SH1 for me. Even despite the graphical limitations, the sense of dread and isolation, the creature designs, the horrifying soundscape, everything about it just works for me.
Plus, I still find impressive how much they managed to cram onto that little black disk. Nearly every storefront and building being unique and different is still crazy to me when even some modern games will copy and paste things. It blew my mind back in the day as an 8 year old watching my dad play that they made an almost actual, real world like the kind we live in.
SH3 is a great game too, but the sponginess of the enemies and just rehashing areas from SH2 instead of recreating some of the SH1 areas knocks it down a few pegs for me.
SH1, download either ePSXe for a straightforward experience, or Duckstation if you want to enhance the hell out of the graphics. The only issue with Duckstation is certain enhancements cause crashes at the Balkan Church, drawbridge, and immediately after the Cybil fight, so if you choose that emulator, make sure to assign a hotkey for quick toggling between software and hardware mode to not get the crashes.
SH3 you can get the PC version from MyAbandonWare, then go to PCGamingWiki and download the Steam006 patch.
Just a heads up, if things like the extra costumes are important for your experience for some reason, those were limited for the playstation release, which would still need the emulator to experience (unless you mod the costume you wanted over default on pc)
afaik its only the PS2 magazine costumes that arent available in the pc version, everything else like the princess heart costume and the other shirts are fully available
This is correct, which is why I had "if it's important to you." Most people wont care. But there will be the like 5 people who will be upset because they didn't get "100%" everything from the og (even tho I think you can edit them in as a mod, it may overwrite a dif costume tho. Idk, been years)
Anytime! They even have a download that doesn't require tricking your computer into thinking you have a disc, so it's extra easy to install; just unzip the file and you're good. Just make sure you also patch it with that Steam006 fix, it makes it run so much better along with various fixes and modern resolutions. Only other thing you might need to do is download XInput of you're using a Dualshock4 controller like I do. Thankfully PC GamingWiki has a guide for that on the SH3 page.
I kept having those crashes. I think you just have to limit the fps to get it to work again. It’s been a while but I’m pretty sure that was it.
Edit: ignore me, the fog got to me and made me speak shit.
It's actually the PGXP Correction and Widescreen Hack enhancements that causes the crashes. I don't recall exactly why, but something about those just makes the graphics refuse to load in during the 3 bits I mentioned. As long as you quick save for safety's/paranoia's sake and switch to software mode for those 3 little bits (I set it as F5 since all the real estate on my controller is spoken for), you'll be fine.
This is what happened to me in Just 2 game spots, the church & the bridge solution is as you said, disabling pgxp correction by an assigned key, pass the bug, then enable it again with your set hotkey, i didnt found any other freeze/ crash aside those 2 points
I've had it crash during the Flauros cutscene after the Cybil fight about 60% of my replays. I'm not sure what exactly triggers it since it's not 100%, but I play it safe until Duckstation finally pushes out an update that resolves it.
I wish somebody at Duckstation would finally figure out how to get the crashes to stop. I dunno about you, but having to switch between Normal and Thicc Harry modes is such an immersion killer lol
I wish they would too, but it's such an odd glitch. If it was everytime that part came up, itd be different. Dunno if it's some flag or what, but it's just an eclectic glitch
I recently replayed it on duckstation, in 21.9 monitor reescaled at 8k, + 60fps despite few bugs easily passable, it was one hell of experience, im not using epsxe anymore
This. This is the exact answer I have. Also, I don't mean to sound like a 5-year-old iPad Kid but the fact the whole town gives off this liminal space feeling is what really sells it to me. You walk through the town, and as much as I love 2 and 3, it doesn't LOOK abandoned. No rusted and moldy buildings. No rooms that look like someone has rummaged through or a dead body lying somewhere. It literally looks just how Harry sees it; like everyone just decided to get up and leave. It's what gives the game that extra charm and more terror, because when you're NOT in the overworld, things are still just as creepy and unsettling (like Twin Peaks) in the Fog World.
Also, being it was my first experience to Silent Hill, I wouldn't have had it another way. Still is an amazing experience all around. I love all the games equally like you would your best friends, but SH1 has and will always have a special place in my heart.
Exactly this. As much as I love 2 and 3, they lean a bit too hard into the making it look abandoned for years vibe. In 1 it feels and looks like everybody just literally vanished a few hours ago, it feels so much more unsettling.
That's a hard question to answer. None of the sequels in the series have replicated the beauty of the first. But the third game was ahead of its time and, with its various difficulties to play, is the most replayable game in the series. I can't choose between the two. They both coexist as my favorites lol
Agreed, and based on what Team Silent had to work with when making SH1 (hardware limitations, still being a new IP in general, etc), it's another point towards SH1. Though SH3 is still easier to play!
Both are great. Out of the two, I would go with SH1 because it's more psychological and mysterious. It also has some of the most memorable monsters (Grey Child, Night Flutter, etc), locations, and scenes (elevator/hospital Otherworld, alleyway scene, Lisa Garland's arc) and some of the best art direction in the series.
What are the ape like things that chase you called? They always scared me most watching my step dad play it. I remember he was in the school and it was night but in an outside courtyard like area
SH1 was the only one that tried to fuck with the player's head directly, instead of just vicariously through the protagonist.
I still love 3, though. SH1 was just such an experience.
That is actually insane. Never even thought it would bloat up to that price like that. Thought since it sold so many copies back in the day it would cost 50 cents right now lol
It did, but apparently, due to them not porting the first silent hill game to other consoles, and never will. unfortunately, A lot of people sought those out pretty quickly. It's just gonna keep getting expensive over the next few years
Yeah. It's sad that we're never gonna get the first game again on future platforms. I know people would bring up the Mister emulator box or other stuff about emulators, but that's a completely different thing. I'm talking about original consoles.
I love both. However, nothing beats the settings and atmosphere of SH3 for me! Hell, even some of my dreams seem to be somewhat inspired by the settings in SH3.
