It's got some great atmosphere but I always felt like it's a cunts hair from being a sewer level with all the samey looking areas and platforms. The Business Complex or whatever you want to call it was my favourite because it's more visually unique and nails what I love about the games so well: exploring dark, empty, and normally busy mundane locations.
Or maybe it just had the strongest atmosphere next to 4. If you're going to make such a contrarian statement, consider breaking down why you think the bosses and puzzles were dumb and it isn't just (you).
I can't believe Silent Hill fans and MGS fans have been starved so much they don't even have expectations OR standards anymore because if they all voiced their opinion their franchise would go back to being dead. Same goes for every franchise now I guess. And then the pampered faggy writers and shitty teams go and say we're the entitled ones. It's all so tiresome man.
Genuinely, when was the last time you played 3? I'm not being purposefully contrarian. I was very, very excited for the game and felt let down by it. The game's atmosphere was great, but that doesn't make it a great game. I truly loved some of the set-pieces and think they're some of the most memorable in the series, I just wish the whole game was more consistent with its scare factor.
What? You don't like depressingly greedy and out of touch pyramid head pizza box costumes for James "Pillow Man" Sunderland? How dare you. Next you'll be telling me Maria should be sexualized more because that's actually her character, you evil bigot!!
Quite literally, only a few weeks ago on PCSX2 at native res with a CRT filter. It isn't the best one to me but I think people give it a lot of shit for nothing given that it has genuine gameplay and otherworld improvements over 1 and 2. I only noticed the take on /v/ and from staunch SH2 dickriders. The bosses were fine, did you play on harder modes or something? I can't blame you if you already dislike SH1 and its art, but 3 is a really good followup and ties up the town's story. Of course I do tick off points since it does not have multiple ending routes since it was likely rushed or too linear of a story to give alternate takes of and I can understand if people prefer SH1 and SH2's more open approach to the map whereas with 3 its mostly linear start to finish so theres less secrets and such.
This is without exageration what they needed to do following 4, in my opinion. Even today, i believe there's an audience just waiting for something similar to this "Scary Daytime" concept they mention.
I feel like its one of the less memorable ones especially in 3 which has some of the creepiest moments in any video game.
Its funny you say that the series is really good at making you never comfortable and finding solace in terrible places by comparison. That room is well lit at least so in a weird way its a breath of fresh air. Another weird thing you might find comfort in is anytime there's enemies around, when they're not around you're isolated in total silence and darkness with the bizarre soundtrack and ambient noises putting you on edge instead. Its a strange paradox where the noise from the radio thats supposed to indicate danger is almost calming because you're not left to the unknown and your brain's speculation.
Honestly, as much as I love 3 it still gets knocked down a bit by the highs and lows of sound direction for me. For every moment like the beginning to the Hilltop Centre where (similar to 2's horse galloping in the hanging yard) you can hear this out-of-place ultra high fidelity sound of something heavy being dragged around above you and it's just perfect, there are terrible, deliberately grating noises and sound effects just bombarding you almost constantly without letting you absorb the environments. I know SH1 did something similar and a lot of the soundtrack is abrasive to say the least but without doing any research whatsoever my hazy recollection is that things were a bit more restrained in it compared to 3.
I adore the way they deliberately hide some sound effects to areas you have to be in at least staring with 2 and ending with 4 maybe.
Turn off the radio you'll realize a lot of it is the new alien noises it makes. But its very clear that part of 3's sound (and visual) design are about overwhelming the player's senses till it becomes physically tiring. Its deliberate sensory overload and it fits well with the constant discomfort of headaches and morning sickness Heather's feeling.
I imagine Akira Yamaoka getting promoted to the role of Producer on 3 & 4 had something to do with it. Fewer people to hold him back from going a bit ham.
Its bizarre to me how many of these arent well documented. Like which ones are random, which ones are director's cut/greatest hits changes and which ones just have wonky triggers. Like the apartment ghost whispers in SH2 I think theyre guaranteed in DC/GH but random (or maybe buggy) in the original. But it seems all sources say its DC only.
