Review: Silent Hill: Shattered Memories (Wii)

This Wii re-imagining of that ‘other’ classic Japanese survival horror series wastes little time in demonstrating that it’s a little bit special. What’s this- detailed, smooth graphics? Precise motion controls? Sky-high production values? It’s not hard to see why our interest was piqued.

Whilst we’re usually more than a little sceptical of any game or movie that attempts a ‘re-imagining’ of previous series entries, it’s a term that fits particularly well here. After all, not only is this a game that has been radically shaped around its lead platform, it comes from a new development team- UK-based codeshop Climax rather than Konami- and its adoption of a fresh new approach to horror that is more psychological than survival, conspire to make Shattered Memories an intriguing prospect.

The Western influence is utterly in evidence throughout. Whilst so many Japanese developers seem forever doomed to stick to long-established genre conventions, Climax have ripped up the rule book and created something that feels genuinely fresh. It’s a real shot across the bow of the increasingly stagnant Japanese development scene, and demonstrative of the increasing confidence and creativity of European and American developers.

The most high profile casualty of Climax’s blank-slate approach to the game’s development was the decision to completely excise combat from the game. It’s a brave move, given that most horror titles utilise constant fear of enemy attack as a means of ratcheting up the tension levels. In my view, it’s a move that pays huge dividends- not once while playing the game did I yearn for a AK-47. Not that an Ak-47 (or any other weapon for that matter) would be much use in Shattered Memories in any case: after all, for the vast majority of the game, there are no enemies, or even any other characters to speak of. It’s just you, your touch, and a collection of tortured souls you meet in the form of the titular ‘shattered memories’.

Fortunately, what the game lacks in combat, it amply compensates in other areas. Prior to the game’s U.S release late last year, Climax were keen to stress the intriguing ‘Big Brother’ elements of the game design. Billed as the game that ‘plays you’ as much as you play it, thanks to its ‘psychological profiling’ of the player, it seemed, on paper at least, to represent something of a leap forward in game design. The reality is considerably less exciting. In practice, all it amounts to is a series of sequences, interspersed through the game’s chapters, where you partake in a series of faux-therapy sessions with a hammy psychiatrist who indulges in quasi-Freudian mumbo-jumbo and bizarre mini-games. So far as I could tell, the filling out of surveys, the colouring in of children’s drawings, and a series of picture-based guessing games amounted to precisely zip in terms of how the game actually played out. Then again, maybe that’s exactly what it wanted me to think. (Pull yourself together man!)

Although its all very silly and utterly inconsequential, these are entertaining sequences- and amusingly risqué in places. More substantial, perhaps, is the way that the game monitors your every move- from your approach to puzzle solving to your exploration habits, all with a view to dynamically altering how the gamer plays out.

However, the subtlety of the feature means that short of watching another player go through the game and look at how the experience changes, it’s difficult to assess the effectiveness of the programming in dynamically tailoring the experience to each player. Fortunately, your intrepid reviewer took up this particular challenge. In observing a friend play through the title, I did notice some pretty intriguing changes in how the game played out- some tweaked dialogue here, a change of clothing there, and even the occassional branching route through the otherwise linear environment. Despite the protestations of the developers to the contrary, however, the subtlety of the changes mean that they collectively doesn’t seem quite enough- to me at least- to justify multiple playthroughs. The near-total linearity of the game, with only the ocassional branching path, does little to help replayability.

Although most gamers won’t spend more than ten hours to reach the conclusion, it’s not likely that you’ll feel cheated by the relative brevity of the experience, because fortunately, the developer’s minds were clearly chock-full of fresh ideas for the genre. Indeed, Silent Hill’s list of headline features reads like a wet dream for Wii owners. Top of the bill is the extent to which the title has been meticulously engineered for its host platform.Visually, this is one of the best looking titles on the system, with detailed character models, high-resolution textures and remarkable lighting effects contributing handsomely to the game’s efforts to totally immerse the player into Silent Hill’s bleak environments.

And as if the stellar presentation wasn’t enough to soothe the damaged sensibilities of owners of Nintendo’s white box, the controls are equally pleasing. The capabilities of the Wii Remote are put front and centre in Shattered Memories. Although the game is seeing a release on PSP and even the venerable PS2, it’s utterly clear that the Wii is- for once- the lead platform. Fulfilling one of our earliest dreams of the controller’s potential, the Wii Remote’s pointer function affords the player complete, highly sensitive control over protagonist Harry Mason’s flashlight.

