THE HORRIFYING STORY OF PSYCHOLOGY AND SUBCONSCIOUS OF A POOR GIRL:

The Review of Silent Hill

There are lots of variations of stories. You can read them; you can visualize them, or you can just listen them. However, do you believe that you can be a participant of them? If your answer is “no”, I have to admit that you are not a big supporter of video games. The sphere of video games is mostly invisible for majorities or story seekers, but it is only a false prejudice.  Among all the platforms of storytelling, video games are the ones which promotes the opportunity of being participant. Players are playing major role to conclude the story by their own decisions and motivations. Another criticism towards video games is related to stabilize weak and non-original contexts in every game but some games can break this criticism by their story settings and themes. “The Silent Hill” series can be admirable example for that statement. Not just it is the pioneer of the genre called “survival horror” but also themes and symbolism in the game is at the decree of ambitious and classic novels. Furthermore, the story of Silent Hill was inspired by other major pioneer sources such as Stephen King’s horror novels, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s creatures and famous horror movies. First I would like to fulfill the background of Silent Hill in order to imagine what is the idea behind it and what it becomes, after that plot of story must be underlined for defending it against the criticism of ignorance and finally, explaining  metaphors, themes, setting and symbols is to demonstrate the different paths of storytelling and proving the fact of video games should not be underestimated.

Hill series have a special place at the bottom of my heart since it represents the first horror genre I have encountered. The atmosphere of story evokes my secret emotions which are at the midst of fear and curiosity. First game of Silent Hill was released in 1999 by Japanese video game company called Konami. During 1999, intention of Team Silent was to create a horror game that can compete with Resident Evil. However, their inclination drives them to design a game which was unique and unexperienced for gamers. They did not wish to reflect fear as the classic horror games or movies by putting lots of jump scares and tense actions. Instead of jump scares, they shaped the unknown and gloomy environments which reminds mechanical factories and dungeons. Akira Yamaoka also reinforces this environment by using the metallic sounds and frictional voices. The schema of Yamaoka when he hears that soundtrack was the days which he spent in dentist who he is afraid most. Therefore, it is obvious that the aim of team silent is to gain the horror from the worse experiences and distorted psychologies of the gamers. Moreover, this purpose reveals the plot of story that Silent Hill captures us.

Before introducing the events in the first game, I would like to jump into the history of the place named the town of Silent Hill. The town was a product of colonization and foreign visitors. In 17^th century, British soldiers discovered that there were local Indians that worshiped spirits called “silent spirits”. Therefore, the town was named as “Silent Hill”. After invading the town, they also figured that Indians were using a special flower that makes witnessing hallucinations for their rituals. The colony owners loved the idea of trading these with the settlers for cash. The result of this action was catastrophic. A fatal disease struck and forced the settlements to leave the town. Approximately during the 18^th century, some settlements decided to return the town for adjustments. The town was transformed into a prison camp that hostages in the Civil War were taken to. Brutal and insane methods of torture in that camps contributed to curse the Silent Hill with furious supernatural begins. When the war had finished, a South Dakota outlaw named Jeb Foster arrived the town along with his pregnant wife. This man has done awful things like homicide, torture, stealing and murdering innocent children for curiosity. However, his past has never let to leave him alone and the atmosphere of Silent Hill cause him to see the ghosts from his past. He suffered from madness and one of the spirits took over his baby as a messenger of karma. This particular incident was the beginning the cult organization which is called “ The Order”. The Order have maintained their rituals and plans in a secret way, but they dramatically managed to rule the town  behind the shadows for centuries. The faith of them was to bear a new god from this spiritual power and Dahlia Gillespie offered to sacrifice his daughter Alessa for the operation of forming a new god to defeat the corrupted one. Alessa had  serious burns in that time and sacrificing was acceptable. Although the rituals followed the orders of leader, something went wrong. Thus, Alessa’s soul split into two parts and leaded to born a new version of herself. The new baby or reincarnation of Alessa was adopted by Harry Mason and his unhealthy wife. They called her “Cheryl”.

Seven years after the failure of creation ritual, Harry Mason and Cheryl took a vacation to peaceful town of Silent Hill. Harry Mason had lost his wife because of a fatal disease, and still grieving. In the outskirts of mountain when he was driving, they saw police officer whose name is Cybil. She passed and ignored both of them. Two moments later, Harry realized that her motorcycle crashed. Harry distracted because of that and he was not looking at the road. The otherworld of version Alessa Gillespie tried to pass the road. Harry swerves his vehicle to avoid hitting her accidently and therefore, he was knocked unconsciously by the irreversible outcome. He opened his eyes with a shock that Cheryl had disappeared and there wasn’t any sign of where she might go. Harry left the car behind and started to search for his daughter. Chasing her through the narrow streets, he entered into a dark alley. The bright sky turned into a dense darkness and all of his surrounding was transforming the gloomy bloody realm. Suddenly, Harry was stabbed several times in the chest by creatures which were looking like children. Harry blacked out again.

Harry wakes  up in a dinner with police officer Cybil. He sighed and glared at the police officer Cybil who had crashed by a motorcycle. Harry took the advice from Cybil to empty his question marks inside of his mind. Cybil couldn’t give the all the answers Harry sought for. However, Cybil explained why she was here. Her mission was to determine the person who is responsible from illegal drug transportation. Before saying the goodbye to  Harry, she gave an advice to search his daughter in Midwich Elementary School. Harry eventually found his way to the school.

