Alisthesia
31 Reviews liked by Alisthesia
Animal Well
2024
This review contains spoilers
I'm glad there's still room for games to have meaningful interaction without combat or shooting.
Animal Well iterates and in some places improves on the metroidvania genre.
The discovery and flow feels amazing, the items you get have multiple applications to how you navigate and interact with the world, causing a very un-gated playthrough where you're never feeling stuck despite zero quest markers or guidance.
This game is equally amazing at the puzzles it presents as much as its rich and eery atmosphere which is one of the most unique and quality things I've experienced as of late.
After that, well it was very cute of the developer to put the credits halfway through the game, there's secrets beyond secrets.
I found most of the eggs (60 of them) on my own, proceeded to complete the second ending which required figuring out a puzzle in binary code and playing a 64 long note song, and also found a couple of secret bunnies.
Beyond that I used the help of a guide since I didn't want to waste hours endlessly browsing the game for the slightest pixel changes.
Now these secret bunnies are ridiculous to find, and sometimes require you either notice a bar code in the grass blades, or literally own a printer, print out an origami, put it together and solve a puzzle. Or have 50 people stitch together a pixel art picture.
These bunnies lead to even more fun little secrets.
Then the community found wingding symbols which are only obtainable through extremely specific circumstances, like collecting a 100 health pickups without taking damage, aligned on a random picture in the game, they lead to another secret.
People might still find more things locked away, but even without that this is one of those rare experiences that will stay with me forever.
Animal Well iterates and in some places improves on the metroidvania genre.
The discovery and flow feels amazing, the items you get have multiple applications to how you navigate and interact with the world, causing a very un-gated playthrough where you're never feeling stuck despite zero quest markers or guidance.
This game is equally amazing at the puzzles it presents as much as its rich and eery atmosphere which is one of the most unique and quality things I've experienced as of late.
After that, well it was very cute of the developer to put the credits halfway through the game, there's secrets beyond secrets.
I found most of the eggs (60 of them) on my own, proceeded to complete the second ending which required figuring out a puzzle in binary code and playing a 64 long note song, and also found a couple of secret bunnies.
Beyond that I used the help of a guide since I didn't want to waste hours endlessly browsing the game for the slightest pixel changes.
Now these secret bunnies are ridiculous to find, and sometimes require you either notice a bar code in the grass blades, or literally own a printer, print out an origami, put it together and solve a puzzle. Or have 50 people stitch together a pixel art picture.
These bunnies lead to even more fun little secrets.
Then the community found wingding symbols which are only obtainable through extremely specific circumstances, like collecting a 100 health pickups without taking damage, aligned on a random picture in the game, they lead to another secret.
People might still find more things locked away, but even without that this is one of those rare experiences that will stay with me forever.
The second instalment of A Plague Tale is a visually stunning and terrifyingly graphic game. This rollercoaster of emotions will guide you through some of the most scenic, wonderous and beautiful places, before dragging you through areas and scenarios that make you question the sanity of the level designers.
The stealth in this game has been reworked to give you more creative options for each encounter, but has balanced that with what felt like more adaptive, responsive and more plentiful enemies. A few control and AI hiccups aside, I enjoyed the increased challenge that came with this, but lead to some of these encounters being occasionally tedious.
Amid the sometimes overly childish, and existential dread fuelled writing was a story that, by the end, has you feeling ultimately satisfied.
The stealth in this game has been reworked to give you more creative options for each encounter, but has balanced that with what felt like more adaptive, responsive and more plentiful enemies. A few control and AI hiccups aside, I enjoyed the increased challenge that came with this, but lead to some of these encounters being occasionally tedious.
Amid the sometimes overly childish, and existential dread fuelled writing was a story that, by the end, has you feeling ultimately satisfied.
Archaic and mythic in a way that even Bloodborne couldn't quite muster to this extent in its boldly horrific perfection. Though while that game is superior, it being far more focused and accessible (and frankly more personally appealing) in its approach to the FromSoft formula, there is something deeply boundless and near avant-garde about how epic this feels; an accumulating influence that trickled into subsequent titles in the developer's work. An abstractly fantastical vertical climb and descent from the heavens to hell and back again through a dilapidated and diseased kingdom. While the layered mythology calls for intense analysis, I firmly believe this is a game that asks to be felt and experienced rather than put under scrutiny. There's no shortage of praise that is thrown at this game but despite my past encounters with the franchise, I was consistently humbled and fixed into place by this in more manners than one. It is hard to believe this exists at all and in such existentially despairing and bittersweet form. An evocative representation of the politics of defiance against past generations, the cruel cycles of depression, and interlacing the meaning of existence with twisting power struggles between greedy Gods and petty mortals.. the living and the dead... the tangible and intangible. Through vast ruins built on top of ruins resting atop inter-dimensional tree trunks, a sort of connected system of 'Garden of Eden' clones where all creation was sprouted, the brooding and broken civilizations of Dark Souls unfold to us. These dynamics are sprawling, intimidating, a little silly, and most probably flimsy in how it weaves all them together but undeniably absorbing. After all, the metaphysical essence of these ruinous spaces are tied intrinsically into the nature of life itself as it pertains to the Chosen Undead. We are one with this world for better and worse and we can choose to wield that power with greed and malice or with fairness and embrace of the darkness within the light. Dark Souls understands however that this is not a binary affect but a deeply moralistic play in our own interpretation of what it is to be chosen.
Bloodborne
2015
The seminal 21st century horror masterwork. An utterly consuming post-modern translation of Victorian anxieties; the dangers of industrial progress being married to church doctrine as told with both gothic and celestial aesthetics. However it doesn't stop there. That's nothing to say on how the game further goes on to explore the terrifying Eldritch possibilities of unspeakable extraterrestrial beings beyond comprehension lying dormant within labyrinths and our attempts to understand and exploit these cosmic powers. How the result of humanity's endless search for more knowledge is ultimately rendered as capital once it breaches the surface. Just an unimaginably dense work capable of being terrifying, moving, sexy, and amusing in equal measures and completely goes all in on these facets; never shortchanging. My mind spins on the many narrative tangents this game takes you on, its profound sense of empathy for the cursed victims of exploitation, and beyond that it's also just a really fun and addictive gameplay loop with gorgeously designed areas and haunting bosses/enemies that ring in the head long after the television powers off. So stimulating exploring different weapons and builds and seeing what works and what doesn't. Perhaps some of the areas are more annoying than others (Nightmare Frontier, Upper Cathedral Ward, and Yahar'gul can fuck right off) but for something I deeply loved the first time I'm just shocked how much better this feels now. The m-word gets thrown around a lot nowadays but this work of art truly deserves the plaudit of being labelled a masterpiece. A sweeping culmination of everything FromSoftware has been striving to achieve. Everybody else should just stop trying.
Silent Hill 3
2003
𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘯?
