Silent Hill 4 puts players in the role of an introvert and borderline creepy voyeur named Henry Townshend. Already we can see where the scares start. Henry is the type of guy you would catch starring at you on public transportation when you decide to look around. In his apartment he has a peephole in the wall behind some furniture that looks into the next room. On special nights he peeps at his neighbor Eileen, while presumably increasing his chances of blindness and hairy palms. While players can peep at Eileen during the course of the game, I expect Henry did this way before then.

Henry awakes one day to find that he is locked in his apartment. His door is completely chained up, and he has no means of contact with the outside world despite being able to watch it from his window. The premise of Silent Hill 4: The Room is a creepy one. Henry can not leave his apartment nor can anyone enter or hear him. After several days trapped, a mysterious hole opens up in his bathroom. With little hesitation, Henry crawls right in.

Through the hole in the wall, Henry ends up in the nightmare world of Walter Sullivan, a psychotic killer hellbent on completing a ritual to bring his mother back to life. That’s cute, right? No. His mother is Henry’s apartment–or so he believes. Looking like an estranged Brad Pitt, Walter spends his time giving Henry a fuss and killing people despite having already died. The story of Silent Hill 4 is beautifully deranged. Despite Walter being a sick man, the game exposes you to the life he had to endure that made him a psychotic killer. He’s a tragic antagonist that suffered abandonment. It’s hard not to feel bad for the guy. Walter and his nightmare world give Alessa some competition for the most disturbing nightmare world.

Henry isn’t a bright man. Upon seeing his new friend Cynthia in a room where her blood has added a new coat of paint, he asks her if she’s OK. His lack of real emotion is somewhat aggravating, but I think it also adds an element of discomfort. His limited dialogue in the game allows for the player to imprint themselves in the story and not really have to follow a protagonist.

The art direction of Silent Hill 4 is extremely striking for me. Environments look bare and sterile, but also lifelike and dirty; Gray tones and neat layouts create an odd feeling of familiarity but also a slight dissonance when it comes to the games’ locations. Despite being abstract, the game does a great job of bringing immense realistic detail to its environments. The abstract areas in particular really do a great job at striking up that nightmare feeling: being somewhere familiar, but ultimately wrong in some unexplainable way. The game also adopts a distinctly Japanese style. South Ashfield, the town in which the game mostly takes place in, looks Japanese in design. From the subway to the apartment building, the locales just have a modern day Japanese look to them.

The Japanese influence continues past the level design. The first three Silent Hill games were attempts at emulating American horror. What we got was a unique style and amalgamation of both cultures interpretation of horror, but Silent Hill 4 turned up the notch on the Japanese horror influence and it’s clearly seen. It gives the game a different style I think. A style that is different, but welcome.

Japanese horror centers a lot around ghosts. Silent Hill 4′s main enemies are the ghostly apparitions of Walter’s victims. Ghosts aren’t scary? Call the Ghost Busters? Shut your mouth. These things are terrifying. They can’t die. They will follow you from room to room and with them comes a sound you will become all too familiar with. While in the nightmare world, you’ll see them ooze from the walls like bloody, black ink and float toward you. You can beat them until they’re stunned, but the only way to stop them is to use disposable holy swords to pin them to the ground.

Because the game operates around Henry’s apartment, you must go back there after every new area. But you’re not safe. The ghosts will start to seep into your world. Slowly Henry’s apartment becomes dirtier, scarier, and more haunted. You can use holy candles to exorcise hauntings, but your room becomes the center of the games creepiest moments. Having the game switch to a first person perspective doesn’t make this any easier on you.

The monsters from Silent Hill 4 have to be the strangest in the series. From monkey-kids to burping nurses, Silent Hill 4′s enemies will freak you out.

The dog enemy type in Silent Hill 4 bother me a bit more than the dogs in Silent Hill 3. Sure, the Silent Hill 3 dogs should be scarier because of their split heads, but these mutts have long shriveled tongues and cancerous skin. When struck, they scream like jaguars. Jaguars!

In the hospital portion of Silent Hill 4, there are tall, slender female patients with gray, rotten flesh. They walk around with pipes in hand. They’re pretty menacing–like all extremely tall women are. They move toward you with monstrous grace and don’t hesitate to slap you silly.

When these lovely ladies get hit back, they burp at you. It’s a little weird and not very lady-like, but one swift hit by the hand of Henry causes these women to make a sound similar to a burp. Their stature and tendency to attack in small groups makes them dangerous.

