Silent Hill 2 Restless Dreams & Oddworld, The Munch Odyssey
After a well noticed release on PlayStation 2, the sequel of Silent Hill is weakened on Xbox in a special edition that is noticeably different from its original version. The principal novelty of this special edition consists of the contribution of an original episode featuring a secondary character of the game (Maria). With a limited life span (about two hours), this mode is above all a bonus intended to seduce the fans of the series, who won't be able to resist the idea of incarnating one of the most troubling character of the Silent Hill universe.
In adapting the game itself, Konami preferred to count on a direct but efficient porting of its original PlayStation 2 title. Silent Hill 2 on Xbox resembles a lot to the previously released version, which already tells quite a lot on its intrinsic qualities. We will underline all the same an optional cosmetic alteration, with the possibility to modify the graphic rendering of the game, by measuring out the effect of the grain, very present (voluntarily) on the PS2 version. This is a secondary option, because at the end, it has no major repercussion on the game and it contributes paradoxically to diminish the impact of the very special atmosphere of Silent Hill 2. However, even without turning on the option, this version of Xbox offers a sharper graphic rendering, and a modeling of the characters that is more optimized than in the PS2 version. One piece of advice: do not touch the grain of the picture when you play!
As for the course of the game, this version Xbox reuses the ingredients of the series which are immutable since the release of the first opus in 1999 on PS one. Reusing the principle of the horror adventure game made popular by the series of the Resident Evil of Capcom (specially the alternating between action scenes and enigmas), Konami was able to make the universe of Silent Hill stand out by creating a much more mature, even disturbing environment: ambiguous characters, a graphic charter worthy of the best horror movies and a hypnotic soundtrack (the original soundtrack of the game is by the way available separately). On the other hand, the game does not use the positioning 3D of the sound.
After the misadventures of Harry Manson who searched for his daughter in the first opus, Silent Hill 2 features James Sunderland, a man who got lost in the foggy city while looking for his wife, who died three years before. A letter from her invited him to come to join her in Silent Hill, where the main character is going to be confronted with the diabolical local creatures (zombies, deformed monsters, mutant nurses...). This new version is aimed in particular at the players who do not have the PS 2 version, and who will not be able to provide their Xbox game library with one of the best title of "survival horror" on the market, which is the only title of this kind on Xbox anyway. Only the enthusiasts will purchase a supplementary version that differs only by small details, and yet the collectors won't be able to resist (like the consumers of DVD Collector). Nevertheless, Silent Hill2 remains a unforgettable video game experience, to enjoy alone in the dark.