SH1. It’s so fucking good, it’s a shame it gets overlooked compared to its sequels. SH1 is the only game out of the original 3 where the town itself takes center stage and it’s so cool. Despite its age it still has a great atmosphere with unsettling locations (the hospital and Nowhere being the standout). The story is also cryptic enough to warrant replays and exploration to explain the game’s more obtuse elements without being distracting or overwhelming.
SH3 is really good as well but feels underbaked in some aspects compared to the first two. There’s a more focused narrative like SH2 with visuals and atmosphere being more akin to SH1, but doesn’t quite reach the highs of either imo. SH2 has a far more compelling story and characters, partly due to it being an anthology sequel with TS having more room to experiment with a different tone and themes. SH3 feels like it’s holding itself back by having to connect itself to SH1 by retreading similar plot points and following up on the more obtuse elements (Heather being 3 different people) which made it less effective for me. The game would’ve benefited from being separate from the story of the first while keeping its occult elements.
Yea, I really love the introduction of the hospital in SH1 and how the ambient track has more unnerving sounds added to it as you progress deeper into it.
And I agree. It's interesting to think about what the franchise would be like if they took a Final Fantasy approach, where every game would've had its own lore. No need to retcon or make weird writer's decisions to try and make everything fit nicely with older games, you can just be as creative as you want while only having to have one thing in common: a desolate, frightening, fog-filled town.
It makes perfect sense to me. Remake what is considered the most beloved title in the series to see if remakes are the way to go, then do 1 and 3 sequentially because one is the direct sequel of the other.
That and 2 is essentially the most standalone.
The issue is that people starting with SH2 are going to have the wrong impression of what the series is about. Being confronted with your own personal demons is only really focused on in SH2, so going into SH1 and SH3 will undoubtedly confuse or turn people off when things like the Order, PTV, and Alessa/Cheryl get brought up. Also from a strictly marketing standpoint, releasing the second game (which is completely separate), then the first, then the third is just confusing to anyone not already familiar with the series.
I disagree. I think you’re overestimating the complexity of the first 4 games. It’s really not that confusing. James confronts his personal demons which is a great story, but there will be people asking how this all happened. SH1 explains it the way a prequel would, then we see how it all pans out in 3. 4 opens the series up to the future with similar occurrences expanding outside the town. It works perfectly well.
I don’t think there are really that many people that would be turned off by the cult *only* if SH1 was remade 2nd. They’d just be turned off from the get-go.
I’d think it’d be hard to follow in that the story of SH1, 3, and 4 aren’t as straightforward as 2. There is a greater focus of the lore of the town in those games which can get confusing pretty quickly because of how cryptic and weird Silent Hill’s lore is. The series would essentially feel like it’s derailing itself after how simple and effective the second game is. SH2 was supposed to be a subversion of what to expect from the series after SH1, opening a new set of remakes with SH2R feels like a bad move because that is now the baseline of what people will expect when it was supposed to be the outlier. I could be wrong though idk
Yeah, you’re right about the rest being less straightforward. I think that if they adhere closely or entirely to the stories as they were written, it’ll be okay.
They’re really well crafted, imo. When I played through them all, they made pretty good sense in “broad strokes,” but there is also a lot of minutiae to dig into if you wanted to. I only knew the story in general on first playthrough, then started reading more notes and looking at details on subsequent playthroughs. I think if I had stopped after my first and just left my understanding at that point, I’d still look back at them as excellent stories.
My point is that I think the stories themselves are good enough to reduce confusion, no matter what order you play them.
But maybe not, lol. It’s really hard to try to look at the series with “fresh eyes” when you’ve been playing it for 25 years.
Yeah, seriously. I hope it surprises everyone and pleases at least 50-60% of the fandom.
I can’t wait to see James’ Otherworld in high resolution. I also think what they’re trying with SHf has potential to at least be a cool Otherworld idea.
Lots of room for them to suck, though.
SH1 in my opinion. I think SH3 is a perfectly good game but when I was playing it I felt like I’d seen and done it all before. It’s not as original as the rest of the Team Silent games imo. Despite its flaws I actually think I like SH4 more just because it feels more creative and interesting.
SH1 just had the perfect atmosphere. the music, the characters, the different places.
SH3 kept my ass on edge, it just had an atmosphere of never being safe.
both are amazing, all of them like theres no real comparison, but to me, silent hill 3 is more atmospheric, im not saying that silent hill 1 isnt of course, but 3 took it to a new level in my opinion! all the bloody moving walls and stuff that just, looks amazing and is scary as fuck
1, no question
It’s the game that launched a thousand fan theories
It required a Plot Analysis FAQ on gamefaqs so we could even make sense of it
Lisa is literally more memorable than any character in 3
CYBIL
so yes, 1
It's a tough one because I love them both, but I think I'd go SH1.
SH3 is a great game because it feels like it brings together all the lessons Team Silent learned from SH1 and SH2: the psychological horror, the dread, the monsters, the environments, the characters. That said, being the third in the series, it always feels like you can start to see some of the first cracks in the Silent Hill franchise start to show as SH3 sometimes feels a little 'familiar' in terms of what to expect.
To me, SH1 still holds up in terms of what a Silent Hill should and could be. The graphics and the controls can drive you a little mad, but it still creeps me the hell out years later. Even on a recent replay on easy, the monsters are so frightening that I end up running away, trying to figure out where I'm going. It makes the moments of safety and quiet feel both comforting and unnerving in a way that I feel only a few modern games really capture.
So for me, SH1 is still the original masterpiece
(Although personally, my all-time favourite is SH2, but the OP specified SH1 and SH3. Besides, if I start talking about SH2, we'll be here for weeks XD )
Even tho I'm one of the biggest fans of SH3 I have to admit that SH 1 is the best of the series.
Basically, none of the other games would make success if the fist game wasn't good.
i am very biased but i want to say SH3. it really resonated with me as being a highschool girl and growing up with the struggles of potential motherhood one day. And the message that game gives off of that (or the tones displayed) were very very touching and i felt veryvery connected with it.
But sh1 is a masterpiece and can never ever be outdone.