Both the Rubber Faces and the Twin Victims are quite large and move fast. The Rubber Faces screech and move like apes while the Twin Victims move excessively fast. While the Rubber Faces are scary due to their speed and use of golf clubs as weapons, the Twin Victims scare me to no end. Nothing is worse than walking into a room only to see a black mass with the face of two children rush at you. Who would stoop to such a low and fuse the body of two small children and chicken legs together just to incite fear? It’s not fair I tell you! I was not prepared when I met my first one.

The other enemy types are also scary in their own way. There are these strange fungi that sprout from the ground. They don’t attack you, but their appearance raises many questions. At the end of their stalks is a mass that looks like a screaming face. They’re easy to destroy, but come on. Who thinks of this kind of depraved stuff? I love it, but I’m afraid for the person’s family.

Another subtle but odd enemy type in Silent Hill 4 are the wheelchairs. No, they’re not distinct looking, but they’re moving wheelchairs that chase you. Can you imagine that? Seeing a wheelchair often brings to mind the person who unfortunately must use one to get around, but for the wheelchair to start doing the moving alone, now that’s an uncomfortable thought.

Stepping away from the enemies, I will move on to the rest of the game’s creepy aspects. Something that turns off a lot of people from Silent Hill 4 is the fact that half of the game is an escort mission. Once Henry saves Eileen from Walter, he must go through the same locations he has already been through, but with her in his wake. Escorting Eileen through these nightmares is particularly unnerving because now you must fear for her own life as well. Just like your apartment, Eileen can become possessed as well. Letting her soak up too much damage will cover her in blood and lead her to become possessed. If she’s really far gone, you have to put her on suicide watch as she starts to hit and even shoot herself.

There are very few games that genuinely scare me these days. Silent Hill 4 remains one of them. The way the game looks, the nightmare world, the story, and the feeling of helplessness permeates from Silent Hill 4. It’s a shame this game is often considered the black sheep of the original Silent Hill games. I think the premise alone made this game great. It’s the most unsettling and disturbing game in the series for me. It’s a shame a lot of people don’t see this game for the terrifying–although flawed– gem that it is. Even Konami overlooked it when they decided to do the HD Collection for the series. Hopefully more people will give this game a try, and approach it from a different perspective so they can why this game is truly, the scariest Silent Hill game.

Broken Silence: Why Silent Hill 4 Needs Love on Halloween is a post from: Rely on Horror

CJ Melendez

I'm a college student with a huge passion for gaming; horror being my favorite genre. I love being afraid to turn a corner or turn around in my games. The creepier the better.

Website - More Posts

I’m certainly getting my hopes up on Downpour. With every new trailer and detail, my anticipation grows. Picking apart these trailers is nothing compared to what many fans and myself will be doing come the time of release. Don’t expect to see any of your Silent Hill fanatic friends for a couple of weeks; they’ll be huddled in a dark room with a notebook and magnifying glass.

01:26

03:10

“Revenge is a long, treacherous road isn’t it, Mr. Pendleton? Where do you suppose it ends?” says a mysterious woman to Murphy (00:08). The only other woman than Anne that we have seen is the nun. Her role seems very nefarious. She can be seen at 3:10. She’s holding her hands up in a spiritual manner; perhaps she is controlling the Gas Mask Monster. At 01:26, her expression looks very condescending. Is she ultimately out to help Murphy? I don’t think so. She seems to have her own agenda. How she has control over a creature, –if it is a creature–I’m not sure.

02:54

02:26

01:28

02:38

03:10

02:57

Just what is this guy? The gas mask and trench coat don’t exactly make him look friendly. Let’s call him GM (Gas Man). At 02:26 his appearance is fully shown. He approaches the un-named little boy, and then picks him up (02:38). What happens to the child remains to be seen, but it doesn’t look pretty; poor kid. GM seemed to shush Murphy as he approached the child in a manner that said to me, “You can’t help him. Shut up and watch.”

The little boy didn’t seem phased at all by the hulking figure approaching him (01:28). This leads me to believe that the boy is not real. He is not a real boy trapped in the town, but rather a manifestation or illusion–nothing surprising. His clothes further suggest this. They look akin to something from the early 1900s. So does the the furniture, and cars seen in some scenes.

