Review for Silent Hill: Shattered Memories

Review for Silent Hill: Shattered Memories

Samuel Contreras

Contents:

1. Up front presentation - out of the box, what do I think.

2. Menus - Navigations, both in and out of game

3. Save system - Save points, section based, auto, free

4. Control - Options, ease, learning, success of default

5. Artistic presentation (graphics) - A game doesn't need the sharpest textures and most detailed environments to visually carry a message. This is for the graphics presentation not based on comparison.

6. Story -Was it interesting, can I hear it again?

7. Emotional effect - Goose bumps, tears, laughter (appropriate or not)

8. Summary and recommendations - wrap up

1. Up Front Presentation

There wasn't too much information for this on the box or in it. A basic manual and the disc. A risk for an unknowing buyer. Given the lack of success for this kind of game, there weren't any TV commercials I'd seen for it either. The only way I heard about this was through video game websites and game magazines. The previews given for this were generally positive with a bit of hesitation. From what I interpreted from these articles, I really wanted to try the game. I was in the rent, or buy used mood for the game not getting enough positive feedback on it to take the plunge.

2. Menus

I find menu presentation in games to be extremely important. I want to be able to get to the game with simplicity and elegance. I didn't buy a game to be impressed by the menu's design, the menu is only a stopping place on the way to the game. This game really didn't have too much to get done with the menu. You could start a game, continue a game and adjust your options. There are three save slots for games. The options are for music level, sound effects level, brightness, subtitles, and tutorial. The in game menu is in the form of your cell phone. It is used for your map, camera, logs, messages, and phone numbers.

The menus in this game are very well done. They are simple and get the job done. The cell phone is integrated very well and seems like it should be part of the game. What I notice with games that try to do cell phones and PDAs is that the devices seemed very forced and at times, completely unnecessary. This feels well done and I think it is a great addition to the game.

3. Save System

The save system in this game is in your cell phone. You can save any time and resume the game right were you left off. This is nice because you are not forced to accept auto saves and can get off at any time. What I don't like is the lack of save slots. I like to save places I find interesting and scenes that I want to show friends. This is not possible, you have one save slot and you play through the story in a completely linear fashion.

4. Control

This is always one of my biggest concerns with Wii games. So many games force motion controls down your throat. Right off the bat, let me say that I really like the controls. They are tight, well tested and not overdone. You use the Wii Remote IR to direct you flashlight on screen. This is important to the game play and makes great use of the remote. When the light reaches the edge of the screen, you turn. There aren't any options for turn speed of for your bounding box, but for me, the settings seemed fine.

The nunchuck's analog stick is used for player movement and [z] is used to run. [A] is your action button in this game. [B] allows you to look and zoom in slightly to investigate. [-] brings up your cell phone and [1] brings up an in game menu. The controls are really tight and get my approval.

One issue I had with controls was how you removed attacking enemies. At first you are directed to thrust the remote and nunchuck in a certain direction, sometime for me, these simply didn't work and I died. I would have loved a button masher alternative.

5. Artistic Presentation (Graphics)

It is important to remember that this is not for the Xbox 360 or PS3, the game is for Wii with later ports to PS2 and PSP. That being said, I was actually impressed at several point with the graphics. The geometries and environmental lighting from the snow and in buildings seemed definitely last generation, however, the lighting from your light and the character lightings were very well done even compared to something like the Xbox 360. The character textures were done well, however there were only about ten characters in the game. The world textures were a vast range. There was a lot of attention paid to wall decals and other objects, however the ground textures were a sacrifice for memory. The frame rate was rather fickle. The frames kept what felt to me, like 40-60 in open environments but as the game loaded at doors and when entering a new area, they dipped to around 10 for no more that a second.

The character animations were another thing that was give plenty of attention. Sometime a scene you might assume was a rendered cut scene is actually real time. The great character design led to a very believable story that, in the case of the Silent Hill series, is very important to the overall mood. While I mentioned the weakness in world textures and geometries, all important objects and areas were well done with plenty of attention to detail. There were many wall decals and posters that were very clear and well done. You can read every word on these posters, mostly a result of their use in your psychological evaluation. I felt that the overall presentation of the graphics was a great success. The last point in this is the sometimes annoying break in frame rate at the doors. When you are -~-~SPOILER ALERT (highlight text)-~-~ running for your life through a school, and have to find your way to take pictures of some area, the break in frame rate can throw you off enough to make you run into a wall and be tackled by monsters. -~-~END SPOILER-~-~

6. Story

Perhaps the single most important part of this game. To be honest, there is really nothing left without it. You need to pay attention to figure out puzzles and sometimes need to listen to a segment five or more times to figure out. The cut scenes are painless though because you can control your head movement and look around. The story was well told, if not a little insane, but what do you expect from a psychological thriller like this? That being said, I really enjoyed the story and am preparing to play it through again.

As far as the question, Is it scary? The answer is, not really. This is not to be mistaken as a horror game on the level of the Fatal Frame series or Condemned series. This game falls in the range of thriller. It messes with your head, what you expect something to be may not be the case. At points things feel unnatural and then you realize what is wrong. If you feel confused, good. You are made to feel on edge and slightly out of place. Uncomfortable, unsafe, and targeted, these are the feeling I felt from the story. I'm not going to really go into the story proceedings or any possible twist because I believe those elements are important to the story. If you want a more detailed run down of the story, let me know.

7. Emotional Effect

Have you ever watched a scary movie where there is a chase scene, then at the end of that seen, there is this feeling of left over adrenaline and dopamine? That happens in this game, a lot. At some points I got goose bumps, refusing to move forward for a minute or two. There really isn't too much comic relief in this one, but there are many lighter moments even if they are shrouded in suspicion and by this point you are trained to look over your shoulder every four seconds. It's not an incredibly ranged story for emotions, however you do connect with the characters and fell their emotions. Sadness, fear, confusion, all appropriate to the story. The characters always seem in line with their actions. A success in emotional manipulation. You always feel judged and scrutinized.

8. Summary and Recommendations

This game takes you on every turn with the protagonist. There is no clear enemy and you end up in a battle with your own feelings and assumptions. The controls are tight and well done. The graphics disappoint on some levels and impress on others, though you only really care if your are specifically concentration on them. The story has you gripping the remote until your knuckles are white and thinking about what is going to happen next when you aren't playing. It was a short game, but the length felt right for the story, There was no monster closet time wasters. Emotions run high in this title, expect to be thrilled, but do yourself a favor, be honest. It makes all the difference.

This title is easy to recommend. If you are above the age of fifteen or so, I think you would enjoy this title. Remembering this is a 17+ title in the U.S.A of course. This is one I can recommend to both male and female. The younger audience will connect better with this one, but adults would connect well enough as well. If you are of proper age and can operate a Wii and have basic to intermediate problem solving skills, I would recommend a play through.

My thoughts:

Price to buy: 35-45 USD

Rent or Buy: Rent

Time to complete: 4 days, loose playing

Hardcore or Casual: Both

Console: Motions controls really help

Male or Female: both

Age: Title recommended 17+

Out of 100: 100 for emotions

80 for shortness

90 for story

95 for production value

91/100 overall