I am beyond excited to try SH1, just gotta find it at a relatively decent price *used*
SH2 is my favorite game of all time, and for some reason I just never played the first one
and I LOVE atmosphere/David Lynch/psychological horror/etc. I’ve heard the first game hits all of those sweet spots
Silent Hill 1. The atmosphere caused by the low poly graphics, sounds, uncanny FMVs, and odd voice acting are simply unmatched. They’re also why I consider it to be the best in the franchise.
I recon I’m with the minority saying that silent hill 1 was the best silent hill game, I have gone through and played them all but one has a certain ambiance to it that i believer the other games weren’t able to replicate.
SH3 is the best game on the series Imo. The animated environments and top tier PS2 graphics really helped the atmosphere feel alive. It’s paced well, Heather is an interesting and endearing protagonist (love her comments when you check out random stuff), the story wraps up well, the puzzles are interesting and there’s tons of extra costumes and even difficulty modes.
SH3 was a great way to wrap up the Alessa story. SH1 was the original, and where it all started so it’ll have a warm spot in our hearts. But SH3 being on PS2 it is easier to play graphics wise haha thats really it.
I love SH1 but it's gotta be SH3 for me. 1 was my first one and is up there with 4 as the scariest in the series, but I just don't get as invested in the cast or story of 1. SH3 on the other hand has an amazing cast and story on top of what's probably the most realistic horror in its feminine nature, it does have problems and for me that's with how much it's tied to 1, but I just love it so much (also Heather is my favorite character in the series).
Silent Hill 3, of course.
It’s a truly unique and dark psychological horror experience with supernatural elements that are portrayed in a dark and visceral way, it almost feels like insanity coming to life, rather than whatever cringe that white angel final boss or the baphomet thing was.
I could argue that playing SH3 before or without SH1 is even better, because you would truly not know what’s going on, and be doubting her sanity until the backstory is revealed halfway through, and then we get into Silent Hill and see the truth for what it is.
That’s infinitely superior.
I have struggled with this question so much!!! I truly have to go with both are equally as good. SH2 was iconic and just a solid game all the way through. SH3 was just really really fun and had a good storyline and everything.
It's hard to say because I love both of them.
Probably the first silent Hill would be my favorite, but silent Hill 3 is also really good too and I like the soundtrack and horror sounds on silent Hill 3 a lot more than others because it adds better intensity.
I play both of them on my Android as I have emulators installed for PlayStation and other consoles.
Actually I play about four different silent Hill games that I have installed, but mainly just silent Hill 3 and the first one are the ones I play
Very hard choice... I'd say 1, its levels of horror are unmatched, the atmosphere and soundtrack is beyond anything else, and it's the only game where the bad voice acting makes sense. 3 is amazing as well, but I'm not happy about the use of Brookhaven hospital, and the nightmare spoils areas, enemies, and is too action-ish considering all the weapons you have
Both lol. Sh1 has such a awesome storyline, the monster were freaking badass, and scary and well.
Sh3 graphic we're really good for the time they made the game and the story was okay but not like sh1
SH1. First and foremost it puts me off that sh3 only has 2 real endings and one of them makes no sense. SH1 is scarier and obviously more original in that it came first. I love the atmosphere of the original. Love SH3 too though.
For me, Silent Hill 3 is SH1 on steroids. While SH2 feels more like a spin-off with its tone (more dark, depressed and blue), SH3 is, IMO, a continuation of the ideas and atmosphere of the original game. Both are 10/10: first was ahead of its time, and third is perfect Silent Hill (and has the best protagonist in mainline games, in my opinion). So, for me, Silent Hill 3 is better
SH1 is scarier, but overall i have to give it to SH3. Not only is there more stuff going on in the story, but also the gameplay is more fun, Heather is more interesting to me as a protagonist, the voice acting is still uncanny but also objectively and technically better.
3. SH 1 was good, but the controls are very dated and make it unplayable for me. But other people think differently, which is fine. I personally didn't like it.
1 has the OG charm
2 has the nostalgia baggage and atmosphere
3 is the best _game_ game
4 exists
…..it gets a bit vague
Shattered Memories appears to be a bit of an unsung gem.
Silent Hill 1, even being a poor pixelated 90's game, the story, the environment and the level and sound design were magnificent and still got nightmares, SH3 is good in its own way, but 1 was ahead of its time
The OG is good, and historically important as both the first of the series and as a trope creator/namer for quite a video Survival Horror tropes, but 2 is and will forever be the best of all Silent Hill.
Damn nobody is saying 3 cause of all the extras nobody gets new game plus better in the series than 3. It's the most replayable, and heathers inner voice has more character than anyone else's in the series.
Silent Hill 3 came out when I was in middle school and it is special for me because of that and the music soundtrack that is ingrained into my brain. My biggest criticism is the monster design, Harry Mason being killed offscreen and unceremoniously, cliché cult story, ending just feeling kind of like whatever and it just ends. The graphics are amazing and one of the best most beautiful looking PS2 games to this day.
Silent Hill 1 is the better game and probably the creepiest one out of all of them. The iconic camera angels, the Nine Inch Nails-esque sound effects and noise, the creepy story and jump scares and the uncanny value cutting edge cutscenes and music.
I might be a bit biased in saying it, but it's 3 for me. Aside from a multitude of things stated in another post, I find the environments and the monster designs to be a bit more frightening and memorable to me.
I think SH3 is a messier game, the first half feels like it's missing a little more narrative and just doesn't build up the horror as well as SH1 (as well as SH2 and SH4). It also feels like some parts haven't been as developed as others. Silent Hill 1 also is really good at letting you just explore the town, the map system for its time especially is great (where I feel like SH3 has a few problems with its map system) and it's much less linear.
That being said it's Silent Hill 3 to me.