Perhaps this attack symbolizes the boy being killed by someone he knew and trusted. The child did not cower, or even acknowledge the presence of GM. Murphy could only sit back and watch the terrible event (02:38).

The nun seems in control of GM; at 02:52, she can be seen just a few feet away from the hulking creature. If she was afraid, she would distance her self. She further fulfills my assumption that she controls GM at 03:10. Her arms are up in praise, or chanting rather than in fear. How she controls GM is something that has left me to a few possibilities.

The Nun may have control over a manifestation of her own. How? Perhaps she is a follower of the same beliefs of The Order, the cult most prominent in Silent Hill 1 and 3. She may even be using these powers to control an aspect of Murphy’s delusions. GM may belong to Murphy, and she has power over that. What is she doing in the fog world? I’m not entirely sure.

I would also like to point to 02:38. Orphanage, Chapel and the Main Hall are listed as locations in the building that Murphy, GM, the boy, and possibly the nun reside. Seeing an orphanage listed makes me think of Wish House. The cult controlled orphanage Wish House was explored in Silent Hill 4, but maybe not all of it. I kind of doubt Murphy will end up there due to his exploration of a new part of Silent Hill, but it would be pretty cool to revisit the location, but in a different part.

00:38

01:00

My mind can not decipher what I’m looking at (00:38). What’s wrong with his body?!

Let’s call this weird pink wheelchair guy Pinky. Pinky can be seen at both 00:38, and 01:00. He was shown before during some E3 demonstrations, and I think it’s safe to say he will continue to have Tyler Durden-like appearances throughout the game. His mangled body does something akin to the old Silent Hill games: his features are so distorted and indecipherable that it’s hard to put features together in the mind.

Looking at Pinky’s face, it appears that he has a light source emanating from his left eye. Perhaps a monocle reflecting light from the hallway. This immediately brings to mind the odd talking creature from the Gamestop Canada leaked video. Will Pinky be the main antagonist of Downpour? It seems like a possibility. If he is from Murphy’s past, why is the nun –who is another human in the town–also against Murphy? A manifestation and a real being working against Murphy at the same time?

03:07/03:08

01:34

03:09

02:00

In the two combined images (03:07/3:08), we can see an assault by three Screamers. They have found their way to DJ Ricks’ studio at WLMN FM. Ricks probably doesn’t survive this encounter.

Officer Anne Cunningham also appears to be in the studio at the time of the assault. To me, it plays out like this: Murphy makes his way to WLMN FM, has a talk with DJ Ricks, and then Anne comes in. Soon after, all hell breaks loose, and the Screamers make their way in.

Judging by how the scene at 01:34 looks, I do not think Anne gets killed in a cutscene. This looks like an in-game encounter where Anne simply gets hit by a Screamer. Does this mean that Anne will fight along side Murphy in this scene?

At 03:09, a Screamer is seen holding Murphy rather than attacking. The creature has more than capable weapons attached to its arms. The Screamer could issue a fatal blow quite easily. The enemies’ real intentions are to guide the protagonist. Assuming that the Screamer is a manifestation of Murphy, it will not harm him in the cinematic, because he is far from being enlightened by the town; his past has not yet been atoned for.

02:00 gives us a closer look of another enemy. It does not have a name yet, but its appearance is very familiar. It’s hard to tell if this is a single creature and not a type. This very same creature can be seen on the Silent Hill: Downpour EU cover.

01:33/01:21

01:35

01:44

01:39

02:10

On one half of the combined image (01:33/01:21), Murphy is leaving Ryall State prison. Murphy’s overalls display RS-273A as the his inmate number. The other half of the image shows Murphy in different prison overalls. These orange ones have a new inmate number, and are from a different prison. What prison does O.P. stand for? That seems to be a question only answerable when the game releases. It could be a sudden change in clothes due to a shift to the Otherworld. Perhaps the code is for the prison Murphy was being sent to before Silent Hill interrupted the transfer.

Thanks to commenter Alice for reminding me of Overlook Penitentiary from Silent Hill: Homecoming! I completely forgot about that prison. OK, now we know that Murphy will end up in Overlook Penitentiary. Silent Hill: Homecoming put Overlook in Central Silent Hill, which didn’t quite work with the previous map layout in the older games. Silent Hill: Downpour takes place in a  South Eastern portion of the town. Murphy either makes his way to Overlook, or gets sent there during an Otherworld transition. My bets are on the latter. We also get to find out if Overlook was intended to be in Central Silent Hill. Homecoming caused some confusion with the canon map layout, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the new team aimed to fix those problems.

