SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped

Mabel Munoz Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

Skyler Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

Cheryl A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

MaximumMadness Since the release of the original game all those years ago, the "Silent Hill" franchise has become something of a phenomena in the world of survival-horror gaming, quickly transforming into one of the most widely beloved and highly recognized examples of the genre. Through now countless entries and follow-ups or one sort or another, the series has grown beyond the confines of its humble beginnings and now exists as a media franchise unto itself. However, there is one constant that has always been accepted as pure fact... that no matter the quality of later sequels or spin- offs, or of spin-off media including comic- books and film, nothing has ever quite reached the quality and class attained by the original three games, released between 1999 and 2003. Some have come close... very close, even. But there's just something about that initial trilogy that rings true in the hearts of gamers as being pure.The third entry in the series, "Silent Hill 3" is one of the two fan favorites that constantly vies for the title of the best. And while I do think it may never quite reach the exceptional quality of its immediate predecessor "Silent Hill 2", the fact still remains: this third chapter in the series is an immense achievement and continues to this day to be one of the most frightening and harrowing exercises in pure horror ever crafted for a home gaming console. In every way exceptional, "Silent Hill 3" is a game that begs to be played and replayed over and over again, and I'm more than happy to indulge in it.We follow Heather, a feisty teenage girl who is haunted by disturbing nightmares of a treacherous and dark alternate reality to our own. Upon learning that she is being followed by a Private Investigator while visiting a mall one day, she attempts to flee, only to find herself gradually being pulled into a living version of her nightmare. And this journey will lead her through Hell and back as she struggles to discover what is happening and how to escape from the clutches of this seemingly demonic realm... Along the way encountering other characters who will slowly reveal the depths of the intriguing and twisted story she now finds herself in. And eventually, it will lead her to the freakish and haunting domain we know as "Silent Hill."Differentiating itself from the previous entry, "Silent Hill 3" is far more focused on story than character this time around, and it helps lend to some nice contrast that sets this entry apart and allows us to absorb it without the burden of comparison. It is established early on in the game that this is a definite continuation of the tale first began in the original entry (though to what end remains a bit of a mystery that I will not spoil), and when viewing it as a direct sequel, it's a refreshing return to familiar grounds with just enough different to set it apart. It features an extremely intricate and intriguing plot that relies greatly on the player's ability to interpret symbolic imagery and subtle storytelling, which gives it an infinite replay value in order for the player to pick up on new details.This is very much in my opinion the most disturbing and frightening entry of the series, thanks to it's absolutely mind-shattering use of atmosphere and design. Team Silent outdoes themselves yet again when it comes to the fear department, with perhaps the best-realized version of the iconic "Otherworld" in the entire series. With a predominately red-based color scheme and a new focus on creating environments that appear to be living and breathing in their own way, you'll be left on the edge of your seat on a near-constant basis, feeling yourself being pulled into the world alongside Heather. The creature design is also ramped up dramatically. If you thought Pyramid Head was the scariest monster of the series, wait till you get a load of what the team has in store for you here!Characters are a bit more archetypal here, but still never anything less than compelling and thoroughly likable in every respect. It's fascinating to suddenly shift to controlling a young girl for the first time in the series. Though there may be a degree of initial worry in how they will handle her character, there is nothing to fear, as Heather is extremely complex and never falls victims to any of the classic clichés available. I also highly admired the supporting character of Douglas Cartland, a Private Investigator hired to track Heather down for reasons unknown. He makes for a compelling and even touching character, and you learn very soon on that he will become one of your most invaluable of allies. And our new villain Claudia Wolf is just wonderful and an ideal foil to the charismatic young Heather. A recurring figure you'll continue to meet throughout your quest, Claudia is very much one of the most threatening forces in any entry of the series. Just a great cast of characters all around.All of this builds towards creating an absolutely stunning and deeply intense gaming experience unlike any other you have ever played. While I do think it might lack the emotional resonance of "Silent Hill 2", this in no way invalidates the game in any way. It's still a perfect entry in the series, and to this day is still well worth your time. Just be sure to bring a change of pants, because with how creepy this game can (and does) often get... you're gonna need it!"Silent Hill 3" is another perfect 10 out of 10 for the franchise.

