Regarding the ending: I've come to view Silent Hill as something of a dialectic. Where we begin with one child who Harry views as precious and innocent, and another we discover to be a survivor of terrible abuse, who lives with a deep and abiding darkness within her. As we go through the story, we slowly learn that these aren't two, but one. Harry learns that this person is both things. The happy daughter he loved, who loved him back, and this person with such terrible pain. You can't have one without the other. Because they're parts of the whole. It's just the strange, illusory nature of Silent Hill that takes the metaphor and makes it literal. The happy ending is that he gets a new beginning. A chance to go forward with this understanding. Not to hide from the darkness, but to understand its cause. To have both the loving and happy daughter and the one that's filled with pain, and to know enough to be there for her in both modes. And because we've met Heather, we know that he did a good job of it.
A very interesting analysis. SH3 definitely gives this game's ending a better feeling, more hopeful, but I feel in the original it was a lot more tragic (and people at the time were a little upset by it, if you read letters from the era)
@@thegamingmuse yeah, I'm willfully interpreting things a bit. The ending is bittersweet, and I'm for sure focusing on the sweet part, in the full light of what we now know comes later. Without that context it's really easy to overwhelmingly taste the bitter.
I’m really glad you dove into the dichotomy of the biological mother being evil and cruel vs the adoptive father who is loving and goes through literal hell for his adopted daughter. I’m a big fan of the first movie but one big misstep the director made was changing to Rose because he didn’t believe an adoptive father would go that far for his daughter
Same. Then he had the idea to make Dahlia remorseful in the movie. The first game did a great job of subverting expectations when it comes to who is the typical “ideal, loving parent”
@@Genasidal agreed. For such a “diehard fan” he should have been more faithful to the source material. It’s like he was afraid to make any mother figure out to be a villain. Even throwing in “a mother is god in the eyes of a child” and making Cybil call out to her mother as she died. The first game has themes of unusual parent/child relationships not just motherhood
Absolutely fabulous work, Muse. This is... I mean, the density of information is absurd, but you share it so professionally and clearly that it enriches the game. One huge, excellently-done string of "oh, hey, THAT'S why!". Thank you so much.
I think its often neglected that a good horror story doesn't give you all the answers, which is something I very much appreciate about silent hill. Although sometimes I think its due to sloppy story telling, I think they intentionally left a lot of mystery in there which has definitely given the series legs since release
“Is this a real life?” “Or is this just fantasy?” “CAUGHT IN A LANDSLIDE.” “No escape from reality.” “Open your eyes.” “Look up to the skies and see.” The way silent hill forces you to face your fear of the dark, to swallow a pill of truth for the sake of your daughter, so magnificent to behold. The mind plays tricks, the dark hides both death and salvation. The connections made to literature and lore are very compelling. I love analyzing this game because it stems from deep rooted subconscious in concept and execution. This game isn’t at all difficult, puzzles simple, areas seemingly vast but small in reality. But…. The journey feels Herculean in nature. Fighting literal demons and giant beasts impossibly created. The sounds and the world force your imagination to run wild.
I'm always addicted to that cutscene in 23:36 , silently she stares at him ,with a faint smile like she's trying to thank him ,then she disappeared!..it tells alot , like she's telling him ,you don't know who i am ,but i know you better than anyone in the world , thanks for loving and caring for my lost soul ...in the movie by christopher gans ,there's a similar scene which was inspired from this masterpiece ...whished if you paused there and gave it a descent analysis ..❤
I still contend the cat in the locker is a nod to Schrödinger's thought experiment and alludes to the nature of Silent Hill, and Alessa, as existing in two states - dead and alive - at the same time. Furthermore, I suspect that the town isn't changing, as Harry experiences it, but rather he is shifting between states. Harry is stuck on the cusp between life and death as he explores the town.
@@thegamingmuseJust to be extremely clear, Alessa is projecting her very real nightmare, using her very real psychic powers, onto the town. This is an extremely horrifying and brilliant concept.
i really appreciate your analysis , it was really refreshing. especially how you managed to center alessa and the abuse she suffered and how i personally see the game based around trauma. understanding the underworld as her own creation and projection is infinitely fascinating to me.
