I've decided to do this "main feature" of Silent Hill: Shattered Memories in 2 pieces. This way my posts aren't quite as long and I can share my thoughts as I'm playing before I've finished. It seems like a win-win situation for all.
The name, "Silent Hill," has been one of my favorite names in gaming for years. People joke that my interest in law is because of Phoenix Wright. Though partially true, if I only found law to be interesting because of Phoenix Wright, I would've taken 1 week of a Criminal Justice class, dropped it, and gotten back to playing Phoenix Wright. My interest in psychology, however, does stem a lot more from a video game... that being Silent Hill. I've been in love with the series ever since I played the first game. By no means is the entire Silent Hill franchise good, but if it bears the name, "Silent Hill," you can bet I'm going to at least try it. (Anyone know where I can play the arcade game?) Regardless, my love for the series comes from the first game. I play survival horror games because of the first game. I get goosebumps when I hear weather sirens because of the first game. I even like the name, "Cheryl," because of the first game. The first game is a huge part of my gaming life... and my real life as well. You can imagine my excitement when I heard about a re-imagining of Silent Hill, and said excitement being immediately crushed when I saw the "dark world" covered in ice. Regardless, as a man who gives almost any game a chance, I decided it would only be fair to give this one a chance, and I'm sure glad I have.
Now that I've established that the game is based off of the first one, let me say it's nothing like it. Sure, it's still Harry Mason, his daughter Cheryl, and Cybil Bennett... but this game is nothing like the first one. The game starts with you filling out a form about yourself at your therapist's office. After answering a few personal questions, the therapist expressed his disbelief of the integrity of my relationships, and asked if I had, "really never cheated on a partner." I nodded, so he simply shrugged and said, "Okay." ... In the game I mean.
That's one thing I love about Shattered Memories so far. It's very immersive. you direct the flashlight with the Wii remote and press the trigger to zoom in on objects of interest. No longer do you run up to a barely legible sign, press, "X," and wait for the screen to fill with text so you can read it. You walk up to that sign yourself, shine the light on it, and zoom in on it to make it easier for you to read. I have to say, I'm impressed. Unlike the original (as well as the other previous installments), you don't play as Harry Mason, you are Harry Mason.
That brings to mind one last thing I want to talk about in this first part. The cell-phone. This is one of the best aspects of the game in my opinion. Your GPS in your phone replaces the map you would have found in previous titles. Your camera in your phone can be used to uncover only partially visible "spirits" not unlike the Fatal Frame games. On the other hand, it's also just a camera in your phone. Nothing stops you from taking pictures of whatever you feel. Not to mention, it's a phone. You just had a car accident and your daughter has run off and gone missing. Nothing's stopping you from dialing 911, or that phone number on that police car you see in the distance. As a friend of mine says, "It's on you, chief." Though reluctant to give this game all of my praises, it is a very compelling game. So much so, that I can't wait for nightfall so I can once again become fully immersed in Silent Hill.
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