I’ve taken a considerable amount of time between my experiences with each of the main Silent Hill games. I played the first entry around six-seven years ago when I was still in a mutually toxic relationship and found it excellent yet downright baffling. Containing industrial and metallic horrors beyond immediate comprehension and freaky cults and oddly touching ‘chosen family’ dynamics, it pushed the limits for what I believed a PS1 title could achieve through sheer atmosphere and symbolic prowess alone. After nabbing a decently priced copy of the second game a year post my separation from said relationship (and in the wake of the pandemic), I found myself shattered by its oppressive deconstruction of a guilty conscience and the interconnective nature of trauma- both shared and isolated. How pain binds fractured souls together, and winds them up into botched and abstracted spaces of American normality to fend for themselves on a primal level. It took everything the first entry accomplished and confidently treks into bold territories that challenged the player’s allegiance to their supposed protagonist as well as call attention to their adjacent relationships to side characters- who upon the surface don’t directly contribute much to James’ arc but rather gracefully ebb and flow with the intention of supplementing the themes of the story. These first two games were exhausting to push through, almost sadist in quality and punishing in developer motivation with how they marry deeply complicated and expressionistic narratives with deliberately stunted and claustrophobic gameplay. They are, to me, a primordial testament to what the medium can achieve as singular works of art (as well as propelling the interactive possibilities of horror).
Anyways, Backloggd word salad aside, it has been nearly four years and I have finally gotten to the trilogy capper. I have since healed from my own personal traumas from the relationship that haunted my experiences with the previous two games (but still write the inflated wordy nonsense on here for the four people that actually read my reviews). That word, “healed”, succinctly captures what it felt like to play through Silent Hill III. It is an encompassing coming of age narrative about origin and birthright and interrogates the identity that we are born with versus the one we ultimately choose for ourselves. The game also wraps itself back into the thematic backbone of the first game in a clever way, weaving in ideas of evangelic persecution that removes women’s agency from their bodies and intertwining that with emotional struggles of familial belonging. Team Silent fills the game with the adequate amount of angst, grief, and sass that any teenage girl confronts as they are exposed to the chronic realities of impending adulthood. And yes, it is also very scary; utilizing some fairly cursed sound work and utterly hideous (and frequently phallic) creature designs in addition to incorporating another deliciously brooding soundtrack by Akira Yamaoka. Everything in this game carries the instinct to exercise hostility and discomfort towards Heather. Who didn’t feel that way about the world as an insecure adolescent? At the very least the sense that nothing is quite “okay” permeates much of the game’s wildly structured first half leading up to the story’s venture to the titular town in the second. The player navigates through malls, subway stations, construction sites, office buildings, and apartment complexes with the overall goal of getting home and then from there we are thrust into the familiar spaces we’ve walked before as other characters.
Despite its messy development, this is as much an effectively bittersweet culmination of the franchise’s mythology as it a deliriously unique exploration of its own themes. While I wasn’t as taken with the characterizations here as I was with the previous entry (Douglas didn’t do much for me, sorry), that remains somewhat the only sour note to an otherwise masterful game that I imagine will smooth over with time. Just writing this I look back on my nights playing this fondly and already with slight tinges of nostalgia. Every dream-like moment is so committed to utmost immersion for the player, inducing unease within the most mundane of everyday locations- at least before they are transformed into otherworldly distortions of malice incarnate. This dynamic allows for pulpy levity that toggles self-reflexive tone shifting; registering discordant humor, occasional dramatic poignancy, but mostly unhinged beats of urban surrealism. The game’s iconic visual and thematic aesthetic teamed with Heather’s infectious presence providing a much-needed cushion for the player to fall back on for reprieve against the most ungodly of manifestations, this is truly as well-rounded as horror games can be. Now if someone out there wants to lend me Silent Hill IV..
I’ve taken a considerable amount of time between my experiences with each of the main Silent Hill games. I played the first entry around six-seven years ago when I was still in a mutually toxic relationship and found it excellent yet downright baffling. Containing industrial and metallic horrors beyond immediate comprehension and freaky cults and oddly touching ‘chosen family’ dynamics, it pushed the limits for what I believed a PS1 title could achieve through sheer atmosphere and symbolic prowess alone. After nabbing a decently priced copy of the second game a year post my separation from said relationship (and in the wake of the pandemic), I found myself shattered by its oppressive deconstruction of a guilty conscience and the interconnective nature of trauma- both shared and isolated. How pain binds fractured souls together, and winds them up into botched and abstracted spaces of American normality to fend for themselves on a primal level. It took everything the first entry accomplished and confidently treks into bold territories that challenged the player’s allegiance to their supposed protagonist as well as call attention to their adjacent relationships to side characters- who upon the surface don’t directly contribute much to James’ arc but rather gracefully ebb and flow with the intention of supplementing the themes of the story. These first two games were exhausting to push through, almost sadist in quality and punishing in developer motivation with how they marry deeply complicated and expressionistic narratives with deliberately stunted and claustrophobic gameplay. They are, to me, a primordial testament to what the medium can achieve as singular works of art (as well as propelling the interactive possibilities of horror).
Anyways, Backloggd word salad aside, it has been nearly four years and I have finally gotten to the trilogy capper. I have since healed from my own personal traumas from the relationship that haunted my experiences with the previous two games (but still write the inflated wordy nonsense on here for the four people that actually read my reviews). That word, “healed”, succinctly captures what it felt like to play through Silent Hill III. It is an encompassing coming of age narrative about origin and birthright and interrogates the identity that we are born with versus the one we ultimately choose for ourselves. The game also wraps itself back into the thematic backbone of the first game in a clever way, weaving in ideas of evangelic persecution that removes women’s agency from their bodies and intertwining that with emotional struggles of familial belonging. Team Silent fills the game with the adequate amount of angst, grief, and sass that any teenage girl confronts as they are exposed to the chronic realities of impending adulthood. And yes, it is also very scary; utilizing some fairly cursed sound work and utterly hideous (and frequently phallic) creature designs in addition to incorporating another deliciously brooding soundtrack by Akira Yamaoka. Everything in this game carries the instinct to exercise hostility and discomfort towards Heather. Who didn’t feel that way about the world as an insecure adolescent? At the very least the sense that nothing is quite “okay” permeates much of the game’s wildly structured first half leading up to the story’s venture to the titular town in the second. The player navigates through malls, subway stations, construction sites, office buildings, and apartment complexes with the overall goal of getting home and then from there we are thrust into the familiar spaces we’ve walked before as other characters.
Despite its messy development, this is as much an effectively bittersweet culmination of the franchise’s mythology as it a deliriously unique exploration of its own themes. While I wasn’t as taken with the characterizations here as I was with the previous entry (Douglas didn’t do much for me, sorry), that remains somewhat the only sour note to an otherwise masterful game that I imagine will smooth over with time. Just writing this I look back on my nights playing this fondly and already with slight tinges of nostalgia. Every dream-like moment is so committed to utmost immersion for the player, inducing unease within the most mundane of everyday locations- at least before they are transformed into otherworldly distortions of malice incarnate. This dynamic allows for pulpy levity that toggles self-reflexive tone shifting; registering discordant humor, occasional dramatic poignancy, but mostly unhinged beats of urban surrealism. The game’s iconic visual and thematic aesthetic teamed with Heather’s infectious presence providing a much-needed cushion for the player to fall back on for reprieve against the most ungodly of manifestations, this is truly as well-rounded as horror games can be. Now if someone out there wants to lend me Silent Hill IV..