I have watched many documentaries over the years about this landmark game, but this is one of the finest analyses I have seen of the rich symbolism and complex themes portrayed in the game. Bravo!
You should check out The Real Silent Hill Experience. There are 14 or so episodes dedicated to the franchise. There is a 2 hour segment on Silent Hill 2.
I think that if Alessa doesn't kill or hurt Harry it is because this is Cheryl. Ok, sure, it is Alessa, but as the incarnation of Cheryl. So Alessa doesn't just recognize Harry's good nature by following him through the game, she also has Cheryl's memories of her time being Harry's daughter. This might be also why we see Alessa in the basement after we defeat the first boss at the school. This was Cheryl, making sure her dad was ok. Might be also why Alessa calls him daddy after defeating her in the bad ending.... the one I got after my first playthrough.
As always amazing work, this silent hill games at least the first three have an astonishing depth unmatched by any other franchise I've eve came across, and you are the perfect interpreter to break down why it feels so complete, we have experienced it in literature and films, how it feels so familiar yet so mysterious
Every time you release these lore or analysis videos I become even more enamored with a game series I've never played. I love horror stories, but can't play horror games; something about feeling in control frame shifts me so hard that I can't handle it. I really hope more videos like this for the rest of the games/movies/books/whatever are made so I can live the narratives without my heart exploding from fear. Also, I don't think I've ever heard anyone else correctly pronounce "Ars Goetia" in my life. LOL! See, I knew you were my kind of people when I first started watching your channel! 😂
This is so good! At 33:31 the “liquid from a slashed wrist”, being bright red, might also be associated with arterial blood being bright red since it’s oxygenated blood.
Silent Hill 1998 the first time I ever played a demo that was an alternate to Resident Evil 2 on the PS1. A man who traversed a abandoned rural town just to rescue his only family left. Knowing at the end this Child was different from Cheryl yet similar. He became a better adoptive parent to her that her own biological mother who burned her due to her cult beliefs in a pagan diety. Then at the end of SH3 Heather decides to go back to using her previous name to honor her father who named her Cheryl.
What makes this game even more horrifying is the player's complete lack of knowledge of the symbolism and references in the game, nobody is going to know about Olympian spirits unless you're really in the know about mythology. When the symbols flash on the mall screens, it's like you're being cursed, as the player.
The use of very esoteric and unknown works definitely helps with the mystery, especially back in the nineties and early 2000s when you couldn't just do a google search on the topic to find out more.
@@thegamingmuse The Zodiac puzzle I'm sure stumped every player, when it's simpler than it looks. This is before they would add a scalable puzzle difficulty too!
actually shocked at how spectacular your research work is, ALWAYS, in every video. thank for this amazing channel; i learn so much about silent hill - and culture in general - with your essays. genuinely one of the best on youtube ❤
It´s great that you´ve been producing all of this well-researched Silent Hill analyses all these years and still going strong. Can't wait to hear your take on the upcoming SH2 remake. Best wishes to you from Iran.
Simply fantastic work as always Muse! I am super excited to see more videos from you after Silent Hill 2 Remake comes out! I think it’s gonna be great!
This difference between Harry and James is another reason SH2 should not be remade before SH1. Without the balance of a person who's fiercely caring and empathetic in the face of true horror, SH2 on it's own seems to glorify trauma. But then that seems fitting for this studio doesn't it., taking an intricate, complicated story and turning into trauma porn.
Thank you for this in-depth analysis of this game. It's everything I wanted for an analysis of one of my all time favorites. I hope you'll do an in-depth analysis of Silent Hill 3 sometime soon. Another favorite and, to me, the perfect sequel. ❤
These videos about the Silent Hill games and their lore, are so brilliant. Muse, your knowledge of history and old literature and the understanding you have of all this is just amazing. You are very intelligent and your words are very literate. I absolutely love these videos, great job, Muse.
