Silent Hill 2

Fantastic game! Gets really psychological and plays with your head when you think about it. High Replayability because of the extra unlockables you get!

Even after three other games succeeding Silent Hill 2, the graphics still remain remarkable good. What makes Silent Hill 2 replay-able are the more than three possible endings and items that only could be picked up after so many plays. The only real drawback is the awkward camera angles--but it is this aspect of the game that makes it unique.

I have to say this is one of the most enjoyable games I've ever played. Even though there are a few cons to it, the pros so far out weigh the cons that I have to give this game the highest rating I possible can.

First I will mention the cons.

- the camera angles are annoying at times. At the very beginning of the game I thought this really sucked hard but after a little while I got used to it and can actually appreciate it somewhat for how it adds to the game. Other positives in the game would have been lost if you constantly had the rear view while playing this and I understood this as I played further into the game.

- I wish the multiple endings started a little earlier in the game. I don't understand why these games only give you the main differences in the end. However, on a positive, I love that there are some minor differences in different loads of the game that aren't available in all games started. My wife played second and got the chainsaw and I never got it. I even restarted because I wanted it, thinking I must have passed it but it wasn't offered. I love that they did this sort of thing.

- Some of the hallway/building/mulitple rooms scenarios got repetitive. By the time I got to the hotel it was kind of a bummer that I knew I was going to have to do the same kind of exploration all over again that I had in the hospital, prison and both apartment buildings.

- The game was pretty linear but that's understandable here. Also, there wasn't enough exploration options available in the town itself. Wandering in town could have and should have been much more adventurous instead of being tedious.

I know that seems like some significant cons but the pros were so much more that the cons are totally fine and I realize nothing is going to be perfect.

Now the pros.

- The music was excellent and fitting. Kudos for putting some real effort into the music. Laura's theme is a beautiful piece of art and is constantly going through my head. The ambient sounds are awesome as well. They are what makes the game so intense.

- The puzzles were good. I chose the hardest setting and found them all do-able with some effort.

- The scenery was awesome. I can't say enough about this. The sounds and the scenery really helped set and maintain the mood of this game.

- The story was very deep and well done. I really enjoyed being able to feel an attachment to my character and to the story. I liked the interaction with the other characters and the way that other characters were also drawn to that town to face their own demons that you are able to learn about. My wife had to quit playing because she didn't want to go to bed and have bad dreams as interactive games such as this can do that to her. Not me though.

- I feel emotional about the game. I can't explain it but this game really runs you through a roller coaster of emotion. I feel bummed that its over. I want more. No single player game has done that for me before near to the level Silent Hill 2 has done it for me.

There are so many other things I want to point out about parts of this game that I can't mention because I don't want to give anything away. I purposefully avoided as much of the story as I could before I played so I could enjoy it to its fullest and I recommend the same to all of you. I also recommend that you avoid all hint FAQs that would be available on the internet. Play it and if you get stuck, give it a rest and think about it and try again the next day.

Lastly, I totally recommend this game to everyone whose not a child. The game can be scary and depressing at times but those are actually positive qualities to it. That's if you don't have real life issues dealing with current depressing or scary happenings in your own life. If so, avoid this game as it will more than likely amplify those for you.

5 stars all the way on this. Go buy it. I got it for about ten dollars and it was a steal. Its worth 50 bucks even as old as it is. It will resonate with you. One of the best games I've ever played and I've played ALOT of games.

this game (commonly) won't run in xp with ati cards. a driver problem i guess; prevented me from running it under bootcamp =(

apparently it likes nvidea cards (google search) but it wouldn't run on my vista laptop either that has this card (maybe it doesn't like vista?)

anyway, some older games like this need to either be revised to run properly on new pc's or just go away. i'm bummed after reading the great reviews -- but buyer beware regarding pc compatibility

Like the first Silent Hill, this game is very tense and scary. The story is just as vague and convoluted as the first game. The controls in the PC version are a lot harder to get used to, especially if you play mostly console games like I do. This game isn't absurdly difficult, but I did find myself running from many enemies, because there isn't enough health and ammo to kill everything. For any fans of the survival horror genre and/or the first Silent Hill, I definitely recommend this game.