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Jarrod


Status: Offline Joined: 07 Dec 2007 Posts: 8284 $poons: 369.60 Location: Preston

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Posted: Thu Oct 08, 2009 1:37 am Post subject: Silent Hill: Shattered Memories - Wii, PSP, and PS2 |
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Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
What is it?
Shattered Memories is a reimagining of the original Silent Hill, retelling the tale of Harry Mason as he searches for his daughter Cheryl in the town of Silent Hill after suffering a car crash. Rather than simply remake the original with new art assets, the developers are re-telling the story and rebuilding the game mechanics, all in order to offer a more modern gaming experience that is still familiar to fans of the franchise.
What does it feature?
There are three major features and changes in this instalment; No combat, psychological profiling, and re-imagined Otherworld.
No Combat: The developers felt that combat has, by large, been craptacular in survival horrors thanks to bad controls and poor camera angles. Modern 'survival horror' games that have attempted to repair these problems have instead turned into more action focused games, losing a lot of the charm original survival horrors had. The developers have decided to scrap combat all together, under the pretence that average-joe is more likely to run away, and that the most frightening nightmares are when we are trying to escape an endlessly pursuing foe. For Shattered Memories, enemies will hound the player in the Otherworld. With no option to run, the player can also use his/her environment to hide, distract, and tip over obstacles in order to aid their getaway.
Psychological Profiling: One of the game's major features, it is billed as the game playing you. Throughout the game you will take 'tests' via flashbacks to a psychologist, and the game will note the way you play, including how long the player spends on particular puzzles, which areas and locations are visited first, and what environmental objects attract their attention. The game will then 'craft' an individual experience around this. Enemies will physically change, environments will change, attitudes of friends and foes will change, and so on, hoping to offer a different and more personal experience for each player, and plenty of replay value allowing players to enjoy a different take on the story.
Re-imagined Otherworld: Silent Hill's traditional 'rust' has been discarded in favour of an icey hell. According to Silent Hill lore, the Otherworld is supposed to be very personal to the main character and their emotions. Harry will experience a world not made of rust, but ice, with cars suspended in iceblocks, walls frosted over, and icicles hanging from the ceiling.
Anything else new?
On top of the above, the developers are attempting to bring more modern technological advancements and mechanics to the franchise. Environment exploration will be seamless, with no loading between areas or when entering buildings. When the Otherworld begins it will happen in real-time, rather than pre-recorded, allowing you to witness the world around you ice up and freeze over. Harry will also be given an iPhone like device allowing him to make and receive phone calls, get texts and voicemail, take photos, and check his map. The photography feature will allow Harry to take photos of 'ghostly' zones, revealing more about the story and environment, and the telephone feature will let Harry call any number he sees in the game for some kind of response.
Graphical improvements include all kinds of distortion effects for ice, and full dynamic lighting and shadows. Snowflakes falling from the sky will each cast an individual shadow from Harry’s flashlight, of which is mapped to the Wii’s pointer.
What's it for and when does it hit?
Shattered Memories is for the Wii, PSP, and PS2. The Wii is the lead SKU, with the flashlight and graphical engine primarily built for the controls and system power, but the PSP and PS2 ports should be plenty faithful. It is due out in North America on the 3rd of November, with European and Australian releases coming by the end of the year.
I can has media?
You sure can.
E3 Trailer
E3 Walkthrough Part 1 and E3 Walkthrough Part 2
Two recent videos _________________
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redemption


Status: Offline Joined: 11 Oct 2007 Posts: 1494 $poons: 139.00

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Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 5:36 pm Post subject: |
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New release date for the Euro/Pal release is somtime in Febuary.
Damn shame, i could have talked someone into getting it for me for christmas. _________________
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rodvcpetrie


Status: Offline Joined: 02 Jan 2006 Posts: 1315 $poons: 80.40 Location: Australia, NSW