This is the analysis of Silent Hill I've liked the most so far. It encloses, and puts into words, a lot of what I thought about it but never could explain. This is great work 👌🏻
I am so glad I watched this analysis. I never thought about it like that. I've been having a lot of trouble finding a goal for the player in a game I'm making, a Blair Witch fan game heavily inspired by Silent Hill 1. I think I know what to do now. Thanks for this
Fantastic review with great storytelling from you. Although it wasn't the case for this video, I love it when you dive into the inception and production of games. With Japanese games that weren't made yesterday either, it takes time and effort to do the research and it is much appreciated. As well as giving us the context of cultural differences, you show us the people behind that game. That shows an incredible amount of respect for people who might not get the recognition by the average gamer. Up until the original Xbox, I was always a console generation behind my friends. I'd seen them play Resident Evil and had a quick shot at playing it, but this was the first survival horror that I played start to finish. Just before I was 19 I got Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and was unable to work for 7 months, a family friend gave me her Playstation as she was a little older and was barely playing games anymore. This is a fantastic game and still my favourite of the series, but I will also associate it with that kindness. I'm also very sensitive to sound and although all horror, be it movie or game, uses sound to create atmosphere. This used it so effectively in gameplay.
one thing i love about your channel with videos this long, i can working on my client's wedding photos while listen your documentary! luckily it doesn't turn my client's photos "Silent HIlls" style XD
@thegamingmuse I've been watching you since you started and you've never failed to impress me. This is my favorite horror series and you've answered so many lingering questions I've had over the years. So glad I see you getting recognition from other SH content creators, all the time I see you referenced and you deserve it!🥰
I think the end of the game has more to offer than it seems. My take on the end is this: Alessa Gillespie has been around toxic people all her life: - Ηer mother and the religious cult used her for their religious needs, - Ηer fellow citizens attacked her for her special abilities, - Doctors and nurses, who supposed to heal her, cooperated with her mother and prolonged her torture. Alike any child, she needed a normal family and a normal life. A mother who will provide the security she so needs, a father who will protect and support her and a friendly environment in which she will develop her personality. All the above features are in abundance in the hero, Harry Mason. Whatever her end, Alessa has finally connected with a man who has the qualities a child needs. She finally created a connection with a normal adult. Thus, Harry breaks the eternal cycle of hatred and darkness that had filled her soul. In other words, Harry, with his humane behavior, puts an end to Alessa's torment and frees her soul which was trapped by the cult. Maybe, by enclosing a part of her in a baby, and sending it away, so Harry could find her, was an ultimate attempt to reach for this basic thing that was in scarce in her life: a normal and humane environment for her to live in. Maybe her desire for this normality, blended with her hatred and her nightmares, was the force that draw Harry Mason and his daughter to Silent Hill. Harry’s path through Alessa’s monsters is a symbolic act that a normal parent will have to endure. Parents are exactly like that: They support and endure their children whenever they astray and misbehave. They are bound to love them unconditionally. That kind of love was driving Harry towards his daughter, and eventually, towards Alessa!
im watching/discovering this channel 13 days after this video was dropped. feels appropriate lol UPDATE: THIS is the kind of in depth lore/reference video essay ive been waiting for for this game/series for years! oh my god i love this.
Amazing video thank you so much! I literally just finished Silent Hill last month for the first time and loved it! I had a hybrid ending. I completed all of the side stuff besides the gas can for the tools which I found but could not pick up. I found the bottle and the red liquid and tried using it everywhere and even on Cybil during her fight, I just never clued in to use while she was grabbing me in the second phase. I tried at the beginning fight so I thought it must be for something else, so I started blastin! Killed her, but still got the ending with being presented the new baby just without Cybil. Which then confused me a little when the CGI after the game is done shows Cybil with Harry holding the baby lol
As a Greek language speaker I disagree with the Incubus symbolism, the last letter on the wing is clearly zeta, "ζ" and not "ς". I doubt there's any deeper meaning to those letters but I am not fluent in ancient Greek so I might be wrong. I suspect the first letter is delta too, "δ", which leads to "δοφηζ". The letters on the arms seem to be "οδτ", though maybe they could also be "οδγ". The last letter isn't quite clear, similarly to the first letter on the wings. Silent Hill wiki has the same conclusion (with the exception of the letter ζ due to using the game model to analyze the letter where it's less clear, and not the image shown in this video) at the Incubus page in the Appearance tab.
Muse, I just want to congratulate and thank you for this great work. I was wondering, you seem to have a great deal of appreciation and reverence for this series. For that reason, I was wondering, did you ever consider covering the OTHER series from Silent Hills Creator Toriyama? That of course being Forbidden Siren ?I I’d really love to hear your thoughts on that game! Would you consider doing it in the future?
