Silent Hill 3
| Silent Hill 3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio | Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo | ||
| Publisher | Konami | ||
| Senior Developer | Kazuhide Nakazawa | ||
| Erstveröffent- lichung |
PlayStation 2: May 23, 2003 July 3, 2003 August 5, 2003 Microsoft Windows: November 7, 2003 April 6, 2004   |
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| platform | PlayStation 2 , Microsoft Windows | ||
| genre | Survival horror | ||
| Game mode | Single player | ||
| control | Keyboard or gamepad | ||
| system advantages preconditions |
CPU : Intel Pentium III 1 GHz RAM : 256 MB Graphics card : GeForce 3Ti / Radeon 8500 32 MB Hard disk : 4.7 GB |
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| medium | DVD-ROM | ||
| language |
 Audio: English Text: German , English , French , Italian , Spanish
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| Age rating |
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Silent Hill 3 is a survival horror game developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo and published by Konami. It is a direct successor to the first Silent Hill part. The game was released on May 23, 2003 in Europe for the PlayStation 2 . A version for the PC was later released in Europe and North America .
Silent Hill 3 is the first game that Konami first released in Europe instead of their native Japan . Konami hoped this would stimulate the European video game market. In the first nine days after it was released, 20,000 units were sold in Germany , placing the game in second place on the sales charts.
Game mechanics
The game mechanics of Silent Hill 3 is based heavily on the gameplay of its predecessors; the three main game elements are fighting, exploring and solving puzzles. The main character Heather is controlled from the third-person perspective . The entire game takes place in real time, so opponents are fought directly. In addition, the player finds various weapons, such as pistol, knife, katana or a steel pipe, to face the monsters. Heather also masters evasive maneuvers and can block attacks by opponents. Ammunition as well as medicine and other items can be found in the area. An innovation compared to its predecessors is that dried beef can be found in different places, which can distract or lure monsters. In addition, the flashlight and the radio are again part of the repertoire. The latter begins to rustle when it is switched on and monsters are nearby.
At the beginning of the game you can choose between three levels of difficulty, which have an effect on the puzzles and the strength and number of monsters. The difference between the grades “normal” and “difficult” is very large. For example, a puzzle at the beginning of the game does not pose a major problem on the "Normal" level, while the "Difficult" level requires knowledge of five different plays by William Shakespeare . In addition, unlockable weapons and costumes as well as different endings ensure a high level of replayability.
Action framework
scenario
Silent Hill 3 takes place 17 years after the first part of the series. The protagonist is 17-year-old Heather Mason , Harry's adopted daughter from Silent Hill .
action
At the beginning, the protagonist Heather dreams of herself as she finds herself with a knife in her hand in a dark amusement park full of corpses and monsters. When she crosses this to find a way out, she is caught by a roller coaster, which abruptly ends the nightmare. So she wakes up in a restaurant inside a mall and finally calls her father to tell him that she is coming home. Just as she is about to leave the mall, she meets the private detective Douglas Cartland . Heather thinks he's a stalker , so she disappears into the ladies room. She leaves it through the window. However, the path is blocked on both sides, so she is forced to take a different route through the mall. This is now deserted. Inside a clothing store, she suddenly sees a creature that has just killed a person. Heather finds a gun in time and shoots the monster when it comes towards her.
As Heather continues to wander through the mall, she meets a black-clad woman named Claudia Wolf . She leaves Heather behind with the words that she should remember who she is and that she will lead her to paradise. As she steps into an elevator, she suddenly finds herself in a more nightmarish mall with blood-smeared walls. Nevertheless, she continues to look for a way out and meets a huge worm in the lower vault of the center, which Heather can kill in a fight. Then she finds herself in the "normal" shopping center and meets Douglas again, who confesses to having been commissioned by Claudia to find her. Heather is just her code name; her real name is Cheryl . She then leaves him in the mall and decides to take the subway for her way back.
The subway station is just as deserted, with the exception of the monsters. After crossing it, she reaches an office building where she meets a man named Vincent , who also belongs to the cult of Silent Hill , but has other goals than Claudia. Eventually she finds a way out and arrives at her apartment. In this she finds the bloodied, dead body of her father Harry . Heather follows the trail of blood to the roof where Claudia is waiting for her. She explains that she had Harry killed for trying to thwart the cult's plans 17 years ago. Heather then kills the monster that killed her father while Claudia disappeared.
Then Heather finds Douglas in the apartment, who offers her help. Heather swears revenge and Douglas drives her to Silent Hill in the car. He also gives her a notebook from her father, in which everything is about her past and the events in Silent Hill. During the ride, Heather begins to remember her past. Heather is the reincarnation of Alessa Gillespie, who gave birth to a god in Silent Hill , whom Harry killed. Claudia wants Heather to give birth to the god again.
