Biggest Traditions In The Silent Hill Series

When the first Silent Hill dropped in 1999 for the PlayStation, it immediately made its mark on the survival horror genre thanks to its unique story, environment, and characters. However, since that first entry, the Silent Hill games have carried forward several trends, or ‘traditions’, that have gone a long way in making the franchise feel different from other horror games. Traditions can be anything the developers will purposefully bring back for each new game, whether it be a mechanic, theme, or even an enemy type.

Despite the Silent Hill IP being shared between numerous developers over the years, many of the teams have gone out of their way to feature these specific trends, which is important since many of them feed into the gameplay and overall tone of the series. Now that Silent Hill is experiencing a long-awaited revival with the huge success of Silent Hill 2 Remake, it’s time to reflect on the traditions that have helped to make this iconic franchise what it is today.

8

Unnerving Sound Design

Compared to many other survival horror games, Silent Hill has always been known for its atmosphere, and one way the developers amplify this as much as possible is through sound design. In the first game, players would be able to hear loud drums and slams in the background as they explore the town, creating an industrial-esque audio soundscape that managed to make everything feel just a little more off and creepy.

Silent Hill 2 would go even further by incorporating more ambient and hypnotic audio, along with including a few jumpscares here and there, such as the horse who can be heard galloping around the courtyard, or the whispered message in Room 209. Sound design would become such a prominent element of Silent Hill’s aesthetic that it would be one of the biggest priorities for every developer, which is why it is always such a standout feature in each entry.

7

Radio

This Handy Tool Is Designed To Help Players, But It Also Makes The Core Gameplay So Much More Terrifying

Once players pick up the radio at the beginning of a Silent Hill game, they will be able to detect whenever enemies are nearby thanks to the static noise the radio will emit. While this is clearly very useful, the fact the crackling noise from the radio will get louder and louder, even if an enemy isn’t in sight, simply enhances the fear factor of the games rather than making them more relaxed.

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Some of the games have switched out the radio for other items, such as how it appears as a phone in Shattered Memories or a walkie-talkie in Downpour. Regardless of how it may appear though, these items have shown up in every game to help give players a fighting chance by preparing them in advance for any nearby enemies.

6

Red Save Points

The Glowing Red Save Points Are The Only Safe Havens For Players In Silent Hill Games

A save point in any survival horror needs to catch the player’s eye when they walk near one. After all, these are the safe havens that allow players to take a quick breather, so for the Silent Hill games, Team Silent decided to make them bright red so they can easily be spotted, even from a fair distance away. Though they were only small red and white books in the first game, the save points would be much brighter and more visible in the second game and its remake.

Silent Hill 3 would tinker around with them again by making the save points red cult symbols which are far larger and harder to miss. It similarly takes on a red occult appearance in Origins and Homecoming, which were developed by entirely different teams, showing just how much of a mainstay this small but recognizable feature really is for the series.

5

Otherworld

If The Walls Start Turning Red And The Enemies Become More Aggressive, Players Have Officially Entered The Otherworld

There have long been debates among the community about what the Otherworld actually is, but regardless of whether it’s a second world or simply a warped version of the existing one, it’s terrifying all the same. The Otherworld first appeared in the original Silent Hill, and has become a recurring concept in almost every game since, but no matter how many times it shows up, it never gets any less creepy.

Players will know if they’ve entered the Otherworld by the blood and rust that will be splattered all over the walls. Additionally, since physics seems to not apply in the Otherworld, it results in all kinds of weird and creepy scenarios, such as the bleeding mirror in Silent Hill 3, or the clocks that rotate their hands much faster than normal in Silent Hill 4. Needless to say, the Otherworld is often the scariest part of any Silent Hill playthrough.

4

The Order

A Shady Cult Who Are At The Core Of Many Silent Hill Stories

Though there have technically been several antagonists throughout the Silent Hill series, many of them are connected to a much bigger group known as The Order, who act as the central antagonists of the franchise. This evil group believes it is their duty to deliver apocalypse to the world so the ‘loyal’ members will be sent to a paradise. In order to achieve this, the group commit some downright despicable acts to anyone who doesn’t follow their ideals, including abuse and torture.

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Outside of the second game, The Order has shown up in every single entry, including those not developed by Team Silent, and even the Silent Hill movie. However, they still manage to crop up in one of the endings to Silent Hill 2 when James pays them a visit in an attempt to bring Mary back to life.

3

Joke Endings

Players Can Always Unlock A Lighthearted Ending To End Things Off On A Comedic Note

All the Silent Hill games feature multiple endings which can be unlocked through particular means, but one that always makes an appearance, except in Silent Hill 4, is the joke ending. It all started when Harry Mason was randomly abducted by aliens at the end of the first game. Since then, aliens, villainous dogs, and even bunny mascots have all made appearances in the joke endings which have appeared in every single entry in the series.

For Silent Hill 2’s joke ending, James discovers that a cute little dog was orchestrating the entire story from behind the scenes from the very beginning. Meanwhile, in Silent Hill Origins, Travis hitches a ride with some aliens after they assure him his truck is on their planet. There’s literally no telling what weird and whacky secret ending is going to be included for each new entry, which is why it’s a top priority for many players to unlock them as quickly as possible.

2

Manifested Enemies

The Majority Of Silent Hill’s Enemies Are Conjured Up Through A Person’s Repressed Memories

Many of the grotesque and violent enemies seen in the Silent Hill games are products of a character’s mind. This trend started with the first entry, where Alessa’s repressed memories and fears manifested themselves into the many horrific monsters that players face during their playthrough. It was then James’ turn to conjure up some monsters in the second game, which represent his underlying feelings once Mary was sent to the hospital.

This trend has continued in every single game, and whether it’s feelings of anxiety, loneliness, or misery that a character is feeling, all of these negative emotions can be manifested into pure nightmare fuel which the player is forced to tackle head-on.

1

Silent Hill

A Fog-Covered Town That Is Full Of Nightmarish Horrors

Silent Hill isn’t just some creepy name Team Silent decided to use as the tagline for their series, as it actually refers to the quaint and creepy town that shows up in almost every single game. Though Silent Hill was once a beautiful getaway destination, it would turn into something much more nightmarish after the cult’s experiments tried to summon a demon god in the first game.

Since then, it has cropped up in nearly every game as a destination the protagonists, unwillingly, will need to visit. What makes the town so eerie is that, at first glance, it can seem relatively normal with its small cafés and peaceful parks, but with the whole area being covered in fog, it keeps players in suspense as they wonder what horrors could really be lurking around this long-forgotten town.

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