Silent Hill

[Star Classic]

Hi lads, could you spare a moment to hear a fellow autist out?

Silent Hill has been one of those series I've heard about, I've always been enamored with the music, and people tend to hallmark it as "one of the greats" in terms of quality. I hadn't really felt the urge to play them though until recently but trying to play it is just a headache and a half, or at least a headache and a half because I'm making it one. Unfortunately for my wallet I've recently come around to the whole idea of physical media over digital, so now an emulator or PC port is to me an inadequate way to experience the series.

Spoiler: Spergery about what I mean

To go into more depth I'm talking mostly about video games, I was playing GZDoom like 2 years ago and I just couldn't get this voice out of the back of my head that I wasn't really playing Doom since it was via a source port and not a true vanilla-esque port like Chocolate Doom, obviously you might say "well just play that then" and I did! I then promptly got the same feeling as before because it wasn't an official means of play (think like playing the game via the old DOSbox official Doom 1&2 steam pages before they got delisted)

Then the Doom 1+2 release came out back in August, I played that and that feeling of "fraud" I guess just wasn't there anymore, because it was an official port. Something like GZDoom just lacks the authenticity in a way I can't explain. Its even weirder since I know in my head that something like Chocolate Doom is a probably more "official" experience than the 25th Anni port since its closer to 1993 than that but I dunno. Is that incredibly autistic? probably, I wish I wasn't effected by it. But I am.

I dunno, I just can't really play an emulated game without going "this isn't right" even though the game I'm playing looks better emulated, probably runs better, and maybe even plays better. Its just one of those tendencies I have.

(I'm not one to apply to this to other people nor am I saying anything against emulation/ROMs. If emulation is your preferred way to play than by all means carry on, Lord knows your wallet is probably more full than mine because of it)

I would seek the games out but the prices are just egregious, no game is surely worth 250 dollars, and all of these are around that same price tag? Adding up the 5 titles in the series I wanted to play that's about 1000 dollars, just insane. I've usually stopped by a game store if there's one in an area I'm traveling in, but no dice on those, well, unless you count the post Team Silent games like Downpour. I've yet to check my local store but I doubt it will be a different story. I know that you guys have probably heard this song and dance before, I know there's no way I'm the only one whos thought all this. Is this because of some legitimate scarcity on the titles US versions or is it all fabricated and its just a matter of them all being held by scalpers? Sorry but I refuse to pay such insane amounts for these games, no matter how good they are. Valve already felted me with the Index, I shan't have it happen again.


Anyways, despite my yammering I am willing to play them via things like the Enhanced Version of SH2 or GOG release of SH4, I also think I have that image from /v/ about playing the games on modern systems on my HD somewhere. No idea about SH3 though. I'm sure most of this comes off as ramblings but I just needed to scream into the void for this headache its caused me.

 

[Nameless One]

Just fucking emulate them. They are one of the greats but so are most of the retro market and believe me it's not worth investing in when you can download them in a few minutes and experience nearly a 1:1 ordeal if you're a CRT freak and employ the right Retroarch shaders. Emulators are Duckstation for 1, PCSX2 for 2, 3 and/or 4. The BIOS are all on internet archive. For SILENT HILL 1 try the uncensored PAL fan hack since it contains an extra memo that is crucial to lore that isn't in USA for some reason.

I don't recommend trying the Enhanced Edition of Silent Hill 2 as your first experience. Try the PS2 version greatest hits rom. EE is made for returning playthroughs and people already familiar with the game so they can appreciate or dislike the changes. EE is still based on the flawed and unfinished PC port so I think the PS2 version remains the definitive and intended experience. Enhanced Edition never fixed the fog in a way that holds a candle to the PS2 rendering effect. The developers built 2 for the PS2 but never nailed the fog and audio (and some other effects) in every port. With 3's PC fixes it can be better in every way since it doesn't use as much fog.


Use SOFTWARE emulator settings @Star Classic
The vulkan and other ones are inauthentic. Software is the real deal. Slap on a CRT filter and you may as well be playing the console, analog things and shit like composite effects aside. It's not on by default on emulators but it locks the resolution to the original, and runs 1:1 to the original hardware.

Emulation is generally the same as a real console and you can replicate everything perfectly beyond the controller gimmicks. You can still rebind aspects like pressure sensitive buttons as alternative inputs though. It's the same code and all. Just without worry about damages and other physical media pitfalls. It's nothing like GZDoom (I call it source doom) where its the game code running in another engine and has major differences in feel, it is the whole code on disc and on the virtual console. Now if you have some autism about this you're basically fucked unless you get rich.