When they arrive in Silent Hill , the city is deserted and full of fog. When Vincent told Douglas to look for Leonard Wolf , Heather searches Brookhaven Hospital while Douglas visits Leonard's house. When Heather finds Leonard Wolf, who is Claudia's father, he offers Heather help and presents her with the Metatron seal . However, when Leonard realizes that Heather is not part of the cult of Silent Hill , he turns into a monster and attacks her. However, Heather kills him in a fight.
Now Heather visits the church, where she has to go through the Silent Hills amusement park. She is already familiar with this from the nightmare in the mall. This time she can avoid the roller coaster and at the end of the amusement park meets her doppelganger, which she can also kill. Then she reaches the church and meets Claudia. Vincent tries to stop Claudia with the help of Metatron's seal. However, she first kills him with a knife. Meanwhile, Heather is in great pain, which Claudia explains with the upcoming birth of the god. Heather therefore ingests the liquid Aglaophotis . She has had this from her father since childhood and is supposed to drive away demons . Then Heather has to vomit the god in the form of a fetus . Claudia is scared and swallows the god to save him. The god then develops rapidly within her, but does not reach his full strength due to his premature birth, so Heather can kill him in a fight.
Heather ends up hitting the injured Douglas at the amusement park. Both of them can now lead a normal life, as the curse of Silent Hill has been lifted for them.
development
Development on Silent Hill 3 began after the release of its predecessor, Silent Hill 2 . About 40 people from Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo developed the game.
Many important factors influencing the game come from various horror films , including Jacob's Ladder , who strongly influenced Silent Hill 3 ; A subway station in the game is called "Bergen Street Station" - the station Jacob is looking for at the beginning of the film. The developers also referred to the horror writer Stephen King as another source of influence.
Character design
As with its predecessors, well-known actors and actresses were the models for the design of the characters. The protagonist should first be baptized Helen , which was later declared as old-fashioned and therefore someone else was chosen. She was later named after voice actress Heather Morris. Her appearance was modeled after the French actresses Charlotte Gainsbourg and Vanessa Paradis .
The detective Douglas Cartland is named after the American actor Douglas Fairbanks senior . The actors Giancarlo Giannini and Ian Holm served as models for his appearance .
Claudia Wolf should initially be called Christie , but the developers found him too cute for the role. So they named her after Claudia Cardinale . It was modeled after Julianne Moore . The final and used character was given a cold, dubious and opaque taint by the barely visible eyebrows.
The name Vincent is based on the actor Vincent Gallo . The initial sketches were based on Ethan Hawke and were intended to show a character who expressed disorder and moodiness.
synchronization
| figure | Voice actor |
|---|---|
| Heather | Heather Morris |
| Douglas | Richard Grosse |
| Claudia | Donna Burke |
| Vincent | Clifford Ripple |
Soundtrack
The official soundtrack for Silent Hill 3 , composed by Akira Yamaoka , was released in Japan on July 16, 2003. The song "You're Not Here", which is played during the intro, was later used in the game Dance Dance Revolution Extreme , as well as in the Silent Hill Experience for the PSP . It also runs during the credits of the film Silent Hill - Welcome to Hell . Most of the songs sung are by Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (Melissa Williamson). The song "Hometown," played during the credits, is sung by Joe Romersa .
reception
| publication | rating |
|---|---|
| 4players | 90% (PS2) |
| Bravo Screenfun | Grade 1 (PS2) |
| Computer picture games | Grade 1.42 (PS2) |
| play The PlayStation | 91% (PS2) |
| Spieletipps.de | 89% (PS2) |
| PC action | 78% (PC) |
| PC Games | 81% (PC) |
| Gamereactor | 9/10 (PS2) 7/10 (PC) |
| GameSpot | 8.4 / 10 (PS2) 7.6 / 10 (PC) |
| GameSpy | 4/5 (PS2) 3/5 (PC) |
| IGN | 8.8 / 10 (PS2) 9.0 / 10 (PC) |
Silent Hill 3 received mostly positive reviews, especially for the presentation, graphics, sound and generally for the horror elements. The PC version received slightly worse reviews than the PlayStation 2 version because the gameplay and combat system are not as good as other PC games. In addition, the gamepad support is not implemented well. However, CHIP Online held the high level of fun and the frightening atmosphere as positive.
Thorsten Wiesner from Golem.de particularly praised the game's graphics and described it as the best for the PlayStation 2 until the game was released. The graphics are brilliant and the textures are very detailed. The complex plot, the tension and the horror effects were also praised. Furthermore, the soundtrack is varied and the sound effects support the oppressive atmosphere perfectly.