newmoon96 ((States that is may 'contain spoilers' for safety reasons.)) Recently, I have just gotten into the Silent Hill games, I was determined to play it for years now, but, I never got around to it, just because, I truly never understood what it was about, and even though I have a love for all things horror, I didn't want to get myself into something I didn't enjoy. So eventually, I purchased the original Silent Hill off of Playstation Network, and devoured it in two days, I laughed, I cried, I screamed, I jumped, it was an amazing game. Three months later, Easter was coming, and I asked for Silent Hill 2 and 3, upon realizing the HD collection was cheaper, my grandmother purchased that instead. Though, I wasn't pleased, I didn't fuss over it, because it was still Silent Hill, regardless of new voice overs. After completing Silent Hill 3 to six stars, I have to say, I like this game more than the first, and the second. The story was as immersive and appealing as I hoped it was, and I was pleased to find out that it was a direct(not so direct?), sequel to the first game. Like the second and first, I too, devoured this game in almost one sitting. It features everything I loved from the first game, as well as little easter eggs to the second. Heather, to me, is one of the most appealing Silent Hill protagonists so far, just because she has one of the most appealing back stories, I won't spoil it for anyone who hasn't played, but trust me, if you enjoyed the others, you'll enjoy this one. Buy this game, play it, and love it, just like I did, treat it with kindness and respect, and it will do the same to you.

matthewwalker50 Very dark, and very frightening. Quite possibly the most frightening experience one will have playing a video game. One brilliant thing about the Silent Hill series is It's unpredictability. For instance, when you hear a noise and think a monster is there, It's actually just a sound effect to surprise you very sharply and make you panic and wonder. The Konami team do an exceedingly good job of creating genuinely scary sound effects that can have you on the edge of your seat, sometimes so sudden that your heart skips a beat. Although Silent Hill 3 isn't the best in the franchise, it is far from the worst. I would rank it as the 3rd best in the series after the 1st two games (In my opinion) being my favourites. The eerie, creepy, gloomy atmosphere is done again, really well. This is one of those rare games that can actually give you nightmares. The Lakeside Amusement Park, which is one of the oldest operating theme parks in America is incredibly eerie, especially when Heather 1st enters the park and falls to her knees in agony as she is giving birth to a demon god. Most modern horror of this generation (Again, in my opinion) seems to lack that "Fear factor" and just seemingly focuses just on the gory violence. Silent Hill 3 executes both these qualities, and even more so in terms of fear factor. Any Silent Hill fan who hasn't yet played the third installment to the series, is missing out on a great game. Highly recommended for any Silent Hill fan.

Haruka Sawaguchi Silent Hill-3 May not be the best in the series in my opinion *That would go to The Room* but it comes closer than either of the first two- which were already amazing games. Silent Hill 3 is were the series gains momentum, begins to define it's place, and truly begins to fix problems. Silent Hill 3 opens in a dream sequence, a bloody and ruined theme park. Deja vu for fans of the original. However in this sequence you die. When you wake up a weird old man appears to be stalking you so you escape from a bathroom window. Bad idea. You just walked into the portal between your quiet town and silent hill. In this transition, creatures stalk you till you actually get into the town. Silent Hill 3's story progresses slower, and so does the game. But it quickly gains speed and throws you into your worst nightmares. The music is the best of the series, and has the first uses of lyrics in Akira Yamaoka's music. Silent Hill 3's story is just as bizarre as the first 2, however it's best to be familiar with the first one too fully understand SH3. I would recommend highly recommend Silent Hill 3 to any survival horror fan.