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Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 8:25 pm Post subject: |
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I'm looking forward to returning to Silent Hill for the seventh time
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Jarrod


Status: Offline Joined: 07 Dec 2007 Posts: 8284 $poons: 369.60 Location: Preston

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Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 9:21 pm Post subject: |
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Launch Trailer _________________
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JackSlack


Status: Offline Joined: 10 Sep 2003 Posts: 1175 $poons: 244.60 Location: Sydney, Australia

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Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 9:50 am Post subject: |
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... I was really looking forward to this, but the rationale stated up there for the lack of combat scares me.
Combat was crap in Silent Hill by design. You're meant to feel disempowered by fighting, increasing the fear. Removing combat altogether, forcing you to run, is a great idea. But I'm now worried that they're still missing the point of Silent Hill.
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Jarrod


Status: Offline Joined: 07 Dec 2007 Posts: 8284 $poons: 369.60 Location: Preston

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Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 5:11 pm Post subject: |
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| JackSlack wrote: | | Combat was crap in Silent Hill by design. You're meant to feel disempowered by fighting, increasing the fear. Removing combat altogether, forcing you to run, is a great idea. But I'm now worried that they're still missing the point of Silent Hill. |
Partially true, but it was also crap because it was really shit. It was a problem that plagued a huuuge amount of oldschool survival horror games to the point where it might as well have been a feature. Aiming, controlling, and managing camera and combat were horrible, thus enemies were scary.
I'm not confident they'll pull off the running mechanic in Shattered Memories to the extent they hope, but I think the idea is gold and if they cant do it somebody else should.
RE4 and RE5 are the product of advanced controls in survival horror games; suddenly taking down enemies is a lot easier and the games become overly action focused (comparitively). They need to return to the scary combat style of original survival horrors, but not design it the same way where fear comes from a lack of refinement. _________________
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Jarrod


Status: Offline Joined: 07 Dec 2007 Posts: 8284 $poons: 369.60 Location: Preston

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Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2009 12:45 pm Post subject: |
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IGN Review
9.0 Presentation
An altogether slick experience from beginning to end. The original license reborn into something new. Seems tailor made for Wii, from the superb flashlight to audio cues out of the Wii remote.
9.0 Graphics
The claustrophobic world comes to life in great detail. Huge, seamless world. Realistic characters with fluid animation. Amazing lighting and particle systems. Some occasional framerate hiccups.
8.5 Sound
A moody, dynamic soundtrack by composer Akira Yamaoka complements strong voice acting, spooky sound effects and audio cues tied to the Wii remote's speaker.
8.5 Gameplay
Tight controls and clever puzzles are separated by truly terrifying chase sequences and lots of different gameplay variations, some of which involve fun gestures. The flashlight alone is entertaining.
6.5 Lasting Appeal
Really fun while it lasts, but the experience is short -- about five or six hours. You can come back and play again with very different results (and even a new ending), though.
TOTAL = 8.6 (Great) _________________
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redemption


Status: Offline Joined: 11 Oct 2007 Posts: 1494 $poons: 139.00

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Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2009 7:42 pm Post subject: |
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Be interesting to see what the scores for the PS2 and PSP releases are like.
From what i've heard from Silent Hill fan Community, the soundtrack is pretty weak. Not really a big fan of the song from the latest trailer eihter.
Be waiting to see what the gamer opinions are about. Don't really have much faith in IGN's reviews.
edit:
read a fan's impressions, they're impressed so far. _________________
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Jarrod


Status: Offline Joined: 07 Dec 2007 Posts: 8284 $poons: 369.60 Location: Preston

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Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2009 11:28 pm Post subject: |
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| redemption wrote: | edit:
read a fan's impressions, they're impressed so far. |
From what I have/am reading/read so far from critics and fans alike, I suspect the game will be a very solid (but short) survival horror/adventure game, but not really a fantastic "Silent Hill" game for those who want something more in line with what Team Silent were producing.
Silent Hill, as we knew it, is pretty much dead by default. Team Silent have long since disbanded and Akira Yamaoka has left Konami. I dont think that means future Silent Hill games, Shattered Memories included, will be bad. Hell they might be fantastic. But the reality is once they're in new hands (in this case Climax) no matter how much they try to be like the original style some new stuff is going to come through, simply because people have a different way of doing things. _________________
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Adam


