*Spoilers Ahead*
Ok, I'm getting more comfortable with the gameplay mechanics. And with the layout of the town. It's pretty cool, how you'll be minding your own business, and if you don't keep an eye on your vitals, then when one of your meters - say hunger, or exhaustion - approaches critical, it'll show up in the corner of the screen to remind you. So you'll be walking along, and then suddenly you'll notice, "oh, I'm hungry, I better eat something", or "uh-oh, I'm getting tired, I should take a nap". It certainly adds a realism to the gameplay, and it causes you to keep those considerations in the back of your mind as you play. You can't just waltz around town solving mysteries, you actually have to take care of yourself in order to survive. It adds its own sense of uneasiness, and a feeling of vulnerability, even before talk of infectious disease starts to spread (followed shortly by the disease itself, I'm sure).
As you walk around town, you come across coins laying on the ground, which you pick up automatically - and sometimes other things laying about, too, like needles and things. You can search in all the trash bins, often times finding empty bottles that can then be filled up at a fountain or other source of water, located throughout town. There are stores spread about town, some for medical supplies, some for clothing (I haven't really taken a look at those yet), food stores, and taverns. Some of the descriptions for the foods (and also medicines) scare me, because it talks of the food's source and how "safe" it is. For example, whether a piece of meat came from an animal from The Steppe (lots of superstition against that place), and things of that nature.
I'm getting more familiar with the town, as well as the townsfolk. The town is split into three sections, split by two rivers which they apparently call "Vein" and "Throat" - creepy, I know. Each of the three sections is sort of 'ruled' by an influential family, and my Day 2 task seems to be getting them to put down their petty squabbles so we can work together to contain the outbreak of this disease, which I now have proof of. The townsfolk seem to be very superstitious, talking about spirits and curses and things, and are reluctant to admit that the "killer" from yesterday was disease, but as I said, I now have proof. I have come into my first contact with the infection. It's pretty creepy - the house itself where the infected died is bloody and growing boils - inside and out.
Apparently the disease swept through the town once before - they call it Sand Dirt, or Sand Plague, depending on the translator's mood, I suspect. They stopped it then by locking all the infected inside their homes. I have a feeling this time it won't be so easy to control. Especially since the one doctor who knew the most about the disease was the second to die of it this time around (it was his house I investigated). One of my side quests for today is stocking up on food supplies - prices for which have increased as a result of rumors of the outbreak. There's supposed to be a shop that sells cheap, but I don't know how I'm gonna find it.
And if the ticking clock wasn't enough to make me feel rushed to accomplish my goals, the knowledge that every hour that passes could mean more people infected, or even dead - perhaps even someone important - is rather frightening.
Those ruins I mentioned yesterday, turns out they are actually newly built avant-garde architectural projects built by an architect living in the town who seems to have an aversion to gravity. He's also the one behind the mysterious tower they call The Polyhedron on the north edge of town, which is a huge floating structure that seems to be a cross between an alien spaceship and a giant beehive. Weird.
30 September, 2009
29 September, 2009
Pathologic - First Impressions
Preface: My good friend stumbled upon a review of a Russian action/adventure PC game titled Pathologic which intrigued him, I presume, due to the unique gameplay approach which strives for realism (you have to mind hunger/exhaustion etc. to stay alive), and for the fact that the decisions you make and the actions you take allegedly guide the story, and ultimately determine whether or not you survive and/or are victorious by the end. The game is also apparently horror-themed, and knowing my love of horror, plus my interest in games (or anything, really) that step outside of established paradigms to deliver a fresh and unique experience, my friend recommended the title to me. I was indeed also intrigued, and I decided to give it a try. Therefore, though I heard enough details to get me interested, I opted out of reading the review in order to avoid spoiling the plot/gaming experience. In other words, I'm not entirely sure what this game is about or just what it is I'm getting into. But that's what playing is for.
***From here on out, spoilers are inevitable.***
So, the game starts with a minimum of exposition. After a cryptic dialogue (which I presume - or at least hope - will make more sense later on when I know just what is going on) between what I presume to be the three main characters, you have a choice of which of those three you want to play as. The first is the Bachelor, which I guess is just a nickname. From what I've discovered, he's some kind of medical student interested in the study of death (or more specifically, how to defeat death). The second character is some kind of doctor, although he sounds more like a shaman of sorts. The third character is a mysterious girl who is not playable on the first run-through.
I made the mistake of trying to be "interesting" by picking the second character instead of the first, but quickly learned the error of my ways. In that scenario, you start the game just after getting beaten up, and thus at very low health, with wounds that will kill you if you don't heal them in a timely fashion, and a bad reputation, which means that most of the townsfolk will attack you on sight. Combined with having no clue of how the game works, and how to do simple things like, oh, put on a bandage, or hell, even throw a punch, it's little more than a death sentence. So I went back, and decided to be a good newbie, and picked the Bachelor.
The Bachelor arrives in town to study a man who, hailed as a sorceror by the locals, is said to be some kind of immortal. Unfortunately, this undying magician turns up dead the morning I arrive to meet him. So far, the game has consisted of me running around town getting to know the locals, and basically acting as an independent investigator trying to figure out just what happened. I don't know if it's the translation, or just the mystery of the game, but I'm having a slow time piecing things together. Like, how the town is supposed to be organized, what the hell the giant building is on the east edge of the map, what they mean when they refer to The Steppe (is that just like, a generic "wilderness beyond the outskirts of town", or is it a specific place?), etc. And I hear mention of certain things that get me wondering, like clay beasts, and child thieves, and who knows what all.
Well, I talked to one person, a clairvoyant, who explained to me about "adherents". In the town there's a certain number of Persons of Considerable Importance (as opposed to the nameless townsfolk wandering the streets), who will apparently live or die through the course of the game (and likely based on my actions). For those of them who are my "adherents", it is apparently in my best interest for them to live. Although, I have been warned that some of them may have objectives that conflict with my own, in which case their survival to the end may interfere with my victory. Yeah, I don't completely understand it, either, but I'm only getting started.
While I was off on a "side quest" of sorts which I sort of regret doing, for two reasons (1: the quiet girl who I was told works at the cemetery was 'in absentia', and 2: the graveyard diggers practically robbed me of the entirety of my pocket money (and then some, since I had to sell some stuff to meet their fee)), I noted with pleasure the change in weather. It started raining, then harder, and then lightning started, and later on, the rain stopped. That was pretty cool.
I have yet to really experience much change in the way of day/night, as the game starts in the morning, and where I left off was some time still in the evening (it wasn't yet dark, at least). I feel a little pressed for time, though, as a note in my "diary" mentions that it is imperative that I come face to face with the supposed "killer" (of the supposed immortal man I came to study) before the end of the day or else I myself will face death. So, I'm kinda rushing to put these pieces together so as not to find myself not waking up next morning. At any rate, the "killer", first presumed to be a murderer, then considered by the more rational to be poison, since the man was allegedly alone at the time of death, is now just beginning to shape up to be an infection, if I've read the clues right (then again, that's what this game is supposed to be about...I think).
I managed to get through the day without eating anything, and I didn't get hurt (except the one time I was playing in some ruins and slipped from a medium height...), seeing as I have a good reputation (thus nobody is attacking me). I started getting exhausted around the afternoon, so I took a one hour nap in a bed in a private residence (those are, I am told, the rules) which rested me up for some further sleuthing. I'm sure I'll have more to say about these interesting elements of the gameplay as I get to know them better.
