Memories: SHATTERED!
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories is an unusual game for me in several ways. For one thing, it’s the only game I’ve played in recent memory that I ended up more enthusiastic about after I’d finished it than I was before I started playing. I’d always had a vague interest in the series, but never actually played anything more than the beginning of Silent Hill 2, and as far as I could tell before Shattered Memories’s release, it sounded like it was just going to be a watered-down remake of the first game with tacked-on motion controls and the “otherworld” changed to be icy for some reason. Fortunately, the advice of my fellow WaSki contributors convinced me to pick it up, and it turned out that not only were my preconceptions wrong, but Shattered Memories ended up being my favorite game of 2009.
It’s also an anomaly in that it’s one of the few games in which the actual gameplay mechanics, while perfectly serviceable, are probably the least interesting part of the game. The “nightmare” sequences, in which you must get from point A to point B while avoiding the invincible creatures pursuing you, can be tense and exciting, but they’re used sparingly (which is for the best, otherwise they’d get pretty repetitive). The majority of your time in the game is spent just exploring a mostly empty, dilapidated town at your leisure, and it’s these sections that really grabbed me. This isn’t a game about BONE-CHILLING TERROR; instead, there’s a more subdued, melancholy atmosphere over the proceedings.
As you explore the world, static coming from your phone (through the Wii remote speaker) will indicate that you’re near something important, and when you approach it, you’ll receive a voicemail or text message. Most of the time these are not directly related to the plot but tell the stories of traumatic or sad memories from various anonymous townspeople.
The actual plot of the game, too, is surprisingly well executed. While the basic premise is the same as the first Silent Hill (Harry Mason searches for his daughter in Silent Hill after a car crash), the story goes in a different direction from there, and no knowledge of previous games is necessary at all. I don’t want to give anything away, but the story actually made me both think and feel something, which is not something I can say about many games, and I continued thinking about it even long after I stopped playing.
This is helped by the way that decisions you make as you play determine what you will see later on in the game based on what it perceives to be your interests. The changes can be as subtle as different posters on the walls or small dialogue changes, or as dramatic as leading you through different areas and puzzles or radically changing characters’ appearances. Soon after playing through the game the first time, I went through it again, making an effort to play differently, and got a substantially different experience. The game’s structure is always the same, but you’ll see different things along the way that may inform your interpretation of what’s going on.Of course, the degree to which these changes are significant depends largely on your level of investment in the story. When I say that, in this case I’m not so much referring to the plot as to the overall atmosphere the game creates, which to me is its greatest asset. From the visual design to the (excellent) music to a few really inspired uses of motion control, all the elements come together to form an unusually cohesive, memorable experience.
I think it’s a real shame that most of what little attention this game has gotten is from people complaining that it’s so different from the other Silent Hill games. What makes it so interesting is the fact that it is so different — not just from the other Silent Hills, but from most other video games.
—Scott
very good review, it really makes me want to play the game. Is it ever going to be on PC like every other silent hill or do you have to get a wii..? You should give another chance to Silent Hill 2, there is also that melancholy atmosphere you like and a nice plot.
Ports for PS2 and PSP are also in the works. Unsure about a PC release at the moment.
