Silent Hill 2 | Silent Hill 3 | Silent Hill 4 | Silent Hill 5

Silent Hill 2 (top)
Released in Sep (NA, Jap) and Nov (Eu) of 2001. Click thumbs to enlarge.

Little more than two years after the genesis of the series, Silent Hill made its debut on the PS2. This, of course, includes enhanced sound and graphics suitable for the scare-tactics that Silent Hill employs.

This time around, there is an entire new cast of characters, along with a new part of the town to visit, and new monsters to reckon with. You now command the role of James Sunderland, who is in Silent Hill searching for his wife. His dead wife, that is. What will James uncover about himself, and the horrific past of the once quiet resort town known as Silent Hill? That's up to you.

Silent Hill 2 is regarded as the most popular installment of the series, truly bringing the franchise into the high ranks of survival horror. Although we at Silent Hill Genesis obviously feel that nothing beats the original Silent Hill, Silent Hill 2 (known on Xbox as Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams, which includes an extra scenario) is definitely a worthy runner up.

We have at SH Genesis a walkthrough for Silent Hill 2!

New Weapons:	Wooden plank, hyperspray, giant knife
New Enemies:	Mannequin, bubble-head nurse, table monster
New Locations:	Apartment complex, prison, hotel

Silent Hill 3 (top)
Released in May (Eu), July (Jap) and Aug (NA) of 2003. Click thumbs to enlarge.

The third episode of Silent Hill decides to take the concept of fear to a new level. Pushing the power of the PS2, Silent Hill 3 delivers a new thriller, while keeping in touch with a classic, and focusing more on combat and gameplay.

Heather Morris takes point in this latest adventure. A young but lonesome girl, she is suddenly confronted with mysterious strangers and soon after thrown into the world of Silent Hill. Who's doing is this? And what does it have to do with her? As the story progresses, you will discover the dark truth about Heather's past and lead her to final victory over the forces of Silent Hill. You may also run into a few old faces and old familar places.

Silent Hill 3 is a more direct sequel to the original, and is therefore a necessity if you wish to uncover the truth. You'll also encounter a slew of new monstrosities in the process, with new features of the environments that will have you looking over your shoulder long after the power switch is turned off.

New Weapons:	Stun gun, submachine gun, maul
New Enemies:	Split-head dogs, walking cancer, numb bodies
New Locations:	Shopping mall, subway, amusement park

Silent Hill 4: The Room (top)
Released in Jun (Jap), Sep (NA, Eu) of 2004. Click thumbs to enlarge.

With an entire trilogy under its belt, Konami's Silent Hill has made quite a name for itself. The fourth chapter intends to take the series in new directions, while still returning to the roots to define horror gaming as it should be.

The plot is original, although somewhat predictable from the name. Protagonist Henry Townshend one day finds himself trapped in his apartment. The door is mysteriously chained shut, and there is absolutely no means of contact with the outside world. Eventually, he does find a way out, through a portal that leads to the world of Silent Hill. What is Henry's relationship to the neighboring town of Silent Hill, and what is causing these bizarre events.

It would seem that the plot of Silent Hill 4 resembles Silent Hill 2, having totally new characters with seemingly no previous connection to Silent Hill. However, based on evidence of new enemies to conquer and tougher puzzles to solve, it's apparent that this is advancement from the usual.

New Weapons:	Pick axe, golf club?
New Enemies:	Ghosts, double-head, wheelchairs
New Locations:	Forest, hotel, prison