More to come.
***From here on out, spoilers are inevitable.***
So, the game starts with a minimum of exposition. After a cryptic dialogue (which I presume - or at least hope - will make more sense later on when I know just what is going on) between what I presume to be the three main characters, you have a choice of which of those three you want to play as. The first is the Bachelor, which I guess is just a nickname. From what I've discovered, he's some kind of medical student interested in the study of death (or more specifically, how to defeat death). The second character is some kind of doctor, although he sounds more like a shaman of sorts. The third character is a mysterious girl who is not playable on the first run-through.
I made the mistake of trying to be "interesting" by picking the second character instead of the first, but quickly learned the error of my ways. In that scenario, you start the game just after getting beaten up, and thus at very low health, with wounds that will kill you if you don't heal them in a timely fashion, and a bad reputation, which means that most of the townsfolk will attack you on sight. Combined with having no clue of how the game works, and how to do simple things like, oh, put on a bandage, or hell, even throw a punch, it's little more than a death sentence. So I went back, and decided to be a good newbie, and picked the Bachelor.
The Bachelor arrives in town to study a man who, hailed as a sorceror by the locals, is said to be some kind of immortal. Unfortunately, this undying magician turns up dead the morning I arrive to meet him. So far, the game has consisted of me running around town getting to know the locals, and basically acting as an independent investigator trying to figure out just what happened. I don't know if it's the translation, or just the mystery of the game, but I'm having a slow time piecing things together. Like, how the town is supposed to be organized, what the hell the giant building is on the east edge of the map, what they mean when they refer to The Steppe (is that just like, a generic "wilderness beyond the outskirts of town", or is it a specific place?), etc. And I hear mention of certain things that get me wondering, like clay beasts, and child thieves, and who knows what all.
Well, I talked to one person, a clairvoyant, who explained to me about "adherents". In the town there's a certain number of Persons of Considerable Importance (as opposed to the nameless townsfolk wandering the streets), who will apparently live or die through the course of the game (and likely based on my actions). For those of them who are my "adherents", it is apparently in my best interest for them to live. Although, I have been warned that some of them may have objectives that conflict with my own, in which case their survival to the end may interfere with my victory. Yeah, I don't completely understand it, either, but I'm only getting started.
While I was off on a "side quest" of sorts which I sort of regret doing, for two reasons (1: the quiet girl who I was told works at the cemetery was 'in absentia', and 2: the graveyard diggers practically robbed me of the entirety of my pocket money (and then some, since I had to sell some stuff to meet their fee)), I noted with pleasure the change in weather. It started raining, then harder, and then lightning started, and later on, the rain stopped. That was pretty cool.
I have yet to really experience much change in the way of day/night, as the game starts in the morning, and where I left off was some time still in the evening (it wasn't yet dark, at least). I feel a little pressed for time, though, as a note in my "diary" mentions that it is imperative that I come face to face with the supposed "killer" (of the supposed immortal man I came to study) before the end of the day or else I myself will face death. So, I'm kinda rushing to put these pieces together so as not to find myself not waking up next morning. At any rate, the "killer", first presumed to be a murderer, then considered by the more rational to be poison, since the man was allegedly alone at the time of death, is now just beginning to shape up to be an infection, if I've read the clues right (then again, that's what this game is supposed to be about...I think).
I managed to get through the day without eating anything, and I didn't get hurt (except the one time I was playing in some ruins and slipped from a medium height...), seeing as I have a good reputation (thus nobody is attacking me). I started getting exhausted around the afternoon, so I took a one hour nap in a bed in a private residence (those are, I am told, the rules) which rested me up for some further sleuthing. I'm sure I'll have more to say about these interesting elements of the gameplay as I get to know them better.
More to come.
18 September, 2009
This isn't a new problem, but.
I frequently have a great stream of consciousness going while I'm in the shower. I know I'm not alone. It's something about being involved in some sort of physical task that doesn't require much thinking (usually one that's done frequently enough to internalize the motions so it can be done almost without conscious awareness), that allows one's mind to wander freely, without distraction, or an ever-vigilant desire to get up and do something else (since you're kind of "locked into" the activity).
Anyway, I often get a great stream of consciousness going. Sometimes it's just stuff. Other times it's good stuff, insightful stuff, eloquent stuff, that deserves writing down and sharing. Except by the time I sit down to type it out, I'm outside of that stream, and I have to rely on my memory of what I came up with. If I can remember, usually I can build off of that, and create something good. If I can't remember, I usually get stuck, put ideas together in the wrong order, and end up with something messy.
If I sit down to write without unnecessary distraction after coming out of the shower, I'm usually in a good position. If I wait until after dinner, I'm usually in a bad position. You may know my penchant for sleep, and my low inertia. As it is, I inevitably find myself waiting till the last minute to get up, to get in the shower, to get to dinner, leaving me little time to transcribe my thoughts. And even if I can get the parts I memorized down, being interrupted from that stream, still fresh in my mind, to consume dinner, only to return with the expected laziness of being fully fed, tends to put a damper on that thought process.
So I'm thinking getting up earlier, to shower earlier, to give myself more temporal lenience in those cases where I feel inspired to write, would be a good thing. Except that there is any number of reasons why that would be a challenge. First of which is the fact that dinnertime acts as an anchor, with my schedule trailing it. Pushing my schedule even earlier goes against its natural desired flow. And would require me to go to bed earlier in the morning - an exercise which has an extremely low rate of past success. And there are other factors too which I won't mention here.
I frequently have a great stream of consciousness going while I'm in the shower. I know I'm not alone. It's something about being involved in some sort of physical task that doesn't require much thinking (usually one that's done frequently enough to internalize the motions so it can be done almost without conscious awareness), that allows one's mind to wander freely, without distraction, or an ever-vigilant desire to get up and do something else (since you're kind of "locked into" the activity).
Anyway, I often get a great stream of consciousness going. Sometimes it's just stuff. Other times it's good stuff, insightful stuff, eloquent stuff, that deserves writing down and sharing. Except by the time I sit down to type it out, I'm outside of that stream, and I have to rely on my memory of what I came up with. If I can remember, usually I can build off of that, and create something good. If I can't remember, I usually get stuck, put ideas together in the wrong order, and end up with something messy.
If I sit down to write without unnecessary distraction after coming out of the shower, I'm usually in a good position. If I wait until after dinner, I'm usually in a bad position. You may know my penchant for sleep, and my low inertia. As it is, I inevitably find myself waiting till the last minute to get up, to get in the shower, to get to dinner, leaving me little time to transcribe my thoughts. And even if I can get the parts I memorized down, being interrupted from that stream, still fresh in my mind, to consume dinner, only to return with the expected laziness of being fully fed, tends to put a damper on that thought process.
So I'm thinking getting up earlier, to shower earlier, to give myself more temporal lenience in those cases where I feel inspired to write, would be a good thing. Except that there is any number of reasons why that would be a challenge. First of which is the fact that dinnertime acts as an anchor, with my schedule trailing it. Pushing my schedule even earlier goes against its natural desired flow. And would require me to go to bed earlier in the morning - an exercise which has an extremely low rate of past success. And there are other factors too which I won't mention here.
14 September, 2009
Your Personal Nightmare
As promised, here is my follow-up to the previous post on Silent Hill Origins.
