I base this upon the Director's Cut version, and I played this on the PC. Apart from letting you to save at any point(which I'm not sure you can do on the PS2), I don't think the latter changes anything. The former, however, means that you get a sub scenario, where you play as Maria, who, for how skinny she is, is not in very good shape; she can only run for a few seconds straight before she slows down and has to catch her breath if she is to maintain a reasonable pace. It's *really* short, only one, maybe two hours of playing time. There is only a single outcome, it doesn't take you to many new areas, and there are only two new weapons, a revolver(that somehow holds ten bullets) and a meat cleaver. I would almost go so far as to argue that it potentially detracts from the main game, if you take it as 100% canonical. Then again, what add-on or expansion pack doesn't, in some way? It's still worth it, I'd say. I'd go for the DC if you enjoy these. It also improves the graphics, and those are excellent in this, regardless of release: The beautiful, impeccably done and realistic lighting, shadows, weather effects, "static noise"(invaluable for the mood), the *gorgeous* CGI cut-scenes(and the in-engine ones, that now have their mouths move, if perhaps not always perfectly synced), the cinematography that gets to be even freer and it's been loosened up, that it helps a ton and the dynamic camera(that brings with it immensely interesting and effective angles) that you can exert limited control over all add up to make this a truly cinematic experience. Something that demands mention is the sound-side(including the amazing music, that is well-composed and fitting, never loud or noisy). With a subtlety unique to this series, this has you firmly glued to the seat, uneasy, and sometimes jumping out of it. When the two are put together, the most exquisite atmosphere is built up and maintained. The fear comes from the eerie surroundings, the grotesque, nightmarish creatures that are your enemies(on that, there are sadly not as many different types as in the original, and they are not as varied this time around, and although I completely understand why, this does impact the overall experience), the small town being abandoned and so nearly quaint, only... not quite. There is little brutality. This is for delving into. Not everyone will enjoy it. Imagine playing through a horror masterpiece, one of the Asian ones or one by John Carpenter. This is plot-driven, ambiguous, metaphorical and can be interpreted, and while I love the story of the first, this is definitely the more psychological one. You are James Sunderland, whose wife passed away three years away earlier, because of a terminal illness. Or did she? You receive a letter from her, telling you that she is waiting for you... in Silent Hill. Where she liked to be when she was alive. Because she is dead. Right? With three difficulty settings for puzzles and four for action, this can be played by new-comers as well as veterans. It's easy to get into, and impossibly engaging. There is still no HUD, and one is not missed. The game-play has you exploring, discovering clues to piece together what is going on, solving the well-done enigmas and fighting foes. This has a vastly improved(if not entirely flawless) combat system, with a target-lock and where it's not hard to tell if you're aiming directly at the being. Something that gives you the means to put safe distance between them and you is the Wooden Plank(with a nail at the business end), that allows you to run past them and *smack* them with it as you pass them. The radio that emits static when monsters are nearby returns, and you can adjust its volume now. Controls are relatively basic, and there's not a single superfluous command to be found. You can side-step this time. The map is present again, and notes made are better than before. "Memos" is a great feature that means that you don't need a pad and pen with you when you play. The characters are credible and distinguish themselves, and none of them could be written out without losing something vital to the whole. There are several endings, and this has plenty of replay value. It is not as long as the 1st one; I can't entirely determine by how much, however, you can tell. That makes sense, when you know and think about what this is about at its core, and compare that to what the other was. What's awesome is that both are astounding, and this follow-up doesn't go for the *exact* same thing; the flavor is the same, and yet the essence is sufficiently different that this doesn't condemn the other to the background. I have only played these two, but I've heard that this is the best, and I honestly can't imagine the next ones being as strong and well-produced as this. Any animated(as opposed to scripted sequences) video you've unlocked can be viewed at any time from the menu that has the introductory collage(similar to the one that opens the previous VG), a trailer for this and two for the third one, and of course the credits for this. Every role in this was subject to spot-on casting. The voice acting is marvelous, in spite of, well, while poetic and getting the point across nicely, the dialog does not always come off as natural. It was translated from Japanese, that is probably why. This has nearly no bugs or glitches, and I found no big ones whatsoever. There is a ton of disturbing content, a lot of bloody violence(a little of it is grisly), and finally a tiny bit of repelling sexuality in this. I recommend this to any fan of gloomy, terrifying, creepy, well-told and intelligent entries in the genre. Yes, whether or not you usually play games. 10/10
Review of Silent Hill 2
