phantom_leo said:

Might I recommend a nice shade of Pink?

It's not me, it's the site. The external site that is.

So we have so many reviews and no one cares enough to make a post more than a sentance?

Kay.

Gamespot review Silent Hill Shattered Memories 8.0 "This brilliant reimagining of the spooky series' progenitor is a breath of fresh air"

gamingeek said:

So we have so many reviews and no one cares enough to make a post more than a sentance?

Kay.

Gamespot review Silent Hill Shattered Memories 8.0 "This brilliant reimagining of the spooky series' progenitor is a breath of fresh air"

Fuck reviews. Up the ass. With a girthy dildo.

GAF guysaid:

- I found the motion controls to be fiddly and often unnecessary. Using the remote to open cabinets, pull back curtains, etc. did nothing for me. Likewise picking up or rearranging items. In fact in one puzzle I dropped the swan and fell on its side, and nothing I did could bring it back upright. I did enjoy shaking off enemies with the remote and nunchuk, although either I wasn't doing it right, or my moves weren't always registering.

This is the kind of thing that makes reviews divisive, especially when it comes to motion controls. I love using the controller intricately, doing little things like opening drawers and closing curtains is my idea of taking interactivity up to the next level and increasing immersion. In Shenmue I would route through cabinets, in Elebits I would open and close cloesets and pick up little objects to look at.

But waggling to get enemies off like the little bugs in Dead Space Extraction is my idea of bad design. But as I've found with other motion control games, its usually a case of learning how to do it properly. The only other option is to do motion like No More Heroes where you basically can't get it wrong as its very lenient with you.

SteelAttack said:

gamingeek said:

So we have so many reviews and no one cares enough to make a post more than a sentance?

Kay.

Gamespot review Silent Hill Shattered Memories 8.0 "This brilliant reimagining of the spooky series' progenitor is a breath of fresh air"

Fuck reviews. Up the ass. With a girthy dildo.

For next Halloween I am dressing up as a game review!

DESTRUCTOID REVIEW

No weapons? Wii waggle? And a "re-imagining" of the first Silent Hill game is what they're calling this? The combination sounds like Silent Hill: My Worst Nightmare, and I don't mean that in a good way.

Boy, was I ever wrong. Instead of some Silent Hill one-off rehash, we get a lovingly crafted story set in a world so deep and involving that it actually does the series name proud. The Wii waggle? More like Wii mastery. The control is a new hallmark for Wii games, let alone Silent Hill titles. And the no weapons part? Absolutely brilliant, and it works out to be a chillingly beautiful thing when you finally understand what the story is about.

Again, I was totally wrong.

Read on for our review of Silent Hill: Shattered Memories.

In Silent Hill: Shattered Memories you play as Harry Mason, loving father and husband and crap driver in inclement weather. The game starts out with Harry running off a snowy road and into a fence. He crawls out of his car and notices that his daughter, Cheryl, is missing from the passenger's seat. He sets off to look around the crash site to find her. Unfortunately, he crashed on the outskirts of the worst town ever to crash in, Silent Hill. To make matters worse, it's snowing like crazy, and the town has gone mostly...well, silent.

I wouldn't call Silent Hill: Shattered Memories a survival horror as much as I would call it a psychological thriller. First off, there's no combat in Memories. That's right: instead of slowly turning and slowly swinging some found implement at some otherworldly monster, you're running. You're running for your life from creatures that are just as creepy as the ones from the previous Silent Hills, but for a different reason. (We'll touch on that later.) And when they catch up with you, they tackle you, grope you, and bring you down. Your only defense is the powers of push and nudge. You can't kill them, and that makes for a pretty terrifying experience when more than one is on your trail.

Memories is so focused on the inner workings of the player's head that it actually opens with a "psychology warning," which informs that the game will play the player. They're not kidding around, either. When you're not wandering around Silent Hill, you're a patient in a therapist's office, taking tests and answering questions to reveal your character. The game opens with a psychology profile that asks some pretty private questions on your love life and morals. The game can change drastically depending on your choices. A second play-through revealed new areas, new characters, and even a new attitude for Harry himself. Existing characters can look completely different, depending on your profile. For example, one character looked like a normal policewoman on my first play-through. On my second one, with my profile slanted more toward the perverted, this same cop was a busty blonde. That said, I recommend being true to yourself your first time through.

