With the two main names in survival horror focusing on action over scares these days, fans of the genre have had little to chew on in recent years. Shattered Memories attempts to be that scare-fest for horror junkies by making running away your only means of survival. That's right - this game has no combat whatsoever.
It's a bold choice in this retelling of the first game's story. But how does it work? Let's see.
..story..
The first game in the Silent Hill series focuses on Harry Mason searching for his daughter in the town of Silent Hill. That basic setup is still the same here, and while you'll go through a majority of the same locations, and see the same characters as you did in the first game, they are all drastically different. It's almost as if someone heard the story of the first Silent Hill game, like, ten years ago - and is now retelling it based on memory. It's still kinda the same thing, but, at the same time, totally different. With that in mind, the title "Shattered Memories" becomes even more appropriate.
The catch is that the story is being told through your own, first person session with a psychiatrist. The questions in these sections get deeply personal - covering issues of sex, religion and family. But these aren't disconnected from the story - the answers you give and the choices you make in the psych session impact the way Silent Hill is portrayed for you as the player - which, theoretically, delivers a customized horror experience designed around scaring you specifically.
The story is also much clearer and easier to follow than any other game in the series. It is written with a movie-style script, moving along at an even pace and delivering twists and turns that I honestly didn't see coming. An enjoyable story through and through.
The catch is that the story is being told through your own, first person session with a psychiatrist. The questions in these sections get deeply personal - covering issues of sex, religion and family. But these aren't disconnected from the story - the answers you give and the choices you make in the psych session impact the way Silent Hill is portrayed for you as the player - which, theoretically, delivers a customized horror experience designed around scaring you specifically.
The story is also much clearer and easier to follow than any other game in the series. It is written with a movie-style script, moving along at an even pace and delivering twists and turns that I honestly didn't see coming. An enjoyable story through and through.
..gameplay..
This version of Silent Hill is strictly divided into two gameplay segments - exploration in the normal world and escaping from the dark world. Unlike other games in the series, monsters do not exist in the normal version of the town, but are relegated specifically to Shattered Memories' dark world - a frozen, blue nightmare. I mentioned before that this game has no combat whatsoever, and that's true - there's no showdown with a final boss, no hidden mission where you can get a shotgun, once you enter the dark world, your only option is to run.
Monsters will relentlessly pursue you through the twisted maze of tunnels and doors. Using flares and knocking down large items will slow their progress, but you cannot stop for a second. If the fleshy beasts catch you, you'll have to perform sharp, violent thrusts with the Wii remote to shake them off.
These "escape" missions are extremely stressful, but aren't necessarily scary. If you're killed, you start back at the beginning of the chase sequence, leaving little incentive to avoid death. But when everything turns to ice, and the thumping horrific music starts playing, my pulse would always quicken.
Monsters will relentlessly pursue you through the twisted maze of tunnels and doors. Using flares and knocking down large items will slow their progress, but you cannot stop for a second. If the fleshy beasts catch you, you'll have to perform sharp, violent thrusts with the Wii remote to shake them off.
These "escape" missions are extremely stressful, but aren't necessarily scary. If you're killed, you start back at the beginning of the chase sequence, leaving little incentive to avoid death. But when everything turns to ice, and the thumping horrific music starts playing, my pulse would always quicken.
The other side of the coin is the biggest chunk of the game - exploring the town of Silent Hill. Finding clues, solving puzzles unlocking doors, etc. It gets pretty dark here and using the Wii remote's pointer to direct Harry's flashlight feels natural and elegant. You also have an indispensable smart phone to use. It has a map of the town, a camera to take ghostly pictures, and serves as the game's menu to save and load options. You can also use the phone to call any telephone number that you see in the game - be it scrawled on a bathroom stall, or plastered across a billboard, you dial the number and something will happen. And all of the audio occurs in that little embedded speaker within the remote - it really adds to the sense of immersion.
The puzzles are really excellent and just difficult enough to get some real nice enjoyment out of them. They're also tailor made for the Wii's controller. Opening hatches, manipulating objects and so on are all handled using motion control - and here's the funny thing: it works. Here's the most controversial statement of the review: the motion controls in Shattered Memories work better than Skyward Sword.
Silent Hill Shattered Memories should have been a Wii launch title. Not because it's basic, but because it uses the Wii Remote to it's fullest potential - and it shows the ability of motion controls to work well within a mature game.
The Silent Hill games have always been on the bleeding edge of graphics, and while Shattered Memories looks great, there are better looking Wii games on the market. Lighting and shadow effects are great, and character animations and lip syncing are all excellent. The voice acting, music and sound design are also top notch. And again the immersion that comes from the audio in the remote's speaker is unprecedented.
This is a top tier Wii game, and one that every hardcore Wii owner should have in their library. Multiple endings means excellent replay value and really great integration of the Wii's unique capabilities makes the game stand out. Get it. Get scared. Enjoy.
The puzzles are really excellent and just difficult enough to get some real nice enjoyment out of them. They're also tailor made for the Wii's controller. Opening hatches, manipulating objects and so on are all handled using motion control - and here's the funny thing: it works. Here's the most controversial statement of the review: the motion controls in Shattered Memories work better than Skyward Sword.
Silent Hill Shattered Memories should have been a Wii launch title. Not because it's basic, but because it uses the Wii Remote to it's fullest potential - and it shows the ability of motion controls to work well within a mature game.
..presentation..
The Silent Hill games have always been on the bleeding edge of graphics, and while Shattered Memories looks great, there are better looking Wii games on the market. Lighting and shadow effects are great, and character animations and lip syncing are all excellent. The voice acting, music and sound design are also top notch. And again the immersion that comes from the audio in the remote's speaker is unprecedented.
This is a top tier Wii game, and one that every hardcore Wii owner should have in their library. Multiple endings means excellent replay value and really great integration of the Wii's unique capabilities makes the game stand out. Get it. Get scared. Enjoy.
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