Summary
TheSilent Hillseries has birthed one of the most blood-curdling fictional towns of all time. The mist obscures the road and what may lie ahead, permeating every crevice with oppressive tenacity. Even in indoor locations, there is no reprieve from the horrors that shamble through the fog.
These locations remain thick with suspense, and are places that some monsters call home. These creatures are all too happy to evict trespassers from the premises, but even without these creatures present, they would still be unsettling to explore. Aged, decrepit, and a shell of whatever former grace they possessed, these locations are the most terrifyingSilent Hilllocations.
Silent Hill 4: The Roomwas a departure from the previous games, introducing a new protagonist by the name of Henry Townshend, who awakens one day to find himself trapped in his apartment. Chains and padlocks bar his door from the inside, none of the windows can open, and all the other residents are deaf to his cries for help. But one day, a mysterious hole appears in his bathroom, which leads into a nightmarish otherworld. Henry witnesses the deaths of multiple people in these journeys to this nightmare realm, who are also reported dead in the real world.
There are many locations in thishellish dimension, including the infamous Water Prison. Many would simply think it a defunct water tower, likely once used by the orphanage given its proximity. The truth is far more sinister, as it was used as a prison for unruly orphans. It was also where The Order disposed of many corpses, an embodiment of tragedy and horror. It is also here Henry will encounter one of the most terrifying enemies in the entire series.
While on the lookout for his wife Mary, who posthumously wrote him a letter summoning him back to their favored vacation destination, James enters apartment buildings that have fallen into ruin. All the residents have abandoned their homes, and now it is left for monsters to run rampant through.
It is here that James picks up one of the most essential items in the game, the flashlight. He also meets some new monsters, includingthe series iconPyramid Head. Hardly anywhere is safe to travel. There are some truly startling moments to be had here, such as the deep and almost demonic whispers in one apartment, the awakening of the mannequins when James takes the flashlight, and the first glimpse of the red pyramid thing through a barred hallway.
Silent Hill: Homecoming
While recovering in a military hospital from an injury gained in service, Alex Shepherd is discharged following news that his brother’s missing. He returns home to the little lake side town of Shepherds Glen, but all’s not as he left it…
…his father’s gone, his mother’s catatonic, and the town is eerily quiet. His quest for the truth leads to the ominous Silent Hill and some dark secrets.
With a plethora of weapons available Alex must battle horrific monsters and deadly puzzles to find his father and unravel the mystery behind his brother’s disappearance.
The latter games in theSilent Hillfranchise were not handled by Team Silent, and instead entrusted to other developers to tell new tales of woe and horror in their fabled setting. One of these titles wasHomecoming, which was not widely loved by long-time fans. It brought back iconic enemies such as the Nurses, and to many fans' puzzlement, Pyramid Head. Alex encounters these monsters and more in the eponymous town after he sets out to find his missing father and brother.
Dr. Fitch’s office, which also doubles as his clinic, is one of the important locations Alex must explore. The inside seems abandoned until he encountersthe restless nurses, wielding weaponry in place of medical equipment, and eerily enough, a disturbing collection of creepy dolls. The clinic becomes even more frightening when it becomes the Hell Descent, its otherworld reflection. The Hell Descent is where Alex will find Fitch, but also his daughter, who transforms into a giant porcelain mannequin from hell.
No Amusement, Only Horror
Silent Hill 3
EVERYTHING YOU NEVER WANTEO TO SEE…Heather Morris lived a carefree existence until her world was suddenly turned upside down. Trapped and alone in the mystenious town of Silent Hill, Heather must fight sickening monsters to survive and uncover a terrifying connection between her past and her darkest fears.Featuring shockingly realistic graphics andra cinematic storyline,Silent Hill 3 brings unparalleled horror to lifes
All-new, terrifying adventure featuring a new female lead character
High resolution PC graphics possess even more disturbing detail
Breakthrough sound technology brings the chilling sounds to life
Frightening new environments to explore, including the Amusement Park, Subway Station, and Shopping Mall Battle grotesque monstrosities with all-new weapons, including a sub-machine gun and katana
Save at any point during the game
Continuing from the plot of the first game, players are reintroduced to Cheryl, now going by Heather, who is now a teenager full of sass and attitude. The Order seeks her out as a way of rebirthing their god into the world, and will stop at nothing. But by killing her father, they have made themselves the targets of Heather’s vengeful wrath.