 

[Star Classic]

Now if you have some autism about this you're basically fucked unless you get rich.

I'll most likely emulate them via the means you talked about. I may be autistic about the whole digital versus physical media thing but I'm also a cheapskate (although in this case I think its me being smart with my money)

Do you know anything about Origins emulation? I know that one is said to be the weakest of the original 5 but I figured it was worth a go as well. I don't know how different the setup would be due to it being PSP, and from what I've heard the PS2 port isn't as good (at least physically)

If I DO get rich though I suppose 1000 dollars would just a drop in the bucket. fortunately I think most of the games on my to-be-played PS2 list aren't as egregiously priced as SH.

 

[RIPRhongoBongo]

Seeing these prices make me glad I bought 2 and 3 when I did. I miss when secondhand PS2 games were affordable

 

[Lady Adjani]

PS2 era physical media prices have been hyper inflated for over a decade, thanks to retarded youtubers and “collectors”. If you spend upwards of $100 on these games you’re legit mentally challenged.

 

[Armor King]

Just fucking emulate them. They are one of the greats but so are most of the retro market and believe me it's not worth investing in when you can download them in a few minutes and experience nearly a 1:1 ordeal if you're a CRT freak and employ the right Retroarch shaders. Emulators are Duckstation for 1, PCSX2 for 2, 3 and/or 4. The BIOS are all on internet archive. For SILENT HILL 1 try the uncensored PAL fan hack since it contains an extra memo that is crucial to lore that isn't in USA for some reason.

I second this 100%, unless you're a crypto millionaire or something, just emulate old games, you'll save thousands, maybe ten of thousands of dollars, while also having the confort of playing all those games on one place. Specially with SH, you'll spend more time downloading the games that actually setting them up, it is that simple. At this point no one should trust Konami to do a re-release of the real SH games, so yous grab the ROMs and BIOs from the net and have yourself a grand ol time, slap a CRT filter for SH1 if you're into that. Other than that just enjoy the games and stay away from anything that isnt 1-4.

 

[Star Classic]

Seeing these prices make me glad I bought 2 and 3 when I did. I miss when secondhand PS2 games were affordable

PS2 era physical media prices have been hyper inflated for over a decade, thanks to retarded youtubers and “collectors”. If you spend upwards of $100 on these games you’re legit mentally challenged.

Most of the old game stores I've visited are like a dream compared to the online prices, even the consoles themselves are fairly priced.

 

[Nameless One]

I'll most likely emulate them via the means you talked about. I may be autistic about the whole digital versus physical media thing but I'm also a cheapskate (although in this case I think its me being smart with my money)

Do you know anything about Origins emulation? I know that one is said to be the weakest of the original 5 but I figured it was worth a go as well. I don't know how different the setup would be due to it being PSP, and from what I've heard the PS2 port isn't as good (at least physically)

If I DO get rich though I suppose 1000 dollars would just a drop in the bucket. fortunately I think most of the games on my to-be-played PS2 list aren't as egregiously priced as SH.

Origins is shit. It's not a real prequel to 1 and has a terrible combat system that favors melee. PPSSPP emulates it fine, just use software rendering because the shadows and other elements will break at higher res. the ps2 port version is a lot darker looking with lighting, has some issues afaik.

 

[Peep Plops]

Origins is shit. It's not a real prequel to 1 and has a terrible combat system that favors melee. PPSSPP emulates it fine, just use software rendering because the shadows and other elements will break at higher res. the ps2 port version is a lot darker looking with lighting, has some issues afaik.

Origins is hilariously pointless but I did find it amusing that according to it, Silent Hill has not just one, but two separate hospitals AND and an asylum besides. Quite a lot for what is supposed to be pretty small former mining town.

 

[Nick Obre]

All I know and care about Origins is that I like the Shot Down in Flames song, and there's a line about the protagonist in it that goes hard:

Your sacrifice
Wasn't wanted
Still, you try

He's got nothing to do with anything, but he gets roped into the madness of the town simply because he was passing by and tried to do the right thing and save a child from a fire.

 

[Captain Syrup]

Origins is hilariously pointless but I did find it amusing that according to it, Silent Hill has not just one, but two separate hospitals AND and an asylum

That’s the one thing I’ll give Downpour, they resisted the urge to add yet another hospital to the city’s already comical surplus of medical infrastructure.

 

[Nameless One]

That’s the one thing I’ll give Downpour, they resisted the urge to add yet another hospital to the city’s already comical surplus of medical infrastructure.