SotN takes and blends both of the aesthetic elements of Castlevania and Dracula X to create an absolutely lovely atmosphere. The music was absolutely incredible start to end and pending time in the castle was an absolute delight beginning to end, I loved uncovering all of the secrets that the game had to offer. I love that the secrets also culminated into a wonderful twist that really tied the whole experience together for me. There were some things that really stuck out to me, however, that preventing me from loving it more than I do. My biggest complaint is the difficulty. Compared to earlier Castlevania games, I felt as though I never really had to apply myself or plan out my strategy in each room. Instead, I found myself running at things and avoiding damage when it was convenient. I think it's something that is inevitable when the game is so open-ended, but I would have loved to see some enemy designs that complimented Alucard's moveset better. Unfortunately, a lot of the bosses followed the same trend. I ended up beating the vast majority of the bosses on my first try, which led to most of them bleeding together for me, despite having incredible designs visually. Although the bosses are undertuned, I think the problem is more fundamental than that. A lot of the bosses have annoying attacks that are difficult and finnicky to reliably dodge. This led to me trying to just out damage the boss rather than actually engaging with it. I think SotN still holds up rather well, but I think there are definitely some games that improve and iterate upon the foundation that this game laid.
This review contains spoilers
Bolinha rosa fofinha enfrentando a industrialização desenfreada e corporações tecnológicas agressivas, utilizando como arma somente sua fofura e um mecha, culminando numa batalha contra um planeta senciente possuído por uma IA assassina com poderes cósmicos. 10/10.
O maior inimigo da repetição, simplesmente.
Esse jogo consegue se sair bem em tudo, sério. Os mapas são lindos e bem diferentes uns dos outros, os inimigos (tanto normais quanto os chefes) são únicos, as habilidades são tantas e bastante criativas, a lista continua...
Pra minha 1a experiência com Kirby, me surpreendi de verdade, nem sei se achei algum defeito enquanto jogava. É impossível não se divertir com esse jogo.
Esse jogo consegue se sair bem em tudo, sério. Os mapas são lindos e bem diferentes uns dos outros, os inimigos (tanto normais quanto os chefes) são únicos, as habilidades são tantas e bastante criativas, a lista continua...
Pra minha 1a experiência com Kirby, me surpreendi de verdade, nem sei se achei algum defeito enquanto jogava. É impossível não se divertir com esse jogo.
Great game. This game has fun levels, a great OST, and the Robobot armor is a great gimmick. I liked the Hypernova in Triple Deluxe, but the Robobot suit has way more variety since it can copy abilities just like Kirby can. The main story is a fun time, and Metaknightmare Returns was a fun way to revisit the levels. The side games are also pretty fun, although they are a bit too short, especially 3D Rumble. Overall this game is a great time and I highly recommend it.
Melhorou tudo que já era muito bom no A Plague Tale: Innocence, gráficos, ambientação e trilha sonora estão impecáveis. Recomendo demais
Obs: zerei com 18h
Obs: zerei com 18h
Despite what the propaganda might tell you otherwise, there is NO game more new, OR super than this one. Finally the days of shoveling slop and goop since (checks shelf) 2012? Well they’re hopefully done and buried, sorry to all the New Super Mario Bros. 2 lovers, genuinely, it’s just my go to for Mario’s era of crud.
It’s crazy that they went from the textbook definition of safe with NSMB to this, it feels like it would be easier to name what wasn’t new about this game, and I probably won’t even do that! Who cares! I love this game! To contain my love for it though I should probably actually say something about it, like how visually vibrant and expressive this game is. I’ve seen a lot of people compare it directly to NSMB which IS really funny, but even despite how unimaginative and dull those games visuals were (besides the first 2) this game is still fucking beautiful even when not compared to other games in the series, especially with this fucking elephant. The elephant is probably one of the best things they’ve ever made for a Mario game, I was almost sad that there were only a few new power ups in this game but it didn’t even matter because they’re all pretty great and useful and a lot of interesting ways, but the point with the elephant is how much attention was given to it. The unique animations for doing almost anything as an elephant like going through doors or down pipes, or the fact that the music shifts dynamically for when you’re an elephant is just lovely.
Speaking of music… music? When was the last time a 2d Mario game had more than 3 songs that already existed 30 years prior? You got a pass on that once, not 4 times. Though the music in those games is totally fine for me it was just totally fine. Serviceable. Can barely remember anything besides the one song they never. stop. using. This games soundtrack is fucking GREAT, and huge! It’s like 200 tracks including jingles and whatnot, so there are probably around like 150 actual songs, most of which are completely original. It has the best 1-1 theme, it has the best second stage just in general, the final boss without saying anything about it really emphasizes the 2 points I’ve made to an extreme degree. I’ve just been listening to it since I beat it pretty much and it’s just delightful, brings a smile to my stupid face. Also related to music and sound, your reward for 100%’ing the game is great. I’ve seen people complain about it and I think for most games and especially games like this, when you get 100% most people are not gonna be playing it much if at all after the fact, for a decent amount of time. So I think for what it is it’s perfect, it’s a very charming reward and remember these games are pretty much made for 40 year olds to play with their 5 year old children and those 5 year old children will love this shit. Even if you’re a group of friends playing together it’s still just so much fun, this goes for the game as a whole.
A few other ancillary things, I thought the online would be a little underwhelming since they seemingly could have put “true” online co-op in the game pretty easily, which I still think would be a good thing, but I actually ended up loving the way the online works. Just playing together with random people and emoting to each other and helping each other and fucking around and finishing the stage together is actually really fun. Standees are actually useful and you will forever love people that actually used them properly, and just the fact that you still can play online with your friends is great, being ghosts is just part of that Halloween charm I guess. I might even just be happier with it how it is versus having it be “proper”. Peach not being the boring damsel anymore is pretty fun since it’s just bowser “fucking shit up” now… in his own special way. Having the other playable characters was great, I initially was saying to myself “but I HAVE to be Mario, it wouldn’t be right” I switched his dumb ass out for Toadette stage 2 good RIDDANCE. It is weird that Yoshi is just the easy mode but not as easy as Nabbit easy mode, but I also don’t care because Yoshi has almost never been as expressive in any game before… almost. He does look a little fried though, something’s definitely going on with him. The only real complaint I could possibly make isn’t even a complaint, mores being spoiled by 3D Land/World but I do wish there was a bonus world in this game, besides the secret world which is also really good. Fuck that final final act though, easily the most trouble I’ve had with one of these 100% stages, thank you to the Luigi named srpoopalot I may have never made it out without your kind patronage.
In short I like Mario. I was a child at one point after all so it’s almost mandatory. Adults like Mario too, did you know that? Crazy that they can make games for 5 year olds also really fun for 25 year olds. Also one more thing that has been fucking pounding along in my mind the last couple days, this game was directed by Shiro Mouri who went from programmer on a handful of pretty non-mentionables minus a couple, to co-directing a link between worlds and then to directing this? So this guy co-directed one of the best Zelda games and directed one of the best Mario games and had no other roles besides programming? (besides directing NSMBUD but I like to think everyone in that office was fucking chain smoking for weeks because no one gave a fuck) Guys, your kitchen is fucking DUSTY let this guy in there like 2 or 3 more times PLEASE. If you’re like me and you’ve been on your knees for the last 12 years crying and begging for a NEW 2D Mario game then this is it. Like seriously, this is the best 1-1 song right?
