Kriss Williams: Yes, I’d consider myself a long-time fan; I first heard about the Silent Hill series before it was even a series! Way back in 1997 I’d been reading previews in various PlayStation magazines of a new horror game that was in the works. I was a huge fan of the original Resident Evil title as it was one of the first horror games that I’d played and so the prospect of getting more games in the genre was an exciting one.

When Metal Gear Solid was released for the PlayStation it came bundled with a demo of Silent Hill. I had no real interest in Metal Gear Solid but bought it nonetheless just so that I could get my hands on the Silent Hill demo; that was when I realised that Silent Hill was a very different creature than Resident Evil and, since having played that demo, I’ve never looked back.

Of all the games in the series I find it difficult to pick a clear favourite; each title has brought something different to the series. I suppose that the original game will always have special meaning to me as it was the original; it was the first foray into the town that many of us have come to know, love and fear. That and it also stood apart from other horror titles in that it changed my idea of what fear could be…

Kriss: The series has inspired me, yes.

The main influence that the series has had is with regards to my work; I work within design regarding the construction industry. As part of my work, I have to take into consideration the use of various materials and how they can be manipulated and used in new, interesting ways. There have been a number of moments from throughout the Silent Hill series that something has provided inspiration, be it the use of a certain colour palette, a certain material or the use of light and shade. One particular example is the wheelchair bathed in orange light that can be found in the Hilltop Centre in Silent Hill 3; it’s such a simple composition but is incredibly striking and unsettling. I don’t have much call for such a sight within my work but the basic elements about the composition are easily carried over and can be made to work under very different circumstances.

Kriss: Oh, I’m most definitely an avid videogame player; I’ve been gaming since I was very, very young and it’s been a favourite pastime of mine ever since. If I remember correctly my first computer games were on the ZX Spectrum; I’m not sure if you guys in the States are familiar with it but it came to market here in the UK in 1982. My first proper console was the Sega Megadrive II.

I have quite an eclectic taste when it comes to most things; movies, music, videogames… I guess that horror is my favourite genre, though that’s not to say that my favourite games are of that genre. Some particular titles/series that I’m fond of are Dead Space, Final Fantasy, the Team Ico titles (Ico and Shadow of the Colossus), Killzone, Legacy of Kain, Silent Hill (obviously!), Tomb Raider and Uncharted. As a general rule those titles that grab, and hold, my attention tend to have a strong narrative behind them. I’m very much one for a good story…

I own pretty much every console going with the exception of handhelds; I’ve got a PSP and we’ve a DS Lite in the house too, though that’s not mine. Of all the machines I’ve bought I’d have to say that my favourite consoles have been the Sony PlayStation consoles; they’ve always given me more of what I like than Microsoft or Nintendo.

Kriss: I try to be as active as possible, or at the very least keep up to date with developments. My time online is usually punctuated by periods of work and so, depending on what I’m working on at the time, I’m not as able to get involved as often as I’d like.

I’ve not produced any Silent Hill related artwork or writings and I’ve not got a web site of my own; it’s something that I’ve thought about doing, though I’ve still yet to take those first steps…

With regards to forums that I visit, I’ve been a long-time member of the Hell Descent forums; Hell Descent is my primary port of call for developments regarding Silent Hill and other such games though I do also visit, and use, other forums such as Silent Hill Forum, Silent Hill Community and This Would Be Paradise.

Kriss: I think that it’s good that there’s a Silent Hill HD Collection due for release; not only will long-time fans of the series be able to play through Silent Hill 2 and Silent Hill 3 with a new appreciation but I also feel it’s a great place for new fans to the series to start. Silent Hill 2 is widely considered to be the high point of the series and Silent Hill 3 continued to maintain the standard.

The fact that the graphics are being tweaked has already presented many new details for those eagle-eyed Silent Hill fans out there, allowing them to notice new details throughout the environments that were simply previously overlooked due to the hardware available at the time of the original release of Silent Hill 2 and Silent Hill 3.

I did have some slight concerns regarding the new voice acting though the fact that the issues surrounding the original voice actors have now been sorted out any worries that I had have been laid to rest.

Hopefully, if the Silent Hill HD Collection sells well, we’ll get to see more of the series re-released in HD.

Kriss: I was a fan of the Silent Hill movie insomuch that I think that they nailed the Silent Hill aesthetic; the fog, the creatures and the town itself looked perfect. However, there were various elements that I feel suffered in the transition from videogame to theatre screen. For example, the hunt for the missing daughter worked in the original game but felt a little forced and ultimately pointless in the movie. I won’t go into any more detail for risk of spoiling the movie for those who may have yet to watch it, but I just don’t think that the story worked; it felt a bit disjointed.

With regards to the next movie, I’m open-minded; as is always the case with movies based on videogames I tend to hope for the best but prepare for the worst…

Kriss: I understand that there’s been a lot of uncertainty surrounding Silent Hill: Downpour but I think that it may be the game that gets the series back on track; it’s moving us more in the direction of Silent Hill 2 (which is considered by many the high point of the series), away from the cult oriented storylines and is having the town itself take more of a central role. I also think that we’ve potentially got a very good protagonist in Murphy Pendleton; given that he’s a prisoner with a questionable past there are a lot of aspects to his character to consider. Of course, this also means that there’s a lot for the forces at work in Silent Hill to act upon. It shall be interesting to see how his psyche is manifest in Silent Hill.

Silent Hill: Book of Memories seems to be an odd departure for the series though, as is the case with the next movie, I’ll reserve judgement until I’ve experienced it for myself. I can’t say that it’s caught my interest as much as previous entries in the series but to write it off so soon would be unfair.

Kriss: I don’t think that I’m in any position to decide if someone is a “true” Silent Hill fan; so far as I’m concerned the series is there for anyone to enjoy and that alone would make them a fan.

However, there are certainly those of us who go above and beyond the average fan. If it’s of those people that we speak I’d say that one of, if not the, defining characteristic is passion. The fan base can, at times, be pretty outspoken, critical and thorough to the point that I’ve heard terms such as “rabid” used in their description. However, it’s simply the result of the regard in which the series is held; for whatever reason, one way or another people have connected to something about the series. Perhaps it’s a result of having a personal connection with certain subject matter, such as depression or other personal issues; perhaps people see something within the often flawed, very “human” characters that resonates within them; perhaps it’s a basic appreciation for a good, intelligent story.

Whatever it is, it sets off a spark and that’s what sets certain people apart from your average fan…