Let’s Talk About Silent Hill in 2023(Also, The Order I Suggest Newcomers Follow)

 

WOW, the monetary suggestions I made, and the hunting tips I laid out, in my reviews, sure look ludicrous, now, don’t they? You probably know who to blame. Let’s hope they get what they deserve, and that makes the market return to normal.

Don’t hold your breath on it, but have hope, nevertheless.

The best outcome I can reasonably expect is that the folks who spent obscene amounts of money on Silent Hill games, the last few years, will actually play them, and not simply let them rot on their shelves, as objects of status.

FUCKING DO IT; THEY’RE OBSCENELY AMAZING.

I intend to help anyone of that number who actually ends up wandering into this dark, sometimes, somewhat comforting corner of the interwebs. A while back, I was talking with a friend of mine, and stumbled into a sound strategy for tackling the series. I might as well share it.

My suggested order is present at the bottom of this post, as an image, for those who have no interest in listening to me explain myself. I promise there will be no spoilers, should you hear me out, in full, but lots of people are impatient/busy/etc. That’s alright, because I enjoy talking, for my own sake. Diogenes would be proud.

0rigins

As convenient, and perhaps clever, as it may seem to play 0rigins (aka Zer0) first, DON’T DO IT.  I hardline insist on you playing 3 before 0rigins, because there are some wonderful parallels that you'll only pick up on if you've experienced 3. One instance of Travis essentially saying the same thing that Heather does, just sends me~

Further, there is a reference to Born From a Wish in 0rigins. Born From a Wish is Maria’s scenario from the complete versions of 2.

The Central Storyline

As a franchise, Silent Hill is significantly (but not completely) divided into Odds and Evens, similarly to the early-to-mid stretches of Resident Evil. The Odds (which include 0rigins) comprise what can be described as the central storyline. The Evens are more stand-alone in nature, but can be folded into an omnibus conception/reading of the series.

For this central storyline:

The chronology is 0, 1, 3, 5 (i.e., Homecoming).
To get the most out of it, however, the order is 1, 3, 0, 5.

You CANNOT put 0rigins off until the end, if you were thinking of that; you need to see it play out before beginning Homecoming.

2 is referenced in 3's UFO ending, but you'll live, if you insist on skipping 2, like the world's biggest contrarian.

The Evens

To a degree, you can dabble in the Evens without having played some of the Odds. However, there tends to be references present in numerically and chronologically subsequent games in the franchise, to previous ones, regardless if they fall into the Even or Odd camp. I.e., later Odd games have no problem containing references to previous Even numbered entries, and vice versa. That’s probably a big “DUH,” but I’m saying it just in case.

4 has to be played after 2, as there are connections present between them.

There are references to 2 in 3, 4, and Shattered Memories. To see the (non-UFO) ones in 3, you need to be using a memory card with data from 2 on it, or to be playing on Hard.

The shirtless, bloody elephant in the room is Pyramid Head. Don't start with the 'Red Pyramid Thing' nonsense. Don't be that guy. That goddamn pretentious guy. I'm looking at you, Mezco. He's in 2, the movie, and Homecoming. You don't need to have played 2, to watch the movie or play Homecoming. He's an obligatory cameo in the former, and his significance in the latter is just that, his significance in that specific game. He is not unique to James, as much as even I once upon a time claimed, before catching myself and looking like a fool. Oh, past Neg~ You had good intentions, but Homecoming is sublime.

Downpour references EVERYTHING, including Shattered Memories. The culmination that it provides isn't in terms of a giant, overarching story. Though, the series can be read that way! I absolutely do, but it isn't that Downpour has a universe-sized plot point or event that suddenly makes it all a singular narrative. There's no moment where all of the protagonists show up. That's not how Silent Hill works. The series or the town itself, as an entity. Downpour is a very subtle payoff for being a fan of the entirety of the franchise.

Downpour really feels like the END. Like Tomm Hulett suspected that it really would be, and wanted to make a game that brought it all together. He succeeded. Silent Hill is a beautifully completed endeavor, if you weren’t aware, but that’s a story for another day. #Pachinkorules #Kojimadrools

Though, if you really wanted, you could play Downpour at any point. Those references can wait, if they must. You can even choose to forgo the comic series tied to it (Past Life and Anne's Story). Again, the Evens are the ones that are capable of standing alone, even though they do have some really great elements that line up between them. Really on-point parallels. Which, I discuss (i.e., spoil) below the cut, here.