Status: Offline Joined: 30 Aug 2006 Posts: 1965 $poons: 0.20 Location: Melbourne

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Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2009 12:01 am Post subject: |
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Personally, I'm all for re-imaginings. If I want the old-style Silent Hill, I'll just go back and play the original three games a fifth time. Origins and Homecoming, while I still enjoyed them a whole bunch, were trying to hit all the same notes that Silent Hill 2 hit. It was a noble endeavour, but it just goes to show how original and groundbreaking Silent Hill 2 was.
It's good to hear that this is a success, and truly scary in parts, as Silent Hill as a brand has always been among the scariest game franchises, up there with Fatal Frame/Project Zero.
That said, I do feel that the monster design from what I've seen is fairly weak in this new game. I was hoping they'd have a totally new look to match the rest of the game, but they just seem kind of bland, although their 'evolution' depending on your choices sounds interesting.
Anyone looking for a more 'classic' Silent Hill experience should maybe take a look at the new Saw game. From what I've seen, it isn't too disimilar, and isn't that bad of a game either. _________________
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redemption


Status: Offline Joined: 11 Oct 2007 Posts: 1494 $poons: 139.00

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Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2009 9:58 am Post subject: |
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| EatChildren wrote: | | redemption wrote: | edit:
read a fan's impressions, they're impressed so far. |
From what I have/am reading/read so far from critics and fans alike, I suspect the game will be a very solid (but short) survival horror/adventure game, but not really a fantastic "Silent Hill" game for those who want something more in line with what Team Silent were producing.
Silent Hill, as we knew it, is pretty much dead by default. Team Silent have long since disbanded and Akira Yamaoka has left Konami. I dont think that means future Silent Hill games, Shattered Memories included, will be bad. Hell they might be fantastic. But the reality is once they're in new hands (in this case Climax) no matter how much they try to be like the original style some new stuff is going to come through, simply because people have a different way of doing things. |
I've been speaking with a few silent hill fans recently, and we all came to the same conclusion that since Yamaoka has left, the series needs to reinvent itself somehow. Shattered memories seems like a good start in that direction. While i hope the series goes back into the hands of a team at KCEJ, Climax seems pretty reliable enough team (liked Origins more then Homecoming). They've done something different with the series, and i'm exdcited to see the results. _________________
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StompBrother


Status: Offline Joined: 22 Nov 2005 Posts: 551 $poons: 100.70 Location: Slot B (Melbourne)

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Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 8:00 pm Post subject: |
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This sounds utterly fantastic. I really didn't want a retread of previous games like Origins and Homecoming which was laughable under the heavy weight brilliance of SH2&3 which it is emulating. Now we get a fresh approach to the series, like SH4, and everything I've read about it sounds intriguing. I don't think the original Team Silent is still together and to be honest they have done 2 outstanding classics already.
I was gonna wait for a local release but I might just import seeing there's no PAL date at all yet. _________________
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redemption


Status: Offline Joined: 11 Oct 2007 Posts: 1494 $poons: 139.00

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Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 8:28 pm Post subject: |
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| StompBrother wrote: | This sounds utterly fantastic. I really didn't want a retread of previous games like Origins and Homecoming which was laughable under the heavy weight brilliance of SH2&3 which it is emulating. Now we get a fresh approach to the series, like SH4, and everything I've read about it sounds intriguing. I don't think the original Team Silent is still together and to be honest they have done 2 outstanding classics already.
I was gonna wait for a local release but I might just import seeing there's no PAL date at all yet. |
A portion of the original Team Silent went on to do the Siren games. i can't remember how many.
I've been checking out the reviews(some of them are pretty questionable though), a few of the ones coming out now arn't exactly glowing. But the silent hill fans seem to like it.
Just be carefull what you read. Avoid comment sections on the game, cause i read something very vague, but it seems to be a bit of a spoiler. _________________
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Jarrod


