Silent Hill, Still Scary After 25 Years

Yo Ho, WeRCatz here!

The original Silent Hill was released on 24 February 1999 in North America on PlayStation. It was a game-changer for the survival horror genre. With real-time rendering of the environment, third-person view, and the fact that the “hero” is not a hero at all, Silent Hill exemplifies what survival horror games must be.

The main character, Harry Mason, is just an average guy with no military training whatsoever. This shows that the story of the game is not only very interesting but also intelligent. The production team decided to use real-life scenarios when dealing with a dark environment: a flashlight is the ONLY source of light for most of the game! The team also made the gameplay memorable because the environments are enemies themselves, that is, you have to fight against the unknown with your wits and a flashlight.

The music was composed by Akira Yamaoka. He was inspired by the works of Twin Peaks composer Angelo Badalamenti. The staff members were at first negative to Yamaoka’s music because he used industrial music. However, after listening to Yamaoka’s reasoning that there were no game bugs, the staff members allowed Yamaoka’s music in the game; the game’s soundtrack is a masterpiece.

Many survival horror games exist because of Silent Hill. The environments are copied, the blood and gore replicated and musical scores are inspired by Yamaoka’s work. The story is enduring and stands the test of time. Try to find a copy of the original PlayStation version and see for yourself!