Visually speaking, Silent Hill 2 gets a noteworthy upgrade from the first Silent Hill. The quality and beauty of the FMV's is really amazing. The in game characters also look good, but that noticeable falter seen in the original Silent Hill makes a return, slighting the realism just a bit. Surroundings...well they're nice and all, but with fog obstructing most of your view they don't really stand out. Speaking of, the fog is laid on very heavily, much more than the first game. There've been quite a few complaints that the fog and lack of lighting detracts from the game, but not in my opinion. It makes you feel very uneasy when you hear the radio going off and can't see anything around you. The developers commented that they would add a small degree of "noise" to the graphics to give it a film-like look. It's something that works well in this type of game and also adds another measure of creepiness to the overall feel. The enemies lack a little bit of originality since they pretty much look and move all alike, but they'll still scare the crap out of you. Silent Hill 2's visuals are honestly on par with anything else I've seen on the PS2. Controlling survival horror games is like a disease with no cure. Konami may have found the right path, though. The control options in Silent Hill 2 give players unrivaled supervision on how their characters move. You can switch from the Resident Evil-esque 3D controls or you can pick the more direction-oriented 2D controls. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. For example, 2D control doesn't require you to change directions manually when moving, but eliminates the ability to move backwards, which can be a very useful tactic when fighting. 3D control allows players to continue moving without having to shift directions every time the camera angle switches and believe me, it switches often. However the slight pause when turning can leave James open to an attack. Combat is a tricky experience. James isn't a highly trained military officer with an array of high-caliber weapons at his disposal. He's a normal guy armed with a wooden stick. Eventually, players will acquire a handgun and a shotgun, but ammo can be scarce especially with the many enemies found throughout.

Silent Hill doesn't specialize in haunting melodies like Resident Evil does and the voice acting is as awkward as any I've heard, but something about the sounds makes my skin crawl. The small sound effects here and there mixed with the occasional musical piece is a spooky combination. The character voices are decent, but the lack of personality keeps them from standing out. The monsters, while not as vocal as those in the original game, do have their distinctive calls. The real scare of the minimal audio lies in the quick and sudden noises that catch you off guard.

The goal of every sequel is to offer the audience something bigger and better than anything seen in the original. Konami has succeeded in that aspect with Silent Hill 2 in alot of ways. The game is more visually augmented than the first, with a deeper plot, better gameplay and more interesting puzzles. However, something seems to be lost the second time around. Perhaps it's that we're more prepared for what goes on in the game than we were when we first sat down for a trip into Silent Hill. Maybe it's that with all the enhancements the game has received, the subtle charm that captured our attention has faded. It's something different for everybody. In my opinion, Silent Hill 2 wasn't as emotionally attaching as it's predecessor was. That aside, the game is still very well made. The scares are well-delivered and the suspense is excellent. Fans of the original will not be disappointed and newcomers to the series are in for a definite treat.

· · · Space Cowboy