Wii motion controls are beautifully utilized in Silent Hill: Shattered Memories. To date, this is the best and most elegant use I've seen for the Wii Remote and Nunchuck, and I'd go as far as to say that the Wii version is the ultimate version, and should be chosen above the PlayStation 2 version. Harry is armed only with a flashlight, which comes in handy often, as Silent Hill rarely sees sunlight. Moving the Wii Remote moves your flashlight beam on what seems to be a one-to-one scale. You're free to shine it at anything, and right away you'll notice how smooth and realistic the cast beam is. The realism of how the light moves from your control goes a long way towards enveloping you into this snowy world. The nunchuck's analog stick controls movement, and turning is controlled by pulling your flashlight to the far left and right edges of your field of view. While this type of turning has been used in other games to varying successes, it works solidly in Memories.

Away from exploration and into panicky sessions of being chased, which the game calls "nightmares," you'll use the Wii Remote to make movements in place of real-world hands. Attackers can tackle you from any direction, and you're to use the Wii Remote and Nunchuck to repel them. If they attack from the front, you'll need to motion both controllers forward, as if to push them off. You'll flick them off your back, elbow them in your face, all the while holding in Z to run. One thing to note here is that the controls do not need large gestures to repel enemies. Those flailing their arms in a panic to shake off attackers will likely become frustrated, as the controls seem less responsive. Firm but controlled pushes and shoves are the key, and done right, will begin to feel like second nature as you continue on deeper into the game.

Puzzle solving and exploration involves manipulating items with virtual hands, using the Wii controls. Pinch, turn, pick up, etc. We've seen this in other games, but here it feels tactile and responsive. Probably the best example of Wii controls in Shattered Memories cannot be revealed in this review, as they would likely spoil parts of the story. I will say that the uses are creative, surprising, and some truly memorable. There were a couple of instances so amazingly effective that, even now, thinking about them gives me chills.

That said, you'll want to make sure you're gentle and not over exaggerating with the controls. Again, large, fast movements seem to throw the sensors off. Likewise, you'll also want to be careful to not let your IR beam wander out of the Wii sensor's view, as you'll be stuck retracking for a few seconds, leaving you vulnerable. Being mindful of these points goes a long way towards the game's enjoyment.

As Harry looks for his daughter in snowy Silent Hill, he uncovers dark, buried memories of both his life and his daughter's. Some are surprising, others are disturbing. And the ones that are sexual? They'll make more sense later. Most of this is found through exploration of the town,  and all the while Harry is struggling with his own memory, which seems to have been damaged during his car accident. This exploration sometimes leads to deeper truths and memories, and this triggers a nightmare sequence where Silent Hill turns dark and freezes over, everyone else disappears, and monsters come out of the woodwork. You'll run through the transformed, hellish version of the town, doing your best to find the nightmare's resolution, working to fend off monsters that seem to want to hold you back from that resolution. You'll likely become disoriented and panicked, running around in the dark, trying to find an exit. Some may become frustrated with these scenes, but I think that was the developer's intent. Once the lost panic sets in, it sticks with you well after it's over. When you do finally reach the end of the nightmare, the town becomes somewhat normal again, and you resume exploration. Waking up from the nightmare, so to speak.

Being chased and held back by monsters in your nightmares is a beautiful parallel to the story the game is trying to tell. To reveal why these things happen would definitely ruin the story, but when you do finally find out, its the type of resolution that has you sitting alone, pondering, remembering all the scenes from the game. The game play will make sense. A second play-through is incredibly rewarding because of this, and is highly recommended. And as the game profiles everything you do and say and tailors the experience toward your mind, going "opposite" in your responses and actions the second time through is also recommended. I don't want to ruin anything, but know that the game even keeps track of what you stare at. Eyes up here!

The dark and gritty town of Silent Hill has never looked better, and by "better" we mean worse. Darker, more desolate. Everything is that much more eerie when cast in your flashlight's beam. The graphics dazzle on the Wii, and I found myself surprised at the graphical performance more than once while exploring. Characters manage to both remind players of the old games and bring some originality at the same time. They're expertly animated and are voiced with what is likely the best work I've heard in the series. You can definitely see the loving care developer Climax put into the game. To top it all off, series composer Akira Yamaoka is back with a haunting score. This time around it's more subdued, but it fits the sleepy, snowy atmosphere perfectly.

