill.

In the video demo below, Tom Hulett (an associate producer at Konami) is quick to assert that Silent Hill: Shattered Memories isn't a reboot or remake of Silent Hill. Whether you agree with that sentiment or find it more an issue of semantics is mostly irrelevant. Sure, the game brings back the characters and story from the original game, but it becomes clear early on in this demo that Shattered Memories isn't the same Silent Hill we played back in the PlayStation era.

Game site GoNintendo confirms the rumors that have been floating around for awhile now–Silent Hill is getting a remake on the Nintendo Wii. The latest issue of Nintendo Power features news and screenshots on the new version, currently titled Silent Hill: Shattered Memories.

By the time we arrive at Konami's latest installment, Silent Hill 4: The Room, the series doesn't even take place in Silent Hill anymore…players spend the game in the nearby town of Ashfield. Unfortunately, calling the game Ashfield 4: The Room probably wouldn't have inspired many sales as gamers the world over wondered what the hell ever happened to Ashfield 1-3…it's like that whole Bill Cosby/Leonard Part 6 mess, and I think everyone learned their lesson on that one.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes

Game Description: Silent Hill 4: The Room offers a new cast and story, full of dark mysteries and horrendous new creatures. Henry Townshend is trapped in a cursed apartment. Mysterious portals have appeared in them, leading him to disturbing alternate worlds. This game is a terrifying experience that fans and newcomers will never forget.

Perhaps such middle-of-the-road gameplay alone does not make the game "a worthwhile experience" (as Matt puts it), but, coupled with the directorial flourishes and aesthetic flair of Konami's immensely skilled development team, Silent Hill 3 is never less than compelling right through to its conclusion.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Blood and Gore, Violence

Horror is a delicate thing. You can't just set your game in a spooky house, toss in a few monsters with lots of teeth, and expect players to be terrified. Horror—real horror—is more fragile than that. It breaks easily. It requires expert care to grow into something that can touch us on our most primal level.

Game Description: As a teenage girl named Heather, players must explore and unravel the mysterious connection between the god-forsaken town, her past, and her inner fears. With enhanced graphics detail, a more complex storyline, and even more grotesque monsters than the previous games, Silent Hill 3 promises to be the best horror adventure ever.

That the adventure is crafted as much by the mind of the player as by the developers of the game elevates Silent Hill 2 past its outdated mechanics and earns it a place as the most fitting representative of the survival-horror genre.