It’s crazy that they went from the textbook definition of safe with NSMB to this, it feels like it would be easier to name what wasn’t new about this game, and I probably won’t even do that! Who cares! I love this game! To contain my love for it though I should probably actually say something about it, like how visually vibrant and expressive this game is. I’ve seen a lot of people compare it directly to NSMB which IS really funny, but even despite how unimaginative and dull those games visuals were (besides the first 2) this game is still fucking beautiful even when not compared to other games in the series, especially with this fucking elephant. The elephant is probably one of the best things they’ve ever made for a Mario game, I was almost sad that there were only a few new power ups in this game but it didn’t even matter because they’re all pretty great and useful and a lot of interesting ways, but the point with the elephant is how much attention was given to it. The unique animations for doing almost anything as an elephant like going through doors or down pipes, or the fact that the music shifts dynamically for when you’re an elephant is just lovely.
Speaking of music… music? When was the last time a 2d Mario game had more than 3 songs that already existed 30 years prior? You got a pass on that once, not 4 times. Though the music in those games is totally fine for me it was just totally fine. Serviceable. Can barely remember anything besides the one song they never. stop. using. This games soundtrack is fucking GREAT, and huge! It’s like 200 tracks including jingles and whatnot, so there are probably around like 150 actual songs, most of which are completely original. It has the best 1-1 theme, it has the best second stage just in general, the final boss without saying anything about it really emphasizes the 2 points I’ve made to an extreme degree. I’ve just been listening to it since I beat it pretty much and it’s just delightful, brings a smile to my stupid face. Also related to music and sound, your reward for 100%’ing the game is great. I’ve seen people complain about it and I think for most games and especially games like this, when you get 100% most people are not gonna be playing it much if at all after the fact, for a decent amount of time. So I think for what it is it’s perfect, it’s a very charming reward and remember these games are pretty much made for 40 year olds to play with their 5 year old children and those 5 year old children will love this shit. Even if you’re a group of friends playing together it’s still just so much fun, this goes for the game as a whole.
A few other ancillary things, I thought the online would be a little underwhelming since they seemingly could have put “true” online co-op in the game pretty easily, which I still think would be a good thing, but I actually ended up loving the way the online works. Just playing together with random people and emoting to each other and helping each other and fucking around and finishing the stage together is actually really fun. Standees are actually useful and you will forever love people that actually used them properly, and just the fact that you still can play online with your friends is great, being ghosts is just part of that Halloween charm I guess. I might even just be happier with it how it is versus having it be “proper”. Peach not being the boring damsel anymore is pretty fun since it’s just bowser “fucking shit up” now… in his own special way. Having the other playable characters was great, I initially was saying to myself “but I HAVE to be Mario, it wouldn’t be right” I switched his dumb ass out for Toadette stage 2 good RIDDANCE. It is weird that Yoshi is just the easy mode but not as easy as Nabbit easy mode, but I also don’t care because Yoshi has almost never been as expressive in any game before… almost. He does look a little fried though, something’s definitely going on with him. The only real complaint I could possibly make isn’t even a complaint, mores being spoiled by 3D Land/World but I do wish there was a bonus world in this game, besides the secret world which is also really good. Fuck that final final act though, easily the most trouble I’ve had with one of these 100% stages, thank you to the Luigi named srpoopalot I may have never made it out without your kind patronage.
In short I like Mario. I was a child at one point after all so it’s almost mandatory. Adults like Mario too, did you know that? Crazy that they can make games for 5 year olds also really fun for 25 year olds. Also one more thing that has been fucking pounding along in my mind the last couple days, this game was directed by Shiro Mouri who went from programmer on a handful of pretty non-mentionables minus a couple, to co-directing a link between worlds and then to directing this? So this guy co-directed one of the best Zelda games and directed one of the best Mario games and had no other roles besides programming? (besides directing NSMBUD but I like to think everyone in that office was fucking chain smoking for weeks because no one gave a fuck) Guys, your kitchen is fucking DUSTY let this guy in there like 2 or 3 more times PLEASE. If you’re like me and you’ve been on your knees for the last 12 years crying and begging for a NEW 2D Mario game then this is it. Like seriously, this is the best 1-1 song right?
Penny's Big Breakaway is a pretty cool game. It seems to take a bit from 3D Mario, while also having a focus on momentum that was probably inspired by 2D Sonic. It's still definitely its own thing though overall. You'll be using Penny's yo-yo to fly through the air, hang from poles, grab unique power-ups and ride it like a vehicle down slopes along with many other uses. It can seem a bit clunky at first, but once you get the hang of the movement, it's great soaring through levels at high speeds while racking up as high a score as possible by keeping up your combo.
The level design was decent, never to the point of frustrating, but also not like too easy. There are bonus levels you can unlock with the in-stage collectibles that offer a bit more of a challenge.
The music and aesthetic were consistently great, no complaints there. I really like the style of this game.
I will say however, that it can also feel a bit janky at times. You'll encounter collision detection issues sometimes, falling through an object or sliding across it unable to move until you fall off. It isn't too bad, but it is there. A part of me also wishes there was something a bit more to this game, but it's an indie game and I'd definitely be up for them to iterate and improve upon this formula.
Out of all the 3D platformers I've played, I'd rate this pretty highly, but it's not beating the highs of Super Mario Galaxy or A Hat in Time for me. SMG is just a lot more well-constructed and consistently great game (probably not fair to compare an indie with a AAA, but still), while I feel AHIT has a movement system I enjoy a lot more. Penny isn't trying to do the same thing obviously, and I will say, this is an outstanding effort by a talented team of devs and I'm waiting in baited breath for whatever they do next. Definitely check this out if you're a fan of 3D platformers and want a fun time.
The level design was decent, never to the point of frustrating, but also not like too easy. There are bonus levels you can unlock with the in-stage collectibles that offer a bit more of a challenge.
The music and aesthetic were consistently great, no complaints there. I really like the style of this game.
I will say however, that it can also feel a bit janky at times. You'll encounter collision detection issues sometimes, falling through an object or sliding across it unable to move until you fall off. It isn't too bad, but it is there. A part of me also wishes there was something a bit more to this game, but it's an indie game and I'd definitely be up for them to iterate and improve upon this formula.
Out of all the 3D platformers I've played, I'd rate this pretty highly, but it's not beating the highs of Super Mario Galaxy or A Hat in Time for me. SMG is just a lot more well-constructed and consistently great game (probably not fair to compare an indie with a AAA, but still), while I feel AHIT has a movement system I enjoy a lot more. Penny isn't trying to do the same thing obviously, and I will say, this is an outstanding effort by a talented team of devs and I'm waiting in baited breath for whatever they do next. Definitely check this out if you're a fan of 3D platformers and want a fun time.