Let's start by looking at the stats for my second play-through:
Total enemies killed using melee weapons: 188
Total enemies killed using firearms: 1
Total enemies killed using fists: 58
Total items collected: 330
Number of map views: 7
Number of times saved: 13
Distance walked: 21.97
Total game time: 4:26:50
Total flashlight use time: 0:23:48
Number of game completions: 2
Total game time was cut in half from my first time, down to just 4.5 hours. Saves were reduced to almost a third of the previous number - showing my increasing confidence and knowledge of the game. I made a conscious effort not to view the map (although I still instinctively picked the maps up, and doing so results in an automatic view - that counts six (Town, Hospital, Sanitarium, Theater, Motel, Othertown) plus one extra view when I accidentally pressed the wrong button), and to keep my flashlight off as much as possible. You can walk right past most demons with the flashlight off (if the room is dark), and they won't attack you, but of course, it can be hard to see things lying around (and some rooms are just really really dark). I also focused on just using melee weapons/fists (I was kind of undecided/confused about which to choose) - however, that one firearm kill is none other than The Butcher, whom I was too afraid to fight up close, considering his lethal Great Cleaver.
As you may have suspected, all of these special conditions I fulfilled for the express purpose of earning accolades, which I briefly mentioned in the previous post. Extras in Silent Hill Origins are separated individually, such that you can earn them one (or more) at a time, and you get to keep the bounty on successive play-throughs (instead of just the next play-through). Previous Silent Hills gave rewards for high star rankings (abolished in this game), the best reward reserved for the nigh impossible ten star ranking. In Origins, you can work on the different accolades independently, instead of having to satisfy all the right conditions in a single play-through.
For example, there is a Sprinter Accolade, for beating the game in under two hours, and a Daredevil Accolade for beating the game without a single save. Previous games would require a minimum number of saves *and* a low completion time (along with myriad other requirements) for the ten star ranking, but this way, you can play the game through once, focusing on speed, saving as much as you want in order to perfect your timing, and then play it again, taking as much time as you need to beat it, but without saving your progress. Afterwards, you'll have both rewards in the subsequent play-through!
Well, that's exactly what I was planning on doing, but I started my sprinter run and I just thought to myself, "I don't feel particularly threatened", so I just didn't save and made it my daredevil run as well! Here are the stats for that run:
Total enemies killed using melee weapons: 4
Total enemies killed using firearms: 0
Total enemies killed using fists: 23
Total items collected: 88
Number of map views: 21
Number of times saved: 0
Distance walked: 6.66 Km
Total game time: 0:57:52
Total flashlight use time: 0:03:04
Number of game completions: 3
Zero saves, and completion in less than an hour (taking the shortcut joke ending). That 6.66 Km walking distance did not go unnoticed. Flashlight time under 5 minutes(!). Focused on killing with my fists (albeit with the help of the powerful Moon Gauntlets - although you have to be careful to only knock the enemy down and not kill it with the gauntlets so that you can stomp it and get a "fist" kill, since the gauntlets count as a melee weapon).
My overall conclusion for this game in comparison to previous Silent Hills is that it's fairly short (although I remember the original Silent Hill being relatively short as well), and, as much of a sting this is, not quite as scary as the other games. Still scary, just not as. Now let's talk about some of the cooler Extras:
Each accolade earns you an alternate costume, and some of them get you an additional special item. I'd say the majority of the costumes are kind of boring, but there are some cool ones.
Acquiring the "good" ending gets you the Savior Accolade, which comes with a nifty leather outfit, and the previously mentioned Moon Gauntlets, which are quite powerful - I was surprised when the final boss of the game took three whole punches to defeat!
The "bad" ending nets you The Butcher costume, which is pretty cool (bloody clothing), and The Butcher's Great Cleaver.
The UFO Ending (a joke, and a Silent Hill tradition), gets you the Tesla Rifle, which is a gun that shoots lightning. It's not super-powerful, but as it's supposedly powered by moonbeams, it never runs out of energy, and is quite cool to use. The "spacesuit" costume is unremarkable.
The Sprinter Accolade, achieved by beating the game in under two hours, gets you a costume which looks unappealing (sweats), but allows you to run nonstop without running out of breath - thus quite useful for running down those long streets of Silent Hill.
The Stalker Accolade, for playing in the dark with the flashlight off, is perhaps one of the coolest. The costume is a "black ops" uniform, and the accolade also includes a pair of night vision goggles, which are quite useful indoors. Get used to the characteristic green vision, and you'll be able to hunt demons in pitch black, knocking them out before they know what hit them. Particularly good for sneaking past demons without getting attacked, in order to save time and ammo.
The Fireman Accolade is also pretty cool. At the beginning of the game, there's a sequence where you come upon a burning house, and have to save the girl (none other than Alessa) inside. If you do it really quickly, you'll earn the accolade, which gets you a neat fireman costume and a powerful Fire Axe.
Take your choice, do you want to play through Silent Hill as a Fireman, a black ops agent, or a bloodied serial killer? The dog costume (Daredevil Accolade) and the Mexican wrestling outfit (Brawler Accolade) are amusing, but ridiculous. The latter is earned by defeating most enemies with your fists. As alluded to, there are also accolades for defeating most enemies with melee weapons, and with firearms. And there are a couple others.
And now let's talk psychology. If you don't want to read major plot spoilers, then don't read any further. One of the coolest things about Silent Hill is the concept of the town personalizing your inner demons, and manifesting them into a[n apparently] physical form, to h[a]unt you down, until you uncover whatever deep revelation the town intends for you, or come to terms with a certain traumatic event in your past. For example, it is said that Alessa is afraid of dogs, thus explaining the dog monsters in the first (and third) game. Also, the schoolhouse boss in the first game was a monster from a scary story found in the school's library (The Monster Lurks). In Silent Hill 2, James is pursued by the assassin Pyramid Head, which can be said to be a literal embodiment of his [repressed] guilt about putting his wife out of her misery. Similarly, in Silent Hill Origins, it is revealed that Travis Grady may have a split personality - unknown to the side of him that we control in the game - as a result of the trauma of his parent's deaths in childhood, that manifests in the form of a brutal serial killer (The Butcher). Travis' unexpected layover in Silent Hill, in addition to his interactions with Alessa, serve to dredge up the childhood trauma he's repressed, and force him to confront his alter-ego. In a very real sense, it is a healing journey - although success (and survival) is far from guaranteed. This is what I love about Silent Hill.
Two recurring species of nightmare in the Silent Hill games are the demonic nurses, and the "straitjackets". The former represent a not uncommon fear for many people of doctors (and it's no coincidence that much time in Silent Hill is spent in a number of different hospitals). The straitjackets - lumbering figures with limited capabilities for aggression (though that doesn't hamper their intent) - can be said to represent personal feelings of self-imprisonment, and feelings of weakness and inability to cope with one's problems (not unlike the symbolism of the VIII of Swords). The enemies that show up in Silent Hill Origins take forms that represent Travis' fears and insecurities, and in some cases Alessa's also. The "carrion" demon - an oversized, disfigured, stumbling half-roadkill beast - represents Travis' guilt over animals killed during his career as a truck driver. The "twoback" beast that stalks the motel mocks Travis' sexual insecurities, which are suggested in dialogue elsewhere. And of course, the malformed figures of Travis' parents, whose deaths traumatized him as a child, constitute two of the bosses/obstacles on Travis' journey of healing.
