Silent Hill Origins ~ review

This is the first game that I completed on my PlayStation 2. It took me about 11 hours to complete it and I only managed to unlock 3 accolades (free costumes that you get if you finish the game within certain limits or criteria like killing Y% enemies with bare hands or if you only use the flashlight not more than 3 hours). I know I took longer time to complete this than other people but that just the way I play video games. I usually play it nice and slow, absorbing the atmosphere and story so that I could relive it in my memory time after time. But it was also because I suck at playing it! Haha! That's why I took 11 hours and most people can finish it at 3 to 5 hours, maybe even faster.

Silent Hill Origins is a prequel to the Silent Hill game series and took place before the events in the 1st game. Player took on the role of Travis Grady, a truck driver, who found himself involved in a mysterious activity of a religious cult after he had saved a little girl from a burning house in the eerie town of Silent Hill while also had to battle with his own demons from his tragic past.

I can't really compare much this game with its predecessor or successor because so far I had only played the 1st game other than this one. I found the story to be quite exciting but I really wish that the story could be much darker. Not that Travis's past isn't tragic enough, but it's a Silent Hill game, so I was expecting more. Sometimes the motivation that kept Travis searching for the little girl was confusing, for example at the end of Cedar Grove Sanitarium level, Travis found a theatre ticket and decided to go to the Artaud Theatre (which was of course mentioned on the ticket) to search for the missing girl. So just because he found a ticket he expected the girl to be at a theatre? Weird.

The control was good and easy although sometimes can be quite frustrating when it comes to loading the gun or aiming the enemies but I don't really mind that much because it creates more suspense and terror just like it should. The visuals were also good and satisfying in terms of creepiness but quite ridiculous when it comes to dark places. I can't even see much with the flashlight on.

In Silent Hill Origins, we get to explore more of the mysterious town. The places that will be explored are the Alchemilla Hospital, Cedar Grove Sanitarium, Artaud Theatre and Riverside Motel. The sanitarium took me the longest to complete. At first, it was such a creepy place but after awhile I got tired of it; it was ridiculously long and it could have been shorten. My favourite place was the Riverside Motel while the most creepiest to me was the sanitarium. The place was so dark, horrifying and infected with shadow-like creatures (among others) that cannot be killed. I would pick the sanitarium as my fave place but like I said, it was too long and somehow kill the fun.

I have here a gameplay video of Silent Hill Origins courtesy of Game Trailers. I posted it here so you would know what I've been through. I hope you guys enjoy it.