Opinions On Origins

[Cheeb]

I recently picked Origins up to play after enjoying SH's 1-3, and was interested to see what they could do as a prequel to the first game. But it really felt like a story that had already been told and felt like nothing new or even needed to be tacked onto the storyline as it was. And the fact it was graphically inferior to even the third game was pretty off putting. And the controls seems to become rather cumbersome. Even though I'm really not enjoying the experience, I've decided to battle on and get to the end just for the sake of beating it. But it made me think - what could they have done to have made it a better game? Personally, it should have been a much more original story then a guy with a dark past turning up in Silent Hill. Maybe even playing as Alessa in her own twisted mind could have been interesting?

What do other people think about Origins and how it could have been made into a more interesting prequel gameplay-wise and storywise? Or are people happy with it how it is?

[BLSR1]

I luv it

[Guest]

I thought it was ok, they surelly could have done a much better game (as a prequel), but it turned out to be a "no-answers" prequel (though I'm not sure about that, I didn't play the first silent hill, that's the onlly one I'm missing, so I don't know what was answered... what was answered??). I liked the game, cinematics where really nice (for PS2) and it was interesting how you colud: use a veeery large varaiety of weapons (I once thought it felt like dead rising, hahaha); pass from the "other world" to the "normal world" through mirrors when ever you wanted, it was a good gamplay mechanism; you could hit with your fists!!!!!!!!!! (I think you could... haven't played it since last year, so I don't remember much). Apart from that, everything was Ok or Bad.
What I didn't like was the story, it felt soooo random and "re-used", like: Spoiler:

show spoiler

"hey, I'm driving my truck, oh, a girl in the road! (- I hope something like this doesn't hapen to someone "latter"-... Harry....); I go into town, strange things hapen. Oh! I had a life here, I didn't remember (- I hope noone else forgets things and end up in this town onlly to find out they have horrible pasts -... James... Alex... maybe Heather can be considered too... seems like the "new" story of Harry too...).

Conclusion: good game, and it's not a bad silent hill game, it felt ok for an unecesary prequel.

[James]

Well, apparently, if you are a followed of the Silent Hill story, then what happened in Origins simply couldn't happen until, well, I think, the beginning of Silent Hill 1.

[Skunky]

I played it on PS2. I went in with rather low expectations but was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed it.
There's nothing especially great about it but I thought the atmosphere, FMVs and music were all pretty good and I liked that it was in wide screen. But I think the main reason I liked it was that it was very old school survival horror. It was simple but fun and I felt like I was playing an old game that I had missed.
I started it and finished it a few days later. Unlike SH:HC, which I started and didn't get very far before losing interest. It's still on my 'to do list'. Meaning one day I intend to pick it up again but I'm not in a hurry.

I've never been fanatical about the series but Origins made me interested again. HC has kinda done the opposite...

[Cheeb]

I think I went in thinking it was going to be drastically different to the other games, probably why I ended up disappointed. The one thing I did like was the fact the melee weapons are pretty much anything. When I discovered that you could use a TV as a weapon it made me laugh - bashing enemies with drip stands, toasters and alcohol bottles can make for entertaining stuff. Though I was annoyed that the katana that was a good weapon in previous installments become as breakable as the other melee weapons.

I'm only so far through, but from looking at walkthroughs the game is rather short - is this true?

[BadWolfX]

Bought it the other day and I've only played it a little bit...it's okay I guess. I'll have to play it more and give myself a chance to really get into it.

I don't like the whole "Enter the Mirror to get to the Alt. World" thing. I am wondering if there's some sort of storyline reason for that though.

[hellrizer]

I play it on the PSP and it was alright. Nice graphics for a PSP.

[Enrico Marini]

Its ok, enjoyed it more than the polished turd that was SH5. I didn't have any trouble with the respawning mobs (as I used Mr Hand and Fist for all enemies bar bosses).

It was too much of a clone of SH2 though.

[BadWolfX]

The Sanitarium is so goddamn big |:

[Guest]

The Sanitarium is so goddamn big |:

I thought the same at first, but then you see you can't go to most of the places. At first I thought that was good, but then I felt I wanted to go to does places (I think they were some corridors wich had lots of rooms, like in SH2s mental hospital)

[The John Doe]

Why do I always think "Hospitals" when I think "Silent Hill"?
Anyways. I found the whole idea of entering the alternate world whenever you chose to, instead of having it come to you, took too much of the fear and tenion outta the game for my taste. That's just me.

[The Ekamp]

Its ok, enjoyed it more than the polished turd that was SH5. I didn't have any trouble with the respawning mobs (as I used Mr Hand and Fist for all enemies bar bosses).

It was too much of a clone of SH2 though.

Whatever polish in that game do you mean? >_>

[Cheeb]

The Sanitarium is so goddamn big |:

Yeah, it really seemed insanely massive, but since you only explored so much of it in either worlds it could be forgiven.

Though makes you wonder how many psychiatric hospitals they need in Silent Hill. Well, with all that fog around these days, its no wonder everyone would go loopey.

[The Ekamp]

I think I cringed when I saw the Sanatarium map. D =

But then halfway through I realized that I've been in the East Wing the whole time, and hadn't touched the West Wing. I thought that would be closed off the rest of the time, til I found a door there = (

But again, fortunately, I was almost done with the place >_>