Gaming Target - Xbox: Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams

Written by Ryan Smotherman on November 13, 2001

First Impressions: The scariest game ever is back, with a cool new title to boot.

In my eyes, and probably many other gamers, the original Silent Hill stole the Survival Horror crown from Resident Evil when it was released back in early 1999 for the PSone. Not because it played better, or was just overall more fun, it's because the game accomplished the task of scaring the total crap out of the player more so than any of the Resident Evil titles could have hoped to do. The game was a non-stop attack on your psyche. The premise was simple Ц throw an everyday average Joe, like yourself, into the small, abandoned town of Silent Hill, where nothing is what it seems. What made the game so intense was never knowing when the game would change from the normal world into the hellish, freaky alternate reality where evil, disfigured creatures exist. Needless to say, the game quickly became a favorite among Playstation owners and a top seller on the charts.

Now enter the sequel, which was already released for the PS2 a couple months back. However, Konami isn't leaving their brand new Xbox owning gamers out in the cold. That's right, the first Xbox survival horror game will be hitting in the form of Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams, due in early December.

As you'd expect, Restless Dreams is basically an enhanced version of the PS2 game. It will contain the same gameplay, characters, and story, but with a new mode of play and enhanced graphics. First, the story. Which in following the tradition of the original, is very eerie. You play the role of James Sunderland, just like in the original, he's just an average guy trying to make it in the world. One day he receives a letter from his wife, in it she states that she wants James to meet her in the town of Silent Hill. Seems innocent enough, this is of course until you factor in that Mary, his wife, has been dead for the past three years. You don't think James is going to sit back and ignore this request do ya? So he makes his trip to Silent Hill to find the truth behind the mysterious letter, and more than likely, his life will never be the same again.

Though the game is a sequel, not much seems to have changed in the gameplay category. HarryЕ er, I mean James (hehe), must unravel the secrets of Silent Hill. Along the way he'll encounter many a friends and many a foe alike. Not to worry though, there'll be plenty of weapons and ammo to blow them away with (the foe that is). Speaking of which, one part of Silent Hill which I personally found genius, was the fact that the game didn't go the УsuperФ weapons route, like the Resident Evil series has done with their rocket launchers and mini-guns. Instead, your only way to deal with the evil minions is with such weapons as a simple handgun, an ax, rifle, or shotgun. Just think about it, not having a УsuperФ weapon that can take out enemies in a flash greatly increases the intensity of the game. And this, or course, is what Silent Hill is all about.

Naturally, the puzzles will also be making a return in Restless Dreams as well. However, for some reason the puzzles in this genre of games rarely make any sense, and cause I have yet to play it, I can't tell you if Konami brought some logic into the sequel. Let's just hope they keep their complexity and entertainment value. Also returning is the flashlight, for seeing in the dark of course, and the specialized radio that somehow picks up the baddies signals. So you'll know when enemies are around.

Thankfully, Konami revealed details on the exclusive Xbox mode just in time for this preview. In addition to the УLetter From Silent HeavenФ mode, which is just the main game, Restless Dreams will include a brand new mode that's dubbed УBorn From A WishФ. In this mode you play though the game through the eyes of Maria, a female character in the game. Konami promises an extra 4-6 hours of playtime in this mode. Plus it is said that this mode will reveal many things that were a mystery in the PS2 game. Overall, this new addition sounds very promising.

Although Silent Hill 2 doesn't appear to be too different from the first, today's next gen systems (especially the Xbox) have allowed the developers to build upon an already established formula. Improved graphics and Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound will go a long way in increasing the fright factor. And this time around, fog isn't there because of hardware limitations, but it has been added, improved, and formatted for the highest level of immersion. Plus, your enemies will now move with blood curdling realism. In the end though, don't expect to see graphics greatly superior to the PS2 version. But the changes will be noticeable.