You have to admire a game that inspires psychoanalysis on this order. But what tickles my inspiration bone, is the idea of personalized nightmares. What if you - yes, you - were to visit Silent Hill? Is there a monster lurking in your subconscious, waiting to be recognized? What kind of nightmares haunt you, and what form would they take as you cautiously, nervously wander the foggy streets of Silent Hill? I ask this question, and I think the answer would be most intriguing, however it's not only an incredibly personal question (and revealing your fears and insecurities always comes with the risk that others could take advantage of that information - then again, all the better for you to confront them), but it's also asking you to shed light on something that may well be hiding in the darker corridors of your mind; perhaps a place you'd rather not go. But Silent Hill has a way of calling you, of pulling you into a trap which forces you to do just that, if you would survive.
I think it's something worth thinking about.
Let's start by looking at the stats for my second play-through:
Total enemies killed using melee weapons: 188
Total enemies killed using firearms: 1
Total enemies killed using fists: 58
Total items collected: 330
Number of map views: 7
Number of times saved: 13
Distance walked: 21.97
Total game time: 4:26:50
Total flashlight use time: 0:23:48
Number of game completions: 2
Total game time was cut in half from my first time, down to just 4.5 hours. Saves were reduced to almost a third of the previous number - showing my increasing confidence and knowledge of the game. I made a conscious effort not to view the map (although I still instinctively picked the maps up, and doing so results in an automatic view - that counts six (Town, Hospital, Sanitarium, Theater, Motel, Othertown) plus one extra view when I accidentally pressed the wrong button), and to keep my flashlight off as much as possible. You can walk right past most demons with the flashlight off (if the room is dark), and they won't attack you, but of course, it can be hard to see things lying around (and some rooms are just really really dark). I also focused on just using melee weapons/fists (I was kind of undecided/confused about which to choose) - however, that one firearm kill is none other than The Butcher, whom I was too afraid to fight up close, considering his lethal Great Cleaver.
As you may have suspected, all of these special conditions I fulfilled for the express purpose of earning accolades, which I briefly mentioned in the previous post. Extras in Silent Hill Origins are separated individually, such that you can earn them one (or more) at a time, and you get to keep the bounty on successive play-throughs (instead of just the next play-through). Previous Silent Hills gave rewards for high star rankings (abolished in this game), the best reward reserved for the nigh impossible ten star ranking. In Origins, you can work on the different accolades independently, instead of having to satisfy all the right conditions in a single play-through.
For example, there is a Sprinter Accolade, for beating the game in under two hours, and a Daredevil Accolade for beating the game without a single save. Previous games would require a minimum number of saves *and* a low completion time (along with myriad other requirements) for the ten star ranking, but this way, you can play the game through once, focusing on speed, saving as much as you want in order to perfect your timing, and then play it again, taking as much time as you need to beat it, but without saving your progress. Afterwards, you'll have both rewards in the subsequent play-through!
Well, that's exactly what I was planning on doing, but I started my sprinter run and I just thought to myself, "I don't feel particularly threatened", so I just didn't save and made it my daredevil run as well! Here are the stats for that run:
Total enemies killed using melee weapons: 4
Total enemies killed using firearms: 0
Total enemies killed using fists: 23
Total items collected: 88
Number of map views: 21
Number of times saved: 0
Distance walked: 6.66 Km
Total game time: 0:57:52
Total flashlight use time: 0:03:04
Number of game completions: 3
Zero saves, and completion in less than an hour (taking the shortcut joke ending). That 6.66 Km walking distance did not go unnoticed. Flashlight time under 5 minutes(!). Focused on killing with my fists (albeit with the help of the powerful Moon Gauntlets - although you have to be careful to only knock the enemy down and not kill it with the gauntlets so that you can stomp it and get a "fist" kill, since the gauntlets count as a melee weapon).
My overall conclusion for this game in comparison to previous Silent Hills is that it's fairly short (although I remember the original Silent Hill being relatively short as well), and, as much of a sting this is, not quite as scary as the other games. Still scary, just not as. Now let's talk about some of the cooler Extras:
Each accolade earns you an alternate costume, and some of them get you an additional special item. I'd say the majority of the costumes are kind of boring, but there are some cool ones.
Acquiring the "good" ending gets you the Savior Accolade, which comes with a nifty leather outfit, and the previously mentioned Moon Gauntlets, which are quite powerful - I was surprised when the final boss of the game took three whole punches to defeat!
The "bad" ending nets you The Butcher costume, which is pretty cool (bloody clothing), and The Butcher's Great Cleaver.
The UFO Ending (a joke, and a Silent Hill tradition), gets you the Tesla Rifle, which is a gun that shoots lightning. It's not super-powerful, but as it's supposedly powered by moonbeams, it never runs out of energy, and is quite cool to use. The "spacesuit" costume is unremarkable.
The Sprinter Accolade, achieved by beating the game in under two hours, gets you a costume which looks unappealing (sweats), but allows you to run nonstop without running out of breath - thus quite useful for running down those long streets of Silent Hill.
The Stalker Accolade, for playing in the dark with the flashlight off, is perhaps one of the coolest. The costume is a "black ops" uniform, and the accolade also includes a pair of night vision goggles, which are quite useful indoors. Get used to the characteristic green vision, and you'll be able to hunt demons in pitch black, knocking them out before they know what hit them. Particularly good for sneaking past demons without getting attacked, in order to save time and ammo.
The Fireman Accolade is also pretty cool. At the beginning of the game, there's a sequence where you come upon a burning house, and have to save the girl (none other than Alessa) inside. If you do it really quickly, you'll earn the accolade, which gets you a neat fireman costume and a powerful Fire Axe.
Take your choice, do you want to play through Silent Hill as a Fireman, a black ops agent, or a bloodied serial killer? The dog costume (Daredevil Accolade) and the Mexican wrestling outfit (Brawler Accolade) are amusing, but ridiculous. The latter is earned by defeating most enemies with your fists. As alluded to, there are also accolades for defeating most enemies with melee weapons, and with firearms. And there are a couple others.
And now let's talk psychology. If you don't want to read major plot spoilers, then don't read any further. One of the coolest things about Silent Hill is the concept of the town personalizing your inner demons, and manifesting them into a[n apparently] physical form, to h[a]unt you down, until you uncover whatever deep revelation the town intends for you, or come to terms with a certain traumatic event in your past. For example, it is said that Alessa is afraid of dogs, thus explaining the dog monsters in the first (and third) game. Also, the schoolhouse boss in the first game was a monster from a scary story found in the school's library (The Monster Lurks). In Silent Hill 2, James is pursued by the assassin Pyramid Head, which can be said to be a literal embodiment of his [repressed] guilt about putting his wife out of her misery. Similarly, in Silent Hill Origins, it is revealed that Travis Grady may have a split personality - unknown to the side of him that we control in the game - as a result of the trauma of his parent's deaths in childhood, that manifests in the form of a brutal serial killer (The Butcher). Travis' unexpected layover in Silent Hill, in addition to his interactions with Alessa, serve to dredge up the childhood trauma he's repressed, and force him to confront his alter-ego. In a very real sense, it is a healing journey - although success (and survival) is far from guaranteed. This is what I love about Silent Hill.
