Silent Hill: Shattered Memories

From Silent Hill Wiki

Silent Hill: Shattered Memories is the seventh installment in the Silent Hill series. Shattered Memories is a re-imagining of the original Silent Hill for the Wii, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable, developed by Climax Studios and published by Konami. According to producer Tomm Hulett, "It's not a remake or a port. That's an important distinction. It really feels like a new game."

The subtitle Shattered Memories means shattering and re-imagining the memories of the player's experience from the first game.

The Wii version was released December 8, 2009 (February 2010 in Europe and Australia due to an inevitable delay). A Japanese release date is to be announced.

Contents 1 Plot 1.1 Endings 2 Characters 3 Gameplay 3.1 Psych Profile 3.2 Exploration 3.3 Phone 3.4 Nightmare sequences 4 Music 5 Development 5.1 Release date 5.2 Pal Box Art Change 5.3 Development Blog 6 Reception 7 Trivia 8 Glitches 9 Gallery 10 External links

Plot

Silent Hill: Shattered Memories begins with psychiatrist Dr. Michael Kaufmann preparing for a new patient. He pours himself a glass of whiskey, while his receptionist tells him via intercom that his new patient has arrived. Dr. Kaufmann acknowledges that this is fine, and tells her they can start early. The game cuts to Harry Mason, who has lost control of his car on the icy roads and crashes into a snowy embankment in a junkyard in Silent Hill. Upon awakening, he finds that his daughter, Cheryl Mason, is missing, and sets out to find her.

Harry searches the town of Silent Hill until he comes to either Diner 52 or the Good Old Days bar, where he meets Cybil Bennett or the Bar Maid, respectively. During a conversation with them, he realizes that he lives in Silent Hill at 1206 Levin St. and he receives a phone call from home. Harry comes to the conclusion that Cheryl must be at home waiting for him.

On the way back to home, Harry receives another phone call from home, indicating that someone else may be with Cheryl and that she may be in danger. Immediately after this, the streets of Silent Hill becomes consumed by the icy Otherworld. Harry soon comes across the Raw Shocks, who attempt to freeze him to death. Harry has no choice but to flee and after a chase, Harry successfully reaches his house on Levin St. Another session with the psychiatrist begins, where he discusses home and family life and asks the player to color in a picture called 'Happy Family'.

Meanwhile, in Harry's situation, he encounters a couple (Mike and Lucy Stewart) inside his house that he doesn't recognize. Harry asks for Cheryl, but they argue that she isn't there. When Harry claims that it's his house, the woman says that's impossible as they have lived there for 14 years. The man then shuts the door on him, locking him outside. A short while later, Cybil arrives, where she asks Harry to step down. She acknowledges that, judging from his license bearing that address, that things don't add up. Cybil then takes Harry along with her in her police car to the police station to clear things up.

However, before they reach the police station, the snow covers the car's windshield and Cybil leaves Harry to find their location, though Cybil never returns and Harry leaves the car outside into a forest. While exploring the nearby Orion Hunting Lodge, Cybil phones Harry to ask why ran off and Harry states that Cybil abandoned him. Harry decides to head back to Silent Hill, which is 2 miles away and hangs up on Cybil. Soon after, the icy Otherworld reappears and Harry flees from the Raw Shocks. Once the icy Otherworld disappears, Harry follows a path to Midwich High School's football field. Cybil phones Harry once again and he fibs to her, telling that his phone's reception went out. Cybil then directs Harry to the high school's gym (which is also used as a shelter during snow storms) so that she can reunite with Harry.

In Michael Kaufmann's third session, he discusses high school life with the player. Harry explores more of Silent Hill and Midwich High School, where he meets a woman named Michelle Valdez inside the school's gym. Michelle reveals to Harry that she once knew a Cheryl Mason who went to Midwich and shows him a photo of her and she resembles Harry's daughter, but older. Harry and Michelle enter the principal's office to find Cheryl's records, and in doing so, discover that they are the same person and that Harry and Cheryl moved to Simmons St. The icy Otherworld reappears and during his exploration of the alternate school, Harry learns that Cheryl was teased and humiliated at Midwich High. The Otherworld disappears and Harry meets up with Michellle.