Everything I wanted and more. Whitehead and his team continue to be masters at their craft at making great platformers.
It's not perfect, by all means, but the issues are so minor to the point where it doesn't detract from what's easily gonna be a 2024 GOTY contender for me. Easily the best 3D platformer I've played since Mario Odyssey.
I think a lot of the division I've seen seems to come from those who expected it to be more of a Sonic game, hence it sharing a lot of the staff from Mania. There's some of that here, by all means, but It felt more of momentum-based 3D Mario game (Odyssey came to mind with all the powerups). There's a bit of a learning curve, but I think that's exactly why the first world is as slow as it is pacingwise, to ease people into the controls, and I don't think that's an issue at all.
The two biggest critiques I've heard regard bugs and controls, and honestly barring a few minor instances early on I didn't have much of an issue with either. I only had one flat-out crash on PC total, and the worst I had with bugs was with World 2's boss fight (although I feel most of that was due to me still trying to get the hang of the roll controls), as I either would get knocked off course for seemingly no reason or in one specific case completely lock up and have no input on Penny's movements. And as I said prior, while I do think there is a learning curve to it, it's exceptionally satisfying to master, and the game does a great job of pushing you to play faster and thinking out of the box with your entire moveset to either skip whole areas or get into areas with special collectables/objectives.
Everything else is top notch. Tee Lopes' compositions here are admittedly a bit more low energy compared to what we heard in Mania (and even a bit recently with his Superstars tracks), but as someone who loved Mania's more slow tracks like Press garden I have no issue. Legit can't wait for the soundtrack to release.
My only real issue would probably be the currency you pick up in levels not mattering much in the long run. You have the stuff you can use for bonus levels, and that's all well and good, but the one-use items felt kinda pointless aside from it being a crutch for worse players or those who maybe want to explore the levels with more freedom. Maybe it's just me but I'd rather find things legit instead of relying on the items, so I felt no desire to spend them. Even something as simple as costumes would've given the normal currency more worth imho.
That, and probably the biggest thing for me (and I'd imagine some others), the price point. This game has around the same completion+100% timing as Sonic Mania (8-9 Hours) yet is 30 bucks, compared to Mania being just 20 when it came out. I have no issue spending 30 here since I'll support the devs no matter what here, but I do feel 20 is a more appropriate price point for this game and I feel like considering the teams background they wanted to do that, only for it to not happen due to Private Division or T2 meddling. Not a big issue at the end of the day and doesn't lessen my enjoyment, but if you ARE on the edge I don't think it'd hurt at all if you waited for a 10 buck price drop. Either way, highly recommended. Give these guys more projects, please.
It's not perfect, by all means, but the issues are so minor to the point where it doesn't detract from what's easily gonna be a 2024 GOTY contender for me. Easily the best 3D platformer I've played since Mario Odyssey.
I think a lot of the division I've seen seems to come from those who expected it to be more of a Sonic game, hence it sharing a lot of the staff from Mania. There's some of that here, by all means, but It felt more of momentum-based 3D Mario game (Odyssey came to mind with all the powerups). There's a bit of a learning curve, but I think that's exactly why the first world is as slow as it is pacingwise, to ease people into the controls, and I don't think that's an issue at all.
The two biggest critiques I've heard regard bugs and controls, and honestly barring a few minor instances early on I didn't have much of an issue with either. I only had one flat-out crash on PC total, and the worst I had with bugs was with World 2's boss fight (although I feel most of that was due to me still trying to get the hang of the roll controls), as I either would get knocked off course for seemingly no reason or in one specific case completely lock up and have no input on Penny's movements. And as I said prior, while I do think there is a learning curve to it, it's exceptionally satisfying to master, and the game does a great job of pushing you to play faster and thinking out of the box with your entire moveset to either skip whole areas or get into areas with special collectables/objectives.
Everything else is top notch. Tee Lopes' compositions here are admittedly a bit more low energy compared to what we heard in Mania (and even a bit recently with his Superstars tracks), but as someone who loved Mania's more slow tracks like Press garden I have no issue. Legit can't wait for the soundtrack to release.
My only real issue would probably be the currency you pick up in levels not mattering much in the long run. You have the stuff you can use for bonus levels, and that's all well and good, but the one-use items felt kinda pointless aside from it being a crutch for worse players or those who maybe want to explore the levels with more freedom. Maybe it's just me but I'd rather find things legit instead of relying on the items, so I felt no desire to spend them. Even something as simple as costumes would've given the normal currency more worth imho.
That, and probably the biggest thing for me (and I'd imagine some others), the price point. This game has around the same completion+100% timing as Sonic Mania (8-9 Hours) yet is 30 bucks, compared to Mania being just 20 when it came out. I have no issue spending 30 here since I'll support the devs no matter what here, but I do feel 20 is a more appropriate price point for this game and I feel like considering the teams background they wanted to do that, only for it to not happen due to Private Division or T2 meddling. Not a big issue at the end of the day and doesn't lessen my enjoyment, but if you ARE on the edge I don't think it'd hurt at all if you waited for a 10 buck price drop. Either way, highly recommended. Give these guys more projects, please.
As someone who has been waiting for this game ever since Evening Star first formed back in 2019, I feel incredibly satisfied with the end result. While I absolutely love Sonic Mania, the fact that so much of it was based directly off the games that came before really held it back in multiple ways. Penny's Big Breakway is the result of what happens when this team is fully unrestricted in what they're able to do.
The controls in this game are rather unorthodox, especially in comparison to your typical 3D platformer. You jump with the bumpers and a majority of your main movement options are mapped to the right stick. The most normal parts are movement with the left stick and a roll that uses the triggers.
This leads to a very steep learning curve right off the bat. I completely understand how that can keep a lot of people from enjoying the game. But if you're able to come to grips with how it works, you're left with some of the most satisfying movement of any 3D platformer ever. The flow is unparalleled. Every movement option at your disposal can be chained together allowing you to glide over the levels. Just look at what some people have already managed to pull off just within days of release. It's so good.
Despite how fun it can be, the game certainly has its fair share of jank. Sometimes collision can be really weird. There were points where Penny would just fumble around when trying to land on something. In a couple rare instances I even clipped straight through the ground... And I was never able to grasp how the ledge grabbing worked. It felt rather finicky. None of these ever got in my way too much. I still had a great time with the game, but these issues are rather noticeable whenever they happen and are detrimental to the game as a whole. Hopefully it all eventually gets patched, but it's still a shame some of these issues made it into the game at all.
Overall Penny's Big Breakway is a incredibly fun and charming platformer made by many of the talented developers behind Sonic Mania. And while it might be a little rough around the edges, it doesn't stop it from being one of the coolest 3D platformers to release in a long time.
You gotta trust me dude. The jankiness is totally just a Sonic reference.
The controls in this game are rather unorthodox, especially in comparison to your typical 3D platformer. You jump with the bumpers and a majority of your main movement options are mapped to the right stick. The most normal parts are movement with the left stick and a roll that uses the triggers.