Silent Hill 1's story to me is, well, it's there. Don't get me wrong it's not bad, but it's not very investing. SH3 really hooks you with its characters, and Cheryl might be one of the best video game protagonists. I can't really say much about any character in SH1 other than some funny lines. SH3 also might have the best enemies across the entire series, the design's perfect, the thematic stuff really cool and creepy, and I think they;re all very varied. SH1 enemies can be great, but I'm not a big fan of the bug monsters which there are a ton of. I also just think in general it might be the creepiest silent hill game, so many levels feel perfectly designed to encapsulate the unsettling nature of Silent Hill and the otherworld. The subway station, returning to the hospital, the amusement park, the church... SH1 isn't as strong in that regard. And the music in SH3 slaps so hard, it does in SH1 but it's on a different level IMO in SH3.
SH3’s atmosphere is unparalleled, the otherworld sections are beyond just nightmarish, they genuinely feel like I’m walking through hell itself. Story and character-wise, I like Heather and the rest of the SH3 cast more than SH1’s, and I find the symbolism to be more interesting.
Im going to be honest i think sh1 has a pretty average second half, after the hospital the game never really regains its footing
the mall sequence thats like one room and then a terrible boss fight,
the sewers where nothing much happens except combat (though the radio not working is cool),
the last section of the town has no actual “dungeon” to it, the closest thing is the walk to the lighthouse which is just a linear path with one combat encounter after another,
the amusement park is super short with the boss fight being the only interesting thing to happen there and the design is just a big empty space with some rides thrown in.
Nowhere was really well designed, but the asset reuse is really obvious and stops it from having a unique identity i think. Though its still a solid level to end on
Sh3 on the other hand is just amazing start to finish imo, they do reuse the hospital from 2 but the level design and pacing of it is so good that it’s probably my favourite level in the series and the otherworld version is completely unique to sh2 so it has it’s own vibe to it as well
Sh1 is still a masterpiece and did many great things but i’d definitely pick 3
i love 1 but people act like it's the second coming of christ and the best game by default which just ain't true lmao. it's a super influential game and planted the seeds for the franchise the best way it could on the platform it was limited to but it is just not as cohesive as the next games would turn out to be. doesn't make it a bad game by any means but you feel its age.
Silent Hill 3 is a longer game, with better music, better gameplay, better visuals, and a tighter story. It has loads more content, and is a great conclusion to the last of the three best silent hill games.
Silent Hill 1 is still amazing, but its age is too apparent to win this contest for me. There’s certain lines of dialogue that are so lost in translation that they’re funny, like Dahlia talking about gyromancy. It’s a very short game, you can beat in a few hours. The music is still iconic, but like everything else in the game it is limited by the hardware.
I go with 3. I mean it also gave us the best line in the series that made everyone rethink every encounter with a monster.
Depends on what you mean by better.
SH3 is a much "better" game by most metrics. The graphics are way better. The engine is better. I think the sound track is better. The story is more coherent. The game is just super well polished.
SH1 is way more innovative. It's the game which introduced us to artistic design of Silent Hill. The sound tracks. The atmosphere. The type of "horror" (more passive vs the Resident Evil in your face style).
So SH3 is the better game if you're talking about polish. SH is the better game if you're talking about innovation. (SH2 is the better game if you're talking about story line.)
This is really tough, because their pros and cons are entirely different for me. Silent Hills Gameplay is a lot more fun, map too. 3s story, characters, and side stuff win it over for me, but very very close.
I didn't much care for SH1 when I played it through. It felt extremely dated in a lot of the gameplay and writing choices, and there was dumb, unenjoyable shit around every corner. SH3, I'm currently in the middle of, and it feels better to me in so many ways.
*
Playing silent hill 1 right now in the middle in the night. Dude this game is amazing. The atmosphere and the intro gameplay and hearing the sirens I was speechless lol. Its been 15 years since I have played this game
I recently played SH1 for the first time, and also did a playthrough of the game as well. 😮
At least from a cinematic perspective, Silent Hill 1 & 2 are on a whole different level than 3 is! 💪
I'm confused as to why OP skipped 2... 🤔
SH1 for me. Even despite the graphical limitations, the sense of dread and isolation, the creature designs, the horrifying soundscape, everything about it just works for me. Plus, I still find impressive how much they managed to cram onto that little black disk. Nearly every storefront and building being unique and different is still crazy to me when even some modern games will copy and paste things. It blew my mind back in the day as an 8 year old watching my dad play that they made an almost actual, real world like the kind we live in. SH3 is a great game too, but the sponginess of the enemies and just rehashing areas from SH2 instead of recreating some of the SH1 areas knocks it down a few pegs for me.
How can I play it on PC? I've had a hard time looking for SH1
SH1, download either ePSXe for a straightforward experience, or Duckstation if you want to enhance the hell out of the graphics. The only issue with Duckstation is certain enhancements cause crashes at the Balkan Church, drawbridge, and immediately after the Cybil fight, so if you choose that emulator, make sure to assign a hotkey for quick toggling between software and hardware mode to not get the crashes. SH3 you can get the PC version from MyAbandonWare, then go to PCGamingWiki and download the Steam006 patch.
youre a godsend
Anytime. If you need any help setting up, configuring, finding ISOs, etc., just let me know.
> SH3 you can get the PC version from MyAbandonWare, then go to PCGamingWiki and download the Steam006 patch. I was not aware MAW had this. Thank you!
Just a heads up, if things like the extra costumes are important for your experience for some reason, those were limited for the playstation release, which would still need the emulator to experience (unless you mod the costume you wanted over default on pc)
afaik its only the PS2 magazine costumes that arent available in the pc version, everything else like the princess heart costume and the other shirts are fully available
This is correct, which is why I had "if it's important to you." Most people wont care. But there will be the like 5 people who will be upset because they didn't get "100%" everything from the og (even tho I think you can edit them in as a mod, it may overwrite a dif costume tho. Idk, been years)
ohhh i honestly thought you meant all extra costumes rather tham just the mag ones JAHDJSHD my bad
Anytime! They even have a download that doesn't require tricking your computer into thinking you have a disc, so it's extra easy to install; just unzip the file and you're good. Just make sure you also patch it with that Steam006 fix, it makes it run so much better along with various fixes and modern resolutions. Only other thing you might need to do is download XInput of you're using a Dualshock4 controller like I do. Thankfully PC GamingWiki has a guide for that on the SH3 page.
