Video game review: ‘Silent Hill: Shattered Memories’
by By Ryan Clouse, Zap2It

“Silent Hill: Shattered Memories”

In 1996, “Resident Evil” attempted to scare gamers through its clever use of camera angles, creepy environments and lumbering zombies. Three years later, in an effort to breathe new life into the zombie-filled survival/horror genre, Konami created “Silent Hill.” This unique title brought fear to gamers, not through sudden frights but through psychological terror and tension reminiscent of the works of Stephen King and Japanese horror films. Now, with six successful games in its roster, Konami is ready to bring lucky No. 7 to the wary masses with “Silent Hill: Shattered Memories” for the Nintendo Wii.

The story begins with our protagonist, Harry Mason, waking up after a car crash in the town of Silent Hill. He turns to see that his daughter, Cheryl, is missing, and the accident has left him dazed and his memory fuzzy. As he begins to piece together his scattered thoughts, the town changes into a frozen wasteland where ravenous monsters hunt and torment anyone they see. As Harry shifts between “worlds,” he must gather clues to find his missing child, while slowly revealing the type of person he truly is.

“Silent Hill: Shattered Memories” is a survival/horror game focusing on first-person action/adventure gameplay. You’ll spend much of your “normal” time exploring the town and questioning its inhabitants in order to find your daughter and piece together your past. While this title may seem a lot like the original 1999 “Silent Hill,” many updates have been made thanks to Nintendo’s intuitive motion controls. While in the game, your Wii remote will act as both a flashlight for guiding you in the darkness and a cell phone for story progression and user-interface tools.

Gameplay improvements aside, “Silent Hill: Shattered Memories” also boasts an original soundtrack from acclaimed series composer Akira Yamaoka. These haunting melodies only help to add to the anxiety and terror that the series is so well known for. Also, the game has been updated with a new A.I. that tracks how you play and adjusts the action to make the game more challenging and more terrifying.

I’ve never really understood why someone would want to spend his or her gaming entertainment time being perpetually scared by featureless demons and blankly staring children, but they do. So if you happen to be one of the masochistic masses who enjoy heart-pounding frights wrapped in a beautifully told story, have I got a game for you. Just be sure to play with the lights off for maximum dread.

Media Link: The scares continue with “The Mist,” which airs Tuesday, Jan. 12, on The Movie Channel.

source: Video game review: ‘Silent Hill: Shattered Memories’ | 01/07/2009