This leads to a very steep learning curve right off the bat. I completely understand how that can keep a lot of people from enjoying the game. But if you're able to come to grips with how it works, you're left with some of the most satisfying movement of any 3D platformer ever. The flow is unparalleled. Every movement option at your disposal can be chained together allowing you to glide over the levels. Just look at what some people have already managed to pull off just within days of release. It's so good.
Despite how fun it can be, the game certainly has its fair share of jank. Sometimes collision can be really weird. There were points where Penny would just fumble around when trying to land on something. In a couple rare instances I even clipped straight through the ground... And I was never able to grasp how the ledge grabbing worked. It felt rather finicky. None of these ever got in my way too much. I still had a great time with the game, but these issues are rather noticeable whenever they happen and are detrimental to the game as a whole. Hopefully it all eventually gets patched, but it's still a shame some of these issues made it into the game at all.
Overall Penny's Big Breakway is a incredibly fun and charming platformer made by many of the talented developers behind Sonic Mania. And while it might be a little rough around the edges, it doesn't stop it from being one of the coolest 3D platformers to release in a long time.
Silent Hill 2
2001
I have a more sympathetic view of James than I think most people do.
At the very least, I believe that my understanding of the game is less emphatic on his flaws and failings than an awful lot of the interpretations I’ve seen others form in fifteen-plus years of playing, thinking about and growing into Silent Hill 2. I also think a lot of these interpretations scrub out a lot of Mary’s worst traits and have a very one-dimensional view of the two’s marriage and relationship, especially given the all-too-great extent to which I can find myself in James’ shoes and understand just what being in the sorts of situations he’s been thrust into can do to you. This isn’t to say that I think Mary is outright an antagonistic figure, that she was necessarily an abusive partner, or that James’ reaction to that pressure coming to a head was justified, nor do I think James is necessarily an innocent or pure soul. I mean, let’s face it, Silent Hill 2 is a 12-hour manifesto about just how much James Sunderland sucks, but… Mary sucks, too. So does Angela. So does Eddie. So does Maria. So do I, and so do you. Don’t we all?
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In spite of Silent Hill 2’s unapologetic and uncompromising portrayal of the rot within the souls of its cast, we’re never given reason to believe that these people necessarily have to be defined by their pain and the maladaptive manners in which it manifests. Not the banality of Americana left to decay nor a grindhouse of grisly guts-and-gore undercut the beating heart within each one of these individuals’ chests; if anything the desolate atmosphere and steady throughline of sorrow amplify the moments of kindness and connection even more.
James, for all of his single-minded spaciness and passive suicidal ideation, routinely makes an effort to treat the people he encounters with dignity and respect, and that effort is often reciprocated if not paid forward in its entirety — though Angela’s concern for James is largely rooted in bouts of self-depreciation and self-loathing, there is still a consistent pattern of the two wishing one another well as they part ways. Even Eddie, who seems to go out of his way to alienate everybody he meets so that he can be truly alone and therefore exempt from judgment, makes a point of awkwardly telling James to take care of himself after their first meeting. While Laura appears to be little more than a menace for much of the story’s runtime, even she pays James’ concern for her safety forward once it becomes clear that they have a common goal in the Lakeview Hotel.
Each of these people are suffering in their own way, and have convinced themselves for one reason or another that they must carry their burdens alone — even James, for all of his tendencies to try and support others where he can, insists on marching upon his chosen path in solitude where he can help it. But even then they appear to acknowledge that perhaps it’s better to be united through suffering, even temporarily and even through acts as evidently-insignificant as acknowledging one another’s hardship. Misery loves company, and even in the midst of a corporeal Hell each and every one of these people are willing to let their innate tendencies towards decency and understanding shine through even as they teeter upon the precipice of their own individual downward spirals. Their best traits and worst traits exist not as compartmentalized aspects that function in dichotomy to one another, but as two parts of a greater whole. They are human. They are people. Silent Hill 2 concerns itself more than perhaps anything else with this duality that exists in all people, the eternal conflict warring within between our best impulses and our worst impulses.
It’s only fitting, then, that each of these people have already let their worst traits win once, before the story even started. Angela, Eddie and most infamously James have all already taken a life before fleeing to Silent Hill, the darkness within them exacerbated and pushed to an irreconcilable breaking point by circumstances largely outside their control. Angela and Eddie are largely victims who were burdened with their worst traits by a lifetime of abuse at the hands of their family and peers respectively, whereas James’ more general negative personality traits and failings were ingrained by systemic prejudice and toxic ideals of manhood and men’s role in a relationship being strained by a marriage slowly falling apart over the course of three years. It isn’t their fault that they have these negative aspects, nobody is born bad (Laura perhaps represents this more than anybody; as a child she is inherently innocent and sees Silent Hill as a normal town for she has no darkness to exploit), but as unfair as the responsibility of keeping these traits in check might be it is a responsibility nonetheless.
As much as I think Angela’s family and (to a lesser extent) Eddie’s bullies had it coming — I am a full-faced proponent of victims’ right to revenge — I think most people would agree that you aren’t allowed to hurt the innocent people around you just because you have been hurt in turn, and that self-destruction often leaves little but a smoldering crater where a person once stood. Angela’s hostility towards James’ attempts at extending a hand (while understandable and outright justified considering James’ own sins and views of women) does little but dig her further into the hole that she was kicked down into as a little girl, and Eddie’s slow descent into serial murder makes him even more of a sinner than the bullies who pushed him to the brink to begin with. Both of these people are given chances to take steps to right their personal wrongs and make an effort to let their best traits emerge victorious, but eventually choose to spiral out and allow themselves to be consumed by their pain, sorrow and trauma. The story frames them with nothing but a level of empathy and respect still largely unseen in game narratives even to this day, and yet it remains frank and up-front about the simple truth of the matter: you cannot heal if you don’t choose to do so.
Where does that leave James, then? What is his role in Silent Hill 2’s portrayal of the eternal struggle between the good in us and the bad in us? His fate is in your hands. As in, you, the player’s.
You see, James is in a unique position compared to the rest of the cast. While he has a backstory, personality traits, characterization and dialogue that is wholly independent of player input, at the end of the day the choices he makes and the ways in which he carries forward in the face of despair are wholly up to the player. Silent Hill 2 actually isn’t a game about killing monsters and surviving in an environment born and bred for hostility. Konami’s been lying to you this entire time, the guns aren’t actually guns. Silent Hill 2 is a game about a man navigating the tightrope path to recovery and trying to make use of the resources presented to him to accept himself, heal, and let go. Will he make it to the other side, shaken and scarred but still breathing, or will he let himself fall and be sent into the depths below?
It’s all up to you.