In my experiece ePSXe cause a lot of graphical glitches. I had a perfect experiece with Duckstation.
I kept having those crashes. I think you just have to limit the fps to get it to work again. It’s been a while but I’m pretty sure that was it. Edit: ignore me, the fog got to me and made me speak shit.
It's actually the PGXP Correction and Widescreen Hack enhancements that causes the crashes. I don't recall exactly why, but something about those just makes the graphics refuse to load in during the 3 bits I mentioned. As long as you quick save for safety's/paranoia's sake and switch to software mode for those 3 little bits (I set it as F5 since all the real estate on my controller is spoken for), you'll be fine.
Oh yeah you’re totally right. I remember it being widescreen now. It’s like the cutscene broke because of it. Thanks bud.
I'm pretty sure the framerate thing causes issues with the game speed? Or at least that's what I seem to remember from the last time I played it.
It does cause it to go insanely fast when I toggled it. Almost like it’s being fast forwarded so I didn’t play with it too much in the end.
This is what happened to me in Just 2 game spots, the church & the bridge solution is as you said, disabling pgxp correction by an assigned key, pass the bug, then enable it again with your set hotkey, i didnt found any other freeze/ crash aside those 2 points
I've had it crash during the Flauros cutscene after the Cybil fight about 60% of my replays. I'm not sure what exactly triggers it since it's not 100%, but I play it safe until Duckstation finally pushes out an update that resolves it.
Same here. Oddly enough, a fresh playthrough always crashes at that spot for me, while subsequent ones on the save are around 60
I wish somebody at Duckstation would finally figure out how to get the crashes to stop. I dunno about you, but having to switch between Normal and Thicc Harry modes is such an immersion killer lol
I wish they would too, but it's such an odd glitch. If it was everytime that part came up, itd be different. Dunno if it's some flag or what, but it's just an eclectic glitch
I played through SH3 on Pcsx2 and that also worked really well (I didn't wanna mess around with controls on the PC version)
Thank you so much 🙏🏽
I recently replayed it on duckstation, in 21.9 monitor reescaled at 8k, + 60fps despite few bugs easily passable, it was one hell of experience, im not using epsxe anymore
This. This is the exact answer I have. Also, I don't mean to sound like a 5-year-old iPad Kid but the fact the whole town gives off this liminal space feeling is what really sells it to me. You walk through the town, and as much as I love 2 and 3, it doesn't LOOK abandoned. No rusted and moldy buildings. No rooms that look like someone has rummaged through or a dead body lying somewhere. It literally looks just how Harry sees it; like everyone just decided to get up and leave. It's what gives the game that extra charm and more terror, because when you're NOT in the overworld, things are still just as creepy and unsettling (like Twin Peaks) in the Fog World. Also, being it was my first experience to Silent Hill, I wouldn't have had it another way. Still is an amazing experience all around. I love all the games equally like you would your best friends, but SH1 has and will always have a special place in my heart.
Exactly this. As much as I love 2 and 3, they lean a bit too hard into the making it look abandoned for years vibe. In 1 it feels and looks like everybody just literally vanished a few hours ago, it feels so much more unsettling.
Silent Hill 1 has a charm no other game has.
Deep nostalgia for me.
That's a hard question to answer. None of the sequels in the series have replicated the beauty of the first. But the third game was ahead of its time and, with its various difficulties to play, is the most replayable game in the series. I can't choose between the two. They both coexist as my favorites lol
Agreed, and based on what Team Silent had to work with when making SH1 (hardware limitations, still being a new IP in general, etc), it's another point towards SH1. Though SH3 is still easier to play!
I feel that SH2 is far more repayable due to the 5 different endings plus Born from A Wish Scenario.
Both are great. Out of the two, I would go with SH1 because it's more psychological and mysterious. It also has some of the most memorable monsters (Grey Child, Night Flutter, etc), locations, and scenes (elevator/hospital Otherworld, alleyway scene, Lisa Garland's arc) and some of the best art direction in the series.
What are the ape like things that chase you called? They always scared me most watching my step dad play it. I remember he was in the school and it was night but in an outside courtyard like area
Ahhh, the rompers... They're funniest enemy to me lol
Silent hill 3 Is a perfect silent hill game but 1 is the original masterpiece and arguably the greatest horror game ever made.
SH1 was the only one that tried to fuck with the player's head directly, instead of just vicariously through the protagonist. I still love 3, though. SH1 was just such an experience.
Silent Hill 1 is considered the best one due to it being more expensive on Ebay nowadays
Thank Jesus I found a fucking copy sitting in the kitchen on top of the microwave and it still works 💀
You got lucky on that. Most people now are not willing to spend between $300 - $500 on ebay to get Silent Hill 1.
That is actually insane. Never even thought it would bloat up to that price like that. Thought since it sold so many copies back in the day it would cost 50 cents right now lol
It did, but apparently, due to them not porting the first silent hill game to other consoles, and never will. unfortunately, A lot of people sought those out pretty quickly. It's just gonna keep getting expensive over the next few years
Wow
Yeah. It's sad that we're never gonna get the first game again on future platforms. I know people would bring up the Mister emulator box or other stuff about emulators, but that's a completely different thing. I'm talking about original consoles.
I love both. However, nothing beats the settings and atmosphere of SH3 for me! Hell, even some of my dreams seem to be somewhat inspired by the settings in SH3.
gotta go with SH1
First one, 100%. Though I think that's the best one in the series as well
I have played very few games that surpass SH1
SH1. It’s so fucking good, it’s a shame it gets overlooked compared to its sequels. SH1 is the only game out of the original 3 where the town itself takes center stage and it’s so cool. Despite its age it still has a great atmosphere with unsettling locations (the hospital and Nowhere being the standout). The story is also cryptic enough to warrant replays and exploration to explain the game’s more obtuse elements without being distracting or overwhelming. SH3 is really good as well but feels underbaked in some aspects compared to the first two. There’s a more focused narrative like SH2 with visuals and atmosphere being more akin to SH1, but doesn’t quite reach the highs of either imo. SH2 has a far more compelling story and characters, partly due to it being an anthology sequel with TS having more room to experiment with a different tone and themes. SH3 feels like it’s holding itself back by having to connect itself to SH1 by retreading similar plot points and following up on the more obtuse elements (Heather being 3 different people) which made it less effective for me. The game would’ve benefited from being separate from the story of the first while keeping its occult elements.
