Silent Hill 2 Demo Playtest: GamersRadar.com

Special thanks to gamesRadar.com for the info.


As soon as the title Silent Hill 2 appears on a scratchy Blair Witch-esque backdrop, Konami\'s intent to unnerve is clear. There is a long uncomfortable silence before the soundtrack to the game explodes from your TV, followed by what sounds like a tap dripping into a steel bin echoing through the building in which you start the demo.

Stood in the entrance of what appears to be the deserted remains of a disused hospital, James carries very little. He has, to his aid, a small torch that will slightly brighten the dark hallways a few feet in front of him. Also at hand is his pocket radio which crackles loudly when you are in close proximity to the next monster that is threatening to put a rather abrupt end to your terrifying adventure. On the offensive front James comes complete with a practically powerless, but easily usable length of wood with nails driven through one end, and an only slightly more effective gun. Which, as expected, is constantly low on ammo. So, from the outset things do not look good for our little friend.

The lighting effects, created by your pocket-mounted torch, instantly create a horrifically moody atmosphere - it\'s almost the same technique used by Infogrames Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare, and given the graphical power of the PS2, is even more effective. The way the beam from the torch casts shadows over rooms, and objects, is often disturbingly realistic, making even the most innocent piece of scenery looks sinister. Point the torch towards the camera and you\'ll be rewarded with one of the most beautiful refractions ever seen on a console. Turn the torch off and you\'ll be thrown into complete darkness, in which the living dead will find it harder to spot you, but you\'ll also run the risk of missing those important clues and items - and, of course, being slaughtered. Ultimately, you are left with no choice but to leave the torch on and face all those beasts of the night.

The monsters in Silent Hill 2 are original and superbly created, leaving little to the imagination. Some are truly terrifying; one in particular looks like a naked, rotting man, violently writhing in a well-worn, blood-stained straight jacket. There\'s something very unsettling when you see him erupt a venomous gas into James\' face forcing him to cover his eyes and wince in pain. Another zombie that gave us the willies was one that collapses in a heap on the floor, after you fill it full of lead, and on approach scurries off at high speed to hide in the shadows. As soon as one of the little blighters is visible through the shadows the sound track booms and you\'re brought to your senses, feeling more afraid than ever, as you stupidly unload an entire clip into the advancing demon in a moment of sheer panic.

The sound track plays a major part in the development of the tense atmosphere, as you may well have guessed. The noises echoing through the hospital range from the sound of a pulley to a deep clanging sound. By themselves they don\'t sound too worrying but place them over the top of a strange whirring noise and, believe us, its enough to get the heart racing of even most hardened survival horror fanatic. At times the sound track will die completely leaving only the eerie sound of echoing footsteps, then suddenly it will explode back to life; as it settles back down you can\'t help but feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end.

The only real complaint about the demo is that there aren\'t enough rooms to explore. Most doors you approach end up, conveniently, having "broken locks". However, ultimately, this only serves to enhance the disturbing feeling of claustrophobia throughout the demo, which is already made apparent by the narrow corridors, small rooms and the poor visibility.

Graphically the game is astounding. The developers have deliberately given the game an overall \'gritty\' feel similar to that of horror B-movie classics such as Evil Dead, making some objects and monsters a little harder to spot. In contrast to that, sometimes the eye candy on display is simply stunning. Up close the background features look super-realistic, but the face on the lead character is what really sent our jaws to the floor. He looks so terrified and unpleasantly alert, that it\'s amazing. The expression cast over his face, combined with the Dualshock 2 pulsating in time with James\' heart, really does send shivers down your spine and, rather uncomfortably, creates a strange connection between character and gamer.

The in-game camera is superb, with strange angles adding to your unease. The way the camera follows you through the game, often changing height and direction, creates an unpleasant feeling of being watched. More amazingly though, a simple press of the R1 button and the camera will be sent bobbling off behind you to give a Tomb Raider-esque view. This \'bobbing\' effect perfectly replicates those \'jolting\' camera effects from movies such as Blair Witch, adding to the feeling of being hunted.

Though only around twenty minutes long, the demo is as satisfying as it is terrifying. With the release of the final game expected round the festive season you won\'t have to wait long before you can sample the goods and scare yourself witless. Be afraid, be very afraid... Silent Hill 2 is coming.

WOW! I still have to pre-order this one.  

The game\'s already at the top of my Most Wanted list.  And to think, SH2 isn\'t that far off....

I can already taste the sleepless nights that are in store this Fall.

Oooooooh...I\'m soooooo scared!!! no sarcasm, honest; this is gonna be one freaky mind-fu** of a game!!!

How far off before it hits US shelves?

this is going to be so disturbing. is it me or was silent hill scarier than any horror movie ever ?
if not will sh2 outdo anything hollywood puts out ?

haha. this game is gonna rule.. awesome pic too.

Thanx pstwo for the pic and text. This is going to be "horrible" . This kinda games scaried me more than the films.

We\'re supposed to get it in Europe for the 2nd of November...

Just hearing about this game makes me want to play it and not play it at the same time.  How freaky can you get man?  Naked old guys in straight jackets?? AHHHHHH.  Seriously though, I think i want to get my hands on this game before metal gear 2.