The final boss is a random big ass old dying man on life support that you have to shut down. And the story itself is a wet fart ripoff of 2 again, but even more vague and nonsensical. I like parts of the OST, and the caverns. Most of the characters lean too far into the "mysterious" and "vague" category while Murphy and the player has no clue whats going on, it gets old with the magical black Morgan Freeman Mailman fast and quickly turns into a slog of JJ Abrams writing where they can't write characters so they'll have them act strangely in a horror game. The fucking nun herself acts like the Mailman. What story are they trying to tell?! Who knows! Murphy's son died... and thats about it. And he has a pyramid head Bogeyman counterpart but with a gas mask... lovely. Only interesting part was the planned DLC for Anne with the PC port which was canned and had to be turned into a mediocre comic.

 

[Quijibo69]

PS2 era physical media prices have been hyper inflated for over a decade, thanks to retarded youtubers and “collectors”. If you spend upwards of $100 on these games you’re legit mentally challenged.

About 10 or 15 years ago I used to go resale shops and looked for games worth money for cheap. That's how I ended up with 3 copies of Futurama the game and any Silent Hill game I could find! You can't do that anymore!

 

[Nameless One]

Yard Sales may yield gems.

 

[Peep Plops]

The final boss is a random big ass old dying man on life support that you have to shut down. And the story itself is a wet fart ripoff of 2 again, but even more vague and nonsensical. I like parts of the OST, and the caverns. Most of the characters lean too far into the "mysterious" and "vague" category while Murphy and the player has no clue whats going on, it gets old with the magical black Morgan Freeman Mailman fast and quickly turns into a slog of JJ Abrams writing where they can't write characters so they'll have them act strangely in a horror game. The fucking nun herself acts like the Mailman. What story are they trying to tell?! Who knows! Murphy's son died... and thats about it. And he has a pyramid head Bogeyman counterpart but with a gas mask... lovely. Only interesting part was the planned DLC for Anne with the PC port which was canned and had to be turned into a mediocre comic.

Downpour was such a pile of piss I'm chuckling to myself thinking about it. Hilariously I somehow managed to get the ufo ending on my first (and only) playthrough and we couldn't stop laughing with my buddy when that happened. That is to say I still haven't seen how it's actually supposed to end nor do I care to.

 

[skykiii]

I would seek the games out but the prices are just egregious, no game is surely worth 250 dollars, and all of these are around that same price tag?

I have a slightly different perspective on this whole game price issue.

For me, paying high prices is something I would do... but it would have to be for a game I already know I'm going to like, or which I have some sentimental connection to but for some reason don't own a copy of.

In your case, it sounds like you've never played the SH games before, and so for you I would indeed just go with emulation, because it would suck if you paid that much money then wound up not liking the games.

And yes this situation is pretty much artificial, just like with Earthbound, the Silent Hill games are not even remotely rare.

 

[Miller]

His Oblivion Remastered video was pretty good too.

 

[Armor King]

I'm proud I haven't ruined my mental image of SH by playing only the real ones (1 to 4), but it has been smuged by the remake of 2 tho.

 

[Scarthew]

His Oblivion Remastered video was pretty good too.

This one was weak, it doesn't go into e ough detail

 

[Nameless One]

I have a slightly different perspective on this whole game price issue.

For me, paying high prices is something I would do... but it would have to be for a game I already know I'm going to like, or which I have some sentimental connection to but for some reason don't own a copy of.

In your case, it sounds like you've never played the SH games before, and so for you I would indeed just go with emulation, because it would suck if you paid that much money then wound up not liking the games.

And yes this situation is pretty much artificial, just like with Earthbound, the Silent Hill games are not even remotely rare.

I have to remind y'all that SILENT HILL 1 and 2 got the greatest hits label which means they got even more copies in circulation at a relative discount for PlayStation. SILENT HILL 3 sold $300,000+ in its lifespan so it's not rare either. Around COVID its price for a sealed copy skyrocketed to $375+. The retro market scalpers ruin everything and so do retarded fans who attribute an excessive value. I love the tetraology with all my heart, but it's absurd how hard to access the fans have made them. They make the hobby hard to access meanwhile TO THIS DAY YOU CAN GET DEVIL MAY CRY 1 AND 3 FOR THE PS2 FOR LIKE 15 TO 20 BUCKS EACH. The best graphical versions of the games! Also extends to METAL GEAR SOLID 1-3. I'm aware MGS is a larger series and the resell value is lower because of how accessible they are but there's no reason "fans" and retro faggots push these games to $300+. Stores like 2nd & Charles and some retro game stores may have them for better prices but its like finding a unicorn and most sellers are aware of how sought-after the first games are.