A fantastic analysis, I feel people are forever overlooking the story of the first game.The ending is even more bitter however as it was confirmed by one of the creators that canonically Cybil doesn't make it.
I could listen to you discuss the symbolism and euphemisms associated with Silent Hill all day. I love SH1 over 2 purely because of its religious text and story telling. It reminds me of when i use to watch Joseph Campbell discuss comparative mythology and religion. I know you have books, but have you ever thought of making a fan comic/story? i feel like you have the best mind in the SH community to really make something worth reading.
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoy them! I've written a lot of things over the years but never really done anything with my fiction save post it online. One day I'd like to dedicate more time to it.
1:07:14 - Looking at Alessa’s photo, for the first time in 26 years I saw how much she resembled her mother. Edit - Wait. If Alessa was burned as a child and lying at the hospital basement ever since, where did that pic of her as a whole adult come from?
Regarding the ending:
I've come to view Silent Hill as something of a dialectic. Where we begin with one child who Harry views as precious and innocent, and another we discover to be a survivor of terrible abuse, who lives with a deep and abiding darkness within her. As we go through the story, we slowly learn that these aren't two, but one.
Harry learns that this person is both things. The happy daughter he loved, who loved him back, and this person with such terrible pain. You can't have one without the other. Because they're parts of the whole.
It's just the strange, illusory nature of Silent Hill that takes the metaphor and makes it literal.
The happy ending is that he gets a new beginning. A chance to go forward with this understanding. Not to hide from the darkness, but to understand its cause. To have both the loving and happy daughter and the one that's filled with pain, and to know enough to be there for her in both modes.
And because we've met Heather, we know that he did a good job of it.
A very interesting analysis. SH3 definitely gives this game's ending a better feeling, more hopeful, but I feel in the original it was a lot more tragic (and people at the time were a little upset by it, if you read letters from the era)
@@thegamingmuse yeah, I'm willfully interpreting things a bit. The ending is bittersweet, and I'm for sure focusing on the sweet part, in the full light of what we now know comes later. Without that context it's really easy to overwhelmingly taste the bitter.
Based comment.
I’m really glad you dove into the dichotomy of the biological mother being evil and cruel vs the adoptive father who is loving and goes through literal hell for his adopted daughter. I’m a big fan of the first movie but one big misstep the director made was changing to Rose because he didn’t believe an adoptive father would go that far for his daughter
I am forever mad about his reasoning for that change. What a ridiculous thought process.
Same. Then he had the idea to make Dahlia remorseful in the movie. The first game did a great job of subverting expectations when it comes to who is the typical “ideal, loving parent”
That dude literally missed the entire point of the decision the original devs made.
Insane!
@@Genasidal agreed. For such a “diehard fan” he should have been more faithful to the source material. It’s like he was afraid to make any mother figure out to be a villain. Even throwing in “a mother is god in the eyes of a child” and making Cybil call out to her mother as she died. The first game has themes of unusual parent/child relationships not just motherhood
Absolutely fabulous work, Muse. This is... I mean, the density of information is absurd, but you share it so professionally and clearly that it enriches the game. One huge, excellently-done string of "oh, hey, THAT'S why!". Thank you so much.
Thanks so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
I think its often neglected that a good horror story doesn't give you all the answers, which is something I very much appreciate about silent hill. Although sometimes I think its due to sloppy story telling, I think they intentionally left a lot of mystery in there which has definitely given the series legs since release
I loved this line "Words lie, silence reveals the truth" Amazing video!
“Is this a real life?”
“Or is this just fantasy?”
“CAUGHT IN A LANDSLIDE.”
“No escape from reality.”
“Open your eyes.”
“Look up to the skies and see.”
The way silent hill forces you to face your fear of the dark, to swallow a pill of truth for the sake of your daughter, so magnificent to behold. The mind plays tricks, the dark hides both death and salvation.
The connections made to literature and lore are very compelling. I love analyzing this game because it stems from deep rooted subconscious in concept and execution. This game isn’t at all difficult, puzzles simple, areas seemingly vast but small in reality. But…. The journey feels Herculean in nature. Fighting literal demons and giant beasts impossibly created. The sounds and the world force your imagination to run wild.
