A dead person can't write a letter, it's illegal. Let's Play Silent Hill 2! [Finished]

[Cullen]

The Game

More than likely I don't need to introduce this one, but for the sake of being thorough; Silent Hill 2 is of course the sequel to Silent Hill and is quite possibly the most lauded horror game of all time and definitely one of the most iconic. Many popular horror games of the past couple decades owe at least a little to it for inspiration, with many referencing it outright. Now gameplay-wise, I personally feel it's a bit of a step down from the first game. While the game features improved controls (as much as you can have that for a tank control game), the pacing is noticeably slower, the weapon balancing is worse and unfortunately the game isn't quite as replayable as the first due to the aforementioned slow burn pace and lack of unlockables. Where this game succeeds is the atmosphere: the sound and visuals pull you in and surround you with amazing attention. If you play this for the first time in the dark with headphones, you're in for a real nail biter of an experience as this game is immaculate at keeping you on edge. It is one of the definitive horror classics for this and an absolute must play if you are a fan of the genre, if only to see where other games might have taken some notes from.

The Let's Play

Same deal as my Silent Hill let's play, we'll be doing everything. Every unlockable will be covered, all endings will be compiled, I'll do my best to address every relevant mechanic in the game and show off boss strategies, and we will be snagging that coveted 10 star ranking. For most of this, I will be using the original black label PS2 version as it's the only version of the game I actually own. This version lacks a couple extras that later releases of the game have, most notably the Born From a Wish sub scenario and the UFO joke ending. Thankfully, the PC version is abandon-ware, and an excellent HD conversion mod called the Silent Hill 2 Enhanced Edition is available freely online, and I have that set up for covering that content once the main Let's Play is over. With all that said,

The Videos

Part 1, We Just Got a Letter
Part 2, Slum Lord
Part 3, Pyramids, Pole Dancers and Pizza
Part 4, Malpractice
Part 5, Hell's Hospital
Part 6, Blind Leaps
Part 7, Daddy Issues
Part 8, Mr. Blue Sky
Part 9, Suite for Redeemer
Part 10, Dream Girl
Part 11, Dogsong
10 Star Run

[Cullen]

Part 2 is out! Getting through Wood Side apartments and the bulk of Blue Creek as well.

[Cullen]

Part 3 is up! After adjusting the brightness and contrast on my TV so I can better see what the hell I'm doing, we have a delightfully smooth part where I cover everything I want to and go completely damage free on a fight I was sure I'd screw up. Good stuff.

[Cullen]

Part 4 is out! A hospital exploration jamboree, James finds himself being bludgeoned with steel pipes, blade smacked off a roof and locked in a hideous room. Good times.

[Cullen]

Part 5 is up! Finishing up the alternate hospital, what better way than with an exciting chase scene right?

[Cullen]

Part 6 is out! We're at the famous part of the game where things go from just creepy to downright surreal.

[Cullen]

Part 7 has been posted! Going through the Labyrinth in this video, with the cutscenes encountered along the way veering even more into the offputting territory.

[Cullen]

Part 8 is up! A climax encounter for the game, and then we enter the final area. We'll be getting our ending for this playthrough next video!

[Cullen]

Part 9 is up! The end of James' journey and all the bosses that entails, but not quite the end of this Let's Play. Stick around for Born From a Wish!

[Cullen]

Part 10 is up! A change of pace, we check out the PC version and the special sub scenario concerning Maria that was added in the XBox and Re-release versions of the game.

[Cullen]

Part 11 is out! This is the last standard episode of the LP, covering all new game + goodies plus the additional endings the game has. Sadly there's less to say about this than there is in the first game, as there are far fewer unlockables in 2. I have the 10 star run rendering as I type this out and should have that posted by tomorrow.

[Cullen]

And for the finishing touch, here is a basic playthrough for how to get 10 stars. Thank you so much to everyone who watched, see in the next series!