Konami reacquaints gamers with evil... check in with our full Xbox preview.
Your big vacation is coming up, so why not spend your days relaxing at the luxurious resort town of Silent Hill? There, you'll be left in peace as the town will most likely be deserted. You're sure to have no problem taking in the scenery of a place thrown in hell - there will be plenty of bloodstained walls and corpses to make your stay enjoyable. Add to that the many exotic creatures of this region that really want to get to know you and you've got what sounds like one fun-filled vacation!
Of course, if this really is your idea of a dream vacation, you're probably long overdue for some time off. However, if you want to play one hell of a scary game, then Konami wants your attention, and they're doing their very best not to make you sorry. If Silent Hill X is anything like Konami's first effort on PlayStation, then gamers will be in for a frightful delight.
Silent Hill was just plain creepy. Period. Now that Konami is bringing the sequel to next generation consoles, namely X-Box and PlayStation 2, we should get an even creepier experience. While details for the X-Box version are sketchy, Konami has revealed a few X-Box exclusive features that include even better graphics and sound and the incorporation of the system's hard drive. How the game will utilize the hard drive is unknown at this point, but Konami is determined to make this an innovative feature.
Whether or not Silent Hill X will follow along the same lines as Silent Hill 2 for PlayStation 2 is unknown as well. Still, with Metal Gear Solid X essentially being the X-Box version of Metal Gear Solid 2 for PS2, it would be a safe assumption that Silent Hill X is a revamped version of Silent Hill 2. If that's the case, then Konami's well on its way toward serving up another horrific masterpiece.
Silent Hill 2 brings players back to the fog-ridden resort town, this time with a new set of characters. The protagonist this time is James Sunderland, a young man beaconed to Silent Hill after receiving a letter from his wife. The strange thing is, his wife has been dead for 3 years. Spooked yet? Well, it just so happens that the letter came from none other than Silent Hill, so you bet James is going to go and investigate. Once there, he meets a woman named Maria who bears a striking resemblance to his deceased wife.
Graphically, Silent Hill 2 for PS2 is looking eerily detailed and realistic. Konami promises the X-Box version will look even more incredible. From the PS2 shots, James will traverse the same foggy streets and grime-laden interiors that are the signature environs of Silent Hill. One screen shot shows a bloody mess in an unkempt men's room that visually conveys the spine-chilling experience the game provides. It's really great stuff.
It doesn't end there, though. The various creatures and zombie-like inhabitants will add more to the fear instilled by this game. We can already see that the zombie nurses make their return. With the power of the X-Box, the evil creatures of the town will prove to look even scarier.
Every element about this game seems to improve on the excellent aspects of the original. While there is no set release date for Silent Hill X, the sooner Konami gets this game out, the better, perhaps as a launch title. Survival-horror fans will welcome the chance to spend some time vacationing in the tourist trap of Silent Hill.
Robert Zuniga