I'm always addicted to that cutscene in 23:36 , silently she stares at him ,with a faint smile like she's trying to thank him ,then she disappeared!..it tells alot , like she's telling him ,you don't know who i am ,but i know you better than anyone in the world , thanks for loving and caring for my lost soul ...in the movie by christopher gans ,there's a similar scene which was inspired from this masterpiece ...whished if you paused there and gave it a descent analysis ..❤
I still contend the cat in the locker is a nod to Schrödinger's thought experiment and alludes to the nature of Silent Hill, and Alessa, as existing in two states - dead and alive - at the same time. Furthermore, I suspect that the town isn't changing, as Harry experiences it, but rather he is shifting between states. Harry is stuck on the cusp between life and death as he explores the town.
No reason it can't relate to both!
Oh that makes sense to me because I never let the cat out, and in my mind it lives forever.
@@thegamingmuseJust to be extremely clear, Alessa is projecting her very real nightmare, using her very real psychic powers, onto the town. This is an extremely horrifying and brilliant concept.
@@thegamingmuse yeah. The framing is very much Alien, (pun intended,) but the concept itself seems Schrödinger related!
"Muse never gets sick of talking about these...."
Good. I never get sick of hearing it. ☺️☺️☺️☺️
i really appreciate your analysis , it was really refreshing. especially how you managed to center alessa and the abuse she suffered and how i personally see the game based around trauma. understanding the underworld as her own creation and projection is infinitely fascinating to me.
Alessa***
I have watched many documentaries over the years about this landmark game, but this is one of the finest analyses I have seen of the rich symbolism and complex themes portrayed in the game. Bravo!
You should check out The Real Silent Hill Experience. There are 14 or so episodes dedicated to the franchise. There is a 2 hour segment on Silent Hill 2.
I think that if Alessa doesn't kill or hurt Harry it is because this is Cheryl. Ok, sure, it is Alessa, but as the incarnation of Cheryl. So Alessa doesn't just recognize Harry's good nature by following him through the game, she also has Cheryl's memories of her time being Harry's daughter. This might be also why we see Alessa in the basement after we defeat the first boss at the school. This was Cheryl, making sure her dad was ok. Might be also why Alessa calls him daddy after defeating her in the bad ending.... the one I got after my first playthrough.
As always amazing work, this silent hill games at least the first three have an astonishing depth unmatched by any other franchise I've eve came across, and you are the perfect interpreter to break down why it feels so complete, we have experienced it in literature and films, how it feels so familiar yet so mysterious
Seems to me that this represents the definitive guide to the story and themes of silent hill 1. Brilliant analysis.
Every time you release these lore or analysis videos I become even more enamored with a game series I've never played. I love horror stories, but can't play horror games; something about feeling in control frame shifts me so hard that I can't handle it. I really hope more videos like this for the rest of the games/movies/books/whatever are made so I can live the narratives without my heart exploding from fear.
Also, I don't think I've ever heard anyone else correctly pronounce "Ars Goetia" in my life. LOL! See, I knew you were my kind of people when I first started watching your channel! 😂
I'm glad you enjoyed it! I'm happy to spread the SH love to everybody :D
Great analysis. Can’t wait to see more.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it :D
fantastic job with this muse, SH1 truly was so ahead of it's time and is still impactful over two decades later
Good work as always! My favorite game in the series!
It wasn't my favorite to start, but it has grown on me greatly. Definitely in my top three.
This is so good! At 33:31 the “liquid from a slashed wrist”, being bright red, might also be associated with arterial blood being bright red since it’s oxygenated blood.
Silent Hill 1998 the first time I ever played a demo that was an alternate to Resident Evil 2 on the PS1.
A man who traversed a abandoned rural town just to rescue his only family left. Knowing at the end this Child was different from Cheryl yet similar. He became a better adoptive parent to her that her own biological mother who burned her due to her cult beliefs in a pagan diety.
Then at the end of SH3 Heather decides to go back to using her previous name to honor her father who named her Cheryl.
I loved this video. Thank you! It puts into words why silent hill is my favorite video game of all time.