Status: Offline Joined: 07 Dec 2007 Posts: 8284 $poons: 369.60 Location: Preston

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Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 6:56 pm Post subject: |
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I've aquired the naughty version (I give money back, shh), and it's pretty interesting so far. _________________
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Jarrod


Status: Offline Joined: 07 Dec 2007 Posts: 8284 $poons: 369.60 Location: Preston

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Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 4:07 pm Post subject: |
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Awesome ending. Fantastic twist. Wow. _________________
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lobster

Status: Offline Joined: 24 Oct 2008 Posts: 8 $poons: 2.60 Location: Brisbane

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Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 2:28 pm Post subject: |
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Hi all, I haven't posted on the forums for quite some time but as a rabid Silent Hill fan I couldn't pass up on a chance to discuss a game that I believe will polarise the SH fanbase. Some people will absolutely adore it and some people, well, read on...
I finished Shattered Memories last night and I have to say I was a bit disappointed. Shattered Memories isn't a bad game, it just feels extremely tame for a Silent Hill game and like Climax's other SH effort, Origins, I became tired of the game before the credits rolled.
For starters, exploration in 'normal' Silent Hill takes up the majority of play time, and during that time there is absolutely ZERO danger (infact Silent Hill is such a happy place even Harry can't help himself from making chirpy remarks from time to time like 'Heh, I haven't been fishing since I was a kid' despite supposedly being distraught over his daughters disappearance), there is very little in the way of suspense and intrigue (it lacks that 'what's going to be around the next corner' feeling I loved from previous SH games), and for the most part the town of Silent Hill and the majority of characters you meet within that town couldn't be any less interesting if they tried. That, and there are simply no surprises in this game.
Most of the game is spent wandering around an empty, uninteresting Silent Hill solving puzzles that are borderline insulting in their simplicity (I lost track of how many times I found a key within 10 steps of a locked door, given to you by pulling a drawer open or shaking a can...) waiting for the plot to be explained usually via sms or VM, and very rarely via a cutscene. It seems most people don't mind this, but after a while I felt like I was playing a peopleless Shenmue with very little to hold my attention (yes, Climax somehow managed to even make the town of Silent Hill boring).
Whenever things start to get interesting, Mr Freeze from Batman turns up and coats the town in a layer of ice, forcing you to navigate your way through a series of doors until you exit the 'nightmare'. These scenes crop up maybe once every 30-50 minutes and are nothing short of an annoying chore. The monsters that try to drag you down to the floor (who I ended up feeling sorry for - it looks like all they wanted was a hug, and if Harry gets too much hugging he collapses to the floor while the monsters stare at him) are about as scary as Jiggly Puff from Pokemon and are about as much fun to thwart as it is to swat a fly. Did I mention none of this is scary? No? Okay, well, it's not. Shattered Memories likes to give you the impression that there's danger but then there's nothing to back it up. Why should I be scared? How is this a nightmare?
It's not all bad though. The way the game controls and how the camera sits is a huge leap forward for the series and the way the flashlight controls/lights up the gameworld inparticular is nothing short of amazing. Better than that though is the much talked about 'psychological profiling'. It's the best new addition to the game and is implemented brilliantly. The ending that I received was similarly clever and warrants playing the game a second time to better understand the events leading up to the finale.
I think at the end of the day it is a good game, but at the same time it's not what I've come to expect from a Silent Hill title. Maybe being a reimaging I wasn't aware of just how different a game it was going to be and I've put myself at a disadvantage going into the the game with different expectations, who knows. I urge everyone with a Wii to give it a go as at the very least it's something unique and for that alone it deserves some praise. Just go into it with a completely open mind and hopefully you'll have a better time with it than I did.
__________________
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Jarrod