 

In Midwich Elementary School, Harry spent his precious time in the otherworld version of the school.  Harry was petrified and forced to fight against the previous creatures called Grey children or Mumblers. Harry suffered from the fact that these creatures attracts by the light from his flashlight. In the Otherworld school, he traveled to the boiler room which was occupied by Split-Head; a gross enormous lizard with its head split in half. With defeating giant lizard, Alessa appeared in the boiler room and gave the key which would open the way to Harry.

Harry was surprised holding a gift which Alessa gave it and abruptly the bells of church could be heard at the school. Harry considered it as a signal and traced the voice of church bells. He went inside of Church and Dahlia was praying at the altar. She talked about the fate of Silent Hill and gave the mystical item named Flauros. Harry wanted to ask some questions bothering him, but Dahlia refused to respond any of them. Harry existed to the church and crossed the bridge. He found in himself front of Alchemilla Hospital where he encountered with Micheal Kaufmann, a doctor who is as bewildered as Harry about the current horrible circumstances. The game offers to obtain a drug called Aglaophotis whose great purpose is later revealed. Unfortunate events were still following the path Harry was tracing, the dominant world in the hospital shifts to twisted alternative: Otherworld. The otherworld of hospital had similar visual descriptions that every object was colored with bloody red shade. Monstrous nurses infested in hospital. Along the way, Harry met with a nurse who was frightened  and knew what had happened in this town. Lisa Garland told the history of the town to Harry and warned him to stop looking for his daughter. Though she hadn’t finished all of her story, Harry was transported into fog world of Silent Hill. An unwelcome visitor came to him for asking a favor. Dahlia declared him as the destroyer of Samael, a strange mark he had seen in various locations, must not been completed. Otherwise, the new ruler of Silent Hill would be the darkness.

         

 

Harry was aware of that you cannot save the town by alone. That’s why, He decided to get help from Cybil and looked around for finding her. He returned the hospital for taking Lisa’s advice since she is the one who knows Silent Hill better than anyone he had met. Lisa suggested him to search her in the amusement park, but she did not tell the reason why. Harry followed the roads in order to arrive amusement park. However, He came across with Dr. Kaufmann on his way and his condition was slightly terrible since there was a creature on the top of him. In this moment, the game gave the first critical of option to player for choosing their own decision. Either you could let the creature to slaughter Dr. Kaufman or save him from this unfortunate dead. In any scenario, the plot of the game will change according to player’s choice.  For achieving the original ending, player have to choose saving the life of Dr. Kaufmann.

The game becomes complicated after that event. Harry arrived the amusement park, but he was distracted by the bright light which was coming from Lighthouse. He spotted that Cybil was in the Lighthouse and she was infected by some of those parasites that turns people into the creatures. The second critical decision involves in this time. Harry should kill Cybil or save her by throwing the drug he got from Dr. Kaufmann. However, original plot is based on killing Cybil without mercy. Then, Harry destroyed the last mark of Samael which caused Alessa to wield the potential and unlimited power. Again, and again Harry passed out.

Now, He found himself with Lisa and Lisa’s diary was on the bed. Harry reached and read it. He learned horrifying truths about Dahlia,Dr. Micheal Kaufmann and his lovely daughter Cheryl. They were the members of “the Order” and  Lisa was one of the nurses who was torturing Alessa before the ritual was happening. Lisa was possessed by parasite like other nurses and begged Harry to do not leave her alone. Harry hurried up and escaped from Hospital. His purpose was saving her daughter from Dahlia who wanted to transform her into a new type of God.

Harry was too late to prevent Dahlia to reborn the God. God was seemed to be brightest figure he had ever imagined. Dr. Kaufman interrupted the ceremony and aimed the drug to the God and God shifted his form to a Satan. In another words, Incubus had raised from the ashes of New God. Harry and Dr. Kauffman thrived to defeat that demon for purging to the nightmares of the town. In the ending,  Harry defeated the incubus and Dahlia had been killed by the crimson lighting of Incubus. Alessa gave a gift as a newborn baby Heather for tributing bold actions of Harry.

Although the plot can be thought as one of the cliché horror plots, eventually the symbolism and theme settings makes this game a masterpiece. In normal story structure should establish the background of its protagonist whereas Team Silent’s perspective is related to discovering the background of its antagonist. Every location, object and event allow player to learn the past of Alessa. The manifestation of creatures resembles the fears of Alessa. These fears are classified into two: Social and psychical fears. The child monsters are existed because they always stay away from Alessa as they consider Alessa as a freak and Alessa is isolated from social environment. Furthermore, nurses are the other fears in that category. Alessa imagine them as the slaves of the cult and the reasons of her pain. On the other hand, the psychical fears are associated with animals that Harry should kill in the entire game. Alessa is only likes one animal which is butterfly, therefore the transformation of Incubus reminds a worm which shapes a butterfly . The Silent Hill is a map of Alessa’s head, and the protagonist explores the unknown sides of her memories and past.

The Silent Hill is a video game that marvels many critics, authors, screenwriters and story tellers all over the world. It makes the first step to develop the story parts in video games and enriches the horror genres for every platform that exercises horror. If you are biased against the video games and find them silly, I advices you to play this game. After that, rethink your opinion deeply.

Farewell.

Y.O.K

The clue for next review: I am not going to come up with a riddle this time. I just mention that why I chose the next topic. Because of online courses I had this semester, I had a chance to distinguish the attributes of real teachers who they are and are not. So, I decided to write down a review about a movie which covers the real learning methods, teachers and poets in a narrow-minded college.