Silent Hill: Origins for PlayStation 2 Reviews by Gamers

This silent hill game's controls are much better than the the 3rd one. If you play silent hill before than you know the silent hill formula and what to expect in the game.. There are two things that i want to change about this game.. is its breakable weapons (most are useless after 5-6 slashes) and of how you can't run..The graphic is designed to add more fear element along with its camera view (you can't control the camera). If you like horror games.. you should give this a try!

What should have been a great translation of the PSP's first horror title has instead turned out to be a rushed port that suffers a number of unfortunate bugs.

Origins is a prequel that begins prior to the events in the original Silent Hill. You play as Travis Grady, a truck driver with a shadowy past who finds himself in Silent Hill from the outset. Unlike other protagonists, Travis is a bit more handy with weapons - particularly his fists. Because of his punching capability, Travis is never truly unarmed against the demonic denizens of Silent Hill, though his punches can't make up for the other issues plaguing this title.

The story is spot on, and the spooky atmosphere is exactly what attracts fans to the series. Unfortunately the visuals suffer a bit of blockiness and pixellation - likely a result of development on the PSP. Controlling Travis proves to vary between simple and difficult depending on the situation. Konami has included an exhaustion system that prevents Travis from always running, forcing him to take frequent breaks to catch his breath. While this looks good on paper to increase the tension, it only serves to frustrate the players as exhaustion strikes at the most inopportune times, often resulting in a monster sneaking in a few extra hits. Health and energy drinks are spare while enemies are numerous. Combined with poor camera controls (I experienced more than one camera bug that left the point-of-view stuck while Travis kept going - resulting in death and a forced reload), the newly revamp-ed combat system is more disappointing than welcome.

For any SH fan without a PSP, Origins is worth playing if you can overlook the flaws. Otherwise, stick with the PSP original and save yourself a few headaches.