Harry follows Michelle to The Balkan, a night club where she lives on the second floor. After leaving Michelle downstairs while he searches her room for her keys, upon his return he finds that a young woman identifying herself as Dahlia is sitting in Michelle's place. Dahlia seems surprised at his confusion, though isn't interested enough to explain anything to him. She tells him she came to pick up the SUV parked outside to take Harry to Simmons St. where he would meet up with Cheryl at his current address. Upon reaching the bridge on their way through town, Dahlia waits for Harry to lower the bridge from the control room. Before they can drive across, however, the Otherworld takes over, freezing Dahlia and then the bridge itself, which collapses. The SUV plummets into the river below, trapping the two inside. As Harry struggles to escape, Dahlia is motionless, still frozen. When Dahlia's SUV hits the bottom of the river, a Raw Shock slams against the back window and ice starts to take over the outside of the SUV. Writing forms on the windows telling Harry to give up. Depending on the player's actions, Harry can either turn on the radio and escape, or drown.

Back at the psychiatrist's office, he speaks to the player about death in his fourth session. Some time after, Harry wakes up at Alchemilla Hospital and is being pushed in a wheelchair by Cybil. She tells Harry the events he described never actually happened, and that he must have swam in the river and could have died.

Endings

Harry enters Dr. K's office while he's talking with Cheryl about Harry's death. Depending on the player's psych profile, there are 3 possible conversations that Cheryl can have with her father:

• The first is of her being able to let go of the painful memory of her father's death, where she states "You were with me for so long." to which Harry replies, "I always will be." He then smiles and freezes completely and shatters and Cheryl lowers her head.
• The second is of her not forgiving Harry for what he did when she was a child and refusing to let him touch her shoulder. In response, Harry said that she should forget him; he then freezes completely and shatters and Cheryl lowers her head and cries.
• The third is of her being delusional, where she tells her father "Dad. You are a hero. The man who died, that wasn't my father. That isn't who I remember. Those memories are all I have - you're all I have." Harry replies to this "I'm not even a ghost." Cheryl then hugs Harry and cries. Although Cheryl is happy, she still clings to her fantasy father in her mind and is delusional. This is similar to Silent Hill 2's Maria ending.

After Cheryl's conversation, there are 4 possible videotapes scenes that can play which vary on the player's psych profile:

• Love Lost - After scenes showing his past with Cheryl, a video of Harry telling Cheryl that it wasn't her fault for the divorce appears. With this, Cheryl is able move on with her life and outside, she meets her mother and walks away. This is considered the best ending of the game. [1]

• Drunk Dad - After scenes showing his past with Cheryl, a video of Harry being drunk at his house and yelling at Cheryl appears. This ending indicates that when Harry was still alive, his alcoholism negatively impacted his family. [2]

• Sleaze and Sirens - After scenes showing his past with Cheryl, a video of Harry on a bed with Michelle and Lisa appears. When they ask if they will dedicated his new book to them, he claims that he only does that for his wife and daughter because it's "only fair", to roaring laughter from the three. This ending indicates that when Harry was still alive, he cheated on his wife. [3]

• Wicked and Weak - After scenes showing his past with Cheryl, a video of Dahlia slapping Harry three times and taunting his novels appears. [4]

Additionally, there is also a 5th ending: the UFO Ending. [5] This ending can only be achieved on a second playthrough, where the player participates in a side quest that requires taking photos of 13 UFOs hidden throughout Silent Hill.

Characters

One of the main features of Shattered Memories is the varying personalities and cosmetic appearances of its principal cast, and the affects the player has on determining which of these they will experience.

Harry Mason's personality varies depending on how the game is played and the actions and decisions made by the player. One constant is his devotion to his daughter and his dedication to finding her, however other personality traits such as his levels of aggression and compassion will change. For example, should the player lean towards alcohol and anti-social behaviors when given the chance, he will demonstrate a more a aggressive and sleazy demeanor, and police officer Cybil Bennett will be more unlikely to help him. Contrarily, in other scenarios he is patient and grateful.

