Alex stayed over the weekend and plowed through Silent Hill 2 for me. My only experience with the Silent Hill series is the first in the late 90s, but I couldn't remember anything besides fighting was extraordinarily difficult. Well, it was nice to see that continued with its sequel.

I definitely have to say it deserves the encomium it receives. In terms of gameplay, it's not amazing; it's more or less attempting to find keys to access the next area. The fighting is awful but the enemies aren't particularly difficult. It's only because you're stuck in an enclosed environment with crappy camera angles and a protagonist who can barely swing a bat properly.

But what it excels in is plot, storytelling, and atmosphere. It's interesting to start the game thinking something is wrong with the town itself as well as the other people you meet, but as the game progresses you wonder whether it's James the protagonist who's insane. And once the secret is revealed in the hotel, all the crazy shit you saw before suddenly fit together, like the theme of punishment and innocence in the prison.

The makers knew how to fuck with the human psyche. For example, visibility was practically zero with the fog outside and the darkness inside causing our fear-ridden imagination to run wild. Or they would accustom us to a certain musical track whenever an enemy was around and later on just play that track constantly so we would be hyper aware of our surroundings and tense. Or they would allow us the entire game to have the flashlight, radio, and bat as something dependent to cling to in all this madness and finally take it away to make us feel more naked and alone than ever.

The other two victims of the town, Eddie and Angela, don't really expand James as a character, but I feel the game would be less without them. It shows how Silent Hill affects other people, and other possible ways it could've ended for him. And it added to the mystery and unease because the way they speak it's as if they and James aren't seeing the same things, alluding how Silent Hill is different for every person, depending on their sin. James is a complex and sympathetic character; although you don't condone his actions, you can understand his mindset and frustration.

I spent most of the game fiddling with my phone because I couldn't mentally take what the hell was happening on the screen. Alex already beat the game himself years ago, but even he felt emotionally drained at the end of it all. That's how fucking awesome it is: Even if you know the plot twist, it still affects you on a mental level. Five fucking stars. I don't regret asking Alex to play this for me one bit.

So during the entire fight with the table boss I kept on asking, "What the hell is up with this wall? It's so weird. Why are those pistons there? I can't get over it." When I looked it up later, it was supposed to be symbolism for Angela's dad and brother raping her. ...Well then.

Also, as Alex said, the two most lucrative jobs in Silent Hill would be locksmith and elevator repair man. It's like a 90% broken rate there.