Two recurring species of nightmare in the Silent Hill games are the demonic nurses, and the "straitjackets". The former represent a not uncommon fear for many people of doctors (and it's no coincidence that much time in Silent Hill is spent in a number of different hospitals). The straitjackets - lumbering figures with limited capabilities for aggression (though that doesn't hamper their intent) - can be said to represent personal feelings of self-imprisonment, and feelings of weakness and inability to cope with one's problems (not unlike the symbolism of the VIII of Swords). The enemies that show up in Silent Hill Origins take forms that represent Travis' fears and insecurities, and in some cases Alessa's also. The "carrion" demon - an oversized, disfigured, stumbling half-roadkill beast - represents Travis' guilt over animals killed during his career as a truck driver. The "twoback" beast that stalks the motel mocks Travis' sexual insecurities, which are suggested in dialogue elsewhere. And of course, the malformed figures of Travis' parents, whose deaths traumatized him as a child, constitute two of the bosses/obstacles on Travis' journey of healing.
You have to admire a game that inspires psychoanalysis on this order. But what tickles my inspiration bone, is the idea of personalized nightmares. What if you - yes, you - were to visit Silent Hill? Is there a monster lurking in your subconscious, waiting to be recognized? What kind of nightmares haunt you, and what form would they take as you cautiously, nervously wander the foggy streets of Silent Hill? I ask this question, and I think the answer would be most intriguing, however it's not only an incredibly personal question (and revealing your fears and insecurities always comes with the risk that others could take advantage of that information - then again, all the better for you to confront them), but it's also asking you to shed light on something that may well be hiding in the darker corridors of your mind; perhaps a place you'd rather not go. But Silent Hill has a way of calling you, of pulling you into a trap which forces you to do just that, if you would survive.
I think it's something worth thinking about.
12 September, 2009
10 Iconic Horror Films To Start Your Collection
Now that I've got my mind on Halloween, I simply can't get it off. Not that that's a bad thing - Halloween being my favorite holiday of the year and all. Have I told you yet the story of how I got into being a horror film fan? Well, today's agenda isn't to discuss my favorite horror films (blast from the past), but to discuss 10 (because 10 is a nice round number, and perfect for a list) of the most classicest most iconicest horror movies of the past half-century. If you're a horror fan, you've probably seen these movies so many times that you're either absolutely sick of them, or completely fanatic about them. And if you're not a horror fan, this might just be a good place to start...
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Psycho (1960)
Alfred Hitchcock is rightly regarded as a master filmmaker, and Psycho is one of his most popular (and iconic) films. While it may be dated by today's standards, it's one of the classic examples of a suspense thriller, featuring a disturbed psychotic as the antagonist. You don't even have to have seen the film to recognize the gory (for its time) shower scene (and accompanying score) - that's how iconic it is!
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Before George Romero, zombism was a voodoo curse that wealthy white imperialists contracted warlocks to cast on deceased (or soon to be) sharecroppers in order to acquire cheap slave labor (and you probably think I'm kidding!). Romero resurrected the "ghouls" as brainless rotting re-animated corpses, slave only to their hunger for living flesh, whose prodding slowness is made up for in sheer numbers. This film is a dark, paranoid, survival horror (and still surprisingly good for its age) that (re)defined the subgenre.
The Exorcist (1973)
An intense, draining experience of a movie about an innocent little girl suffering from demonic possession, The Exorcist is the end-all be-all (the alpha and the omega, if you will) of religious horror. I was first exposed to this film while still in the single digits (presented to me by my mother of all people!), and back then, its effect on me was more of disgust than impression - though you could say it had its effect. Interestingly, I recently re-watched it, and, being disavowed of religious superstition, yet still quite frightened of hospitals, the part of the film that made me most uncomfortable was the extensive medical testing our little possessee has to endure. If I might make a recommendation, don't bother watching this film on cable TV, as it's guaranteed to have its teeth removed - and for a film of this caliber, that's akin to blasphemy!
Alien (1979)
I've said it before, and I will say it again - Ridley Scott's Alien is the epitome of sci-fi/horror. The construction of the film is, in a sense, Poeific, in that all the elements, from setting and filmography, to score, to characters and character relations, to creature design - everything works together to create a truly frightening atmosphere. The horror is genuine: at once terrifyingly familiar (primitive body horror), and mysteriously alien. And speaking of which, H.R. Giger's design for the titular xenomorph has become a true horror icon (its frightfulness only mildly diminished by the recent crop of crappy cross-over cash-ins).
Poltergeist (1982)
Paranormal ("ghost") movies tend to be hit-or-miss. Despite its connection to Steven Spielberg (burn), Poltergeist manages to scare, helped in no small part by a big special fx budget - possibly in contrast to the idea that ghosts, being largely invisible, don't require much in the way of elaborate fx (although that's probably just a cop-out). Poltergeist and its sequels managed to plant quite a few specific scenes of terror into my young head which had a habit of haunting me from time to time. And ever since this movie came out, the world has been awakened to the very real supernatural peril of building on top of ancient Indian burial grounds. Don't believe me? I dare you to try it. Yeah, that's what I thought.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre should need no introduction. And I probably say that because despite hearing about it again and again, I'm still not sure I've actually seen the original version (although I do recall watching a modern take on it). But who can forget the stories of how the movie was so scary, people would vomit in disgust and flee the theaters? These days the cannibalistic country folk plot has been beaten to death (and then eaten?), but Leatherface and his chainsaw remains an icon of horror.
Halloween (1978)
John Carpenter accomplished greatness with his take on the holiday of horror - Halloween - inspiring an entire industry of slasher flicks featuring teenagers being picked off one by one at the hands of an unnamed killer. But Halloween remains excitingly fresh, even as the emotionless masked killer repeatedly satisfies his unquenchable bloodlust. In a truly terrifying scene, our heroine runs screaming, from house to house in a calm suburban neighborhood, with the very Bogeyman himself on her heels, and the neighbors ignore her cries, likely thinking it some prank. The filming of the scene is so normal - no ultra-panicky camera chasing after the heroine, or crashing orchestral cues - that it just feels so very real, and thus that much scarier. Ironically, modern horror could learn a few things from one of the most imitated horror movies of all time.
Friday the 13th (1980)
Continuing in the slasher vein, Friday the 13th locates itself in a cozy (but deadly) summer camp, and actually provides some meaning behind the oft-recurring theme of the slutty teenagers being the most in danger of getting slashed. Certain elements which I am hesitant to mention here - despite this being the sort of movie that you know all the secrets from, even if you've never seen it - keep this title relatively fresh and exciting. Interestingly, Jason doesn't don his ultra-iconic hockey mask until the third film in the series! And while we're speaking of icons, trust me, you know the soundtrack to this film. ch-ch-ch, ah-ah-ah
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
What A Nightmare on Elm Street adds to the slasher formula is moving the killing field into the realm of dreams. A scary thought, is it not? Sleep - that period in which you are most defenseless, and when your dreaming mind is most open to suggestion. And noone can go very long without needing to enter that realm, despite the risks. The iconic antagonist, Freddie Krueger, also adds a macabre sense of style to the slasher's wardrobe, with his striped sweater, hat, and fingerknives. Don't miss a very young Johnny Depp finding himself the source of an impressive fountain of gore (you have to see it to believe it) - and speaking of gore, this is another film I'd recommend not watching on cable TV, as the gore fx are quite impressive (oh, don't be one of those people), and thus not to be missed.