Cybil Bennett also shows a variety of emotional responses, ranging from somewhat abrasive and cynical to patient and understanding. When angered, she questions Harry's reasons for being in town and how his daughter came to be missing, and even asks to see his license. Her appearance has three possible designs; one that is more casual and revealing, another that is more attuned to her work and much more practical considering the freezing weather, and the last which is still formal, but her hair is down and she doesn't wear a cap.

Dahlia Gillespie, who is revealed to be Harry's wife, appears as a young woman in contemporary clothing, with a tattoo of a snake on her stomach. In one incarnation she has brown hair and and a loose fitting T-shirt that covers her midriff, as well as several necklaces. She has a very loose and independent personality.

Lisa Garland is a nurse who works at Alchemilla Hospital. Despite her cynicism, Harry Mason feels drawn and protective towards her. Her character doesn't vary as widely as the other protagonists, though her fate can change slightly and have a drastic affect on Harry's future.

Michelle is a singer who meets Harry at her high school reunion and decides to leave with him instead of waiting for her tardy boyfriend. Her appearance changes more obviously than her personality, with her dialogue changes being more subtle.

Gameplay

Psych Profile

One of the main new gameplay features for Shattered Memories is the way the world reacts to the player's actions. Different actions yield different results, in a manner more advanced than the simple "good or bad" responses that have been prevalent in most games that incorporate this mechanic. This will affect certain aspects in the game, such as what buildings will be open or closed to you, or who you will meet and what clothes people will be wearing. Real time decisions made by Harry, such as which restroom he enters first, affect the game in many ways.

As well as this, there is a sequence at the beginning of the game where the character is given a psychiatric evaluation by a psychiatrist. The mode here in first person, and the player must answer questions regarding their personality and psyche. They can nod or shake their head in response to questions. These will help determine certain elements and encounters within the game.

Exploration

The flashlight is a recurring item present in nearly all the Silent Hill games. It returns in Shattered Memories with improved visual effects, and in the case of the Wii, it is a major form of physical interaction that helps to keep the player immersed in the game. Rather than moving a controller's analog stick to maneuver the flashlight, the player will physically move the Wii Remote around, using its motion sensor capabilities to interact directly with puzzles and to aim the flashlight.

Changes to the exploration aspect of the previous games include that when Harry examines something, he vocally responds, a first in the series. Although the game is in 3rd person, the camera is fixed behind Harry during exploration, similar to Resident Evil 4. There is also more immersion in the game's HUD system as instead of switching to a separate item screen, Harry holds his phone in his hand instead. Loading screens were also completely removed in the game, and loading times when opening doors are very quick, almost unnoticeable.

Phone

Harry has a modern style phone which has a very important role in the game. The player can use it to dial many phone numbers that can be found on posters, billboards, signs, etc throughout their journey. The player can also receive texts and photos from others, including memories and traces of the past. Typically, the recordings Harry listens to reveal that not everything was as pleasant as it seemed.

The phone has a camera that can be used to uncover secrets by taking photos of the player's surroundings that can be saved in a photo gallery.

The phone has a map of Silent Hill with GPS (Global Positioning System) software allowing Harry to locate his position. Waypoints can be added, and Harry can even draw on the map in whatever way he sees fit

The phone also replaces the radio from other Silent Hill games, emitting static when Raw Shocks are nearby. Whilst using the phone, the player is still susceptible to enemy attacks, as well as being able to move. It is the main and only way to save the game.

Nightmare sequences

To add depth to the fear and tension aspects of playing the game, combat has been completely removed in favor of evading enemies during nightmare sequences. The goal of these nightmare sequences is to find the exit in a "maze" like environment as soon as possible before the Raw Shocks defeat Harry. In the Wii version, the Wii Remote's speaker acts like a radio, delivering static to the presence of Raw Shocks.

