Nov 9, 2007

Silent Hill has always been scary because of what it doesn't show you. It's the little things that get to you the most; weeping ghosts, implacable thuds, grinding machinery, that sort of thing. And while Origins is an admirable attempt by a Western developer to capture the magic of the Japanese-developed originals, it doesn't quite manage it. But that doesn't mean it's not worth your time.

It's the story of Travis O'Grady, a burly trucker (with a shady past) who finds himself lost in the foggy streets of Silent Hill after rescuing a girl from a burning house. That girl, as it transpires, is Alessa Gillespie, the demon-harbouring tyke responsible for the town becoming a rusting, blood-spattered hellhole.

As the title suggests, Origins is a prequel, set years before the events of SH1. Travis explores the Old Town area, visiting locations that will be familiar to anyone who's played the first game. But at first, his reason for being there's disappointingly vague compared to Harry's pursuit of his missing daughter or James' dead wife's letter. He gets lost, he rescues the girl, she vanishes, he goes looking for her.