Before that tragedy befalls her, Heather begins in a nightmare sequence within Lakeside Amusement Park, which appears empty apart from several bloody Robbie Rabbit dolls. The entire place is dark, and the floor consists of metal grates which she can fall through, and subsequently wake up. Heather returns here later in the game, but rather than enjoying the attractions, she is thrust into a world of true horror. The Haunted House segment has realistic corpses, and the rollercoaster can knock Heather right off the tracks. Even the carousel tries to poison her before she faces her evil alter ego.
The Series' First Major Location Is One of the Most Iconic
Silent Hill
In Silent Hill, you assume the role of widower Harry Mason, who is trying to get away from the pain of his wife’s loss by taking his daughter on a road trip. After a car accident on the outskirts of the resort town of Silent Hill, you regain consciousness to find that your daughter, who was previously asleep in the backseat, has left–or has been taken–from the scene. To find her, you must go into town and unlock the secrets that linger seven years after a tragic fire scarred the town.The game features formidable monsters, perplexing puzzles, a realistic 3-D town, and, most of all, an acute sense of foreboding caused by Silent Hill’s creative lighting and sound effects. The makers have included four different endings, based on performance throughout the game, so think, be quick on your feet, and hope for the best of all possible outcomes.
The firstSilent Hillgameintroduced gamers to a horrifying, haunting worldfilled with mist, monsters, and mystery. Harry Mason awakens near the town after a car crash to see his daughter Cheryl fleeing into the fog. He pursues her throughout the town, hopping from location to location. The first major point of interest is Midwich Elementary School.
The abandoned interior awakens a feeling of paranoia, as no abandoned building ever truly feels empty. And that’s before the Otherworld transition, which gives rise to a whole new hall of horrors. Even with the dated graphics of the bygone PS1 era, Midwich captures the feeling of that particular dread that makes people look over the shoulder, as the halls of learning become the halls of horror.
4Brookhaven Hospital (Silent Hill 2)
The Nurse Will See You Now…
While trying to stop young Laura from running amok through the dangerous town, James and Maria enter Brookhaven Hospital, an institute to treat those suffering with mental afflictions. Any medical facility is fraught with fear, as everyone feels nervous attending these places of death and disease. Even before meeting the monsters and witnessing the Otherworld transition, Brookhaven is one of the eeriest places to explore.
Then come the nurses, shambling towards James with uneasy, swaying steps, armed with weaponry. They have foresakenthe Hippocratic Oath, joining the legion of monsters in the lengthy bestiary ofSilent Hill.
3Toluca Prison (Silent Hill 2)
Descend into the Pits of this Hellish Facility
The locations inSilent Hill 2only grow more oppressive over time. The atmosphere and audio are designed to test players' courage and will, as James struggles in a similar way. The prison is one of the latter areas he explores, and one of the most dreadful.
Beneath the Historical Society, way down into the abyss, lies Toluca Prison. It’s a world of dilapidation, rust, and ghosts of the past. Old cells and ruined rooms suffer from abandonment, and multiple holes seem to descend to impossible depths. The prison seems like an improbability, a trick of James’s fraught mind. Yet everything here seems so visceral. The threats do not feel like hallucinations, and this only furthers the terror as players descend into hell.
Though the full game never saw the light of day and the playable teaser was pulled from the PlayStation store, the memory ofSilent Hillslives on in the memories of fans. Playing infirst-person perspective for the first timein the series, the player guides the unnamed protagonist through the looping hallways of a house, listening to the story drip-fed to them with each loop. The game only grew more deranged and terrifying each time.
Even the empty hallways were enough to invoke fear. The game slowly reveals that something horrible has happened, and the player character is doomed to wander the same section of the house over and over. In some cases, they weren’t alone. A fetus would appear in the sink of the bathroom. A fridge is strung up by chains as something screams and thrashes for release. Worse, Lisa would be awaiting them with her twisted grin. In whatever way it appeared, the house remains as the most frightening location in the series.
1The Town Of Silent Hill
The Town Itself Seems Like an Evil Entity
It’s impossible to discuss the scariest locations in theSilent Hillfranchise withoutmentioning the town itself. This is where the heart of every game takes place, containing a cornucopia of terrifying monsters and heart-stopping scenes. Every game in the series features that ever-present fog that hides the roads ahead, and whatever may be on them. The town also consists of all the terrifying locations players will visit, such as the apartments, clinic, or the elementary school.
Knowing the history of the town also lends a shroud of tragedy that reinforces the horrors. Silent Hill has a way of calling forward its victims and letting the monster-infested fog claim them, as though it’s an entity with sentience.
