Some more spooky video game goodies for today, making a start on the reams of pictures from the Silent Hill 2 remake. Much as I love this game (both iterations, although the boss fights in the remake do outstay their welcome a bit), there's not really much I could say analytically about SH2 that hasn't been said before, so it mostly likely won't be getting a write-up in the same manner as that sleep-deprived chaos gremlin brain-vomit about Downpour that happened a short while back. If you're hungry for analysis, then I highly recommend Totally Pointless TV's video about the original Silent Hill 2; he goes into great detail there, with an enjoyable presentation style and a brilliant sense of humour. Go check out his channel, he's doing good things there.
So, onto the point of this post: this forest.
This is another game that sorely needs a photo mode because the environments here are really compelling, but any shots of them have to be cropped so we don't have James standing 'round like piffy on a rock in every single one of them. Also it would be nice to be able to nose around and see things from different angles, and investigate little details up close. In case anyone was in any doubt, I am absolutely
fascinated by environment design in video games, not only in the sense of "Oooh, pretty!" but also in terms of how it's used mechanically (such as using subtle cues like light and colour to guide the player, little tricks to give the next area time to load without breaking the flow of the game, environmental puzzles and all that delicious stuff), and of course, atmosphere and storytelling.
Case in point, I love how much this area feels like a forest that you could visit on a normal day out, complete with a picnic spot. Having the game spend a relatively long time feeling reasonably familiar and grounded in reality makes the surreal moments more impactful later on, and I always appreciate the way we're given plenty of time for the atmosphere to bed in before we start kicking monsters.
There are so many lovely details and features here; things like the fallen branches and hoofin' great rocks, scruffy undergrowth, escarpments and the claggy ground on the path all feel very convincing. We have to stay on the path, which is understandable - sodding off into the wilderness would rather interrupt the flow of the narrative and probably wouldn't add anything - but honestly, this forest would be a joy to explore more deeply.
Also it's slightly later on from here but something that amused me is our first encounter with a Lying Figure - now, I know this is an in-context vs. out-of-context thing, so I understand that James wouldn't have immediately thought "That's a monster" when he saw it, because he wouldn't have been expecting that. Even so, there's still some exhibitionist on the loose, stumbling around town with their bare arse out and our man there chooses to investigate, rather than leading with "Oi mate, get some fuckin' strides on!"
...
Well, his thirst for knowledge is admirable, I suppose.
no idea how to wind up this post after that train of thought, to be honest....
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