• Publisher: Konami
  • Release Date: Mar 4, 2008
Silent Hill: Origins Image
Metascore

Mixed or average reviews - based on 22 Critics What's this?

User Score

Mixed or average reviews- based on 26 Ratings

  • Summary: The renowned Silent Hill survival horror series continues on the PS2 with a brand new adventure that reveals many of the series' most hallowed secrets. Assuming the role of a lone truck driver who becomes trapped in Silent Hill, players must escape the city’s horrific inhabitants and confronont the strange hallucinations that have haunted him since childhood. Featuring enhanced graphics, sound and control, Silent Hill Origins sets a new standard for this survival horror classic. Silent Hill Origins features a dark story that explores the events prior to the original Silent Hill and reflects the troubled past of the main character, Travis Grady. An enhanced camera system elevates the sense of fear and horror that surrounds your every step. Updated controls allow for more fluid combat and detailed exploration of the environment. Encounter horrific new creatures, challenging new puzzles and uncover the mysteries behind the town as you try to escape the clutches of Silent Hill. Silent Hill Origins features an original soundtrack by famed series composer Akira Yamaoka. [Konami] Expand
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 22
  2. Negative: 0 out of 22
  1. Even if some of the aspects have gone downhill when compared to the PSP version, the game still remains the same from a gameplay perspective and overall story point of view.
  2. 74
    Silent Hill Origins is a solid entry in the franchise.
  3. Adventure fans and fans of past Silent Hill games will find a lot to enjoy with Silent Hill Origins for the PS2.
  4. Adventure fans and fans of past Silent Hill games will find a lot to enjoy with Silent Hill Origins for the PS2.

See all 22 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 6
  3. Negative: 2 out of 6
  1. So far it's the last game in the series to use fixed camera angles. It's not as good as its predecessors, but it does at least live up to the name of Silent Hill. I also liked that your only weapons could break, so you're never truly safe. Combat in this game is a bit difficult, which can either be frustrating or make the game more thrilling - I found it to be more thrilling, because combat in SH games isn't supposed to be easy. You're supposed to want to run instead of fight. Also the atmosphere is great, like most of the series, and though the graphics are a bit too clean at times (the opening house on fire sequence is a bit cheesy looking and the final boss is the same way). The other monsters are some of the most twisted and disturbing in the series. Also it has a sort of sense of incoherency, which has always been pleasing to me in the Silent Hill series. Expand
  2. This is definitely where the Silent Hill series should have ended; I definitely started to see where the game went downhill from here. This probably would have been excellent to play on the PSP, but the PS2 port of it was very weak. Konami completely ignored the fact that we now had a second analog stick and two extra shoulder buttons to work with, plus the graphics were pretty grainy. I basically could have plugged a PSP into the TV and had the same (if not slightly better) experience. It was, however, a good game. I thoroughly enjoyed the hell out of this game. The storyline was good, it helped give some insight to just wtf was going on in the first Silent Hill. Some of the monsters, however, were almost identical to some of them in SH2. For instance, the straight jacket is just the Lying Figure but can shoot a ball of acid rather than spraying it. And the Faceless nurse is the bubble heads from SH2. The boss fights are decent and simple. Many have felt strongly against the fact that you have a choice of whether to go to Otherworld, saying it took away the sense of dread. I still felt a sense of dread of knowing I had to go to Otherworld in order to beat the level, Otherworld scared the hell out of me. It was nearly pitch-black, with loud unsettling music, and monsters that would appear out of nowhere. The fact that your weapons broke constantly also gave a sense of "OH **** I NEED ANOTHER WEAPON NOW." But the fact that you could carry 500 melee and about 7 different types of guns kind of drew away from that. All in all, it is a good game but is better played on the PSP. Expand
  3. Silent Hill Origins i believe did justice to the series. Honestly Silent Hill 4: The Room just didn't really make a good game. It was just so different than the previous 3. However, this game is a prequel to the 1st game of the series and in my mind its pretty decent. The story is pretty decent enough in my opinion. The only things i don't really like about the game were the not so great controls. It bugged me that my character was a bit sloppy to control in tight places and what not. The combat system was interesting to me however i felt that some weapons could have lasted longer than others. The plethora of weapons in the game was amazing but i just felt a little let down. I was used to the usual 3 or 4 melee weapons and 3-4 firearms in Silent Hill games. This game has between 10-20 or so melee weapons (some are throwable and break after a single it) and around 6 guns. Thats just too much for a survival horror game and when playing through it you never really have to worry about running out of weapons or ammo cause there is just so much of it throughout. The transitions to the Other World are pretty interesting as you control when to go back and forth, however it does get annoying at some points. The enemies throughout the game are mostly OK. The nurses are easy, the straighjackets look like a rip off of the lying figures from Silent Hill 2 and the final boss is just something i never really expected to see out of these games. Also finishing the enemies are a little difficult as, say you knocked down an enemy and another one is around you sometimes finishing off the enemy wont work like you press the button and nothing happens, and if you do finish off the enemy while your character is in the process of it another enemy is charging an attack and sometimes is just unavoidable. This game does have its flaws as most games do but i liked it and would prefer it if you are a fan of the series. Expand
  4. This game has the same problem as sh4 for me it's tedious rather than fun and the story although okay does nothing to hook me. The enemies respawn on the streets rapidly in a attempt to waste your ammo, objects are hard too see especially weapons and energy drinks which is frustrating (I swear in the older games items glinted or sparkled oh so slightly). The weapon system was the only thing that brought me some entertainment as I beat enemy's to death with toasters and typewriters like I was in some sort of comedy sketch. Buy this for like $10 or just watch the game cut-scenes on youtube if you need to know what happens in this game. Expand

See all 6 User Reviews