trying to stop procastinating doing other stuff and actually play a game, i decided to play a game called silent hill...

first off, the atmosphere here is hands down one of the best ive ever played in any game ever (as you no doubt have heard said many many times). whether it's in the obscured streets of silent hill or the bloody, rusty otherworld, you will constantly be on the edge of your seat. there isn't a moment where i felt entirely comfortable aside from that ending sequence. the sound design is also a major factor to how tension works in this game - the ringing, alongside the eraserhead-esque scratching each time an enemy is within your vicinity are really unsettling, especially with interior locations where the sprawling hallways obscure your vision. the rather limiting controls of the game also contribute to this: it wasn't until the final quarter of the game that i figured out how to use l2 to widen your pov, and until that point you better believe i was turning the r stick every time i heard that damn ringing, trying to find whatever nightmarish creature was laying in wait just out of view. in a strange way the ps1's graphical limitations also add to the vibe of the game - the low-poly models sort of add to the dreamlike (nightmarish?) quality of the game and sh1 makes really good use of it. the story doesn't overstay its welcome with minimal dialogue and a fairly straightforward story although almost lynchian way of communicating information. some pretty good characters as well...harry has gotta be one of the realest dads ever...

based on what i've heard i am very much looking forward to silent hill 2. see you then...