Frank Roglmeier from Spieletipps.de described Silent Hill 3 as the scariest game and graphical milestone to date. In addition, Mathias Oertel from 4Players described the game as a “total work of art that is unrivaled in terms of narrative technology” and as a “relentless detour into the human soul”. In addition, the camera work is excellent. Only the slight playful difference to the predecessor and the linearity were criticized, although the horror elements excuse this. Another point of criticism was the short playing time. GameSpy's Bryn Williams said the game could be played through in a handful of hours.
filming
Silent Hill 3 serves as a template for the second movie in the series called Silent Hill: Revelation 3D . Michael J. Bassett wrote the script and directed. Filming began in Toronto on March 7th and ended on May 14th 2011. The main role of Heather is played by Adelaide Clemens .
Web links
- Official European website
- Silent Hill 3 at MobyGames (English)
- Making of Silent Hill 3 on Youtube (English)
- Silent Hill 3 at GameTrailers
- Translated Memories - lots of background information on the Silent Hill series
Individual evidence
- ↑ プ レ イ ス テ ー シ ョ ン 2: サ イ レ ン ト ヒ ル 3. In: Famitsu . Retrieved February 8, 2011 (Japanese).
- ^ A b Douglass C. Perry: Silent Hill 3. Surreal and grotesque, Konami's survival horror series follows familiar footsteps. In: IGN. August 5, 2003, accessed February 8, 2011 (English, PS2 version).
- ^ Richard Löwenstein: "Silent Hill 3": Successful experiment. In: Spiegel Online . June 13, 2003, accessed February 8, 2011 .
- ↑ a b c Chris Hudak: Silent Hill 3 Review. Disturbing horror comes to the PC in high-res gory glory. In: IGN. December 11, 2003, accessed February 8, 2011 (English, PC version).
- ↑ a b c Tyler Winegarner: Silent Hill 3 Review. (No longer available online.) In: GameSpot . August 6, 2003, archived from the original on July 17, 2007 ; accessed on February 8, 2011 (English, PS2 version). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ A b Kristan Reed: Silent Hill 3. In: EuroGamer.net . May 22, 2003, accessed February 24, 2011 .
- ^ A b c Frank Roglmeier: Silent Hill 3. In: Spieletipps.de . Retrieved February 23, 2011 .
- ↑ a b Thorsten Wiesner: Game test: Silent Hill 3 - Survival horror in perfection. In: Golem.de . May 9, 2003, accessed February 24, 2011 .
- ↑ a b c Silent Hill 3 Interview. An illuminating discussion with some of the principals behind Konami's horror adventure. In: IGN . June 12, 2002, accessed February 23, 2011 .
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Book of Lost Memories ( Translated Memories ( Memento des Originals from July 17, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to instructions and then remove this notice. ). Konami, 2003. pp. 66-67, Silent Hill 3 Character Commentary .
- ↑ SoundtrackCollector: Soundtrack details: Silent Hill 3. In: SoundtrackCollector. Retrieved February 23, 2011 .
- ^ A b Mathias Oertel: Silent Hill 3: Test. In: 4Players . May 26, 2003, accessed February 8, 2011 .
- ↑ a b c Spieletipps.de : Press reviews of the PlayStation 2 version , accessed on February 8, 2011.
- ↑ a b Spieletipps.de: Press reviews of the PC version , accessed on February 8, 2011.
- ↑ Henrik Bach: Anmeldelse: Silent Hill 3. In: Gamereactor . May 5, 2003, accessed September 4, 2011 (Danish).
- ↑ Keld Jørgensen: Registration: Silent Hill 3. In: Gamereactor . December 8, 2003, accessed September 4, 2011 (Danish).
- ↑ a b Scott Osborne: Silent Hill 3 Review. (No longer available online.) In: GameSpot. December 9, 2003, archived from the original on January 10, 2013 ; accessed on February 8, 2011 (English, PC version). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ A b Bryn Williams: Silent Hill 3. In: GameSpy . March 10, 2003, accessed February 8, 2011 (English, PS2 version).
- ↑ a b Allen Rausch: Silent Hill 3rd In: GameSpy. January 16, 2004, accessed February 8, 2011 (English, PC version).
- ↑ Silent Hill 3: The underrated horror hit. In: CHIP Online . January 16, 2004, accessed February 24, 2011 .
- ^ Basset on "Silent Hill 2". New details on the upcoming "Silent Hill - Revelations", which is to be implemented by Michael J. Bassett. In: Movie Jones. November 11, 2010, accessed February 23, 2011 .
- ^ In Production , Ontario Media Development Corporation. Retrieved February 23, 2011.
- ↑ Michael J. Bassett: It's a wrap. In: michael j. bassett's blog. May 14, 2011, archived from the original on May 18, 2011 ; accessed on July 22, 2011 (English).
