Silent Hill: Shattered Memories is a memorable horror experience often overshadowed by the main series. A remake of the original Silent Hill by the team that created Silent Hill: Origins, Shattered Memories revisits the story through the frame of a character remembering the events in therapy. This framing allows for some clever twists to the original story, and the gameplay itself also sees some updates that significantly change the atmosphere. While not all of these changes were for the better, there were some good choices in Shattered Memories that future entries could learn from.
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories is most distinct from its predecessor when it comes to atmosphere. The distant, overhead camera has been switched out for a much tighter over-the-shoulder view. The series’ iconic fog is also missing, though the original Silent Hill’s ash-like white particles are correctly adapted as a snow storm that adds to the mood. Perhaps the reason for the fog’s absence is Shattered Memories‘ focus on exploration. While the original’s survival horror focus benefited from a limited field of view, Shattered Memories is filled with things for players to read and collect.
This attention to detail is perhaps what makes Shattered Memories truly underrated. Players have a phone that can take pictures, receive messages, and make calls. Over 50 businesses have phone numbers, and every conversation offers a bit of insight into Harry’s situation and the world of Silent Hill. Players can also find “echo” photos and messages, ghost-like remnants of memories and conversations. Like telephone numbers, these are all completely optional experiences waiting for players to discover. With the Wii version tying Harry’s flashlight to the Wii Remote, searching Shattered Memories‘ detailed environments feels authentic and incredibly satisfying.
Silent Hills: Shattered Memories’ Detailed Environments Still Hold Up
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories‘ VHS aesthetic for the in-game pause menu continues the attention to detail beyond the environments. While it could be written off as a simple design choice, it reinforces to the player that the narrative they’re experiencing is a memory replaying. By breaking immersion, Shattered Memories keeps the therapy framing at the forefront and forces players to consider whether they’re experiencing a reliable retelling of events.
The shift from Silent Hill’s danger lurking in the fog to Silent Hill: Shattered Memories‘ eerie, exploration-oriented stillness undeniably alienated some fans. However, in a market flooded with remakes and reboots, it’s worth acknowledging that Shattered Memories gets a lot of things right. The atmosphere is unique for the series, but a commitment to detail makes it consistently enjoyable with lots to discover. With rumors of a Silent Hill 2 remake by Bloober Team, it will be interesting to see if a more orthodox experience will emerge, or if they’ll take a page from Shattered Memories and attempt to reinvigorate the formula once again.