Status: Offline Joined: 07 Dec 2007 Posts: 8284 $poons: 369.60 Location: Preston

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Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 9:04 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah, its definitely not very "Silent Hill" like, but Team Silent were waaay ahead of everyone else, and recent Silent Hill games like Homecoming are crap anyway.
I disagree with the town being uninteresting though. If anything, this has made Silent Hill feel more 'alive' than any entry previously, and I thought all characters were fantastic, especially since the plot is all over the place until the end.
It's definitely an interesting game. I'm working on a review that will hopefully help explain to people what to expect when it hits our shores, as I think (much like reviews) reception is going to be very mixed. _________________
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lobster

Status: Offline Joined: 24 Oct 2008 Posts: 8 $poons: 2.60 Location: Brisbane

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Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 11:44 pm Post subject: |
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Explaining what to expect sounds like a good idea. It's important to know that while Shattered Memories uses the characters, location and starting point of Silent Hill on the Playstation, everything else is so different I honestly have no clue at all why it's part of the Silent Hill series (especially after the ending). The game could be set in Bundaberg and it wouldn't matter, such is the irrelevance of the games location and source material.
To me, this is NOT a Silent Hill game at all. And this is the reason why I am feeling a bit crushed as a fan of the series. You're right in saying it's an interesting game as it most certainly is. Forgetting it's a Silent Hill game, I think the developers had some fantastic idea's but perhaps we would have seen a better game if they weren't restricted by the very series they wish to pay homage to.
We could have gotten rid of the token 'nightmare' crap (which, let's face it, is utterly pointless and feels like a token gesture from Climax to shutup fans who complain about a lack of monsters - their generic designs adding to feeling of it being 'thrown in there'), they could have better developed the dialogue and thrown in some raw emotion (of which Shattered Memories has none, all your conversations will be civilised and completely uninteresting) and if they do want a 'nightmare' element, which would be perfectly acceptable/justified if implented well (it doesn't have to always resort to 'monsters' - anyone remember that Lisa scene from Silent Hill 1...Yeah, that's what I'm talking about) I'd be a lot more impressed. As it is Shattered Memories is, for me, a missed opportunity and a game with a mistaken identity. It longs to be something new but can't let go of the past...Hmm, so troubled infact maybe it needs a trip to Silent Hill itself? You know, the real Silent Hill?
Ahh, the halcyon days...
Silent Hill of today
Monster 1: "I bags his face textures!"
Monster 2: "Huk-yuk, you shoulda gone through the slightly paler blue door. That'll learn ya!"
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Jarrod


Status: Offline Joined: 07 Dec 2007 Posts: 8284 $poons: 369.60 Location: Preston

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Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2009 12:06 am Post subject: |
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The ice world has importance to the story though, it just needed better gameplay. Chases were so luck based there were either relatively enjoyable and over quickly, or so fucking tedious and horrible I wanted to punch the wall.
I really liked the dialogue, again for the overall context of the plot. Keep in mind the character's personalities are a result of the psych profiling too. EG on my first playthrough the cop was very placid and nice, and the second playthrough she was a total bitch. Same goes for Lisa. First time she was friendly and sweet, second time she was friendly but also very flirty.
I think its very important to be aware this was always going to be a reimagining. The only thing it has in common is the name, some themes, and character names. Otherwise it's totally new.
I can see where you're coming from, and its interesting as I've heard both sides from the big Silent Hill fans. For some they love it, for others they're really disappointed. I for one really love it because I'm done with Silent Hill as it was. Team Silent are gone and nobody else has gotten it right, and I'm tired of all the cult stuff. I'm all for reimagining the series. _________________
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lobster