Certain doors, fences and ledges that Harry can interact with are highlighted by light blue-like frost. They are intended to show the player that they can go there; they should not be mistaken as the path to safety, as stated by Tomm Hulett himself.

The Raw Shocks chase Harry and seek him out at all times; they pursue him through rooms, over fences, under crawlspaces and drag him out of hiding spaces. However, there are a number of actions you can do in the world to evade monsters, such as jumping through windows, climbing fences and barging through doors while on the run.

If a Raw Shock becomes to close to Harry, it will jump on him and hug him, effectively lowering his body temperature. When Harry is grabbed by a Raw Shock, the player must move the Wiimote and Nunchuck both at the time in the direction in which the Raw Shock grabs them (e.g. If a Raw Shock jumps onto Harry from the front, the player must move the Wiimote and Nunchuck both at the same time forward.)

Harry can also knock down certain objects, briefly delaying his foes. Certain places such as wardrobes and underneath tables can be used as hiding places to try and avoid detection. If Harry is detected, the Raw Shock that discovered him will let out a scream, alerting nearby Raw Shocks.

During each nightmare sequence, Harry can find one or two flares to defend himself temporarily; the heat from the flares negatively affect the Raw shocks, giving Harry invincibility for about 15-20 seconds.

If Harry's body temperature (or health) is lowered enough (indicated by VHS-tape like effects on the screen and by Harry's limping), Harry will collapse. There is no penalty if Harry collapses, and Harry will return to the very beginning of the nightmare sequence.

Traditionally, the Otherworld in each Silent Hill game is unique to individuals, despite the recurring rust and blood-soaked environments of some of the later games. Silent Hill 4: The Room had many variations, and in Silent Hill 2 there were also multiple interpretations differing for each important character. This continues in Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, with the environment taking on an ice theme. Unlike the original game, the Otherworld here is consumed with ice and snow, and the monsters inhabited in this world react in a negative way to heat (i.e. flares).

Music

See Silent Hill: Shattered Memories Original Soundtrack.

The music in Shattered Memories is produced by Akira Yamaoka and is similar to that of the previous games in the series. Mary Elizabeth McGlynn has also provided the vocals for four songs in the game: Always on my Mind, When You're Gone, Acceptance and Hell Frozen Rain.

Gamestop offered a pre-order official soundtrack which contained 21 tracks from the game.

Development

Release date

Silent Hill: Shattered Memories was originally set to be released for October 13th, 2009 in North America and October 30th in Europe. In September 2009, Climax revealed that the release date would be pushed back to November 3rd, 2009. Around early October near the game's original release, it was revealed that Climax Studios pushed back the release date from November 3rd to December 8th, 2009.

On October 13, Konami announced that Shattered Memories will be released across Europe in February 2010.

Pal Box Art Change

On October 24, 2009, Go Nintendo revealed the Pal release box art was changed. The original version bore a close up of Harry's frozen face, his glasses angled. The new one is closer to the American release of Cheryl on the frozen swing, with a slightly different background and art filter, and the awards removed.

Development Blog

Late in the game's production, Producer Tom Hulett began a bi-weekly development blog, updated on Tuesdays and Thursdays, which discussed various facets of information regarding the making of Shattered Memories, as well as other Silent Hill related matters. Each blog featured a picture, usually a glimpse at in-game artwork such as Cheryl's sketches, or even a part of the script itself. The blogs were initially delayed, but eventually caught up in real-time.

Blog Gallery

June 1, 2009. The first blog.	June 23, 2009. A nod to the fans at Silent Hill Heaven.	July 18, 2009. Hulett gets a Pyramid Head plush for his birthday.	August 23, 2009. A glimpse at Cheryl's coloring book.
September 21, 2009. Poster art hangs in Climax's office.	October 13, 2009. The sign outside Sinister Pointe.	October 15, 2009. A glimpse at in-game artwork.	October 20, 2009. Artwork of the frozen Nightmare world, and Konami goodies.
October 23, 2009 brings us...Tomm Thumb. Har har.	October 30, 2009 gives us a snapshot of Cybil on a monitor.	November 8, 2009 sees Halloween celebrations at Konami.	November 14, 2009 takes place in UK Climax's foyer.

