It’s amazing the profound effect a video game can have on a person’s life. Even if it isn’t one of your absolute favorites, it can still influence your entire way of thinking for the rest of your life. Take Silent Hill . I’m a passing fan, but not a fanatic, yet it has completely shaped the way I view certain events and things in the world.
I came late to the series, as I didn’t really get into it until Silent Hill 3 . I owned Silent Hill 2 , after picking it up on sale, but somehow never played it or the original game until after the third had been released. My frends and I rented and experienced Heather’s adventures together, back in the days when Blockbuster was still clinging to life. Not because it was scary, but for the sense of community as we worked together on puzzles and experienced the story. Which is probably odd, given that the series is always lumped together with more frightening games like Fatal Frame and Rule of Rose . It was more that the environment was horrific, but the actual adventure challenging.
Curiously, my dedication to the series waned after Silent Hill 3 . I beat Silent Hill Origins , saw the original movie adaptation, played a bit of Silent Hill: Book of Memories , and tried Silent Hill: Homecoming , but never cared enough about the others to make a further investment. I haven’t even taken the time to download and play P.T. . I didn’t feel a need, even though I knew there were good installments I was missing. It was enough to know the games were still being made, and to eventually check online to see what had happened in the titles through others’ accounts.
Despite all this, Silent Hill is the first thing that springs to mind whenever the ambiance outdoors shifts. For years, my family has visited a small town in the Northwoods. Whenever there’s a cold, foggy, autumn morning, the atmosphere is likened to Silent Hill. Though I’ve seen the same sights hundreds of times before over the past 30 years, I never fail to get out my camera for images of the mist that has descended on the lake or town. Getting a shot where some person, car, or animal happens to be passing through at the time is a bonus.
When Halloween outings and events are mentioned, Silent Hill is always the comparison. A prison or hospital-themed haunted house is immediately likened to Toluca or Brookhaven. Fright-Fest at Six Flags is considered, because it would be like making a trip to Lakeside Amusement Park. Pyramid Head has become such an iconic character that it’s unthinkable to consider any event with cosplay without one.
It’s telling. Even if someone doesn’t keep up with a series like Silent Hill , it’s mythos become intertwined with our everyday lives. Even people I know who have the loosest ties to the series still have a habit of referencing it in certain situations. It’s heartening to think of the effect a simple game can have, especially at the spookiest time of year.