Status: Offline Joined: 24 Oct 2008 Posts: 8 $poons: 2.60 Location: Brisbane

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Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2009 3:32 pm Post subject: |
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Interesting to hear you've had such a different experience on your second play. I started a new game last night and selected opposite answers to those picked in my first play through, so far to little effect. Even some of the reactions from Mr Shrink (guess who it is SH fans?) were disappointingly the exact same as in my previous play. The biggest LOL was when I had to colour in the family picture. I scrawled red all over the page and Shrinky's reaction was the same as before "What a lovely family home". What the? The only character I've noticed as being different in terms of appearance is the cop, but everything she's said so far is the exact same, with the same voice...Hmm.
Regarding the story, I'd be interested to hear your theories on the ice world and its importance to the game. Time to enter spoiler mode.
The way I've interpreted the story is as follows:
***SPOILER ALERT***
1. Harry & his wife have a troubled relationship and eventually divorce.
2. Harry dies in a car crash, Cheryl survives.
3. As a result of the divorce and death of her father, Cheryl enters a downward spiral and takes drugs, becomes a sexual deviant...She's a very screwed up teenager.
4. Cheryl see's multiple shrinks in an effort to get back on the right track but none of them work out - until - she meets Dr Kauffman 10 years after the car accident.
5. The gameplay begins and we start to control Harry - these segments are a representation of Cheryl's progress in therapy. The more we learn in the game, the more Kauffman learns of his client, the more breakthroughs are made, until resolution which allows Cheryl to finally move on.
6. Any setbacks to this healing process are shown in the gameplay as nightmares - nightmares which I believe to be a visual manifestation of negativity in Cheryl's mind. I am of the belief that once again this has nothing to do with Silent Hill as you simply cannot die in these segments. As soon as you collapse after too many attacks you respawn to try and tackle the nightmare again. The constant opening of doors is further evidence of Cheryl making progress through negativity.
This could be totally on the wrong track, but I believe all the events take place in Kauffman's office and Cheryl's mind. I can't find a way that justifies Silent Hill as having anything to do with what goes on. Reasons for this? 1. Harry can't die. 2. Why would Harry's soul lie dormant in Silent Hill for 10 years, only to awaken when her daughter see's one specific psychiatrist?
***END OF SPOILERS***
I'd love to hear your theory EatChildren, and anyone elses!
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Jarrod


