"The Kitchen Sink"

In 1999, Konami and Capcom released two games that literally redefined the psychological thriller video game.  The first, Capcom's Resident Evil, astounded audiences, and has since become a household word in most places around the United States, and some places worldwide.  The second was not so well known, and not so widely played, but for those who have played it, the majority agree that this game is, quite truly, the most complex, intricate, and psychologically scary video game released at that time.  It was called, simply, Silent Hill. 

Since then, both companies have tried to capitalize on this success by releasing sequel games, based on the originals.  For RE, the number of sequels totals at six at the moment, and this could change at any time.  For SH, the total has just reached three.

And let me tell you this, ladies and gentlemen, the third one has done for 2003 what the first did for 1999... in spades.

Before going any further, it's important to note here that SH3 is a direct sequel to the first game, seeming to skip past the second one altogether... which makes more sense, as the second game had nothing to do with the first other than the setting.

"They are here to witness the beginning, the return to Paradise, despoiled by mankind."

In this game, you are Heather... a seventeen year old girl living a seemingly normal life.  It all starts out at the mall (yes, stereotypical, but not unbelievable)... after a startling nightmare while napping at the food court, Heather decides to head home when she is confronted by a man.  A detective named Douglas, it seems, and he's been hired to find her.  Luckily, she manages to slip out through the ladies room window... but it seems a lot less lucky after a few minutes, when, upon reentering the mall, she finds herself alone, surrounded by monsters that defy imagination.  It gets even worse after meeting the enigmatic Claudia, who confronts Heather, ignoring her questions, and seeming to speak in riddles.

"You must try to remember me, and your true self as well.  Also, that which you must become.  You must lead us to Paradise, with bloodstained hands."

It's only then you learn the true horror of this game.  Heather is transported into the Reverse Side... or, as they called it in SH1... "Otherworld."  In it, everything is twisted and distorted into a nightmarish version of itself.  Her only light is a small cone from a pocket flashlight, her only warning of danger, a pocket radio that reacts to the monsters, and her only weapons... whatever she can find.  With every step, the danger grows more intense, the riddles and puzzles become more difficult, and the young woman finds herself confronted with a past she cannot remember, and a destiny she does not want.  To become the mother of God.

Honestly, to tell you anymore of the plot than that would be giving away too much, so I'll go on to the game itself.

When I first played Silent Hill, in Fall of 2000... yes, I came in late... I thought for certain that this was the scariest thing I have ever played.  Even Silent Hill 2 didn't really add to that, and was, in fact, a bit less scary, in my opinion.  But in the third installment, they seemed to have upped the marker, making it even more scary than the first.  And the best part; it's all psychological.  Yes, the monsters are scary looking, the world is very creepy, and the storyline is detailed... but that's just the beginning. 

First, all of this is made even more impressive by the stunning visual work by Konami.  The music is set in tones that come out at just the right moments to send shivers up and down your spine.  Your peripheral vision is shot, due to the ever-present darkness (or, while in Silent Hill proper, the swirling fog and snow).  The puzzles keep you constantly on your toes, with just enough information to solve them after a great deal of effort, but never so hard you cannot figure them out.  Finally, the mixture of horrifying sights, randomly terrifying sounds, and the occasional, but always brilliant, cinematic sequence, give the game the feeling of actually BEING in a nightmare.

Aside from this, game play is actually very good as well.  The controls are easy to pick up, and set to where they can be changed for almost every preference.  It is smooth, and graceful, with very little loading time in changing scenes.  Problems with game play usually come out more in the form of frustration over puzzles, or trying to figure out the next step, rather than playing the game itself, or figuring out how to fight the monsters. 

Overall, this game scores my highest possible rating.  I highly recommend it.  It is currently being sold for Playstation 2 only, but it will most likely come out for X-Box in the next several months.