|
Silent Hill Origins (PS2) | 
 enlarge | From: Konami
Category: Video Games
List Price: £24.99
Buy New: £17.99
You Save: £7.00 (28%)
New (6) Used (1) from £17.99
Rating:  4 reviews
Platform: Playstation2
Genre: horror-action-games
Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Media: Video Game
Operating System: Windows
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.3 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: 4012927121382
EAN: 4012927121382
Release Date: May 6, 2008
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: In stock soon. Order now to get in line. First come, first served.
| |
| Similar Items:
|
| Customer Reviews:
 Almost SH2, that's what we want! September 7, 2008
A. Joseph (UK)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I am a massive fan of Silent Hill, so much so that I had to buy all the wonderful graphic novels as well as all of the games (oh and the movie, half of which is truly SH)!
Silent Hill 2 is for me by far, the best of the Silent Hill games followed by Silent Hill 3 and 1. SH1 should be re-done as the graphics are the only thing that makes that game iffy by today's standards. SH4 IS TERRIBLE! The concept was good to start with but they took away all that I liked in SH games.
Silent Hill Origins is taking us back to the feeling we had in SH2, which makes me very happy indeed.
Travis is an average-Joe late night trucker that traditionally crashes on the edge of the small town of Silent Hill. Worried that he has hit somebody, he makes his way into town.....aaaah, The true Silent Hill feeling has returned. You catch glimpses of people but you are always alone in the darkness with nothing but a stick and a torch and a lot of ...well..er...things.
I never talk about plots, I don't want to give away anything.
If you loved SH2,hated SH4 and wished they would go back to the old ways, YOU'VE GOT IT IN SILENT HILL ORIGINS.
The famous SH Soundtrack is back with the wonderful sounds of AKIRA YAMAOKA filling your mind with loneliness, despair and (my favourite) the creeping fear...
If you are worried that this is a cheap port from a dinky handheld and that the graphics won't be upto scratch, DON'T BE!
I was worried about that too. At the beginning of the game they do have the grain switched on to create the 'film-like' quality to the picture and, as usual, you can only switch it off after the 1st play through. Even so the game doesn't look like a psp blown up to the res/size of a standard tv screen. It's very nice that they bothered to make sure their game looked good on a different console. The gang that made this game didn't make the previous SH games, I think they did a pretty good job of making this one! You won't be disappointed, I certainly wasn't. MORE,MORE,MORE!!
 Sub-standard at Best August 23, 2008
Terramax (UK)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Ported from the PSP, with a few very minor changes to graphics and nothing else, Origins does nothing to improve on the flaws of the original platform and especially lacking what makes this the most unnatural installment of Silent Hill yet-- a gripping plot.
Our hero this time round is Travis, a man possibly suffering from insomnia, and clearly works too hard at his job truck driving.
Almost hitting a young girl whilst taking a faster route through Silent Hill, Travis' attention is quickly strucken to a burning house further away. After saving a child inside, he faints only to wake up in the town everyone dreads of.
But this is about as exciting as the story ever gets. Travis is one of the most wooden characters of any videogame I've ever played, with seemingly no ability to express shock, sympathy or surprise despite some of the awkward happenings he experiences. He appears to be cool with the scenario like he's visited Silent Hill as many times as I have in previous games.
All other characters met can be found in the original Silent Hill on the PSX, but are given no further insight or development into their true motivations or agendas in Origins. The only person our lead truly interacts with is nurse Lisa, if only for some pretty boring excuses for cut scenes to pay us off for all the work we've done so far.
That being said the work is pretty minimal. Most Silent Hills give a choice of hardness's for both puzzles and battles but that's all missing here. And in Origin's case, both are easy mode without doubt.
That's not to say the puzzles weren't enjoyable. Some required me to think and I have to say they were some of the most entertaining I've found in any Silent Hill, yet not near enough of them, becoming detrimental to the overall game play as I continuously walked through countless empty rooms bar a packet of bullets or a health drink, the whole time knowing western programmers Climax could have done so much more.
Accept becoming irritating and time wasting it gives me the sense of a missed opportunity for more in the way of monsters, puzzles and tales (the Sanitarium must have been littered with stories).
Overall, what this all means is there's little incentive to play the game a second time round. There will be no new obstacles to face and because of the basic plot, nothing new to learn.
As stated earlier, Origins certainly looks the part. There's a severe likeness in graphics, character models (friendly or foe) and atmosphere that deeply resembles Silent Hill 2, which makes sense as that's most people's favourite, and for that reason I'd advise all new to Silent Hill start there (available for PC, PS2 and Xbox).
In fact, it's sometimes too much like SH2. The plot, for what there is, doesn't borrow but more repackages the same as SH2 but more simplified. What narrative is explained is done cheaply, if at all (and as the Silent Hill series triumphs for storytelling, this is a major drawback for long-time fans).
Which begs the question as to who the target audience is?
I'm guessing, seeing Origins was commissioned right after the moderately successful film (successful enough to have a sequel considered), it's targeted at those who've seen the film but possibly never played the games.
This would explain why the story has been dumb down somewhat in order to pick up casual players with the greater emphasis on fighting. Travis has the ability to pull up endless numbers of items (I finished the game with over 20, no less than 5 televisions and 3 toasters in my pocket - literally!).
