Summary
As one of the mostprolific psychological horror game seriesof all time,Silent Hillhas quite a storied history, featuring numerous entries detailing a different protagonist’s experience in the eponymous town. Unlike other horror games, the characters who struggle against the forces of horror here are all ordinary people who have lived ordinary lives until they find themselves unwilling residents of the town.
With these characters being so grounded and realistic, one might think that there wouldn’t be many strong characters to find, but even the mist-filled streets of Silent Hill hold some unlikely powerful heroes and some very likely strong villains. These are the strongest among them.
The lastSilent Hillgame to be designed by Team Silent,Silent Hill 4is considered to bean excellent entry among fans. It sees Henry Townshend locked in his apartment one day, as peculiar chains manifest inside to bar the doorway. A large hole then appears in his bathroom - one large enough for a human to crawl through, leading to the monster-infested otherworld.
Rather than a monstrous creature defying all laws of human anatomy as the main villain, it is Walter Sullivan, a man raised by the cult who wishes to cleanse the world by completing the 21 sacraments, which is achieved in one of the endings. In the game’s twelfth hour, the player needs to take on Walter directly, which is not as easy as one might expect, as Walter can hit hard as well as dodge attacks. Taking him down will be no small feat, especially if players want to save Eileen from being sacrificed.
Silent Hill 3brought back the original plot line, continuing the life of Harry and Cheryl (or Heather as she is now known as) Mason. Heather is now a teenage girl trying to live an ordinary life. Awakening after an impromptu nap at a mall, Heather makes her way home and ends up walking straight into a nightmare, an all-too-familiar one forSilent Hillfans. She also has the misfortune of meeting up withthe cult known as The Order, who seek to use Heather as a vessel to rebirth their God.
But Heather isn’t about to go down without a fight, defying the Order and every other bad guy she meets along the way. Even when God is born through a different body, Heather just grabs her weapons and kills the thing, proving that she is stronger than God, not only in terms of physical prowess but mental fortitude as well.
Silent Hill 2took a break from the plot surrounding cults and the Masons, introducing players to James Sunderland, a widower summoned to the titular town after receiving a letter from his deceased wife beckoning him back to their ‘special place.’ His journey through the city is mostly fruitless, though he does meet Maria, a woman who closely resembles his wife, as well as other humans: Eddie, Laura and Angela.
For most of the game, players believe,due to James’s own narration, that Mary passed away from her disease, but the twist eventually reveals what really happened: James murdered his own wife, and thus, he learns to confront the truth. James also realizes that Pyramid Head is a manifestation of his desire to be punished, eventually saying he no longer needs him, as he has learned to come to terms with what he did and is now ready to move on with his life, showing true mental fortitude. Whether he deserves it or not to forgive himself is up for debate, but it is something James was strong enough to find the will to achieve.
One of the titles that wasn’t handled by Team Silent,Homecomingwasn’t loved by all fans, being a rather polarizing entry due to the curious inclusion of Pyramid Head, a monster personal to James’s story. But it was also home to Alex Shepherd, one of the series' more competent protagonists.
Returning to his home in Shepherd’s Glen from active military duty, Alex discovers that his mother is catatonic and his brother Josh is missing, who his father has gone to find. This leads to Alex’s entry into the misty town. With his experience in combat, Alex’s skill with weaponry has a solid explanation and makes players feel like, for once, they are playing a character who is a bit of a powerhouse. On top of that, Alex is dealing withinternal turmoil such as PTSDand trauma, which proves he also has the resilience to deal with these mental issues.
The doomedSilent Hillsproject is still missed by countless fans who were given a taste of what was in store withP.T., short for the playable teaser. The player wouldendure loop after loop of the same hallway, with events triggering during certain loops. One of the events was the apparition of Lisa, who would appear multiple times, and the best thing that players could do during such scenarios is try to steer clear of her.
Not only is she terrifying to behold, but she can be quite deadly in certain instances, and players will need to start again from scratch if Lisa gets to them. Players don’t even have the chance to fend her off before she snaps their neck, providing a grizzly death that proves Lisa has access to some impressive strength, even in her undead ghostly body.
This Otherworldly Beast Is Imposing And Intimidating
Pyramid Head is not only the most iconic creature from theSilent Hillseries, but he may also be the most iconic creature from horror games in general. His unsettling, unnatural design of havinga large metal pyramid affixed to his shouldersgives him an otherworldly feel, like the player and James are beholding something not of this world and something never meant to be beheld by a human who will live on to tell the tale.
Dragging behind him the huge great knife, Pyramid Head is a creature not to be trifled with, as he can and will kill James if given the chance. Though his movements are slow, his strength is unparalleled, and one swing from that mighty weapon would mean the end for any human. With no hopes of matching him in terms of strength, all the player can do when confronted with him is run and pray.