Perhaps you're wondering if a Wii Silent Hill game is scary. I can say without hesitation that it is. Much of this is due to the superlative pacing and storytelling. As expected, there are plenty of jump-out scary moments, but the panic that the game's situations causes go even farther toward scaring you senseless. When the story ends and you begin thinking about the game's story, the tons of symbolism, and the overall message, you'll likely be creeped out. And amazed.

While Silent Hill: Shattered Memories is a total departure in every way from what Konami proper had started, it manages to reinvigorate the series. This "re-imagining" could have been a story rehash, instead we get a brilliantly deep game with subtle subtext and surprising symbolism. It's deep enough that some may glaze over the reasons behind the game play decisions and story elements, which were, again, brilliant. It focuses on the horrors of the human mind and gets away from the tired ghost story, making for a story much more involving and disturbing than recent Silent Hill titles. A lovingly crafted story draws you in and then wows you with a surprise ending that leaves a lingering fascination. And chills. I'm still thinking about it. From one die-hard Silent Hill fan to another, this is a true Silent Hill game. A better Silent Hill game. Do not miss this game.

Score: 9.5 -- Superb (9s are a hallmark of excellence. There may be flaws, but they are negligible and won't cause massive damage to what is a supreme title.)

9/10 One of the best

Nintendo Life said:

Hill hath frozen over

Harry Mason is not having a good day. After crashing his car in a freak snowstorm, he wakes up to find his daughter missing with nary a trace. Determined to find her, Harry sets out into the night with a flashlight to explore the town of Silent Hill in this reimagining of the series’ original entry.

Yes, reimagining, not remake. Silent Hill: Shattered Memories is not the same game as its 1999 PlayStation source. It retains signature elements of that game, sure: you’re Harry Mason, you’re looking for your daughter Cheryl in the town of Silent Hill, many of the original characters are included, etc. But Shattered Memories distinguishes itself by spinning a different yarn, stripping combat, trading rust for ice and tossing in some good ol’ psychology into the mix.

The story touches on themes of regret, loss and sexuality through direct gameplay as well as through phone messages and images found in the world. It’s intriguing and Climax does a good job of baiting you with details so you’ll want to continue on just a smidgen more. Even if you know the original story inside-out by now, Shattered Memories goes down a different path so series vets won’t feel like they’re retreading old ground. We’d love to go into more detail but it would be a great disservice to those who plan on setting foot in Silent Hill.

Shattered Memories tries to get into your head in a way no other game really has since Silicon Knight’s Eternal Darkness on GameCube. The much-publicised psychological test in the beginning of the game is personal and probing, wanting to know things like whether you make friends easily, need a drink to relax or even if you’ve ever been unfaithful to a partner. While your answers won’t significantly change how the story plays out, they do have a noticeable change on the world around you: for instance, police officer Cybil will look slightly different and be either receptive and helpful or untrusting and hostile depending on your answers. It sounds like a small change, but it does impact your perception of the supporting cast’s motives and can lead to mistrust and tension when someone appears. Similarly, enemy appearance will alter but not cause any behavioural changes. Periodically you’ll find yourself back with the psychologist, who will test you through moral dilemmas and image interpretation. Based on all this, by the end of the game you’re treated to one of five alternate endings and given a (surprisingly close) psychological evaluation.

A significant addition to the Silent Hill formula is Harry’s cell phone, used to make and receive calls (you can dial any number found in the game with actual, albeit mostly brief, results), receive messages that advance the plot, take photos and access a GPS map. You can draw on the GPS screen to plot a route, which comes in handy when exploring outside of the dangerous ice world (also known as the Nightmare sequences). The phone feels very well integrated and is an indispensable tool for Harry.

Climax’s decision to nix combat seemed questionable at first but ultimately proved to be a very wise choice for creating suspense; when the world ices over and the static amplifies, you don’t have the sense of empowerment that fighting gives, which causes you to feel more vulnerable and tense when enemies start running at you. You can throw enemies off if you’re grabbed, flares will keep them at bay, hiding in or under things will throw them off your trail and knocking over cabinets and lockers will impede them, but you can’t directly harm or stop them until the world thaws again – it can get pretty intense trying to reach the end of the Nightmares with creepies on your heel.