The remarkably effective use of the Wii Remote’s speaker is also noteworthy. The crackly, poor quality nature of the audio may be ill-suited to extensive use in most games, but Climax have integrated its use into Shattered Memories extraordinary effect: as well as providing audible cues that danger lurks nearby, the controller also becomes Harry’s in-game phone, with the audio routed directly to the Remote’s speaker. It’s an ingenious example of fourth-wall destruction that really enhances the experience. As well as communicating with the ocassional characters you meet in the game, you can use your phone to collect ‘voicemails’ from the past. At times, some of the content of the calls is almost uncomfortably graphic- some of the themes that arise include bullying, drug addiction, suicide, mental illness and even rape- lend an edginess to the whole affair that complements the thick layer of gloom that envelops the game’s world.

It’s also worth mentioning that Climax’s attention to detail extends to the ability to call every single phone number visible on posters and signs throughout Silent Hill. During my playthrough, I studiously rang every phone number I encountered, and revelled in the authenticity of the experience . Considering my usual gaming propensity to skip this kind of thing and just get from point A to point B, this game’s ability to immerse me in its twisted world thoroughly surprised me.

Indeed, it’s the little things about Shattered Memories that so impress- the way, for example, that during dialogue cut-scenes the player is free to look around them by means of the pointer. Or the high level of interactivity that pervades the title: where even the simple act of opening a car door from the inside becomes a mini-game in its own right, with the player having to unlock the door using the pointer and then pull the door open. The cumulative effect of all these little interactions is to lend the game a highly tactile feel.

The game places a fair level of emphasis on puzzles. Although most of these are relatively simple- keys to locked doors are rarely well-hidden- there are a few real gems, and a couple that’ll probably have most gamers running for nearest online FAQ. Again, the controller’s motion-sensing and pointer capabilities are used extensively, and will be instantly familiar to anyone who enjoyed Another Code or Hotel Dusk on the Nintendo DS.

Even if the game uses one too many over-familiar horror motifs- scary child sitting in a swing anyone?- it’s difficult to be harsh about the lack of fresh ideas, such is the flair with which they are used by the developers. Similarly, Shattered Memories uses traditional horror environments, but to good effect- the deserted shopping centre, the theme park, the school- are all expertly brought to life, and don’t feel like retreads through past glories.

Series veteran Akira Yamaoka does composing duties for Shattered Memories, and his delicate, unobtrusive score is a delight. The closing theme, replete with some haunting vocals by Mary Elizabeth McGlynn and the twangy, wistful track from the shopping mall were my standout tracks.

And by the time you reach the Lighthouse and witness the game’s closing act, you might even be struck by a certain poignancy…

If there’s one part of Shattered Memories that will divide gamers, though, it’s the ‘nightmare’ scenes. These are ocassional interludes which see Harry being chased by shambling zombie-like creatures. With no combat options apart from being able to defensively shake the enemies off you via controller shakes, your only option is to run for the exit. The problem is, these sections typically take the form of long mazes with multiple branching paths, and discerning the correct path is largely a question of luck and trial and error. Pulling out your phone to check the map is a cumbersome, time-consuming exercise, and one likely to get you killed. The screeching monsters- reminiscent of the memorable paralysis-inducing ReDead monsters from the Zelda series- may be a worthy, fear-inducing opponent, and the icy, deathly atmosphere of the nightmare scenes may be expertly constructed, but it’s my guess that most players will be glad to see the back of them.

Although Shattered Memories could so easily have been a rushed, forgettable footnote in the Silent Hill canon, not only have Climax delivered one of the most slickly-produced titles on Wii, they may have helped map out a new species of psychological horror game: one with the confidence to eschew fundamental traditions like combat and dripping with atmosphere and interactivity at every juncture.

And by the time you reach the Lighthouse and witness the game’s closing act, you might even be struck by a certain poignancy- which is all the more surprising given that the game’s storyline, whilst serviceable, never aspires to be anything more than b-movie grade in either complexity or depth.

It’s entirely likely, however, that some gamers- even fans of the horror genre- will be left somewhat non-plussed by Shattered Memories. All games that shake up a genre provoke ambivalence in some players, and this is no different. Reflecting this, the online consensus for the title has been mixed, with some reviewers calling out the brevity and lack of ‘meat’ to the gameplay. Trigger-happy twitch gamers may be better off staying away from this one, but players willing to turn down the lights, turn up the volume, and savour the experience will be rewarded with a deeply satisfying and compelling ten hours of gameplay.

All told, Shattered Memories is the first great Wii title of 2010, a game that will live long in the memory, and one that fully deserves to leave a substantial legacy to its genre, shaping it in exciting new ways.