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Topic: The Psychology of Silent Hill
Posted: 2004-10-28 @ 19:26:56
The Silent Hill series has always been a favorite of mine, as everyone who knows me can tell. The other day, I got to thinking about why it appealed to me so much over other series, like Resident Evil and Alone in the Dark. Was it graphics? Gameplay? The eerie sounds? The perfect blending of all three? No, it was something more. Something subconcious.
Warning: May contain minor Spoilers.
Silent Hill (1999)- In the beginning of the game, you and the main character (Harry Mason) know just about as much as the other. You are both new to the town, both are disoriented, both are confused. Because of this, there is a bond formed between you and Harry. Because of this, the emotions you both feel are similar. This causes the Shock you feel to seem real, because the character you have grown attatched to is also in the same shock. The gameplay eventually takes a backseat to the emotional rush. The other characters don't serve TOO much of a psycological purpose other than to help add to the surrounding and play thier part in the actual written story.
Silent Hill 2 (2001)- In the beginning, you know just as much as James Sunderland, the main character. Because of this, you become attached to him. He tells you everything he knows. You're confused. So is he. However, James knows some things he isn't telling. Why? Because he pushed them to the back of his memory where they faded away. The other characters in the game hint at something constantly about James and His wife. Pyramid Head serves as the proverbial punisher, constantly killing Maria to wake James' mind up. It's a driving force to tell YOU, the player, that something is wrong. You then become James's Subconcious mind (without you realizing) and as you further play along, James begins to remember things. Your mind immidiatly tries to put the puzzle pieces together, as any normal human brain would. While he can't think for himself, you are thinking for him while in the hallways, streets, and corridors. By the end of the game, you feel a similar disgust towards James (as a person) that he feels for himself. This is one of the strongest examples of Character to Player bonds I have ever experienced. (This is probably why Silent Hill 2 remains to be my favorite in the series.)
Silent Hill 3 (2003)- Shortly before the Release, they suggested in several interviews that players go back to play Silent Hill 1 again as a refresher. This wasn't just for purely one reason or another. Once again, you and the character start off on the same page in the beginning. You are introduced to Heather's life, bit by bit. Until the shit hits the fan, and things go nuts. As the game progresses, other characters reveal more about her past in crypic puzzles. If you had played #1 by now, the hints that they provide will invoke memories and particular events from 1. This makes you Heather's Subconcious mind, which plays a bigger role than you'd think. As you delve further into the world, Heather begins to have her 'other half' emerge. This 'other half' is in two forms.
1.) Memory of Alyssa.
2.) You.
When I say 'you', I mean the subconcious you. The you that is acting as Heather's mind. You, however, figure things out on your own a bit faster than the game lets Heather. This isn't on accident, however. Around the time of the 'Memory of Alyssa' fight, everything becomes clear. While you are done thinking of it, Heather just figures it out.
Silent Hill 4 (2004)- Henry Townshend is trapped in his room. For a week he has desperatly tried to call for attention, but nothing is working. His recurring dream (which you experience first) works as a tool to make it so that you become familiar with his room. It's dark and polluted appearance also serve as a suggestion that it has been lived in. Although it is also possessed. By now, you have begun to understand his desperation. The first-person segment in your room is meant to make you feel as if the room is slowly suffocating you. As the game gets faster paced, the room begins to feel smaller and more claustrophobic. The previous owner of Apartment 302, Joseph, has become an entity tied into the 'Room' in the other dimention. (Hence, why he's stuck in the celing) Joseph drops hints throught the game about the past and what is going on. As each of Henry's Neighbors (which we're introduced to one by one, and three of them at once) they will each die a certain way that pertains to who they really are. This serves as a living version of 'Karma'. This game doesn't seem to form quite as well as the others, but eventually Henry figures out that he must stop Walter from completing the 21 sacriments. This game is still emotionally draining, but the connection is not as strong between you and Henry.(2)Comments
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