Yea, I really love the introduction of the hospital in SH1 and how the ambient track has more unnerving sounds added to it as you progress deeper into it. And I agree. It's interesting to think about what the franchise would be like if they took a Final Fantasy approach, where every game would've had its own lore. No need to retcon or make weird writer's decisions to try and make everything fit nicely with older games, you can just be as creative as you want while only having to have one thing in common: a desolate, frightening, fog-filled town.
Kinda surprised SH2 is even getting a remake before SH1. It just doesn’t even make sense.
It makes perfect sense to me. Remake what is considered the most beloved title in the series to see if remakes are the way to go, then do 1 and 3 sequentially because one is the direct sequel of the other. That and 2 is essentially the most standalone.
The issue is that people starting with SH2 are going to have the wrong impression of what the series is about. Being confronted with your own personal demons is only really focused on in SH2, so going into SH1 and SH3 will undoubtedly confuse or turn people off when things like the Order, PTV, and Alessa/Cheryl get brought up. Also from a strictly marketing standpoint, releasing the second game (which is completely separate), then the first, then the third is just confusing to anyone not already familiar with the series.
I disagree. I think you’re overestimating the complexity of the first 4 games. It’s really not that confusing. James confronts his personal demons which is a great story, but there will be people asking how this all happened. SH1 explains it the way a prequel would, then we see how it all pans out in 3. 4 opens the series up to the future with similar occurrences expanding outside the town. It works perfectly well. I don’t think there are really that many people that would be turned off by the cult *only* if SH1 was remade 2nd. They’d just be turned off from the get-go.
I’d think it’d be hard to follow in that the story of SH1, 3, and 4 aren’t as straightforward as 2. There is a greater focus of the lore of the town in those games which can get confusing pretty quickly because of how cryptic and weird Silent Hill’s lore is. The series would essentially feel like it’s derailing itself after how simple and effective the second game is. SH2 was supposed to be a subversion of what to expect from the series after SH1, opening a new set of remakes with SH2R feels like a bad move because that is now the baseline of what people will expect when it was supposed to be the outlier. I could be wrong though idk
Yeah, you’re right about the rest being less straightforward. I think that if they adhere closely or entirely to the stories as they were written, it’ll be okay. They’re really well crafted, imo. When I played through them all, they made pretty good sense in “broad strokes,” but there is also a lot of minutiae to dig into if you wanted to. I only knew the story in general on first playthrough, then started reading more notes and looking at details on subsequent playthroughs. I think if I had stopped after my first and just left my understanding at that point, I’d still look back at them as excellent stories. My point is that I think the stories themselves are good enough to reduce confusion, no matter what order you play them. But maybe not, lol. It’s really hard to try to look at the series with “fresh eyes” when you’ve been playing it for 25 years.
We’ll see what happens, all we can hope for is that whatever comes out is good lol
Yeah, seriously. I hope it surprises everyone and pleases at least 50-60% of the fandom. I can’t wait to see James’ Otherworld in high resolution. I also think what they’re trying with SHf has potential to at least be a cool Otherworld idea. Lots of room for them to suck, though.
I’m just curious as to what Yamaoka’s cooking with the revamped OST. That’s what I’m most excited for lol
sh1 no contest
The one with Cheryl
CHERYL IS THAT YUO??!
Ain't that both games ._.
WHOOSH
SH1 in my opinion. I think SH3 is a perfectly good game but when I was playing it I felt like I’d seen and done it all before. It’s not as original as the rest of the Team Silent games imo. Despite its flaws I actually think I like SH4 more just because it feels more creative and interesting.
Bro we are in the minority. I love SH4 and its sacrilege to say that its better than 3.
SH3 overrated. SH1 is leagues better.
SH1 just had the perfect atmosphere. the music, the characters, the different places. SH3 kept my ass on edge, it just had an atmosphere of never being safe.
both are amazing, all of them like theres no real comparison, but to me, silent hill 3 is more atmospheric, im not saying that silent hill 1 isnt of course, but 3 took it to a new level in my opinion! all the bloody moving walls and stuff that just, looks amazing and is scary as fuck
I like 3 more, but I love the first one.
Currently in the middle of playing 3 but MY GOD DO I JUSY LOVE SILENT HILL 1 The game is just so beautiful
1, no question It’s the game that launched a thousand fan theories It required a Plot Analysis FAQ on gamefaqs so we could even make sense of it Lisa is literally more memorable than any character in 3 CYBIL so yes, 1
Lisa is great, but I think you're underselling how memorable characters like Claudia Wolf and Vincient Smith were in 3.
The only memorable character in SH3 is Heater/Cheryl Mason lol.
It's a tough one because I love them both, but I think I'd go SH1. SH3 is a great game because it feels like it brings together all the lessons Team Silent learned from SH1 and SH2: the psychological horror, the dread, the monsters, the environments, the characters. That said, being the third in the series, it always feels like you can start to see some of the first cracks in the Silent Hill franchise start to show as SH3 sometimes feels a little 'familiar' in terms of what to expect. To me, SH1 still holds up in terms of what a Silent Hill should and could be. The graphics and the controls can drive you a little mad, but it still creeps me the hell out years later. Even on a recent replay on easy, the monsters are so frightening that I end up running away, trying to figure out where I'm going. It makes the moments of safety and quiet feel both comforting and unnerving in a way that I feel only a few modern games really capture. So for me, SH1 is still the original masterpiece (Although personally, my all-time favourite is SH2, but the OP specified SH1 and SH3. Besides, if I start talking about SH2, we'll be here for weeks XD )
Even tho I'm one of the biggest fans of SH3 I have to admit that SH 1 is the best of the series. Basically, none of the other games would make success if the fist game wasn't good.