Downpour ‘Complete’

There are two comic mini-series that tie into Downpour’s narrative, and arguably complete it. I personally only say ‘arguably’ because of my assessment of the overall quality of the first, known as Past Life. Regardless, it does provide one bit of information regarding Silent Hill’s postmaster, Howard Blackwood. I share that here. If you’re going to read Past Life (or the linked post), do so prior to playing Downpour. Read Anne’s Story afterwards, and please know that it identifies the canonical ending of the game.

It is September 29th, 2023 and I have JUST been struck with the significance of Past Life. Now. 13 years after the fact. I could be embarrassed, but nahhhh. 13 continues to be a lucky number, for me. I'll just say that it helps with that omnibus conception I've been alluding to, which is only natural given that chronologically it is the earliest piece of fiction in the franchise.

1, Shattered Memories, & The Movie

These three pieces of media are differing takes on the same story. The movie has an incredible amount of veritas, as Rose follows the path opposite to the one chosen by Harry. It also has large ties to Homecoming, as they were made around the same time. They, 1.) debut what came to be the most consistent manner of transition between the misty and nightmare sides of the town, going forward, 2.) share a significant interior location, and 3.) both bring the Order to the fore, after it having finally been explicitly mentioned as such, by name, in text, during the events of 4.

Play 1 before watching the movie.

Shattered Memories can only be played after completing 1, 2, and 3, at the very least. If you’re okay with foregoing the UFO ending until later, though, that list of prerequisites can be reduced to simply 1 and 3. There are phone numbers present (and callable) for locations in 0, 1, 2, and 3, but those are on the level of easter eggs. SM is a reenvisioning of 1, not a remake. I absolutely implore you to play it on Wii, if that is possible. It is so incredibly obvious that this is the intended way to experience it. The puzzles lose a lot of identity and seem ridiculously simple when not being completed with motion controls. Plus, the PS2 port has to take opportunities to load infinitely more than the Wii version. Both of these factors tank the incredible level of immersion offered by the Nintendo release.

Canon Endings

All of the games have multiple endings, which are incredibly organic, as they result from gameplay actions that flow seamlessly into these consequent outcomes. Most of the games have had their canonical endings identified:

• 0rigins' is revealed at the beginning of Homecoming.
• 1’s is made clear via specifics of 3’s narrative.
• 3’s is shared in a memo, immediately prior to the end of Homecoming.
• Shattered Memories self-substantiates, so to speak.
• Downpour’s is presented in Anne’s Story.

It's worth noting that the endings forced upon you in your first playthroughs of 0rigins and 3, regardless of your actions, are the canonical endings. You have to play them again in order to get the other ones; your behavior only registers on subsequent runs. It is incredibly nice that they did eventually establish them within the fiction itself, though. This will come back up, shortly.

I argue that 4’s can be safely assumed via a general sense of logic regarding its potential events.

2’s is the most ambiguous, which is fascinating, given that it is directly commented on by someone in 4. They honestly provide nothing concrete, as much as they themselves may believe that they are. They actually raise a possibility that even 2 itself didn’t explicitly put forth!

The Most Basic Order

In order to pick up on every reference, it’s:

1, 2, Born From a Wish, 3, 4, 0, Movie, Homecoming, Shattered Memories, Past Life, Downpour, Anne's Story

My Suggested Order

...is not that different from the above. My only recommended change is beginning with 2 (and Born From a Wish). This is because 2 has the strongest individual story and should gut-hook a player, as a result. Beginning with 1 is a dicey proposition, for two reasons:

1.) The Bad and Bad+ endings are the most hollow and immediate endings I have ever witnessed in a game. To come all that way, only to receive THAT, could turn someone off of the franchise entirely. I have explained to people, in a non-spoilery way, exactly when to hunt around for the means to achieve the Good or Good+ endings, but I shouldn’t have to do that. Perhaps this is exactly why the canonical endings of 0rigins and 3 are unavoidable on your initial playthroughs~

2.) By itself, 1 is very much like a B-movie. Which, admittedly, some people will enjoy! However, please know that 3 retroactively makes 1 AMAZING. I cannot guarantee that someone will continue on with 3, if they don’t like B-movies, or especially if they end up getting the bad endings.

Ergo, starting with 2 is the absolute best idea. It should easily grab someone, and after experiencing something as compelling as 2, I’m willing to bet they’ll at least look up the good endings, if tragedy befalls them in their playthrough of 1.

The only (non-)issue is that you'll need to circle back to 2's UFO ending, after having seen 1's UFO ending. Don't sweat it.