The scene that shows Murphy in his Ryall state cell has pictures on the walls (01:35). There appears to be a child’s drawing, and a photograph of Murphy holding a baby, while standing in front of a woman laying in a bed. Murphy appears to have a family. Whether they are still alive remains to be seen.

The guard standing in front of Murphy’s cell has gray hair that is slicked back (01:35). He can also be seen at 01:44. The other guard, who was also shown in the E3 2011 trailer, can be seen in the distance talking to Murphy. I don’t think he likes Murphy very much. Well, maybe he does, but in an abusive way.

A glimpse at a prison shower beating can be seen at 01:39. I really think the guard from the E3 2011 trailer, and 01:44 has a thing for Murphy. At 02:10 that very same guard can be seen with a gun to his head by a prisoner. A prison riot appears to be the very thing that started the transfer in the first place. The riot scene is in black and white; this may indicate that it is a flashback of sorts. The Hispanic prisoner seen during the riot has been in all three trailers; I think his role may change based on decisions in the game, but he is certainly a reoccurring character.

00:28

03:14

03:16

That’s a pretty waterside setup (00:28). What part of town is this? Silent Hill: Downpour takes place in a new part of town, so it’s not all too strange to see a different layout for these waterside structures. This area seems a bit older; colonial even. It’s also safe to say that Murphy is voyaging across a section of Toluca Lake.

Environmental hazards; that’s sorta new (03:14). Murphy might have walked into a hazardous area, and we are given a glimpse right before he dies. This scene doesn’t really look like a cinematic that will leave Murphy unharmed; I doubt it’s supposed to happen as part of natural level progression.

This is perhaps the fastest Otherworld transition in the series (03:16). Look at the speed of that thing. Murphy must really be in the middle of an intense scene for the shift to spread so quickly without the apparent presence of water. One could say that the shift moves like water. Hmm.

02:20

02:12

Like I said in my E3 2011 trailer analysis, ravens play an important part in Downpour and Native American culture (02:20). It looks like Murphy just woke up from the bus crash, and already is being watched by a raven. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were seen throughout the town during gameplay. Maybe there will even be a bonus for finding them all.

At 02:12, Murphy has finally reached the clocktower. I originally thought it was the church, but looking at the size and design, it’s clearly not. The clocktower looks like a large building: there are multiple floors. Could this be the orphanage? The orphanage has a chapel, but it’s not a church. We’ll have to see if Murphy actually visits a church in Downpour.

I think Silent Hill: Downpour will be pretty well thought out. There seems to be some complex things that require interpretation in the trailer alone–maybe I’m thinking too hard. I’m looking forward to the full game later this year. I’m having some good feelings about this game. I think Silent Hill: Downpour will be a worthy successor to the original four Silent Hill games.

Did I miss anything in my analysis? Let me know in the comments!

Silent Hill: Downpour TGS trailer analysis is a post from: Rely on Horror

CJ Melendez

I'm a college student with a huge passion for gaming; horror being my favorite genre. I love being afraid to turn a corner or turn around in my games. The creepier the better.

Website - More Posts

Silent Hill 2 set the bar for survival horror, so it’s only fitting that to this day it’s talked about. Read on for the full interview.

Silent Hill 2 had how I can only describe as “sleepy” vocals. As if the characters were all in a dream like state. Was this part of the role? Were you and the other voice actors instructed to add such a tone to the acting?

GC: The actors were all ‘dialed into’ the story, the setting, and the characters. There was a sense of supernatural strangeness ever present in our minds. I don’t recall specifically being asked to sound ‘sleepy,’ but the directors were always there guiding our performances.

I think it’s important to point out that all of Silent Hill 2 was performed and recorded live on large motion capture stages with all actors present. Unlike most RPGs, when you see two or three SH2 actors on your screen, it means that there were two or three SH2 actors performing live together at the time of recording. That close proximity created tremendous dynamic tension between the actors and allowed us to play off each other’s emotions. The relationships in SH2 wouldn’t have been nearly as intimate had we recorded body movement and dialog at different times. I was told by the director that it was the first time synchronized mo-cap had been done for such a large scale production.

You provided both the voice recordings and performed the actual motion capture for James, correct? Which did you prefer, the voice performance or the motion capture?

