edsmith1990

CHAPTER FOUR: “SPECIAL PLACE”

Once we leave the men’s toilet another cutscene begins. In the background, a vista of Silent Hill. The bathroom is parallel to a car park, within which James has secured presumably a nondescript light-blue sedan. Small in the frame, our protagonist leans against a short wall and gazes out over the town, our villain. Mary,Continue reading “CHAPTER FOUR: “SPECIAL PLACE””

CHAPTER THREE: STILL HEALTHY

But also we are not James. We are not James. Reads the instruction manual to Williams Entertainment’s 1995 port to the PlayStation of Doom: “You’re a space marine, one of Earth’s toughest, hardened in combat and trained for action. Three years ago you assaulted a superior officer for ordering his soldiers to fire upon civilians. WithContinue reading “CHAPTER THREE: STILL HEALTHY”

CHAPTER TWO: CAR

When we are first given control over James, the camera cuts to an over-the-shoulder perspective, inviting us to once again view his face in the mirror. However, as this is now part of the game proper and we as players are in now in control of James, we are also in this moment looking intoContinue reading “CHAPTER TWO: CAR”

CHAPTER ONE: MEN’S TOILET

As the game starts, James has already made his journey to the outskirts of Silent Hill and, having gotten out of his car to stretch his legs, is standing inside a men’s toilet –- the foreground in the initial shots of the opening cutscene shows us urinals. The very first shot, however, is of James’Continue reading “CHAPTER ONE: MEN’S TOILET”

INTRO

I started writing this book about two years ago, and then owing to various other pressures and influences, like starting a new job, having newer and what I thought were better ideas, and giving up on the belief that videogames were worth talking about, put it aside and forgot that it existed — or ratherContinue reading “INTRO”