―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――
You often see people talk about how Silent Hill 2 is actually a pretty easy game all things considered, more or less nixing the “survival” element of “survival horror” wholesale, and I’ve seen a lot of people make a connection between this and James’ apparent need to be coddled and supported unconditionally. I get where they’re coming from there, but I think that Silent Hill 2’s abundance of resources and player agency as far as minute-to-minute gameplay decisions serves a greater narrative purpose. I don’t mean to sound like an “it was all in his head” ass creepypasta dude here, but work with me: weapons and ammo aren’t actually weapons and ammo, health packs aren’t actually health packs, monsters aren’t actually monsters. These are manifestations of James’ ability to fend off negative impulses and the bad parts of himself rearing their head. These are manifestations of his ability to take care of himself and know how to healthily cope when he eventually falters and stumbles on the road to recovery and normality. These are dark thoughts and self-destructive ideations raising up from our subconscious to haunt us, always lurking in the shadows and ready to strike if we aren’t careful. Even Maria’s role as a literal sexual temptress, while certainly representing James’ idea of an ideal, perfect Mary and his desire for gratification battling with his need for catharsis and honesty with himself, embodies the idea that temptation and indulgence in negative thoughts and habits are a means by which we lose touch with the greater picture as far as our mental health goes.
After a point of stumbling around in the dark and eventually making use of whatever resources you can — medication, therapy, the support of friends and loved ones — you begin to get a feel for your own psyche and learn to know yourself, and you also know how to deal with problems when they come up. This is what Silent Hill 2’s gameplay loop is ultimately about, and why James’ minute-to-minute gameplay decisions influence the way his story ends up rather than compartmentalized routes or story choices like most games that play with the idea of multiple endings. If James fails to take care of himself and makes a point of letting his worst traits get the best of him over and over again, then it’s no surprise that his story ends with him viewing redemption as only coming through his own death. If he gives in to temptation and focuses on the wrong things to try and fill the void left by his trauma, he’ll end up stuck in the same situation and look for the wrong way out, repeating the cycle over and over again until something changes.
But — if James is smart, and careful, and puts in the work and effort to take care of himself and fight all of the rot inside him by using the resources and good habits he’s picked up along the way — he might not be able to really ever get better, but he can live with it. He can start to define himself by his best traits again. He can heal. He can look at all the pain that’s got him to where he is now, turn his back, and leave it all behind.
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The greater Silent Hill fandom has found itself locked in arguments for years over which ending of Silent Hill 2 is canon, the “true” ending, or the one that the developers had in mind when crafting the rest of the story. I understand why — and I understand why people find the framing of Silent Hill 2 as a cautionary tale with the In Water ending compelling — but I think to view it all as a series of compartmentalized possibilities and not as individual parts of the same greater statement is cynical and dehumanizing at absolute best. Silent Hill 2 isn’t about one specific outcome of the duality within us all, but exploring the duality itself and how different people might struggle with it in different ways. At its barest core, it isn’t a game about healing, succumbing, or being trapped in self-perpetuating cycles — it is a game about the very act of struggling and the multitudes that this act encompasses. It understands what it means to grieve, to fear, to hurt, to hate, to decay. It understands what it means to relish, to rejoice, to love, to grow, to live. And it understands more than just about anything else in the world the spaces in the margins where these things meet, intersect, clash and struggle for power.
Myself, though, I have my preferences as far as how I like to view the story ending. I find myself in James’ shoes more and more often these days. It’s been a really rough eighteen months or so, man. It just keeps getting worse. Some of it is through circumstances out of my control, some of it is my own doing, but all of it is mine to deal with and mine to choose what to learn from. I’ve lived the selfish, petulant parts of James who doesn’t want anything more than to be loved unconditionally without concern for the people doing the loving. I’ve lived the same experiences as the James who puts his neck out for the people around him only to get bitten and drained dry in turn. I’ve done much the same as James when he lashes out and hurts people around him to try and make sense of his own pain. I’ve been in the same position of James where I have to let people take advantage of me by letting them hurt me and then acting as their solid rock of support immediately after. More often than not these days I’m the James that we see at the very beginning of his descent into Silent Hill: glass-eyed and empty of the spirit, moving on auto pilot as if not quite sure he’s really here to begin with.
But I don’t want to feel this way forever. I don’t think anybody does. Silent Hill 2 understands that, and it understands that getting better isn’t as easy as it might sound on paper. But I’m trying, man, I really am. I want to let the best parts of me prosper and emerge victorious over all of the worst parts of me. I want to return to the point where better days seem like they’re on the horizon and not twenty miles behind me.
And I want to one day be able to look at all of this that I’m experiencing, turn my back on it, and leave.
At the very least, I believe that my understanding of the game is less emphatic on his flaws and failings than an awful lot of the interpretations I’ve seen others form in fifteen-plus years of playing, thinking about and growing into Silent Hill 2. I also think a lot of these interpretations scrub out a lot of Mary’s worst traits and have a very one-dimensional view of the two’s marriage and relationship, especially given the all-too-great extent to which I can find myself in James’ shoes and understand just what being in the sorts of situations he’s been thrust into can do to you. This isn’t to say that I think Mary is outright an antagonistic figure, that she was necessarily an abusive partner, or that James’ reaction to that pressure coming to a head was justified, nor do I think James is necessarily an innocent or pure soul. I mean, let’s face it, Silent Hill 2 is a 12-hour manifesto about just how much James Sunderland sucks, but… Mary sucks, too. So does Angela. So does Eddie. So does Maria. So do I, and so do you. Don’t we all?
―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――
In spite of Silent Hill 2’s unapologetic and uncompromising portrayal of the rot within the souls of its cast, we’re never given reason to believe that these people necessarily have to be defined by their pain and the maladaptive manners in which it manifests. Not the banality of Americana left to decay nor a grindhouse of grisly guts-and-gore undercut the beating heart within each one of these individuals’ chests; if anything the desolate atmosphere and steady throughline of sorrow amplify the moments of kindness and connection even more.
James, for all of his single-minded spaciness and passive suicidal ideation, routinely makes an effort to treat the people he encounters with dignity and respect, and that effort is often reciprocated if not paid forward in its entirety — though Angela’s concern for James is largely rooted in bouts of self-depreciation and self-loathing, there is still a consistent pattern of the two wishing one another well as they part ways. Even Eddie, who seems to go out of his way to alienate everybody he meets so that he can be truly alone and therefore exempt from judgment, makes a point of awkwardly telling James to take care of himself after their first meeting. While Laura appears to be little more than a menace for much of the story’s runtime, even she pays James’ concern for her safety forward once it becomes clear that they have a common goal in the Lakeview Hotel.
Each of these people are suffering in their own way, and have convinced themselves for one reason or another that they must carry their burdens alone — even James, for all of his tendencies to try and support others where he can, insists on marching upon his chosen path in solitude where he can help it. But even then they appear to acknowledge that perhaps it’s better to be united through suffering, even temporarily and even through acts as evidently-insignificant as acknowledging one another’s hardship. Misery loves company, and even in the midst of a corporeal Hell each and every one of these people are willing to let their innate tendencies towards decency and understanding shine through even as they teeter upon the precipice of their own individual downward spirals. Their best traits and worst traits exist not as compartmentalized aspects that function in dichotomy to one another, but as two parts of a greater whole. They are human. They are people. Silent Hill 2 concerns itself more than perhaps anything else with this duality that exists in all people, the eternal conflict warring within between our best impulses and our worst impulses.