Thanks, I'm glad you loved it
What makes this game even more horrifying is the player's complete lack of knowledge of the symbolism and references in the game, nobody is going to know about Olympian spirits unless you're really in the know about mythology. When the symbols flash on the mall screens, it's like you're being cursed, as the player.
The use of very esoteric and unknown works definitely helps with the mystery, especially back in the nineties and early 2000s when you couldn't just do a google search on the topic to find out more.
@@thegamingmuse The Zodiac puzzle I'm sure stumped every player, when it's simpler than it looks. This is before they would add a scalable puzzle difficulty too!
Your voice is so soothing to me it helps me relax before bed!
A wonderful commentary and dive deeper into Silent Hill.
How can this channel be so good? Thanks for this amazing video about the best chapter of the best survival horror of all times!😍😍😍
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoy my work :D
brilliant video, love silent hill and the more people talk about it the more I love it!
actually shocked at how spectacular your research work is, ALWAYS, in every video. thank for this amazing channel; i learn so much about silent hill - and culture in general - with your essays. genuinely one of the best on youtube ❤
omg thank you! that's so sweet TuT I'm glad you enjoy my work!
What a wonderful and lovingly made video! Thank you so much for this complete analysis, it’s by far the best I’ve ever seen
You never disappoint.
That was so beautifully explained.
T-T I'm almost getting teary-eyed...
So well observed and put to words....
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it :D
This is my all time favorite game! Thank you so much for the video, I picked a good raining day to watch it on as well.
I’m new here and I’d like to say I’m Absolutely LOVING your silent hill videos. Great stuff
This is an insane video. Im geeked af righn now and this is insane. It made me Love sillenthill1 even more. Keep it up
Thank you
It´s great that you´ve been producing all of this well-researched Silent Hill analyses all these years and still going strong. Can't wait to hear your take on the upcoming SH2 remake.
Best wishes to you from Iran.
God, that was beautiful. Thanks so much for making this!
You're welcome, glad you enjoyed it!
I really enjoyed this. Incredible work, thank you.
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Simply fantastic work as always Muse! I am super excited to see more videos from you after Silent Hill 2 Remake comes out! I think it’s gonna be great!
Magnific video, I will enjoy this analysis :) !
Not me liking and commenting before I even watch the video because I know Muse only does quality videos!
This was probably the best video to start off my week. Thanks so much!
Thank you! I'm glad you liked it :D
This difference between Harry and James is another reason SH2 should not be remade before SH1. Without the balance of a person who's fiercely caring and empathetic in the face of true horror, SH2 on it's own seems to glorify trauma. But then that seems fitting for this studio doesn't it., taking an intricate, complicated story and turning into trauma porn.
Thank you for this in-depth analysis of this game. It's everything I wanted for an analysis of one of my all time favorites. I hope you'll do an in-depth analysis of Silent Hill 3 sometime soon. Another favorite and, to me, the perfect sequel. ❤
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it! I'll be covering all the games eventually, I'm working on Sh2 right now
Incredible analysis!
Thank you!
I love that this isn't a lazy retelling/ summary of the game. Amazing video
Thank you! I'm glad you liked it :D
What an amazing in-depth review of the game. Thank you muse, I enjoyed it a lot!
Such a great analysis thank you
I'm sleep deprived, so I'm going to wait until (not) tomorrow.
Yes, I mean I'm watching it now
XD Hope you liked it!
Outstanding work, as always !
These videos about the Silent Hill games and their lore, are so brilliant. Muse, your knowledge of history and old literature and the understanding you have of all this is just amazing. You are very intelligent and your words are very literate. I absolutely love these videos, great job, Muse.
Totally enthralling analysis of a great game. So much love and care went into this. Silent Hill continues to fascinate.
This is the analysis of Silent Hill I've liked the most so far.
It encloses, and puts into words, a lot of what I thought about it but never could explain.
This is great work 👌🏻
YEESSSS!!! I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS VIDEO FROM YOU FOR A LONG TIME!!!
Hope you enjoyed it!
@@thegamingmuse oh i enjoyed it so much! thanks for making it!
Another great vid!! 💖 i enjoy listening to your work, im glad i found ur channel 💖
wow, amazing video tgm. Your silent hill analysis videos are second to none.
