The second best Silent Hill game I've ever played and probably the most challenging one!
Silent Hill 3 is probably everything I wanted the first one to be and an amazing sequel. While it does fail to live up to my expectations after SH2, it is surprisingly well done and still relevant.
Out of the three first SH games, this one is probably the most intense. It does deliver some very scary and eery moments, but its focus is in how heavy, dense and hellish the atmosphere can be. It takes a lot of cues from the first one, ramps it up and makes it better. Some areas are quite insane for the eyes.
The soundtrack and usage of sound also work hand in hand with how tense the game is. It's no secret to anyone that Akira Yamaoka is a GOD and, while I do think think that he did a better work in SH2, there's no denying that the songs in SH3 hold a much heavier tone. Also, the use of noises/silences are just perfectly implemented.
To help creating this unique atmosphere and feeling that only Silent Hill manages to deliver, I also have to say how well the graphics hold up. For a PS2 game, it works amazingly well. Better than its two predecessors and much better than many games of its generation. Thanks to the quick evolution from one game to another, it's clear to see how well it reflects in the story and characters. Heather is probably the most charismatic protagonist in the series and every single character in the game manages to shine, even for a little while. Enemy variety also improved and their designs are scarier as hell!
Which leads me to the story.
SH3 is the perfect follow up to the first game in the series. It just does everything right in moving the story forward. The whole story and lore is expanded. You get to know more about Harry, his daughter and about the town and its folk. And while yes, it's not as deep and nuanced as SH2, it's still a hell of a time. Almost quite literally. Silent Hill 3 is probably the most devilish game I've every played when it comes to story and design. A well-written journey and a love letter to the first game.
Now where does it hurt? Well... the gameplay!
Silent Hill 3 feels like a step back in when it comes to gameplay. After you go through a very slow start, the game starts to pick its pacing up, but it never quite hits the mark!
There are enemies EVERYWHERE and I felt like the combat was even WORSE than previous games! Movement might be a little easier to pick up and camera didn't bother me as much, but battling normal enemies and bosses is a huge hassle! Enemy placement is just very bad. It increases difficulty, causes an excess of item usage (which I don't encourage) and the worst thing of all - breaks the immersion! Puzzles and boss fights also felt a little off.
It may not seem like a big thing, but it's a very visible problem and it badly hurts how the game flows. The hospital is probably the best example on how this design philosophy didn't work out well for the entire game.
Silent Hill 3 is an incredible game!
A fantastic horror game and an incredible sequel to the first one. It's a game that I can't recommend enough. The way it stands the test of time, while still managing to mess with your fear and challenge you is diamond.
Silent Hill 3 is probably everything I wanted the first one to be and an amazing sequel. While it does fail to live up to my expectations after SH2, it is surprisingly well done and still relevant.
Out of the three first SH games, this one is probably the most intense. It does deliver some very scary and eery moments, but its focus is in how heavy, dense and hellish the atmosphere can be. It takes a lot of cues from the first one, ramps it up and makes it better. Some areas are quite insane for the eyes.
The soundtrack and usage of sound also work hand in hand with how tense the game is. It's no secret to anyone that Akira Yamaoka is a GOD and, while I do think think that he did a better work in SH2, there's no denying that the songs in SH3 hold a much heavier tone. Also, the use of noises/silences are just perfectly implemented.
To help creating this unique atmosphere and feeling that only Silent Hill manages to deliver, I also have to say how well the graphics hold up. For a PS2 game, it works amazingly well. Better than its two predecessors and much better than many games of its generation. Thanks to the quick evolution from one game to another, it's clear to see how well it reflects in the story and characters. Heather is probably the most charismatic protagonist in the series and every single character in the game manages to shine, even for a little while. Enemy variety also improved and their designs are scarier as hell!
Which leads me to the story.
SH3 is the perfect follow up to the first game in the series. It just does everything right in moving the story forward. The whole story and lore is expanded. You get to know more about Harry, his daughter and about the town and its folk. And while yes, it's not as deep and nuanced as SH2, it's still a hell of a time. Almost quite literally. Silent Hill 3 is probably the most devilish game I've every played when it comes to story and design. A well-written journey and a love letter to the first game.
Now where does it hurt? Well... the gameplay!
Silent Hill 3 feels like a step back in when it comes to gameplay. After you go through a very slow start, the game starts to pick its pacing up, but it never quite hits the mark!
There are enemies EVERYWHERE and I felt like the combat was even WORSE than previous games! Movement might be a little easier to pick up and camera didn't bother me as much, but battling normal enemies and bosses is a huge hassle! Enemy placement is just very bad. It increases difficulty, causes an excess of item usage (which I don't encourage) and the worst thing of all - breaks the immersion! Puzzles and boss fights also felt a little off.
It may not seem like a big thing, but it's a very visible problem and it badly hurts how the game flows. The hospital is probably the best example on how this design philosophy didn't work out well for the entire game.
Silent Hill 3 is an incredible game!
A fantastic horror game and an incredible sequel to the first one. It's a game that I can't recommend enough. The way it stands the test of time, while still managing to mess with your fear and challenge you is diamond.
Armakeen
4 months ago
SH3 had some of the most fun Bosses, especially the Missionary and the final boss, God.
The slurpers in the nightmare hospital were real pieces of shit tho, I'll give you that. I ran out of ammo so many times because of those little fuckers 😂