It’s only fitting, then, that each of these people have already let their worst traits win once, before the story even started. Angela, Eddie and most infamously James have all already taken a life before fleeing to Silent Hill, the darkness within them exacerbated and pushed to an irreconcilable breaking point by circumstances largely outside their control. Angela and Eddie are largely victims who were burdened with their worst traits by a lifetime of abuse at the hands of their family and peers respectively, whereas James’ more general negative personality traits and failings were ingrained by systemic prejudice and toxic ideals of manhood and men’s role in a relationship being strained by a marriage slowly falling apart over the course of three years. It isn’t their fault that they have these negative aspects, nobody is born bad (Laura perhaps represents this more than anybody; as a child she is inherently innocent and sees Silent Hill as a normal town for she has no darkness to exploit), but as unfair as the responsibility of keeping these traits in check might be it is a responsibility nonetheless.
As much as I think Angela’s family and (to a lesser extent) Eddie’s bullies had it coming — I am a full-faced proponent of victims’ right to revenge — I think most people would agree that you aren’t allowed to hurt the innocent people around you just because you have been hurt in turn, and that self-destruction often leaves little but a smoldering crater where a person once stood. Angela’s hostility towards James’ attempts at extending a hand (while understandable and outright justified considering James’ own sins and views of women) does little but dig her further into the hole that she was kicked down into as a little girl, and Eddie’s slow descent into serial murder makes him even more of a sinner than the bullies who pushed him to the brink to begin with. Both of these people are given chances to take steps to right their personal wrongs and make an effort to let their best traits emerge victorious, but eventually choose to spiral out and allow themselves to be consumed by their pain, sorrow and trauma. The story frames them with nothing but a level of empathy and respect still largely unseen in game narratives even to this day, and yet it remains frank and up-front about the simple truth of the matter: you cannot heal if you don’t choose to do so.
Where does that leave James, then? What is his role in Silent Hill 2’s portrayal of the eternal struggle between the good in us and the bad in us? His fate is in your hands. As in, you, the player’s.
You see, James is in a unique position compared to the rest of the cast. While he has a backstory, personality traits, characterization and dialogue that is wholly independent of player input, at the end of the day the choices he makes and the ways in which he carries forward in the face of despair are wholly up to the player. Silent Hill 2 actually isn’t a game about killing monsters and surviving in an environment born and bred for hostility. Konami’s been lying to you this entire time, the guns aren’t actually guns. Silent Hill 2 is a game about a man navigating the tightrope path to recovery and trying to make use of the resources presented to him to accept himself, heal, and let go. Will he make it to the other side, shaken and scarred but still breathing, or will he let himself fall and be sent into the depths below?
It’s all up to you.
―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――
You often see people talk about how Silent Hill 2 is actually a pretty easy game all things considered, more or less nixing the “survival” element of “survival horror” wholesale, and I’ve seen a lot of people make a connection between this and James’ apparent need to be coddled and supported unconditionally. I get where they’re coming from there, but I think that Silent Hill 2’s abundance of resources and player agency as far as minute-to-minute gameplay decisions serves a greater narrative purpose. I don’t mean to sound like an “it was all in his head” ass creepypasta dude here, but work with me: weapons and ammo aren’t actually weapons and ammo, health packs aren’t actually health packs, monsters aren’t actually monsters. These are manifestations of James’ ability to fend off negative impulses and the bad parts of himself rearing their head. These are manifestations of his ability to take care of himself and know how to healthily cope when he eventually falters and stumbles on the road to recovery and normality. These are dark thoughts and self-destructive ideations raising up from our subconscious to haunt us, always lurking in the shadows and ready to strike if we aren’t careful. Even Maria’s role as a literal sexual temptress, while certainly representing James’ idea of an ideal, perfect Mary and his desire for gratification battling with his need for catharsis and honesty with himself, embodies the idea that temptation and indulgence in negative thoughts and habits are a means by which we lose touch with the greater picture as far as our mental health goes.
After a point of stumbling around in the dark and eventually making use of whatever resources you can — medication, therapy, the support of friends and loved ones — you begin to get a feel for your own psyche and learn to know yourself, and you also know how to deal with problems when they come up. This is what Silent Hill 2’s gameplay loop is ultimately about, and why James’ minute-to-minute gameplay decisions influence the way his story ends up rather than compartmentalized routes or story choices like most games that play with the idea of multiple endings. If James fails to take care of himself and makes a point of letting his worst traits get the best of him over and over again, then it’s no surprise that his story ends with him viewing redemption as only coming through his own death. If he gives in to temptation and focuses on the wrong things to try and fill the void left by his trauma, he’ll end up stuck in the same situation and look for the wrong way out, repeating the cycle over and over again until something changes.
But — if James is smart, and careful, and puts in the work and effort to take care of himself and fight all of the rot inside him by using the resources and good habits he’s picked up along the way — he might not be able to really ever get better, but he can live with it. He can start to define himself by his best traits again. He can heal. He can look at all the pain that’s got him to where he is now, turn his back, and leave it all behind.
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The greater Silent Hill fandom has found itself locked in arguments for years over which ending of Silent Hill 2 is canon, the “true” ending, or the one that the developers had in mind when crafting the rest of the story. I understand why — and I understand why people find the framing of Silent Hill 2 as a cautionary tale with the In Water ending compelling — but I think to view it all as a series of compartmentalized possibilities and not as individual parts of the same greater statement is cynical and dehumanizing at absolute best. Silent Hill 2 isn’t about one specific outcome of the duality within us all, but exploring the duality itself and how different people might struggle with it in different ways. At its barest core, it isn’t a game about healing, succumbing, or being trapped in self-perpetuating cycles — it is a game about the very act of struggling and the multitudes that this act encompasses. It understands what it means to grieve, to fear, to hurt, to hate, to decay. It understands what it means to relish, to rejoice, to love, to grow, to live. And it understands more than just about anything else in the world the spaces in the margins where these things meet, intersect, clash and struggle for power.
Myself, though, I have my preferences as far as how I like to view the story ending. I find myself in James’ shoes more and more often these days. It’s been a really rough eighteen months or so, man. It just keeps getting worse. Some of it is through circumstances out of my control, some of it is my own doing, but all of it is mine to deal with and mine to choose what to learn from. I’ve lived the selfish, petulant parts of James who doesn’t want anything more than to be loved unconditionally without concern for the people doing the loving. I’ve lived the same experiences as the James who puts his neck out for the people around him only to get bitten and drained dry in turn. I’ve done much the same as James when he lashes out and hurts people around him to try and make sense of his own pain. I’ve been in the same position of James where I have to let people take advantage of me by letting them hurt me and then acting as their solid rock of support immediately after. More often than not these days I’m the James that we see at the very beginning of his descent into Silent Hill: glass-eyed and empty of the spirit, moving on auto pilot as if not quite sure he’s really here to begin with.
But I don’t want to feel this way forever. I don’t think anybody does. Silent Hill 2 understands that, and it understands that getting better isn’t as easy as it might sound on paper. But I’m trying, man, I really am. I want to let the best parts of me prosper and emerge victorious over all of the worst parts of me. I want to return to the point where better days seem like they’re on the horizon and not twenty miles behind me.
And I want to one day be able to look at all of this that I’m experiencing, turn my back on it, and leave.