Way back in the era of the PS1 a game released from Konami revolutionized the fledgling survival-horror genre made famous by Capcom’s Night of the Living Dead inspired game Resident Evil. This little game, following on the coattails of Konami’s “other” hit PS1 game Metal Gear Solid, was called Silent Hill. This game was what Resident Evil was not, super-uber scary. This game was guaranteed to fray your nerves, the game’s atmosphere and dark, occult themed storyline made it a classic, if somewhat overlooked. Fast-forward to 2002 and the release of Silent Hill 2 for the PS2. It was somewhat of a disappointment for fans who wanted to see what happened to the survivors of the first game, but SH2 was a great and frightening game in its own right. Now the day has finally come; Silent Hill gets its first proper sequel with Silent Hill 3, which is more frightening than ever.

    Set 17 years after the events in Silent Hill, players assume the role of Heather Mason, daughter of Harry Mason who was the hero of the original Silent Hill. Heather travels to Silent Hill to avenge her father’s murder by a woman named Claudia, who seems to be following in the footsteps of Dahlia, the villain from Silent Hill. Heather must come to terms with her origin and pick up the fight where her father left off. Having complete understanding of Silent Hill 1's story is GREATLY recommended, so just go play the game or read a plot guide. As this game has nothing to do with Silent Hill 2 or James Sunderland, SH2 is not a required play to understand this game.

    Gameplay is exactly the same as in Silent Hill 2, meaning your character still gets winded after running and fighting and moves somewhat slowly. Ammunition seems strangely low this time, so your melee weapons will get more of a workout this time. Puzzles are still of the logical and macabre sort, not the silly ones like in RE. Your arsenal will consist of a pocketknife, a mace(like a medieval mace), a katana, a handgun, shotgun and a machine gun, to name a few. The game also includes equipable items like bulletproof vests to decrease damage and a blocking mode. Loads of unlockables await those who have the shutzpah to complete the game multiple times.

    Graphics are among the best on PS2. The grainy “noise filter” from SH2 is optional, but the game looks way better with it off. Character models are very impressive and detailed, as are the enemies.The graphics go a long way toward making the player believe that what is unfolding on the screen is real.

    Now, getting to what makes SH3 shine; the atmosphere. God damn is this game scary. My older brother was playing the game in BROAD DAYLIGHT and he still yelled in surprise, and he is not an easy person to scare. That’s a testament to the unnerving atmosphere SH3 invokes. I’m not about to name examples and give people a heads up of what’s coming. Find out like my brother and I did, if you dare. This is one of the best Survival Horror releases since Capcom’s Resident Evil remake. SH3 will keep you up late into the night and will provide great company until Resident Evil: Outbreak, Resident Evil 4, or even *gasp* Silent Hill 4 (yes, its in development) comes out.