The controls certainly feel more fluid but still no less frustrating thanks to the awkward camera. Strangely this is more the case when outdoors, as the angles insist on pointing at the front or side of Travis and not at what's chasing for my blood in front.
The only payoff for me is the ability to explore the town once again. After the badly implemented hospital location we're introduced to a good 3 new locations (well, another's used briefly in past games).
If you've not played a Silent Hill then I wouldn't advise this to be the start. Sure Origins has the unique sense of atmosphere and unease, but the staple mark of the series has always been its chilling stories compared to its competitors, and why so many fans were drawn to this rather than Resident Evil, Project Zero, Forbidden Siren or Alone In The Dark.
Travis' tragedy isn't explored enough in Origins. Whether this be because the honour was handed down to a US/ UK programming team with little knowledge rather than the original creators at Konami Japan, or because the game infamously went over budget and over-ambitious is anyone's guess.
 Silent hill at it's best June 1, 2008
Hayley Jackson
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
Silent Hill origins to me is a masterpiece. It's got superb graphics, excellent sound and a wonderful soundtrack. I wasn't sure what to expect from this game after the awful silent hill 4, but I can safely say I think this game demonstrates the fact that silent hill series is back at it's very best and on top form.
I found the storyline in particular was very interesting and in depth. The controls did take a bit of getting used to. I have only given this game 4 stars for the fun factor because I found the monsters that strangle you a bit annoying. Apart from that this game is being given a well deserved 5 stars.
Good fun, but Origins lacks originality. May 24, 2008
Mr. N. W. Blackford (London, UK)
13 out of 15 found this review helpful
Silent Hill Origins (the fifth title in the series) was originally developed and released for the PSP (Playstation Portable) and has been ported over to the PS2. So graphically the game doesn't match up to a new PS2 release, but it's certainly not a bad looking game.
This is the first game in the series not developed by Japanese developers Team Silent; instead Origins has been created by US/UK developers Climax. They've done an amazing job ensuring the game retains the feel of Silent Hill fans have come to expect. Although character design has certainly changed, the town, monsters, maps and sound have all been perfectly reproduced. The music has even been composed by series veteran Akira Yamaoka.
The game is a prequel and the story in my opinion is perhaps the weakest element of the game. Origins doesn't actually shed much light on the events of the first game. I like the Silent Hill games because of the journey taken by the game's protagonists and the exposure of their inner demons. It's a great concept and one not fully realised in Origins. Travis's story to me felt thrown together and his encounters with other characters (from Silent Hill 1) are very brief.
Considering such obvious work has been put into recreating the visuals of Silent Hill, it's a shame the game doesn't contain more scares. There are some eerie moments but many of them feel recycled from previous entries in the series and are nods to other titles. For example; the character of "the butcher" is an obvious nod to Pyramid Head from Silent Hill 2 but he could feature in the game a lot more.
The playable locations in Silent Hill are great and perhaps the title's strength. The idea of using mirrors to enter the `Otherworld' is interesting, but I found it removed the tension associated with its unpredictable arrival in previous games. The `Otherworld' no longer suddenly `happens' and that terrible siren is also gone, which is a great shame. I found it annoying that I couldn't direct my flashlight at things also; it's a big oversight and a simple touch that would have improved the game's interaction with darkness; something I've always felt is integral to the series.
The game is long enough, but it certainly felt shorter than other entries in the series and I found the final act to be rather abrupt.
Origins is great effort considering it is a PSP port created by new (and Western) developers. However, its main flaw is that it doesn't build on the series enough. There is nothing new or daring here. The combat system has been tweaked with on-screen button actions getting you out of grapples with baddies (think Resident Evil 4) but this isn't enough to bring any freshness to the title.
It's as if developers have tried too hard to give fans what they expect. Most fans will call it a return to form following Silent Hill 4's unsatisfying departure from the series. This feels very much like Silent Hill 2.5 and for only 19.98 it'll keep fans of the series happy. The problem is that it doesn't really bring anything new to the table and because of this newcomers to Silent Hill will find it a very dated gaming experience.
I can tell from the first level this game is Silent Hill at it's very best. May 17, 2008
Samantha (UK)
10 out of 12 found this review helpful
OK so I only put it in the trusty old PS2 this morning and I can say so far I am absolutely delighted with it. It's good, it's dark and it's creepy! I don't want to give ANYTHING away to spoil it for anybody but I can tell you there are some familiar faces, some new ones and some very familiar locations and the main character is a truck driver called Travis. A young man who is troubled by nightmares. The sound, as ever is fantastic and the graphics are PS2 at it's best. The map is as good as ever, the monsters are back and Travis can resort to fisticuffs which is good earlier on. No difficulty settings to choose from at this stage although they may become available later on. I haven't found an option which allows you to default to running without holding down box which is a bit of a shame. So far I have encountered a few enemies (my personal favorites from SH1)and collected loads of bizarre, baffling objects and collected mysterious documents to read. Lots of locked doors and puzzles and my favourite pastime of rummaging around in muck and gore and jumping and having a good old explore around my favourite town. If you love the Silent Hill games then what are you waiting for! I think this will be a lot better than SH4 which was good but not the best. There is no limit to carrying items which is a good thing. I will update my review upon completion but so far I am very impressed!
|
United Kingdom
|
|
|
|
|
Powered By PodStuff
Contact Us | |