Status: Offline Joined: 07 Dec 2007 Posts: 8284 $poons: 369.60 Location: Preston

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Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2009 6:49 pm Post subject: |
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Glad to have someone to discuss the title with! Since it's not due here for another 2+ months months it's going to be hard to talk it over with people.
Anyway, my theory on the story is as follows;
Firstly, I ditch all previously established lore of Silent Hill. The cults, the gods, the characters; everything. As far as I'm concerned any reference to past titles is mostly a nod to the awesome that Team Ninja created, and not any real attempt to tie them together. As a result, the whole concept of 'Silent Hill' and the 'Otherworld' has changed
The way I see things is similar to you; Harry and his wife split, Harry dies when Cheryl is only 7, and Cheryl blames herself. She blames herself for their breakup, she blames herself for Harry's death, and her life is a product of that.
The events of the game are a hard one to nail. For me it's all largely symbolic of Cheryl's therapy and it's progression, but I dont think it's entirely happening in her head. It's a mix. The Otherworld is supposed to represent the truths, emotions, and secrets of a particular individual. Problem being in this case Harry is already dead. Silent Hill is, instead, a product of Cheryl.
'Silent Hill' essentially spits out a doppelganger of Harry, of whome half mixes with the 'real world' and the 'otherworld', as well as some absurd in-between. Some characters and events I believe are real, such as meeting Michelle at the highschool reunion and perhaps the cop, while others are absurd, particuarly interaction with young Dahlia.
It's important to note the whole psychological profiling system and the fact the player is really Cheryl. Harry doesnt exist in any true form. His doppelganger hasn't aged, and above all his entire personality is crafted by Cheryl's perception of him. As the shrink says "What seven year old really knows their parents?". That's why the questions asked and the way we play shape the game. We're shaping Harry because we're Cheryl. We're seeing Harry how we want to see him, not how he really was or how he really is.
The Silent Hill that Harry experiences is all Cheryl. Many of the events in the game retrace her past post Harry's death, hence Harry's confusion. This is largely to get Cheryl to confront her past, to confront the death, and to realise her actions are her responsibilty.
For the icey otherworld I see it as Cheryl's fighting of the therapy. The monsters are how she, perhaps, sees herself. The iced over world is still, stagnant, and cold; the representation of a world that wont ever change. The monsters chase Harry only to never harm him, but instead tackle him to the ground. Even post-death from a monster you can see the monsters often petting Harry. Harry is trying to escape and move on, to get through the therapy, while the monsters (Cheryl) are holding him back.
The doppelganger is almost like a spirit trapped in purgatory. It seeks to move on, and is haunted by it's final moments and memories; specifically the car crash and Cheryl. But because Harry is long dead the spirit itself, and the world of Silent Hill it faces, are products of Cheryl's mind. The final confrontation at the lighthouse is both Harry's time to move on, and Cheryl to confront the real world and the reality of Harry's death. It is the only moment in the game where both worlds truly 'blend', with Silent Hill and the 'real' world presenting themselves to Cheryl at the same time.
That's my interpretation of the plot. There's a lot more to it, I think, especailly in terms of the momentos. It's interesting to note where you find them and what they are as they seem to have importance to the plot overall. As do many of the interactions with characters. For example, Dahlia is slutty and bitchy to likely both represent Cheryl and her opinions of her mother. She's daddy's girl, and probably blamed her mother for Harry's death, and thus the mother figure in the game is mostly unlikeable. Slutty because its likely how she sees herself. Her relationship with her father is very...intense.
It's interesting you didnt get a different personality for the cop. When I completed it a second time I also got something different; Same ending, but a different video recording of Harry. The first one was Harry leaving, talking to his wife, and telling young Cheryl that "even though mummy and daddy dont love each other anymore, we still both love you very much", whereas the second time had Harry stumble home drunk, dance for Cheryl, aggressively tell her to go get him another drink, and then make a comment about how crap the family is. _________________
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lobster

Status: Offline Joined: 24 Oct 2008 Posts: 8 $poons: 2.60 Location: Brisbane

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Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2009 9:22 pm Post subject: |
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Great theory! I, too, am glad to have someone to discuss this game with. You've opened my mind a bit and I'm slowly starting to let go of the fact that Shattered Memories presents a v-e-r-y different Silent Hill experience. As my friend Stompy said to me just now 'as Silent Hill fans we have ridiculous expectations'. So true. And I'm definitely with you when you say Silent Hill needed something to change drastically. It may not be exactly what I wanted, I definitely miss the psychological scares, the whole David Lynch-esque mind f**kery amongst other things I've discussed earlier, but I think the very fact that we're able to pour over the details says a lot about the quality of the title. Silent Hill or not, there's no denying that Shattered Memories is a very clever game. Time to start appreciating the game for what it is, not what it isn't.
I've given your theory some thought and while I still like my version of events I think yours fits too. Let's run with your theory for the minute...
So, we know that Cheryl has been to several other Psychiatrists prior to seeing Kauffman.
Obviously it wouldn't take 10 years for Harry to travel/do the things you see him do in the game so we can only assume the healing process, including Harry's 'awakening' in Silent Hill begins from the time she see's Kauffman.
So at first I was thinking, this can't be right. Why would all this stuff only take place after meeting Kauffman and not before? Hell, Cheryl's had 10 years to sort her s**t out. What's so special about this guy? But MAYBE Cheryl and Harry go through a kind of 'Ground Hog Day' each time Cheryl visits a psychiatrist and when it doesn't work out Harry remains trapped in the purgatory you mention, frozen in time until the next session where she/he try again. Perhaps Silent Hill is content with her life being miserable outside of these sessions and only steps things up a notch when she tries to correct her problems, ultimately making Cheryl feel more guilty/more insane/out of control each time? Perhaps it (Silent Hill) wanted to continue playing with Cheryl until ultimately she breaks down and becomes a total basket case? So what do you think?
Interestingly enough my first playthrough had a different ending (video) to both the ones you menioned! Mine showed Harry on his knee's being told he's a useless twat, crap writer rah rah infront of Cheryl...Just how many endings are there in SM I wonder?
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lobster