GC: I enjoyed it all but, as I say; we performed all of the scenes live on stage in front of multiple cameras, directors, and crew. It was similar to recording scenes for a movie. The main difference being that we weren’t wearing costumes; we were wearing skin tight body suits with nodes attached at key points. Some of the motion cameras were magnetic and others were laser type. Video cameras were always present to capture our facial expressions and allow the editors to synch the sound recordings with the body language. I don’t really think of my work as voice recording because the recording work only took about four days to complete whereas the stage performances took almost four months. For me it was like performing in a strange movie. Several days were spent exclusively for capturing my walking, running, hitting, and dying. I was sore for weeks after those dying days. Every time you let James die and hit the ground, I swear it still hurts me!

Have you been following the Silent Hill series since your work as James? If so, what do you think of the series as of today?

GC: I haven’t been following the series. What I know is only what I have gathered from SH2 bloggers and webmasters who contact me. It seems that the series has grown spotty over the years. I read that a Silent Hill movie was released but I didn’t watch it. The reviews were pretty bad. I read recently that Sony is working on a second SH movie titled Silent Hill 2. Some bloggers have written that it would be good to idea to stick to the original SH2 game theme and characters, but I don’t expect the director and writer will do that. They seem to prefer doing their own thing. You might be able to find a trailer for the new SH2 movie if you Google “Silent Hill 2 Trailer.”

Silent Hill 2 is known for having one of the most deeply twisted stories in gaming history. Did you read the script prior to recording? If so, did they keep the endings secret, making your reactions more real to the experience? Or did they give you a complete synopsis of the game so you could deliver a proper feel?

GC: Was it just luck, or did fate put that deeply twisted script in my hands? Hmm…. No, I did not read the entire script before recording. The directors kept the endings secret. I’m not sure if it was to affect our performances, or because they were still working on it as we progressed. In any case I can tell you that they were quite specific about what they wanted in terms of pathos and torment. Acting James was cathartic. I was recently divorce at that time and still very close to my pain. I was able to deliver tears and sadness on demand. I went through hell with my ex and at times was near suicidal. If it weren’t for my children, I’m not sure I would have made it through. I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving them alone with only her to raise them. Forgive me if this is getting too personal. What I mean to say is that if the directors asked me for tears or anguish, all I had to do was dredge up some dark memory and it was right there with me again – the sadness. I’m generally a happy go lucky guy. One of my talents is the ability to forget painful experiences. Performing James reminded me that we never really forget our pain. We just hide it away – if we’re lucky that is.

Do you think video game acting will ever be taken seriously enough to be awarded Oscars?

GC: Definitely! It’s only a matter of time. The gaming industry is already much bigger than the movie industry. I think the next phase of the gaming industry will see an increased emphasis on character and story development. The tech aspects should become increasingly more open and available and hopefully that will usher in a generation of indie games. The problem that I’ve heard over and over in the packaged game industry these days is that the ‘model is broken.’ Games have become too expensive to produce. I remember Hollywood said the same thing about movies and then a slew of indie productions came out and rewrote the book. I expect pretty much the same thing will happen for games.

Which scene was the hardest to play, or the one that needed the most takes?

GC: The hardest scene to play, and the one that had to be redone the most, is a scene that occurs late in one of the alternate endings. It’s the scene where James picks Mary up from her deathbed and then turns and carries her away. I was quietly crying each time I lifted my wife’s lifeless body up from that bed but creating the emotion wasn’t the problem. The problem was that it was taking me too long to get Mary up into my arms and turned around. No matter how many takes we did it, the directors said it was too slow. As I lay in bed one night after shooting, I replayed the problem over and over in my mind. Finally I remembered a “trick” I learned in college acting class. It’s a stage trick for carrying a ‘dead’ body. The next time we shot the scene I nailed it on the second take. I wonder if anyone reading this interview knows the, ‘how to lift a dead body trick?’

You’ve always seemed very involved with the fans of the series, which many voice actors and actresses tend to stray from doing. What are your personal thoughts on maintaining contact with the fan base? Is there any message you have for us?

GC: My ex-wife is a Japanese movie and TV performer. Our wedding was covered by all the major TV networks and she even sold the location rights for our honeymoon. I learned firsthand that being famous basically sucks. You can’t go anywhere without people pointing and whispering. I’m happy to interact with SH2 fans provided they are polite and well behaved. Having said that, I can tell you that SH2 fans are some of the nicest and most decent people I have ever had the pleasure to communicate with. What is it that SH2 fans have in common because I’ll tell you what, whatever it is, the rest of the world could sure use a big dose of it! You guys are the best!