That was good. I love your analytical videos- they always leave me satisfied and better informed of the lore
I am so glad I watched this analysis. I never thought about it like that. I've been having a lot of trouble finding a goal for the player in a game I'm making, a Blair Witch fan game heavily inspired by Silent Hill 1. I think I know what to do now. Thanks for this
your commentary was so beautifully written! it really captures the story of silent hill in a excellent way
Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed it :D
Love your channel so much ❤ and silent Hill is my favorite game series
Always love these kinda videos!!
i hope you make a similar one for Silent Hill 2
That's the plan! Glad you liked this one :D
Wonderful video AJ.
Edit: There’s a fan English translation of Silent Hill 3’s Novel by Sadamu Yamashita!
Thank you! I saw the translation was done, I need to read it.
@@thegamingmuseoh nice, I need to read it myself actually. I wish there’s a complete translation of the first game’s novel!
this was so fantastic thank you
I started watching you years ago, but my original account was hacked. You were recommended, and I instantly remembered enjoying your work. Good stuff!
This was such a great video, you pointed out so many things that i never really considered.
One of my fav games of all time, great way to start the week!
Glad you liked it!
Your analysis videos are always top-notch 👌 ain't gonna lie I believe you're pretty underrated 🙂
Big SH fan here - ty for the video. I learnt new things and enjoyed your perspective very much. Powerful message at the end too. ❤
This is the content I live for
Fantastic review with great storytelling from you. Although it wasn't the case for this video, I love it when you dive into the inception and production of games. With Japanese games that weren't made yesterday either, it takes time and effort to do the research and it is much appreciated. As well as giving us the context of cultural differences, you show us the people behind that game. That shows an incredible amount of respect for people who might not get the recognition by the average gamer.
Up until the original Xbox, I was always a console generation behind my friends. I'd seen them play Resident Evil and had a quick shot at playing it, but this was the first survival horror that I played start to finish. Just before I was 19 I got Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and was unable to work for 7 months, a family friend gave me her Playstation as she was a little older and was barely playing games anymore. This is a fantastic game and still my favourite of the series, but I will also associate it with that kindness.
I'm also very sensitive to sound and although all horror, be it movie or game, uses sound to create atmosphere. This used it so effectively in gameplay.
I always play ur videos before I sleep. Silent hill analysis and ur voice is the key to a calm sleep
Thanks Muse. Love this series and your Videos
Damn im really impressed with this!!!! Outstanding job!!!! 🤘
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it :D
Praised by the algorithm god and may he let more people discover the greatness that is the gaming muse!
one thing i love about your channel with videos this long, i can working on my client's wedding photos while listen your documentary! luckily it doesn't turn my client's photos "Silent HIlls" style XD
Death is just the beginning ... (the mummy) 😂
Great as always Muse. I appreciate your deep dives so much.❤
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoy them :D
@thegamingmuse I've been watching you since you started and you've never failed to impress me. This is my favorite horror series and you've answered so many lingering questions I've had over the years. So glad I see you getting recognition from other SH content creators, all the time I see you referenced and you deserve it!🥰
Mother has blessed us with an houuuurrr of content!! im beyond happy
I always thought the chair in the sick room was for lisa to sit with alessa.
I think the end of the game has more to offer than it seems. My take on the end is this:
Alessa Gillespie has been around toxic people all her life:
- Ηer mother and the religious cult used her for their religious needs,
- Ηer fellow citizens attacked her for her special abilities,
- Doctors and nurses, who supposed to heal her, cooperated with her mother and prolonged her torture.
Alike any child, she needed a normal family and a normal life. A mother who will provide the security she so needs, a father who will protect and support her and a friendly environment in which she will develop her personality.
All the above features are in abundance in the hero, Harry Mason. Whatever her end, Alessa has finally connected with a man who has the qualities a child needs. She finally created a connection with a normal adult.
Thus, Harry breaks the eternal cycle of hatred and darkness that had filled her soul. In other words, Harry, with his humane behavior, puts an end to Alessa's torment and frees her soul which was trapped by the cult.
Maybe, by enclosing a part of her in a baby, and sending it away, so Harry could find her, was an ultimate attempt to reach for this basic thing that was in scarce in her life: a normal and humane environment for her to live in.