Status: Offline Joined: 24 Oct 2008 Posts: 8 $poons: 2.60 Location: Brisbane

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Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2009 8:34 pm Post subject: |
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Okay, finished SM for the 2nd time and things now "seem" a lot clearer. The ending video I received this time was particularly enlightening and thought provoking.
*puts on Crysis powesuit* MAXIMUM SPOILER
Obviously the segments we play as Harry are a product of Cheryl's f**ked up mind. Silent Hill allows Cheryl's to create a world in which she re-lives awful past events and people in her life (people who are reimagined in a way she would like to remember them, not how they were - she is the only one made out to be awful in this make believe world). It's important to realise the only 'real' people are Cheryl and the clinical psychiatrist, Dr Kaufmann. As discussed in my last post, she (and all the characters she creates) relive this Silent Hill driven world each time she visits a psychiatrist UNLESS she can deal with her grief/guilt. The painful memories are finally 'shattered' when, with Dr Kaufmann's help, she is able to finally let go of her father and move on.
Cheryl takes on all the guilt for her fathers death, forgetting the fact that he was a drunk, an adulterer (I'll touch on this later) amongst other things. "Someone has to be responsible" as she says.
The one character I don't really understand is Cybil (the cop). What part did she play in Cheryl's life? She realises at the end that while Harry shows in her records as being dead, here he is infront of her, fully sentient and of the belief that he is Harry Mason. She's as confused as Harry! All the other characters existed in Cheryl's life at some stage, I wonder where Cybil fits in...
Michele and Lisa are people Harry was having an affair with prior to his death. In the real world, they are both still very much alive. Obviously Cheryl isn't going to like them and that's why Lisa dies and Michelle is left miserable and alone in her Silent Hill world. I reached this conclusion after the ending video I received after my second playthrough, which shows Harry, Michele and Lisa about to engage in a threesome.
Dahlia is an interesting one. She has the same name as Harry's wife, yet half the time she appears as a young sl*t, who we can only assume is the Silent Hill world represenatation of Cheryl. The most disturbing scene in the game shows Harry preparing to 'do the deed' with young Dhalia (Cheryl), showing just how f**ked up real Cheryl's mind is.
Well, just wanted to get a few more thoughts out there. I think you definitely need to play this game a second/third time to truly get the most out of it!
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redemption


Status: Offline Joined: 11 Oct 2007 Posts: 1494 $poons: 139.00

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Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 3:20 pm Post subject: |
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Kotaku AU is reporting a March 5th release for Shattered Memories, on all Platforms.
Apparently they've gotten a new distributer for Australia, so out with Atari, in with 'Mindscape' _________________
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Capoeira


Status: Offline Joined: 20 Jun 2005 Posts: 6225 $poons: 709.80 Location: Location! Location!

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Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2010 12:09 pm Post subject: |
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I've had my eye on this for some time. It sounded like quite the unique horror experience. I kept putting off looking for ways to get my hands on this but now that my brother is in the States, it would be pretty easy for me to get the game. The only problem is region locking. I own a Wii Freeloader which I've used to play No More Heroes without issue; I'm just wondering if it'll work on this too.
I realize that Nintendo borked Freeloader support with firmware, but I haven't updated since then. I just want to know if I'll be able to play the game on my PAL console using Freeloader. How is everyone else playing it now? _________________
Say You Want A Revolution
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