Hellraiser (1987)
I feel like Pinhead is infinitely more iconic than Hellraiser itself, but no matter, it's an excellent film. Based on a Clive Barker story which I have yet to read (but I've read others of his penning), the subject matter alone is enough to make you squirm. Picture, if you will, an occult puzzle box which, when properly solved (think of it as the devil's Rubik's Cube), summons the cenobytes - sadomasochistic demons (or angels, depending on your persuasion) intent on giving the puzzle solver the gift of ultimate pleasure (by way of ultimate pain, of course). Pinhead, the unofficial leader of the cenobytes (I'm rather fond of Chatterer, myself) has been known to get fanmail from rabid fangirls who want him to father their children. And you thought I was kidding about the "angels" part.
There's your start, now get to it. There's a whole world of horror out there - with every conceivable flavor of nightmare on offer. Apologies to vampire and werewolf fans. Also to puppet fans - puppets have never been very scary (or very funny either, for that matter) to me. Sorry. And also the oldies monster fans - Dracula, Frankenstein, Wolfman, The Mummy, Boo Berry, etc. - that era is outside the scope of my primary interest. In spite of these deliberate omissions, keeping in mind that this list is about iconic horror films, and not personal favorites, feel free to chime in and add titles you think would fit on the list. And hey, it's only mid-September, but don't be ~afraid~ to start your Shocktober early this year!
.jpg)
Psycho (1960)
Alfred Hitchcock is rightly regarded as a master filmmaker, and Psycho is one of his most popular (and iconic) films. While it may be dated by today's standards, it's one of the classic examples of a suspense thriller, featuring a disturbed psychotic as the antagonist. You don't even have to have seen the film to recognize the gory (for its time) shower scene (and accompanying score) - that's how iconic it is!
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Before George Romero, zombism was a voodoo curse that wealthy white imperialists contracted warlocks to cast on deceased (or soon to be) sharecroppers in order to acquire cheap slave labor (and you probably think I'm kidding!). Romero resurrected the "ghouls" as brainless rotting re-animated corpses, slave only to their hunger for living flesh, whose prodding slowness is made up for in sheer numbers. This film is a dark, paranoid, survival horror (and still surprisingly good for its age) that (re)defined the subgenre.
The Exorcist (1973)
An intense, draining experience of a movie about an innocent little girl suffering from demonic possession, The Exorcist is the end-all be-all (the alpha and the omega, if you will) of religious horror. I was first exposed to this film while still in the single digits (presented to me by my mother of all people!), and back then, its effect on me was more of disgust than impression - though you could say it had its effect. Interestingly, I recently re-watched it, and, being disavowed of religious superstition, yet still quite frightened of hospitals, the part of the film that made me most uncomfortable was the extensive medical testing our little possessee has to endure. If I might make a recommendation, don't bother watching this film on cable TV, as it's guaranteed to have its teeth removed - and for a film of this caliber, that's akin to blasphemy!
Alien (1979)
I've said it before, and I will say it again - Ridley Scott's Alien is the epitome of sci-fi/horror. The construction of the film is, in a sense, Poeific, in that all the elements, from setting and filmography, to score, to characters and character relations, to creature design - everything works together to create a truly frightening atmosphere. The horror is genuine: at once terrifyingly familiar (primitive body horror), and mysteriously alien. And speaking of which, H.R. Giger's design for the titular xenomorph has become a true horror icon (its frightfulness only mildly diminished by the recent crop of crappy cross-over cash-ins).
Poltergeist (1982)
Paranormal ("ghost") movies tend to be hit-or-miss. Despite its connection to Steven Spielberg (burn), Poltergeist manages to scare, helped in no small part by a big special fx budget - possibly in contrast to the idea that ghosts, being largely invisible, don't require much in the way of elaborate fx (although that's probably just a cop-out). Poltergeist and its sequels managed to plant quite a few specific scenes of terror into my young head which had a habit of haunting me from time to time. And ever since this movie came out, the world has been awakened to the very real supernatural peril of building on top of ancient Indian burial grounds. Don't believe me? I dare you to try it. Yeah, that's what I thought.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre should need no introduction. And I probably say that because despite hearing about it again and again, I'm still not sure I've actually seen the original version (although I do recall watching a modern take on it). But who can forget the stories of how the movie was so scary, people would vomit in disgust and flee the theaters? These days the cannibalistic country folk plot has been beaten to death (and then eaten?), but Leatherface and his chainsaw remains an icon of horror.
Halloween (1978)
John Carpenter accomplished greatness with his take on the holiday of horror - Halloween - inspiring an entire industry of slasher flicks featuring teenagers being picked off one by one at the hands of an unnamed killer. But Halloween remains excitingly fresh, even as the emotionless masked killer repeatedly satisfies his unquenchable bloodlust. In a truly terrifying scene, our heroine runs screaming, from house to house in a calm suburban neighborhood, with the very Bogeyman himself on her heels, and the neighbors ignore her cries, likely thinking it some prank. The filming of the scene is so normal - no ultra-panicky camera chasing after the heroine, or crashing orchestral cues - that it just feels so very real, and thus that much scarier. Ironically, modern horror could learn a few things from one of the most imitated horror movies of all time.
Friday the 13th (1980)
Continuing in the slasher vein, Friday the 13th locates itself in a cozy (but deadly) summer camp, and actually provides some meaning behind the oft-recurring theme of the slutty teenagers being the most in danger of getting slashed. Certain elements which I am hesitant to mention here - despite this being the sort of movie that you know all the secrets from, even if you've never seen it - keep this title relatively fresh and exciting. Interestingly, Jason doesn't don his ultra-iconic hockey mask until the third film in the series! And while we're speaking of icons, trust me, you know the soundtrack to this film. ch-ch-ch, ah-ah-ah
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
What A Nightmare on Elm Street adds to the slasher formula is moving the killing field into the realm of dreams. A scary thought, is it not? Sleep - that period in which you are most defenseless, and when your dreaming mind is most open to suggestion. And noone can go very long without needing to enter that realm, despite the risks. The iconic antagonist, Freddie Krueger, also adds a macabre sense of style to the slasher's wardrobe, with his striped sweater, hat, and fingerknives. Don't miss a very young Johnny Depp finding himself the source of an impressive fountain of gore (you have to see it to believe it) - and speaking of gore, this is another film I'd recommend not watching on cable TV, as the gore fx are quite impressive (oh, don't be one of those people), and thus not to be missed.
Hellraiser (1987)
I feel like Pinhead is infinitely more iconic than Hellraiser itself, but no matter, it's an excellent film. Based on a Clive Barker story which I have yet to read (but I've read others of his penning), the subject matter alone is enough to make you squirm. Picture, if you will, an occult puzzle box which, when properly solved (think of it as the devil's Rubik's Cube), summons the cenobytes - sadomasochistic demons (or angels, depending on your persuasion) intent on giving the puzzle solver the gift of ultimate pleasure (by way of ultimate pain, of course). Pinhead, the unofficial leader of the cenobytes (I'm rather fond of Chatterer, myself) has been known to get fanmail from rabid fangirls who want him to father their children. And you thought I was kidding about the "angels" part.
There's your start, now get to it. There's a whole world of horror out there - with every conceivable flavor of nightmare on offer. Apologies to vampire and werewolf fans. Also to puppet fans - puppets have never been very scary (or very funny either, for that matter) to me. Sorry. And also the oldies monster fans - Dracula, Frankenstein, Wolfman, The Mummy, Boo Berry, etc. - that era is outside the scope of my primary interest. In spite of these deliberate omissions, keeping in mind that this list is about iconic horror films, and not personal favorites, feel free to chime in and add titles you think would fit on the list. And hey, it's only mid-September, but don't be ~afraid~ to start your Shocktober early this year!