Maybe her desire for this normality, blended with her hatred and her nightmares, was the force that draw Harry Mason and his daughter to Silent Hill. Harry’s path through Alessa’s monsters is a symbolic act that a normal parent will have to endure. Parents are exactly like that: They support and endure their children whenever they astray and misbehave. They are bound to love them unconditionally.
That kind of love was driving Harry towards his daughter, and eventually, towards Alessa!
Great video, I really enjoyed such a great analysis of one of my favorite games.
Glad you liked it!
❤️ love your channel!!
Dude… thank you for making another one of these!
You're welcome! Glad you enjoyed it :D
@@thegamingmuse omg 😱
The best at breaking down everything Silent Hill.
im watching/discovering this channel 13 days after this video was dropped. feels appropriate lol
UPDATE: THIS is the kind of in depth lore/reference video essay ive been waiting for for this game/series for years! oh my god i love this.
Babe wake up a new thegamingmuse video
I can listen to this every day before going to bed
So so good. Thank you.
Amazing video thank you so much! I literally just finished Silent Hill last month for the first time and loved it! I had a hybrid ending. I completed all of the side stuff besides the gas can for the tools which I found but could not pick up. I found the bottle and the red liquid and tried using it everywhere and even on Cybil during her fight, I just never clued in to use while she was grabbing me in the second phase. I tried at the beginning fight so I thought it must be for something else, so I started blastin! Killed her, but still got the ending with being presented the new baby just without Cybil. Which then confused me a little when the CGI after the game is done shows Cybil with Harry holding the baby lol
Another banger from the muse!
Best video ive ever seen in a long while i cried at the end im-
As a Greek language speaker I disagree with the Incubus symbolism, the last letter on the wing is clearly zeta, "ζ" and not "ς". I doubt there's any deeper meaning to those letters but I am not fluent in ancient Greek so I might be wrong. I suspect the first letter is delta too, "δ", which leads to "δοφηζ".
The letters on the arms seem to be "οδτ", though maybe they could also be "οδγ". The last letter isn't quite clear, similarly to the first letter on the wings.
Silent Hill wiki has the same conclusion (with the exception of the letter ζ due to using the game model to analyze the letter where it's less clear, and not the image shown in this video) at the Incubus page in the Appearance tab.
Muse, I just want to congratulate and thank you for this great work. I was wondering, you seem to have a great deal of appreciation and reverence for this series. For that reason, I was wondering, did you ever consider covering the OTHER series from Silent Hills Creator Toriyama? That of course being Forbidden Siren ?I I’d really love to hear your thoughts on that game!
Would you consider doing it in the future?
i would love to, unfortunately I'm very bad at siren lol! I've been meaning to try it again. I am however super excited for slitterhead this year
@@thegamingmusedamn! Well, give it another go Muse! I really would love to hear your thoughts on that one.
GREAT JOB!!
Beautifully written.
I just had an idea about the intro quote and can't help but point out if you flip the quote it goes like " fear made flesh". Fears made real.
A fantastic analysis, I feel people are forever overlooking the story of the first game.The ending is even more bitter however as it was confirmed by one of the creators that canonically Cybil doesn't make it.
Best explaination ever.
Now i know why i found the first one much more better than others.
It had some very real cult stuff in it.
The piano puzzle! I will never forget the enjoyment I felt, after figuring it out!
I had to look it up XD What an incredibly unique and uniquely frustrating concept.
Such a great analysis. Commenting doesn't feel like a sacrifice to the Algorithm Gods at all lol
I could listen to you discuss the symbolism and euphemisms associated with Silent Hill all day. I love SH1 over 2 purely because of its religious text and story telling. It reminds me of when i use to watch Joseph Campbell discuss comparative mythology and religion.
I know you have books, but have you ever thought of making a fan comic/story? i feel like you have the best mind in the SH community to really make something worth reading.
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoy them! I've written a lot of things over the years but never really done anything with my fiction save post it online. One day I'd like to dedicate more time to it.
1:07:14 - Looking at Alessa’s photo, for the first time in 26 years I saw how much she resembled her mother.
Edit - Wait. If Alessa was burned as a child and lying at the hospital basement ever since, where did that pic of her as a whole adult come from?
I’ve always wondered this too. Likely an oversight, but maybe it’s a manifestation from Alessa’s mind on how she should look?