The Silent Hill series has been on shaky ground ever since development was taken from the original Team Silent. The Xbox 360/PS3/PC title, Silent Hill: Homecoming was greeted with an average reception from both critics and fans. The by-the-numbers PSP/PS2 prequel, Silent Hill Origins, developed by Climax Studios, met a similar fate. Climax Studios were given another chance, this time with a Wii re-imagining of the original Silent Hill. The result is Silent Hill: Shattered Memories.

Take note of the use of the word ‘re-imagining’ in the above paragraph. This is no simple graphical enhancement or remake. SH: SM is vastly different from the original title, making great changes across the board. Some of the characters from the original game and the basic premise of the story remain but from then on it’s very much a different game. What SH: SM succeeds in doing is taking the core ideas from the Silent Hill series – psychological nightmares, horror and general mind-trickery – and spinning a new experience out of it.

There are three main phases of gameplay in SH: SM. The first of these is the exploration sections and this is where players will spend most of their time. The game begins with Harry Mason, an average middle-aged American man, awakening from an unconscious state following a car crash to find that his daughter, Cheryl, is missing. Naturally he immediately sets out to find her. Armed with only a mobile phone and a torch, which is wonderfully tied to the Wii Remotes pointer, the player must navigate Harry through mostly linear environments while solving puzzles and furthering the story. As you’ve probably guessed from that description, there’s nothing too revolutionary about these sections in terms of gameplay, however they are fairly well executed. Puzzles are challenging enough to be engaging, but they really aren’t anything you haven’t seen before.

Perhaps the most interesting parts of these sections revolve around the use of the iPhone-inspired mobile phone. The phone contains a GPS function which is used as a map although given the linearity of the majority of the game you won’t be using this much. The phone also contains a camera function that can be used to take photos of various apparitions that you’ll encounter in the game. Once these apparitions are captured, you’ll receive a very chilling text or voice message that relates to the scene you captured. It’s somewhat distressing to come across a bloody scene, photograph it and receive a voice message outlining exactly what happened. As you’d expect, the phone is also used for receiving and making phone calls. In a nice touch, you are able to dial any numbers you come across on your journey.

The environments are as creepy as you’d expect and the audio is also excellent at creating a chilling, tense experience. Well, at first, at least. Unfortunately it doesn’t take long to realise that during these sections the player is under no threat whatsoever, so any genuine fear is quickly lost. It’s a testament to the excellent art and audio that overall tension and uneasiness is never really lost, but without any potential negative consequence, any true fear cannot be maintained.

Harry has to shop for dresses after hours to hide his dirty secret.

It’s not too long into the exploration that you’ll come across the second major phase of the game – the chase sequences. This is where things start to really get strange. The world becomes covered in a layer of ice and strange monsters actively hunt you down. In a somewhat unusual move, Climax Studios decided to remove any combat from SH: SM so all you can do is run. And run you will because if a monster does take hold of you, all can do is shake it off in a fit of Wii Remote waggling or you’ll be dead in seconds. As with most waggling, it’s clumsy and inaccurate, which is a real shame as the rest of the game controls so well. As I’m sure you can imagine these sections can become fairly frustrating, but fortunately they are always quite brief.

Undoubtedly the most memorable parts of Silent Hill: Shattered Memories are the therapist sections. It is here that the game makes it very clear that it wants to do more than just give you a few cheap scares. It wants to get to know you. It wants to get inside your head. Somewhat remarkably, it’s actually very successful at it. The therapist sections are played out from a first person perspective, with the player being directly addressed and questioned. Were you a loner in high school? Do you make friends easily? Have you ever been unfaithful? These are just some of the questions that the therapist will ask you, to which you can provide a response by moving the Wii Remote to mimic a nod or shake of the head. It’s quite unsettling to have the game directly question your past and personality. The therapist will also present you with some small tasks, such as plan your ideal school time-table or even a colour in a picture. There’s no right or wrong solution to these tasks, you’re free to do as you like. However, your choices will have a great effect on the way the rest of the game unfolds. Characters will appear differently, monsters will look different and story events will unfold differently all based upon your decisions. Absolutely every aspect of the game is subject to change based upon your responses. You see, it’s not enough for SH: SM to get into your head, it needs to play with you once it’s in there.

The chase sequences in action. It's best to run AWAY from these guys

In fact, that is the one area that the greatest achievement of SH: SM– it toys with your mind so easily. Throughout the entirety of the game you’ll be questioning everything. As characters are introduced in increasingly bizarre circumstances and events unfold in even more bizarre manners, you’ll never be quite sure what to make of it. Questions are raised, but never quite answered and they remain unanswered right up until you reach the final conclusion. To speak too much more of the story would be spoiling, but rest assured that the narrative is completely compelling right up until to the end. Unfortunately it won’t take long for you to reach this conclusion, with the game taking not much more than 5 hours or so to complete.

There’s a lot more that could be said about Silent Hill: Shattered Memories but, given the nature of the game, most of these are better left for you to discover on your own. The game is a little rough around the edges, most notably in the chase sequences, and many people will be turned off by the slow pace and lack of combat, but what is on offer is something that really should be experienced. Climax Studios have crafted a game that not only lives up to the Silent Hill name, but carves out a name for itself in its own right.

By Michael Henderson

Graphics: B+

The shadows and torchlight effect are brilliant, however environments look a little blocky.

Sound: A

Good voice acting, great ambient effects and a haunting soundtrack really help build the atmosphere.

Gameplay: B+

Well paced combination of exploration, puzzles and action. The only significant complaint is the clumsiness of the action.

Overall: A-

Silent Hill: Shattered Memories is an expertly crafted, unique horror game. It remains completely engaging all the way through.