Not much of a collection as it simply comprises of the second and third game, this disk purports to be a high-definition re-release of the included titles. Honestly, I can't remember the games well enough to tell you if the graphics have actually improved. A lot of the online debate would seem to suggest that they are actually worse.
Unlike its predecessor, SH2 seems to focus less on what is wrong with the physical town of Silent Hill because of the events that occurred there, and more on projecting things from James' - the protagonist's - own mind.
James believes that his wife Mary died three years ago from an illness, and yet he receives a letter from her, claiming to be in Silent Hill, a town where they were once on holiday.
I played the "Born From a Wish" sub-scenario first, as I thought I remembered enough of the main game to get away with it, although the credits reminded me otherwise. I'd probably been muddling some of the content with this in my mind:
I certainly found the revelation about Ernest Baldwin to be creepy, although not too surprising considering he managed to unlock the stairway door without leaving the room.
What irked me the most about the main game was the mist. Individual clouds of it were solid rectangles, and this was never more apparent than during the fight with Eddie, when it was coming through the vents in stiff blocks. That was undeniably poor.
Silent Hill 2 is a powerful game, but not because of the frights and suspense. Because of the emotional entanglement. The raw pain of a man desperately searching for his dead soulmate, and the heartbreak when he finds out the truth, or agonising anticipation of that heartbreak if you remember all along.
Perhaps it affected me a lot because, like Mary, I am ill and relying on my partner's care. I can very much empathise with the story. Take heed, it is powerful.
Remember the baby that Harry Mason escapes with at the (good) end of Silent Hill? That's Heather. Now she's all grown up and things are starting to get strange again.
This game ties in much more with the first, looking at just why Silent Hill isn't quite right, and who is behind that. There are some emotional parts, but not quite of the calibre of SH2.
I must admit to originally never having finished Silent Hill 3. I would get onto the roller-coaster tracks at the beginning, and be confronted with the "game over" screen. A recent conversation with my sister informed me that the copy I had must have been faulty, as the game does indeed progress beyond that! And then came the HD Collection.
SH3 adds a bit more of the character's personality into the gameplay. For example, Heather may refuse to carry out actions that she personally views as "too disgusting".
You spend much less time outside in the mist, and so I didn't see too much of it, but what I did see didn't seem as appalling as that in Silent Hill 2. The locations are a bit samey as you revisit a lot of those seen in SH2, which disappointed me initially. The general consensus seemed to be that SH3's nurses were more frightening than those in SH2, although I actually found the opposite to be the case.
Some of the voice acting leaves a lot to be desired, and towards the end of the game, none of the lip movement matches up to the sound. A lot of the retorts don't make any amount of sense, but this certainly isn't a problem unique to Silent Hill. I was never truly convinced by Claudia's character, but I did become fond of Heather.
SH3 certainly does leave you anticipating the next scare, and some of the imagery is just plain disturbing. A lot of it you can't even put words to, and that stays with you, in a good way.
And of course, Akira Yamaoka continues to be a musical genius.
So, overall, I would recommend at least renting the Silent Hill HD Collection, even if you're not convinced enough to buy it.