If Konami were to revisit the role of James for another game, would you have any interest in reprising your role?

GC: Sure, why not? It was fulfilling and that’s what life is supposed to be about. If you feel you want Konami (or Sony) to hire me again, there’s a guy in L.A. you can write to named Michael. He’s a super guy. So if the spirit moves you, write to Mike and let him know how you feel. He’s always happy to hear from SH2 fans.

HD: How do you feel contributing to a legendary game? In the part, “Leave us alone, leave us both the hell alone!”, I know that I heard that in a movie before, what were you going for? I heard that Mary/Maria’s voice actor had a very emotional reaction to the game, even so much as crying during the letter part, was the emotional impact of the story strong for you as well? Did you “connect” with James? If so, how?

GC: Legendary? Wow, thanks!

I feel great about my role in SH2 mainly because of wonderful fans like all of you.

In the part where I scream “Leave us alone…” I think I was going for a tormented screaming version of Greta Garbo’s famous line, “I vant to be alone.” Remember, I did James long before that kid ever recorded his infamous “Leave Brittany Alone” video. He was copying me; not the other way round.

Monica (Mary/Maria) and I both felt very strong emotions all throughout the acting and recording sessions. She’s a fantastic talent. To this day when I hear Monica read the letter I get all choked up.

Yes, of course I connected with James! The reason I got the part was because the director said I was James. More specifically he said that I was just the way he pictured James in his mind. As I said, I had some emotional issues at the time and that helped me portray James’ anguish and pain. Fortunately, I’m not haunted by anything close to the heavy dark stuff that James is.

Do you see James as a tragic character? Was he a victim of circumstance? Was he selfish and did he murder his wife to make his life easier?

GC: James is absolutely a classic tragic character. Yes, he was a victim of circumstance but his situation was necessary for his karma; his life’s problem to solve. Was James selfish? Yes, and no. He has a lot of hurt and anger inside but he’s also kind and very protective. I can’t talk about it easily. It’s painful going back into that mind again. Anyway, it’s you the players who get to answer these questions. There’s a variety of possible endings and you can choose the one you want to believe. I won’t say which ending I believe in, but I will tell you that dog ending was just plain dumb. I told the director it was dumb and that I didn’t want to do it. He said it was a Japanese thing and he asked me nicely to just play along. What could I do? I’ve seen it on YouTube and I still think it was dumb.

Have you ever been recognized by fans of the game since 2001? If so, what was it like? If not, do you wonder if people will?

GC: Yes, I have been recognized. Not by my face but by my name. Once when we were making introductions at a business conference in Seattle, a fellow outside our group overheard my name. He came over to our group and stood there staring at me with a huge grin on his face. After a while he introduced himself and asked if I had done James in Silent Hill. When I said yes, he got out his camera and asked me to please take a photo together with him. He was just about to leave when suddenly he turned round and blurted out, “do that chainsaw thing!” I had no idea what he was talking about. “You know,” he said, “the part where you raise the chainsaw above your head and do that primal scream.” I obliged him but I have to tell you in all honesty, I must have been really tired that day on the set because I don’t remember taping that scene.

Often business people I meet for the first time will ask me about SH2. Whenever they do, I know it’s because they Googled me before our meeting. They usually ask, “What was that video game thing you did?” Each time I tell the story I am reminded again of how powerful it is. James’ deep regrets following the ‘mercy’ killing of his wife never fails to capture rapt attention. Perhaps this powerful basic story is the reason for SH2’s long term success more so than its technical merits.

Here’s another example in testament to the strength of the story. A while back I met some fellows from California in the electric vehicle business. They came to Tokyo for the auto show and some meetings with me. At our second meeting, sure enough, one of the fellows asked me, “Tell me about that video game thing you did?” (He must have Googled me the night before…) As I was retelling the SH2 story, his partner suddenly perked up and said, “Hey, I’ve seen that game! My kids played that all the time. It’s one of their favorites!” After that, he wouldn’t leave without me taking a picture with him to show his kids. See what I mean? Even though the fellow had never played SH2 himself, he remembered James and Mary’s tragic story.

This interview was reposted. Thanks to Guy Cihi for the interview opportunity.

