Silent Hill

 PlayStation
  • Publisher: Konami
  • Release Date: Feb 24, 1999
User Score
8.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 896 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 807 out of 896
  2. Mixed: 48 out of 896
  3. Negative: 41 out of 896
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  1. GraceS.
    Jan 20, 2004
    7
    The awkward camera angles, dialogue and graphics are rather annoying but Silent Hill isn't without it's scares. This makes the Resident Evil series seem corny. Silent Hill is also very rare now. Anyway, Silent Hill is briliant and I love every newest instalment.
  2. Cole123
    Jan 17, 2013
    7
    This game is an horror classic.Good storyline,good gameplay and puzzles,and opcourse this game scares the hell out of you since the begging to the end.The only reason i gave this game a 7/10 is because the graphics are bad (even for its time) and the controls are stiff.
  3. TheDestroyer
    Feb 24, 2015
    6
    I am The Destroyer. I will break games, complain about the littlest detail, and tell you whether or not you should buy this game. A lot of things to say but can't due to the 5000 character limit. The game will be judged under year 1999 video game standards.

    1. Story You play as a 32 year old man named Harry Mason. Out on a vacation with your daughter, Cheryl, you are suddenly involved    I am The Destroyer. I will break games, complain about the littlest detail, and tell you whether or not you should buy this game. A lot of things to say but can't due to the 5000 character limit. The game will be judged under year 1999 video game standards.

    1. Story
    You play as a 32 year old man named Harry Mason. Out on a vacation with your daughter, Cheryl, you are suddenly involved in a car accident on the outskirts of a town called Silent Hill. You awake unconsciously from the wrecked vehicle to discover your daughter went missing after the crash. As you search the streets looking for her, you begin to notice how deserted the town really is. Something is not right in Silent Hill, but the only thing that matters to you right now is your daughter...
    Silent Hill (video game) is filled with history. And it's the mystery behind it that will quickly have you attached. However, by the time you complete the game, there will still be a lot of unanswered questions that leave first-time-gamers confused. The first game's story lacks backbone. And the only way to correct it is to look up the history online, or play future instalments of Silent Hill. It's possible that some questions weren't meant to be answered during the game's creation - but whose to say?

    2. Voice Acting
    The voice actors & actresses were great in their performances, but the editors must have taken one-too many coffee breaks. Characters in this game will speak in a single sentence or two..... and then pause every 2 seconds.... "Did you know that my daughter...... is still out there somewhere? ..... I need to find her....." Expect speech pausing to happen often.

    3. Graphics and Visuals
    These graphics are nothing fancy, but will get the job done. The most important thing is that it must have you believing in it, and there's a mix of both here. The best comes from your own character's animations, while the worst comes from trying to figure out what doors in the town you can actually open.

    4. Gameplay
    Gameplay refers to survival horror, and the various puzzles you solve during the game. Put it all together and it's average!

    -Survival-Horror-
    In this game, your ammunition is limited, so your survival horror instants have to kick in if you want any chance to survive. There is not enough ammo to kill everything in the game on normal difficulty, so you're gonna be running away from a few battles. When you are battling, controls are perfect in responsiveness. Remember that Harry is a middle-aged man with no combat experience before the story, so it matches really well. Combat uses your standard weapons like handguns, shotguns, things one is familiar with. It also has melee weapons, though not recommended to use those unless you're freakishly good at the game. When using a gun, bullets have a have a chance of missing your target the further away you are from them. Even at 20-foot range with the gun pointing straight at them, bullets can still fly diagonally. So it's a good idea to get as close as you can without getting hurt before you unload that bad-boy. The enemies will start off extremely basic, but it's still recommended to save as much ammo as you can because the enemies later will give you a run for your money.

    -Puzzles-
    These puzzles were taken overboard in terms of difficulty. There's no balance here. When you have to use an FAQ or a guide just to get through a section, you're not playing the game, and that hurts it's value. I'm talking about first-time players here, and not veterans who already know everything. These can be ridiculously hard, and not everyone had an internet back then for the instant answer. Konami fails at designing a decently challenging puzzle.

    5. Soundtrack
    The only thing you'll remember is the static from your radio, and whatever the awkward screeching in the background Konami calls music. Not convinced? Search up the ost for this game and listen. It will have those with sensitive ears bleeding within a minute. There is hardly any music here for phrasing.

    6. Personal Enjoyment
    When it was time for combat or to dodge/avoid enemies, I did have a lot of fun. It's got story, and it sure has survival horror. But it doesn't have anything else. The replay value is low, and it's mainly because of the amount of running around you have to do. I spent 7 hours trying to beat this game because I couldn't figure out what doors were open-able. No doubt that there is potential in the franchise, but it isn't with this game. Silent Hill fanboys are free to down-rate this review, but everything I've said is still true.