09 September, 2009
Silent Hill: Origins
It's a little bit early yet to be celebrating Halloween (Samhain for my Pagan readers :D), but I recently decided to finally pop in Silent Hill: Origins and give it a playthrough (or two or three). It's officially the fifth game in the franchise, following the spin-off-turned-canon SH4: The Room, and acting as a prequel to the original game. As such, the plot ties into the details of the cult's original experiment which resulted in the transformation of Silent Hill into the nightmare town it is, and offers a little bit more detail about said cult and said experiment which was mercilessly obscure in the exposition of the first game.
The game's plot is split between the primary protagonist's own psychological problems, and his incidental encounter and subsequent meetings with Alessa Gillespie, cultleader Dahlia's daughter - the girl whose sacrifice turns hell loose on the tranquil lake resort town, and whose nightmares form the basis of the town's endless terrors ("when do we get to see into your sick little mind?" - be careful what you ask for...). The protagonist, Travis Grady, is a truck driver who happens to be driving by Silent Hill at entirely the wrong time (although you can be sure it's no coincidence). Travis has blocked out a particularly gruesome event in his childhood, involving his parents, which unsurprisingly, the haunted town is insistent on dredging up for him.
Gameplay-wise, Origins plays much like a traditional Silent Hill. The part of the town you get to explore is a little section just barely overlapping with that of the first game - with the familiar Alchemilla Hospital making another appearance (along with fan-favorite character Lisa the nurse). Other locations include a suitably creepy sanitarium, a cozy theatre (like for plays, not movies), and a motel.
Two aspects of the game that stand out are the mirrors and the melee weapons. Mirrors serve as the primary transportation module between Silent Hill and the "Otherworld", allowing you to choose when to move between the realms (although it's a pseudo-choice, since you have to go where the game leads you - but at least it gives you the feeling of controlling your passage; although not being in control is scary, knowing that you have to enter the Otherworld and that you have to be the one to take that step, willfully, is scary, too). The infamous siren that I so miss from the first game does return, but only to signal the end of each nightmare portion (after the boss battles, that is), and seems to correspond with Alessa waking up (hence the recession of nightmares) - at least I think that's what's going on.
On to the melee weapons. As a truck driver, Travis (apparently) has the strength to grapple with his demons in generally closer quarters than protagonists of the past. Although there are a variety of firearms available for the claustrophobic, the game is littered with all sorts of handheld items that can be used as weapons - from knives, scalpels, and hammers, to wooden planks, typewriters, and even drip stands (those things you find beside hospital beds)! All of these weapons are breakable after a certain amount of use (which usually isn't a whole lot), although the sheer number of them available pretty much ensures you'll never run out. Actually working up the courage to get up close to the demons, to conserve your all-important firearm ammo, is your problem, though :p. Although, some of those items (like the typewriters and portable TVs) can be tossed at the enemy, and actually pack a decent punch. And speaking of punches, you can actually fight the demons barehanded if you've got the guts!
Well, for my first run-through of the game, I did fine. Took me some time to adapt to the fighting, learning the demons' maneuvers, what type of weapons to use against which species of nightmare, and whatnot. I ended up losing a lot of health throughout the game, prompting me to actually get a bit worried in a couple places. What trouble I had with the regular demons was made up for, I guess, in the boss battles, which turned out to be relatively easy for me. To my surprise, the game apparently doesn't have difficulty levels, so it won't be getting any harder on subsequent run-throughs, as I had initially assumed, though. To my horror, two of the bosses returned later as regular run-of-the-mill demons! (Although, to be fair, the first "boss" was just a regular demon to begin with, if possibly a little stronger than average). The other bosses were pretty creepy, that's for sure. Especially "Daddy"...
Here are my summary stats for my first run-through:
Total enemies killed using melee weapons: 40
Total enemies killed using firearms: 56
Total enemies killed using fists: 83
Total items collected: 353
Number of map views: 486
Number of times saved: 37
Distance walked: 25.34
Total game time: 8:26:25
Total flashlight use time: 4:24:54
Number of game completions: 1
Eight and a half hours to beat it the first time. The "total enemies killed using fists" isn't as impressive as it sounds, when you take into account that only the final blow matters. When you hit a demon a few times, it falls to the ground. You can then "stomp" it to finish it off in a single hit, whether with a bullet, a melee weapon, or your boot (counts as "fists"). If you're too slow, it'll get back up and you'll have to hit it some more to knock it down again. So generally, I like to save ammo by shooting a demon down and then switching to fists to stomp on it.
Total items collected netted me a "Collector's Accolade" - I'm planning on earning some more accolades, then I'll probably come back and post an addendum discussing the "extras". 37 saves - as you can see, particularly the first time through a game, I'm a very cautious player. I'm also a very thorough player, which contributes to the number of items collected. I have to laugh that my highest rating is "number of map views". I'm surprised they even count that (there's an accolade related to it - so that's why). But yes, I check my map obsessive-compulsively. Practically every time I change rooms. And in the brief parts where I don't have a map (or when I enter a new area and before I pick up the map), I get stressed out because I can't visualize the overall architecture of the area I'm exploring. I actually said to myself at one point, "I feel nervous without a map". XD
I'm gonna end this on an interesting note. Origins has it's own Pyramid Head of sorts, in the form of The Butcher. He's basically a less distinctive Pyramid Head (i.e., without the signature pyramid head), who carries a huge butcher knife (though still considerably smaller than PH's Great Knife (though just as deadly)), and is rather more preoccupied with sadistically slicing through the flesh and bone of his victims than raping them (as PH is wont to do). So maybe not quite as distinctive a character as good ol' Pyramid Head, but still pretty intimidating. Although his presence in the game seems more secondary than primary, I understand he has some significance with regard to our protagonist's psychosis, but that's to be explored in the "bad" ending to the game, which I am currently pursuing. Ah, you gotta love Silent Hill, where the "bad" endings are often better than the "good" ones!
Hm, there was another issue I was going to address, but I guess I'll leave you hanging (on the meat hook?) until my followup. :p
The game's plot is split between the primary protagonist's own psychological problems, and his incidental encounter and subsequent meetings with Alessa Gillespie, cultleader Dahlia's daughter - the girl whose sacrifice turns hell loose on the tranquil lake resort town, and whose nightmares form the basis of the town's endless terrors ("when do we get to see into your sick little mind?" - be careful what you ask for...). The protagonist, Travis Grady, is a truck driver who happens to be driving by Silent Hill at entirely the wrong time (although you can be sure it's no coincidence). Travis has blocked out a particularly gruesome event in his childhood, involving his parents, which unsurprisingly, the haunted town is insistent on dredging up for him.
Gameplay-wise, Origins plays much like a traditional Silent Hill. The part of the town you get to explore is a little section just barely overlapping with that of the first game - with the familiar Alchemilla Hospital making another appearance (along with fan-favorite character Lisa the nurse). Other locations include a suitably creepy sanitarium, a cozy theatre (like for plays, not movies), and a motel.
