A tunnel in the Underpass.
The Underpass is a location visited in Silent Hill 3 immediately following the subway station and before reaching the construction site. Heather Mason must pass through the Underpass in order to get to her home on Bergen Street, as she is unable to directly access the subway. The Underpass is an area consisting of tunnels beneath the ground, and is associated with the local sewer system, though the majority of the area explored is away from sewage.
Design
The Underpass map.
As the name implies, the Underpass consists of dark underground tunnels of differing widths and angular placement. The area is mostly composed of concrete, and although the majority are long, narrow, and dry tunnels, Heather must eventually go deeper into the tunnels used for the treatment of sewage in order to escape. The doors in the area exhibit the usual aspects of the Fog World, being locked or broken beyond use, save for those on the necessary path. Much of the area also seems to be covered in local refuse and garbage, some holding uses in Heather's short visit. It is indicated that other people were working within the Underpass before Heather's arrival, and were killed by monsters brought through the Otherworld. The tunnels connect a certain area of the subway system with an exit at a construction site near the Hilltop Center.
Silent Hill 3
The control room for the sewers.
The Underpass serves as the connector between an unknown station and the construction site, inhabited only by Numb Bodies and Pendulums. When the subway car abruptly stops here, Heather exits and must then go through a door to officially enter the area. Upon descending the steps that immediately follow, the surrounding walls become painted with vein-like, dark strips of red, exhibiting an otherwordly quality, their condition worsening the deeper she ventures down the long stairway. This trait vanishes once she comes across the next door and enters the main, labyrinthine area.
Heather will eventually come across a ladder that descends into the sewers, albeit she cannot enter until the filthy water has been drained by activating the winch. To do so, she must obtain a wine bottle and fill it with the kerosene oil from a heater found in one of the nearby rooms. By emptying the oil-filled bottle into the tank and turning the mechanism on, the winch will empty out the sewers to a level in which Heather is capable of traveling through.
The monster seizes Heather.
Once in the sewers, Heather must attain a hairdryer and throw it into the bloodied water in which the dubbed Sewer Monster dwells; the device will electrocute and quickly eliminate it. Should Heather fail to do so, the tentacle-like monster will immediately drag her below the surface and kill her.
Beyond the bridge that the Sewer Monster lies beneath, Heather must only pass through one final sewer complex and two sets of stairs to come to the end of the Underpass, where there will be a ladder that leads to a circular hole in the ceiling.
Trivia
The corrupted Underpass.
Pendulum
The corrupted Underpass.
- When playing an Extra New Game, certain tunnels, not only the first one, start to exhibit otherworldly qualities. If the player is playing on Hard difficulty or above, Heather will feel the changes, and her health will slowly deplete.
- The first time Heather begins to enter the primal corridor, its walls will begin to morph into a bloody pattern with animated strips of darker coloration flicking about, and a heavy heartbeat can be easily heard. This may be associated with Heather's purpose in Silent Hill: To mother the Order's god. This is supported by the sounds and appearance of this hallways, which could represent a womb and the fetus growing within.
- When playing an Extra New Game, in addition to the above, the sewer water in the deeper tunnels will also be bloody.
Silent Hill 3 Sewer Fairy
Heather meeting the Sewer Fairy.
- When playing an Extra New Game, Heather will be able to throw her steel pipe into the water where a monster formerly resided and meet the sewer fairy. During this encounter, she can receive the gold and silver pipes.
- If Heather examines the train carriage at the Underpass, she will note that there is no driver carriage at the front, causing her to question how the train was moving at all.
The Slurper found below the bridge.
- Below the bridge that comes before the room with the hairdryer, the inert body of a Slurper can be found lying in the water. It could presumably be dead, however it is no longer present once Heather goes back across the bridge.
- There is an unused model of a pair of batteries in the game files. The item was located in the room next to the Sewer Monster. The item was possibly meant to be used for Heather's flashlight like it was in the previous game in similar circumstances or for the hairdryer.
- In the room next to the Sewer Monster's room, Heather says that some documents scattered on the floor have "today's date" on them.
Gallery
For a complete list of images of the Underpass, please visit the Underpass images category.