    7. Overall Verdict
    The final verdict is a 6 out of 10 - slightly above average. Unless horror is your main genre and you're in to some really freaky stuff, there's not really a whole lot of reason to come back. Only buy if you're a curious cat.    … Expand
  4. crazydangerous
    Apr 11, 2012
    7
    This game is still fun in 2012. I have issues with the levels of secrecy of some of the things you do to get certain endings and the boss fights are a little weak but It's still a really entertaining game with the right expectations and mind set.
  5. Shimmeywill
    Mar 9, 2020
    7
    Good for the time. Definitely isn't very scary in hindsight compared to the sequels and the sewer level feels very "gamey". It does end up breaking the immersion quite a bit for the latter part of the game.
  6. guiletheguiles
    Nov 29, 2021
    7
    It took me THIS long to actually finish Silent Hill 1. I did it, finally...
    Although I'm happy to say that this incredible franchise's first game is indeed amazing, I'm also a bit sad to see how outdated it gets as the years go by.
    I have to start saying that Silent Hill is probably one of the most unique game I've ever played. It's definitely not its sequel, but it's definitely one of    It took me THIS long to actually finish Silent Hill 1. I did it, finally...
    Although I'm happy to say that this incredible franchise's first game is indeed amazing, I'm also a bit sad to see how outdated it gets as the years go by.

    I have to start saying that Silent Hill is probably one of the most unique game I've ever played. It's definitely not its sequel, but it's definitely one of the most remarkable games of its time. It may be outdated and rough around the edges but it's undeniably original, effective and essential.

    Silent Hill 1 made me feel dreadful - but In a good way.
    The main reason for this is atmosphere and sound. Few games actually got me this tense and unsure of my actions quite like this one.
    The town is well-modeled and feels like an actual ghost town, environments are not pre-rendered and that might be the reason why it's all so strange and foreboding, characters are mysterious and creepy, enemy design is good, it's short with an INTENSE pacing, replayability is highly encouraged and the mood is just perfect.

    Like I've said before, atmosphere and sound were key.
    It's an astonishing work of sound design and ambience. Even if the game had no combat, SH's tone and oppressive music itself would've been enough to make you sweat.
    The story also helps a lot. It's grotesque and often heavy. The mystery set from the start kept me interested until the end and although I feel like it could've been handled a lot better, I was craving to know more even after the credits rolled.

    With all that said, I have to be honest: the game does not hold up.
    Sure, it is great, but it BEGS a well done remake.
    Combat is downright painful, movement is stiff to a fault, puzzles can be very overcomplicated and enemy placement is just bad! Traversing SH's foggy envrionments should've been spooky, but the amount of enemies chasing and hurting Harry at ALL TIMES breaks the vibe. At least until you enter a place like the hospital or school. In fact, this is probably the main reason why I wasn't scared at all during these moments. Just upset.

    The story's also something that felt a bit underdeveloped in my opinion. It starts off great, but fails to explain essential plot points and fill the blanks. It's something that I felt that could've been easily fixed, with a few more notes or cutscenes, but instead it becomes a puzzle of its own in the end.

    As previously said, Silent Hill 1 is unique. What I've experienced here or in its sequence is something that I haven't experienced in other games.
    It didn't age well and if you want the full story you'll probably need to Google it, but I'm pretty sure that you'll love it anyway. It's a fantastic survival horror game and one of the genre's most original.    … Expand
  7. 2I2l1a
    Nov 13, 2022
    7
    A young man searching for his daughter - struggling to exist in a place between reality and hell - a town hiding gruesome, dark secrets. Follow a trail of blood and mutilation to snatch a loved one from the clutches of a demonic power. Enter an alternative dimension where death is no escape. Welcome to the madness that is Silent Hill.
  8. ZangBang
    Oct 27, 2022
    5
    55/100
    Silent Hill crafts a wonderfully tense, delightfully unsettling horror atmosphere thanks to the sum of its parts. The foggy, abandoned town feels quiet and vast, rewarding exploration with plenty of resources, weapons and optional content, whilst simultaneously feeling claustrophobic and dangerous thanks to the various neverending hostile creatures lurking within the city. Hidden    55/100
    Silent Hill crafts a wonderfully tense, delightfully unsettling horror atmosphere thanks to the sum of its parts. The foggy, abandoned town feels quiet and vast, rewarding exploration with plenty of resources, weapons and optional content, whilst simultaneously feeling claustrophobic and dangerous thanks to the various neverending hostile creatures lurking within the city. Hidden by the thick layer of fog that permeates the map, an unnerving sound cue alerts the player of their presence when nearby, imbuing the whole experience in a constant state of creeping danger. Alas, this atmospheric terror doesn't translate very well in combat, with only a handful of enemies posing a real threat, as well as severely lacking, bland boss fights. Nonetheless, the journey remains overall enjoyable thanks to interesting environmental puzzles and charming riddles that require an engaging level of lateral creative thinking. The story, a gritty blend of visceral human drama and real supernatural demonic concepts, is narrated in a cryptic manner which adds to the obscure mood of the game, and unveils its twisted secrets through multiple ending with different requirements, but most characters are not interesting or explored nearly enough to make their tribulations really impactful.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

15
#15 Best PS1 Game of 1999
2
#2 Most Discussed PS1 Game of 1999
4
#4 Most Shared PS1 Game of 1999

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
86

Generally favorable reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
  1. Absolute Playstation
    94
    It's a horrifying action/adventure that will set the pulse racing and put the mind on constant alert.
    Read full review
  2. PSX Nation
    91
    With multiple endings, secrets and hidden items you'll find replay value deep within the game.
    Read full review
  3. IGN
    90
    From the inexplicable sobbing of an unseen child in a blood-stained school hall to the loud rattling of an invisible "something" underneath the floorboards that you're standing on, the game never sinks into predictability. Imagine all of this while never quite being able to see past arm's length into the darkness.
    Read full review
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