Two aspects of the game that stand out are the mirrors and the melee weapons. Mirrors serve as the primary transportation module between Silent Hill and the "Otherworld", allowing you to choose when to move between the realms (although it's a pseudo-choice, since you have to go where the game leads you - but at least it gives you the feeling of controlling your passage; although not being in control is scary, knowing that you have to enter the Otherworld and that you have to be the one to take that step, willfully, is scary, too). The infamous siren that I so miss from the first game does return, but only to signal the end of each nightmare portion (after the boss battles, that is), and seems to correspond with Alessa waking up (hence the recession of nightmares) - at least I think that's what's going on.
On to the melee weapons. As a truck driver, Travis (apparently) has the strength to grapple with his demons in generally closer quarters than protagonists of the past. Although there are a variety of firearms available for the claustrophobic, the game is littered with all sorts of handheld items that can be used as weapons - from knives, scalpels, and hammers, to wooden planks, typewriters, and even drip stands (those things you find beside hospital beds)! All of these weapons are breakable after a certain amount of use (which usually isn't a whole lot), although the sheer number of them available pretty much ensures you'll never run out. Actually working up the courage to get up close to the demons, to conserve your all-important firearm ammo, is your problem, though :p. Although, some of those items (like the typewriters and portable TVs) can be tossed at the enemy, and actually pack a decent punch. And speaking of punches, you can actually fight the demons barehanded if you've got the guts!
Well, for my first run-through of the game, I did fine. Took me some time to adapt to the fighting, learning the demons' maneuvers, what type of weapons to use against which species of nightmare, and whatnot. I ended up losing a lot of health throughout the game, prompting me to actually get a bit worried in a couple places. What trouble I had with the regular demons was made up for, I guess, in the boss battles, which turned out to be relatively easy for me. To my surprise, the game apparently doesn't have difficulty levels, so it won't be getting any harder on subsequent run-throughs, as I had initially assumed, though. To my horror, two of the bosses returned later as regular run-of-the-mill demons! (Although, to be fair, the first "boss" was just a regular demon to begin with, if possibly a little stronger than average). The other bosses were pretty creepy, that's for sure. Especially "Daddy"...
Here are my summary stats for my first run-through:
Total enemies killed using melee weapons: 40
Total enemies killed using firearms: 56
Total enemies killed using fists: 83
Total items collected: 353
Number of map views: 486
Number of times saved: 37
Distance walked: 25.34
Total game time: 8:26:25
Total flashlight use time: 4:24:54
Number of game completions: 1
Eight and a half hours to beat it the first time. The "total enemies killed using fists" isn't as impressive as it sounds, when you take into account that only the final blow matters. When you hit a demon a few times, it falls to the ground. You can then "stomp" it to finish it off in a single hit, whether with a bullet, a melee weapon, or your boot (counts as "fists"). If you're too slow, it'll get back up and you'll have to hit it some more to knock it down again. So generally, I like to save ammo by shooting a demon down and then switching to fists to stomp on it.
Total items collected netted me a "Collector's Accolade" - I'm planning on earning some more accolades, then I'll probably come back and post an addendum discussing the "extras". 37 saves - as you can see, particularly the first time through a game, I'm a very cautious player. I'm also a very thorough player, which contributes to the number of items collected. I have to laugh that my highest rating is "number of map views". I'm surprised they even count that (there's an accolade related to it - so that's why). But yes, I check my map obsessive-compulsively. Practically every time I change rooms. And in the brief parts where I don't have a map (or when I enter a new area and before I pick up the map), I get stressed out because I can't visualize the overall architecture of the area I'm exploring. I actually said to myself at one point, "I feel nervous without a map". XD
I'm gonna end this on an interesting note. Origins has it's own Pyramid Head of sorts, in the form of The Butcher. He's basically a less distinctive Pyramid Head (i.e., without the signature pyramid head), who carries a huge butcher knife (though still considerably smaller than PH's Great Knife (though just as deadly)), and is rather more preoccupied with sadistically slicing through the flesh and bone of his victims than raping them (as PH is wont to do). So maybe not quite as distinctive a character as good ol' Pyramid Head, but still pretty intimidating. Although his presence in the game seems more secondary than primary, I understand he has some significance with regard to our protagonist's psychosis, but that's to be explored in the "bad" ending to the game, which I am currently pursuing. Ah, you gotta love Silent Hill, where the "bad" endings are often better than the "good" ones!
Hm, there was another issue I was going to address, but I guess I'll leave you hanging (on the meat hook?) until my followup. :p
03 September, 2009
Getting Paid To Do What You Love
They say that the secret to happiness is finding a way to get paid to do what you love. But this is harder for some people than it is for others. Even if I didn't have the psychological obstacles barring me from achieving any kind of considerable success in life, the sort of things I'd just love to do for a living (playing in a rock band, photographing naked girls) are things that are kind of hard to make a lot of money doing. In the arts and entertainment industry, unless you get really popular (which has a lot to do with luck), it takes a lot of effort to make any kind of significant money. For the benefit of not having to put on a suit and work in an office everyday, you have to pay the cost of going out looking for job opportunities all the time, trying to ply your trade and find people and places that have need of whatever abilities your talent gives you.
As much as I hate the idea of putting on a suit and working in a stifling office everyday, I do like the stability such a lifestyle provides. I like to be flexible and act on a whim, letting my inspiration lead, rather than being tied down to tight schedules and fixed deadlines, but I don't like the open-ended idea of getting up in the morning and not knowing how to go about the day. I can't cope with that. I need to at least have a concrete idea of what I'm supposed to be doing, in order for me to have a decent starting chance of actually doing it. A lifestyle that reflects the turbulent ocean waters is just too filled with stress and anxiety - not knowing how to proceed.
This is part of the reason I don't have the confidence to really go for anything. I'm not convinced that I'll be able to follow the path to success. That I'll be able to overcome the various obstacles I know I will be faced with. I just don't have the Kamina spirit within me. There are tons of things in life that are tough, and that bother you, even on a day-to-day basis, little things as well as the bigger things, and I guess most people just do their best to plow through it all. But I've always been a highly sensitive person, and those things, even the little ones, affect me very strongly. I just have a real hard time ignoring them or overcoming them, and instead of pushing forward, they push me backward. You could say, "change your ways then, become stronger". But, that's not me. I want to be that, but I'm not. And if I were to put on that face, I'd be lying.
As much as I hate the idea of putting on a suit and working in a stifling office everyday, I do like the stability such a lifestyle provides. I like to be flexible and act on a whim, letting my inspiration lead, rather than being tied down to tight schedules and fixed deadlines, but I don't like the open-ended idea of getting up in the morning and not knowing how to go about the day. I can't cope with that. I need to at least have a concrete idea of what I'm supposed to be doing, in order for me to have a decent starting chance of actually doing it. A lifestyle that reflects the turbulent ocean waters is just too filled with stress and anxiety - not knowing how to proceed.
This is part of the reason I don't have the confidence to really go for anything. I'm not convinced that I'll be able to follow the path to success. That I'll be able to overcome the various obstacles I know I will be faced with. I just don't have the Kamina spirit within me. There are tons of things in life that are tough, and that bother you, even on a day-to-day basis, little things as well as the bigger things, and I guess most people just do their best to plow through it all. But I've always been a highly sensitive person, and those things, even the little ones, affect me very strongly. I just have a real hard time ignoring them or overcoming them, and instead of pushing forward, they push me backward. You could say, "change your ways then, become stronger". But, that's not me. I want to be that, but I'm not. And if I were to put on that face, I'd be lying.
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