The Nightmare sequences are ultimately the game’s biggest flaw. While well-implemented and spooky in their own right, monsters, and thus danger, only appear when the world is frosted over. With just the one enemy type – as mentioned, the monsters can change their appearance but not their behavior – they can feel a little repetitive and far from the iconic design of past Silent Hill creatures. Another gripe is using the map in these sequences: oftentimes you have no idea how to reach the set waypoint when you’ve got baddies chasing you down, and slowing down for a quick check is often a bad idea. Escaping the Nightmares also tends to rely heavily on trial and error so you’ll find yourself retreading the same areas many times as you attempt to flee.

On the upside, Shattered Memories nails its atmosphere; the graphics are moody and realistic, some of the best on Wii in fact, and the use of sound to heighten tension is excellent. The constant falling snow strengthens the sense of cold isolation; those who usually get scared by horror games will likely meet similar results here. Harry’s flashlight casts accurate shadows over the game world and is probably one of the best implementations of a flashlight in any game.

The flashlight is a shining example of Climax’s decision to build Shattered Memories from the ground up to take full advantage of the Wii’s unique feature set, even with PlayStation 2 and PSP ports in the pipeline. The game is among the notable few Wii releases to feature intelligent motion controls without resorting to tacked-on waggle. Object manipulation is done through pinching and on the Remote and twisting, turning and shaking. Throwing off an enemy or knocking down an obstacle is done by quickly moving the controllers to the side; on paper this may sound like dumb waggle but it makes perfect sense in context and feels natural. Phone calls come through the Remote speaker a la No More Heroes as well as the series’ trademark warning static. Even smaller touches, like the battery indicator on Harry’s cell phone matching the charge of the Remote, go a long way to sucking you into the mysterious town of Silent Hill.

The adventure isn’t overly long - about five or six hours on your first playthrough - but with multiple endings there's decent enough incentive to hop back in. You can always change your psych test answers or explore the world differently and see where that takes you.

Conclusion

Whether you buy into the psychology bits or not, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories is still a great horror game on a console starved for them, yet is more remarkable for being a distinctly Wii game through-and-through. Play it for the atmosphere, play it for the suspense, play it for the story; we don’t care, just don’t miss out on one of the best Wii games this year

9/10

SteelAttack said:

I will cave in and buy this when I see it.

GAF seems to be the same as the reviews, some love it some hate it.

The general consensus is that its not silent hill so if you are a fan you will be disappoined.

But take it as an original adventure game and its good.

The chases seem to be the sticking point, Destructoid even did a little article showing people to cope with its quirks.

http://www.destructoid.com/5-tips-for-enjoying-silent-hill-shattered-memories-157713.phtml

From GAF I hear that you can drop a flare at your feet and take your time checking the map. Or just zoom the map in full screen which pauses the chase so you can see where you are suppossed to be going.

You're also suppossed to use firm but steady movements to throw monsters off and in the direction they are attacking from.

Destructoid said:

I played it, reviewed it, loved it. Silent Hill: Shattered Memories is easily the best experience I've had on the Wii, and one of the better ones in the Silent Hill world. And speaking of worlds, I was in my own little one until I began reading the comments on the review. It was then that I found out that some were having difficulty with the title. Later, I read many other reviews and found that while some shared the same enthusiasm, others seemed to have had some issues with the game. Why the disconnect? What were they missing that I saw?

For some reason, I feel passionate enough about this game that I find myself wanting everyone to enjoy it. There's an excellent game here, and I hate to see some misunderstandings or control hang-ups getting in the way of everyone having the great experience I had.

In an attempt to remedy this, I've put together five spoiler-free tips that I feel are key to enjoying Silent Hill: Shattered Memories on the Wii. Hopefully this will benefit both those that have played the game and those that are still considering playing it.

Take your time

It's so short, they say. And at eight hours, tops, it isn't the longest game, though that's actually on par with the other series games. They've always been pretty good at spending enough time to tell a story, but not adding any extra fluff. Much like most of the other Silent Hill games, you'll get the most mileage and enjoyment out of Shattered Memories by taking your time. As a story-based exploration game, if you're running past elements that further develop the story, you're only cheating yourself. So walk, look around, read thing and think about things.

One of the most interesting story devices in Shattered Memories is Harry's mobile phone. While there's a few mandatory story elements that come through it, there are many more that are optional. Seek them out. There's phone numbers on posters and signs everywhere. Call them, listen,  and bring yourself deeper into the game's world.