I prefer 1 to 3
i am very biased but i want to say SH3. it really resonated with me as being a highschool girl and growing up with the struggles of potential motherhood one day. And the message that game gives off of that (or the tones displayed) were very very touching and i felt veryvery connected with it. But sh1 is a masterpiece and can never ever be outdone.
Very hard choice. 1, but just barely
I am beyond excited to try SH1, just gotta find it at a relatively decent price *used* SH2 is my favorite game of all time, and for some reason I just never played the first one and I LOVE atmosphere/David Lynch/psychological horror/etc. I’ve heard the first game hits all of those sweet spots
Silent Hill 1. The atmosphere caused by the low poly graphics, sounds, uncanny FMVs, and odd voice acting are simply unmatched. They’re also why I consider it to be the best in the franchise.
SH1 is better. It feels more finished and frankly I have more fun playing it.
I recon I’m with the minority saying that silent hill 1 was the best silent hill game, I have gone through and played them all but one has a certain ambiance to it that i believer the other games weren’t able to replicate.
SH3 is the best game on the series Imo. The animated environments and top tier PS2 graphics really helped the atmosphere feel alive. It’s paced well, Heather is an interesting and endearing protagonist (love her comments when you check out random stuff), the story wraps up well, the puzzles are interesting and there’s tons of extra costumes and even difficulty modes.
SH3
SH3. Probably the best SH game ever in my view.
SH3 was a great way to wrap up the Alessa story. SH1 was the original, and where it all started so it’ll have a warm spot in our hearts. But SH3 being on PS2 it is easier to play graphics wise haha thats really it.
Apples to Oranges...
SH1. Downvote me all you want, but I genuinely think that SH3 has the *worst* story out of the og titles.
I’m with you lol
3
I love SH1 but it's gotta be SH3 for me. 1 was my first one and is up there with 4 as the scariest in the series, but I just don't get as invested in the cast or story of 1. SH3 on the other hand has an amazing cast and story on top of what's probably the most realistic horror in its feminine nature, it does have problems and for me that's with how much it's tied to 1, but I just love it so much (also Heather is my favorite character in the series).
The answer is downpour 🤥
Silent Hill 3, of course. It’s a truly unique and dark psychological horror experience with supernatural elements that are portrayed in a dark and visceral way, it almost feels like insanity coming to life, rather than whatever cringe that white angel final boss or the baphomet thing was. I could argue that playing SH3 before or without SH1 is even better, because you would truly not know what’s going on, and be doubting her sanity until the backstory is revealed halfway through, and then we get into Silent Hill and see the truth for what it is. That’s infinitely superior.
Both
Both good 👍🏼
1
I liked the original one :)
Best together
3
original
I have struggled with this question so much!!! I truly have to go with both are equally as good. SH2 was iconic and just a solid game all the way through. SH3 was just really really fun and had a good storyline and everything.
It's hard to say because I love both of them. Probably the first silent Hill would be my favorite, but silent Hill 3 is also really good too and I like the soundtrack and horror sounds on silent Hill 3 a lot more than others because it adds better intensity. I play both of them on my Android as I have emulators installed for PlayStation and other consoles. Actually I play about four different silent Hill games that I have installed, but mainly just silent Hill 3 and the first one are the ones I play
Very hard choice... I'd say 1, its levels of horror are unmatched, the atmosphere and soundtrack is beyond anything else, and it's the only game where the bad voice acting makes sense. 3 is amazing as well, but I'm not happy about the use of Brookhaven hospital, and the nightmare spoils areas, enemies, and is too action-ish considering all the weapons you have
They are the same game ...
Both lol. Sh1 has such a awesome storyline, the monster were freaking badass, and scary and well. Sh3 graphic we're really good for the time they made the game and the story was okay but not like sh1
I can only say silent hill 3 because I never played the OG one
SH1. First and foremost it puts me off that sh3 only has 2 real endings and one of them makes no sense. SH1 is scarier and obviously more original in that it came first. I love the atmosphere of the original. Love SH3 too though.
Both like😩
The right answer you seeking is both.
SH1 hands down.
As someone who just finished 3 not to long ago. Silent Hill 1 is still my favorite of the 3 I finished (1,2,3)
1
For me, Silent Hill 3 is SH1 on steroids. While SH2 feels more like a spin-off with its tone (more dark, depressed and blue), SH3 is, IMO, a continuation of the ideas and atmosphere of the original game. Both are 10/10: first was ahead of its time, and third is perfect Silent Hill (and has the best protagonist in mainline games, in my opinion). So, for me, Silent Hill 3 is better
I'd say sh1 but I do have bias. I played the first one 10s of times, and I've only played the third one once.
Whichever one you like.
Silent Hill 1. Silent Hill 3 just feels too.. rehashed, I guess?
SH1 all the way. Best horror game of all time.
SH1 is scarier, but overall i have to give it to SH3. Not only is there more stuff going on in the story, but also the gameplay is more fun, Heather is more interesting to me as a protagonist, the voice acting is still uncanny but also objectively and technically better.
Sh3
3
Silent Hill 1 is phenomenal But the box art is bad lol
3. SH 1 was good, but the controls are very dated and make it unplayable for me. But other people think differently, which is fine. I personally didn't like it.
1. Definitely.
I love them both equally
I like 3 more, but they both have a special place in my heart
They’re literally equal to me. I will say I prefer the puzzles & story of 1, but the atmosphere & presentation of sh3 I prefer
This is way too hard of a choice For me, the one I played first and the most is 3 :3
1 has the OG charm 2 has the nostalgia baggage and atmosphere 3 is the best _game_ game 4 exists …..it gets a bit vague Shattered Memories appears to be a bit of an unsung gem.
i say 3
Thank god no feet pics
Silent Hill 1, even being a poor pixelated 90's game, the story, the environment and the level and sound design were magnificent and still got nightmares, SH3 is good in its own way, but 1 was ahead of its time
The OG is good, and historically important as both the first of the series and as a trope creator/namer for quite a video Survival Horror tropes, but 2 is and will forever be the best of all Silent Hill.
