Getting into Silent Hill

[Delicious Anathema]

I want to start playing Silent Hill games and the only one I have access to now is Silent Hill 3.

Is this a good game to start with or should I play Silent Hill 1 to understand Silent Hill 3's story? Or wait for an opportunity to play Silent Hill 2 because it's the best one (I don't want to be spoiled by the time I play it)?

 

[Da pyro man 999]

Well, I think you could miss silent hill 1. I would start with 2.

 

[Cuddly Knife]

Part 3 has a direct link with part 1, so if possible, play pt 1 first. I would suggest playing them in the order released, all the way through 4. That's right.

 

[DrDeath3191]

I started on 2, personally. I'm not going to pick up another one until Shattered Memories comes out, which is a re-imagining of the first one. If the story is essentially the same, you might want to wait for November and pick up Shattered Memories.

 

[HardRockSamurai]

I'm guessing a lot of people are going to tell you to start with Silent Hill 2, seeing as it's considered the best game in the series. However, I'm going to have to recommend that you start from the very beginning, with the original Silent Hill on the PS1.

Sure, it may look like ass, and that may make it a little more difficult to be immersed in the game, but if you really want to live and breathe the Silent Hill mythos, it's the only way to go about it.

 

[VaudevillianVeteran]

I started on 3 also. It's a fine place to start but if you have access to play SH1 then play that first.

 

[Suda51]

play 1 before 3. I mean it they are part of the same story!

If possible try to play them in order, or wait for shattered memories as that is a reimaging of number 1.

 

[Biek]

The stories themselves are pretty separate so you can pick up any game basically. SH 1 and 3's stories are connected. So 2 and 4 are safe bets.

 

[A Weary Exile]

Start with 2 and play it in the dark it will surely scare the crap out of you.

On another the note the darkness levels get ridiculous at certain parts if you have a crappy TV so don't be ashamed to turn the brightness all the way up, it's still dark as hell but at least you can see what you're doing.

 

[Phoenix Arrow]

You can play Silent Hill 3 without playing Silent Hill 1. It's probably better if you don't actually, if you don't play the first one then you know as much as Heather does and you discover things with her.
I wouldn't bother playing Silent Hill 1 at all. There's not much point ultimately, just read up on the synopsis. Silent Hill 4 is poorly executed for don't bother there either. Origins is hard to take seriously and Homecoming is a steaming turd in comparison.
So play 2 and 3, doesn't matter which order. It's worth remembering that Heather Mason is FUCKING AWESOME and is my favourite video game character, nay my favourite fictional character of all time.

 

[JammasterJG]

i started with silent hill 2, if your really curious about silent hill 1's story, wikipedia it or summin

 

[Delicious Anathema]

Well, I'm done playing SH3, that game is shite.

Combat is horrible, the camera is drunk, the enemies have super long attack radiuses and the story is stupidly magnified much like RE5's was.

I had a better time with Resident Evil.

So, is SH2 better?

 

[child of lileth]

I'e been a huge fan of the series for a long time, and even though most people say 2 is the best in the series, I'd suggest starting with the original if you can. They have it on PSN now if you have a PSP or PS3 and you can get it for like $6. Just avoid Homecoming at all costs. I can't describe how horrible that game is in terms of controls, story and glitches. If you play 2, and watch the movie, you will be able to predict EVERY event in Homecoming.

3 is awesome, 4 is fun, but most fans hate it for some reason, and Origins is okay, but not great. But if you want the story in 3 to make a little more sense, you should play the first game at some point.