Also, don't be afraid to poke around. The first-person zoom mode uncovers lots of interesting things, and Harry's commentary on these items is always fun. You'll also come across hidden mementos, many of which have some pretty deep symbolism. Don't just collect them, look at them. The developers put a lot of work into the story, but it's up to you to take your time and enjoy it.

Mind your controls

I'll be honest: My first session of Shattered Memories didn't go so well. I loved the exploration side of the game right away, but when it came to the frantic chase scenes I was having some trouble with the Wii controls. You see, in this game, there's no combat. Instead, you're using your Wii Remote and Nunchuck as hands, using them to push off monsters as they tackle and attach to you, trying to bring you down.

The key here is to not use the grand, forceful movements you'd normally use if this situation were real. What happens when you go nuts with the controllers is that the sensors don't respond as well, and your arm flailings do little more than have the controller cord slapping you in the face. I found what works best is smaller, more firm movements.

If an attacker comes at you from the front, push the controllers forward in a solid but controlled gesture, and you'll find that the game responds nicely, and the monster will fall back on his ass. If one comes from the side, give a quick but firm flick in the direction they've come from, and you'll shake them off easily. There's a small learning curve, but once you've got it, you'll find that it's quite reliable.

Making sure that you've positioned yourself so that you can move freely also helps. You'll want a clear, working view of the sensor bar, as you'll need to be able to reliably transmit controls in those crazy chase scenes. Limiting your moving room is like limiting your enjoyment of the game. Keep your cursor within the confines of the imaginary zone your television sets. Going beyond that is going to leave you stuck, and that usually happens at the worst time.

Don't get discouraged

Run. Run your ass off. That's my best advice in the nightmare sequences, where Silent Hill becomes a frozen, convoluted hell version of itself. One of the main complaints I've seen is that players become discouraged when they get lost in the nightmare world. What they're not realizing is that was the intended effect. You're supposed to feel lost and helpless, which is supposed to convey the feelings that the game's story is trying to tell.

Instead of being discouraged with being lost and not being able to attack, go in prepared, knowing what you need to do to survive. Here's a few points that kept me from getting discouraged in the nightmares:

• Screw the maps - you'll never make sense of them anyway
• Run, but don't run in circles
• Shut off your flashlight - less monsters will chase you
• Trial and error works best - looking for the nearest exit is better than dying
• Turn the sound down - that screaming is only stressing you out

Have an open mind

Many of the issues some had with the game tell me that the bigger picture is being missed. And while I can't divulge many of the story details without spoiling the story, I can say that there's a reason for the game play elements/controls in Shattered Memories. Many complain about the lack of weapons and attacking, but there's a very specific (and good) reason for this. The enemies themselves aren't as varied as in other games, and again, there's a good reason for this. Even the way the  story elements unfold has been created with the end result in mind. You'll see what I mean.

Having an open mind should even extend to the fact that this is a re-imagining of the first game's story. Those shooting down story segments for a lack of continuity are missing the point completely. You're best served by not comparing this title with other Silent Hill games. Shattered Memories' story is more about the human mind and less about some fictional history, and when you look at it that way, it's pretty easy to appreciate, and definitely easier to understand.

Play it more than once

If you were to take all of the above into consideration, I think you'd enjoy Shattered Memories. But this is a game that's just begging to be played more than once. Sure, there's multiple endings, but the entire experience can be different depending on how you play the game, and seeing just how much things can change goes a long way toward making the most of this game's story.

Climax has designed the game so you can't see everything the first time through. The trick to accessing everything is through your actions as well as your answers to the psychological profile and tests. Events, locations, and even characters can change greatly depending on your profile. Even what you look at in-game is factored in. My recommendation is to do things exactly opposite of the way you did in your first play through the second time around.

My second time through was packed with plenty of a-ha! moments, but the clarity I gained from knowing where the story ended up the first time is what really made this a spectacular experience. Only then did I recognize the symbolism in everything, and there were several times that I had to pause the game and reflect on what the game was really saying about its characters. And wow, a lot was said here. This game is telling a pretty complex story, and I'm glad I spent the time to go deep enough to really enjoy the tale they've spun. Some of it is pretty damned creepy, so look out for that.

Oh, and there's a dog/UFO ending, just like the other Silent Hill games, so you should really play it a third time

Foolz said:

I am a Silent Hill fan but with love it/hate it games I usually love it so I'll have to get it when I can.

I need to get a PS2 copy of SH2 and 3. SH4 looks horrible with the 360 emulation. Artifacts galore.