Reception

Reviews were mixed to positive. Positive reviews (80% and over) were given to the game by Destructoid (95%), Eurogamer (90%), IGN (86%), GameTrailers (85%) GameSpot (80%) and Nintendo Power (80%). More of the slightly positive to mixed reviews given to the game include GameSpy (70%), Game Informer (63%), 1UP (58%) and Gamepro (50%). The most negative review of the game was given by G4TV (40%).

The graphics were praised, including the detail of the environments. The flashlight was well-received, and GameTrailers commented that it gave "pixel perfect" accuracy. The Psychological evaluation system overall was also a well-implemented feature that gave the game a unique experience. The deeply emotional storyline was applauded by IGN and GameStop.

Criticism to the game included "overly simplistic" puzzles from 1UP and G4TV, and some reviewers found that the nightmare sequences were frustrating and unnecessary. Many reviews noted that the game was short, ranging from about 5 to 7 hours on a first play through. Some reviews such as Nintendo Power felt that the game had a "reduced emphasis" on horror.

Trivia

• Harry keeps a photo of Cheryl in his wallet, a sign of his devotion to his daughter.

• Shattered Memories is the second game to be released on a Nintendo console (the first being Silent Hill: Play Novel, released on the GameBoy Advance, which is also based on the original game).

• Shattered Memories is the first Silent Hill game to feature permanent loss of combat, as the game is meant to avoid confrontation to make the game more intense. This is similar to the Clock Tower series and Haunting Ground, where the protagonists flee their enemies instead of fight.

• When taking a picture of certain strange phenomena, the image may distort and reveal a hint or secret to Harry. This is similar to the Fatal Frame game-series.

• Also, posters advertising a "Camera Obscura" can be found in Silent Hill. The Camera Obscura is the camera wielded by the protagonists of Fatal Frame.

• Gamers who know art may have recognized that two of the three portraits of Harry found in the art studio were done in Pablo Picasso's style [6] and Salvador Dalí's. [7]

• Additionally, these portraits are of the original Harry Mason from the first Silent Hill game.

• The "choking game" mentioned during the school level is a real dangerous activity that is often practiced by teenagers in order to achieve euphoria.

• Inside the movie theater at Toluca Mall, Contra, Gradius and Rush'n Attack arcade machines can be found.

• Sid and Nancy is a real film about punk rock, drugs and sex.

• Players can call Konami's Customer Support Line at 220-8330 or 573 and hear an amusing response.

Glitches

The Wii version of the game is known to have a "gallery" glitch where the gallery is always "full" of photos, even if it has no photos in it. If the gallery is accessed, a message appears stating that the save file is corrupted and needs to be deleted. Fortunately, this glitch doesn't impact the gameplay in any way and the player can still take photos with their camera (they just can't be saved).

Another glitch can occur where the player can't move their flashlight, open the phone menu and open doors. If this happens, the player needs to turn off their Wii manually.

Sudden freezing in the game is also rare, but can happen.

Due to occasional slow down when Harry is crashing through doors in the Nightmare chases, sometimes the door won't open and Harry will go through it.

The solution to these glitches in the Wii version of Shattered Memories is to save often.

Gallery

See more concept art and screenshots here.

Shattered Memories' concept logo.	Shattered Memories' final logo.	Shattered Memories concept art.	Cheryl Mason in Shattered Memories.
Harry sits with a photo of his daughter.	Harry wards off Raw Shocks with a flare.	Concept art of a young Dahlia.	Harry talking to Lisa

External links

• Official Konami North America website
• Official Konami Japanese website
• Always On My Mind - A dedicated Shattered Memories fan site

Silent Hill Games
Main Series	1 (Play Novel) · 2 (port) · 3 · 4 · Origins · Homecoming · Origins · Shattered Memories
Spin-offs	Arcade · Orphan · Orphan 2 · The Escape
Production	Team Silent · Konami · Climax Studios · Double Helix