Guy Cihi Interview, The voice of James Sunderland is a post from: Rely on Horror

CJ Melendez

I'm a college student with a huge passion for gaming; horror being my favorite genre. I love being afraid to turn a corner or turn around in my games. The creepier the better.

Website - More Posts

Harry Mason

Age: 30

Harry Mason is a writer in his early 30s who awakens to find himself in a car crash in the town of Silent Hill. Startled and confused, he soon discovers the most precious thing in the world to him, his seven year old daughter Cheryl, is missing. With a strange case of selective amnesia and a habit to put his daughter above all other duties, Harry sets out into the snowy town of Silent Hill. Along his journey, our own flaws manifest in Harry and become strongly apparent to his character.

Cheryl Mason

Age: 7

Cheryl is Harry’s daughter, a girl who grew up absolutely adoring her daddy. She has a fascination in various activities including collecting insects like butterflies, recording videos with a video camera, and spending time with the ones she loves. Somethings happened to Cheryl, and across the town of Silent Hill a scared lonely spirit in her image runs in fright. What could Cheryl be so afraid of?

Cybil Bennett

Age: 40

A cop born and raised in Silent Hill. She spent her childhood accompanying her dad in his police car and naturally as an adult joined the Silent Hill Police Force herself. She’s come to know this town inside and out, but during the recent blizzard that has stricken Silent Hill she encounters a strange man named Harry. Cybil finds herself having to fulfill her role as an officer past the line of duty and make a personal judgment in a mystery unlike anything she has ever experienced.

Dr. Michael Kaufmann

Age: 58

A psychiatrist with unusual and sometimes creepy methods to diagnosis and help his patients. Kaufmann calculates quickly in his head and his initial off-putting kindness can just as easily be replaced with a dry and dark sense of sarcasm, as if he takes pleasure exploiting his patients flaws. His therapy sessions are composed of a few games, questions, and talks where he really drills at people to get to the core of a person, and strike down and taunt any false hope that comes off in the process.

Dahlia

Age: Early 20′s

A mysterious woman who seems close to Harry, except Harry can’t remember her at all. She often texts him on his phone, demonstrates a friskier sexual side, and possesses a sharp tongue, not taking shit from no one. Harry not remembering her upsets her, and though short-tempered from his apparent memory loss, she says this isn’t the first time Harry’s acted bizarre like this. She seems to know more than she shares… Who exactly is she?

Michelle Valdez

Age: 20′s

A singer and bartender at the Balkan Night Club. She was coming to a High School Reunion with her longtime boyfriend John before the blizzard struck. Friendly, she helps Harry along his adventure on more than one occasion. She seems to be having issues of her own; piecing her own life together and coming to terms with her feelings. Her open mind and casual behavoir help Harry really feel at ease around her.

Lisa Garland

Age: 20′s

An ER Nurse at Alchemilla Hospital, Harry and her meet upon her crashing her car into the hospital and injuring her head. Concerned, Harry walks with her back to her apartment. She is overworked and shows signs of being addicted to prescription drugs to keep her going. Friendly and independent, though driven a little wild by men that remind her of her father, she will be quick to state she is a strong individual who doesn’t need a man to survive.

John

Age: 20′s

Michelle’s boyfriend since high school, he is a lawyer currently living in Massachusetts though stopping by Silent Hill for his and Michelle’s school reunion. He seems a bit caught between his job and his love.

Bartender

Age: Elderly

A kind bartender who works at the bar across the street from Diner 52. She is a tough cookie who keeps the bar open even in the blizzard to help weary customers. Having a way with people, she is quick to offer some assistance to Harry in his time of need.

Mike Stewart

Age: Elderly

A man who lives with his wife Lucy and daughter Katie, he answers the door to talk with Harry over a misunderstanding. A doctor at Alchemilla Hospital, he is a well respected man among the community.

Lucy Stewart

Age: Elderly

A school teacher teaching at Midwich High School and living with her husband Mike and daughter Katie, she is a kind lady who though sensible is taken a bit aback over their misunderstanding with Harry.

Silent Hill Shattered Memories Characters is a post from: Rely on Horror

Dominik Mayr

Webmaster/Owner I got into Horror due to Resident Evil and had a fansite called "Resident Evil Horror" for almost 10 years. In late 2009, i decided to open the gates for other horror aswell. Here we are in 2011, Rely on Horror, trying hard to offer the best content in horror entertainment with a strong focus on games. I hope you enjoy your stay! ~ Dominik Mayr