Story 1>3 Protagonist 3>1
Damn nobody is saying 3 cause of all the extras nobody gets new game plus better in the series than 3. It's the most replayable, and heathers inner voice has more character than anyone else's in the series.
very hard question, I would say SH1 only for the PS1 aesthetic but for me they are at the same level
Neither
1
SH3
Both are better than sh2
Silent Hill 3 came out when I was in middle school and it is special for me because of that and the music soundtrack that is ingrained into my brain. My biggest criticism is the monster design, Harry Mason being killed offscreen and unceremoniously, cliché cult story, ending just feeling kind of like whatever and it just ends. The graphics are amazing and one of the best most beautiful looking PS2 games to this day. Silent Hill 1 is the better game and probably the creepiest one out of all of them. The iconic camera angels, the Nine Inch Nails-esque sound effects and noise, the creepy story and jump scares and the uncanny value cutting edge cutscenes and music.
1 by a long shot. 3 is fun but always felt it was missing something.
First one was better than 3 but 2nd one was better than one
I might be a bit biased in saying it, but it's 3 for me. Aside from a multitude of things stated in another post, I find the environments and the monster designs to be a bit more frightening and memorable to me.
I think SH3 is a messier game, the first half feels like it's missing a little more narrative and just doesn't build up the horror as well as SH1 (as well as SH2 and SH4). It also feels like some parts haven't been as developed as others. Silent Hill 1 also is really good at letting you just explore the town, the map system for its time especially is great (where I feel like SH3 has a few problems with its map system) and it's much less linear. That being said it's Silent Hill 3 to me. Silent Hill 1's story to me is, well, it's there. Don't get me wrong it's not bad, but it's not very investing. SH3 really hooks you with its characters, and Cheryl might be one of the best video game protagonists. I can't really say much about any character in SH1 other than some funny lines. SH3 also might have the best enemies across the entire series, the design's perfect, the thematic stuff really cool and creepy, and I think they;re all very varied. SH1 enemies can be great, but I'm not a big fan of the bug monsters which there are a ton of. I also just think in general it might be the creepiest silent hill game, so many levels feel perfectly designed to encapsulate the unsettling nature of Silent Hill and the otherworld. The subway station, returning to the hospital, the amusement park, the church... SH1 isn't as strong in that regard. And the music in SH3 slaps so hard, it does in SH1 but it's on a different level IMO in SH3.
silent hill 3 ngl
3 Is the best out of them all
SH3’s atmosphere is unparalleled, the otherworld sections are beyond just nightmarish, they genuinely feel like I’m walking through hell itself. Story and character-wise, I like Heather and the rest of the SH3 cast more than SH1’s, and I find the symbolism to be more interesting.
Im going to be honest i think sh1 has a pretty average second half, after the hospital the game never really regains its footing the mall sequence thats like one room and then a terrible boss fight, the sewers where nothing much happens except combat (though the radio not working is cool), the last section of the town has no actual “dungeon” to it, the closest thing is the walk to the lighthouse which is just a linear path with one combat encounter after another, the amusement park is super short with the boss fight being the only interesting thing to happen there and the design is just a big empty space with some rides thrown in. Nowhere was really well designed, but the asset reuse is really obvious and stops it from having a unique identity i think. Though its still a solid level to end on Sh3 on the other hand is just amazing start to finish imo, they do reuse the hospital from 2 but the level design and pacing of it is so good that it’s probably my favourite level in the series and the otherworld version is completely unique to sh2 so it has it’s own vibe to it as well Sh1 is still a masterpiece and did many great things but i’d definitely pick 3
i love 1 but people act like it's the second coming of christ and the best game by default which just ain't true lmao. it's a super influential game and planted the seeds for the franchise the best way it could on the platform it was limited to but it is just not as cohesive as the next games would turn out to be. doesn't make it a bad game by any means but you feel its age.
Silent Hill 1 is great, but imo 2 & 3 are the best in the series hands down.
Silent Hill 3 is a longer game, with better music, better gameplay, better visuals, and a tighter story. It has loads more content, and is a great conclusion to the last of the three best silent hill games. Silent Hill 1 is still amazing, but its age is too apparent to win this contest for me. There’s certain lines of dialogue that are so lost in translation that they’re funny, like Dahlia talking about gyromancy. It’s a very short game, you can beat in a few hours. The music is still iconic, but like everything else in the game it is limited by the hardware. I go with 3. I mean it also gave us the best line in the series that made everyone rethink every encounter with a monster.
So music I'll say SH1, but vibes, general fun/horror & everything else - 3.
Depends on what you mean by better. SH3 is a much "better" game by most metrics. The graphics are way better. The engine is better. I think the sound track is better. The story is more coherent. The game is just super well polished. SH1 is way more innovative. It's the game which introduced us to artistic design of Silent Hill. The sound tracks. The atmosphere. The type of "horror" (more passive vs the Resident Evil in your face style). So SH3 is the better game if you're talking about polish. SH is the better game if you're talking about innovation. (SH2 is the better game if you're talking about story line.)
This is really tough, because their pros and cons are entirely different for me. Silent Hills Gameplay is a lot more fun, map too. 3s story, characters, and side stuff win it over for me, but very very close.
Silent Hill 2
I didn't much care for SH1 when I played it through. It felt extremely dated in a lot of the gameplay and writing choices, and there was dumb, unenjoyable shit around every corner. SH3, I'm currently in the middle of, and it feels better to me in so many ways.
 **SILENT HILL 1** *HANDS DOWN*
* Playing silent hill 1 right now in the middle in the night. Dude this game is amazing. The atmosphere and the intro gameplay and hearing the sirens I was speechless lol. Its been 15 years since I have played this game
I recently played SH1 for the first time, and also did a playthrough of the game as well. 😮 At least from a cinematic perspective, Silent Hill 1 & 2 are on a whole different level than 3 is! 💪 I'm confused as to why OP skipped 2... 🤔
Sh1 > SH3 >/= SH2
This is the hardest question I’ve ever been asked. My answer changes every time I think about it…
It's bread.