9 Reasons why Silent Hill is better than Resident Evil

Agnes in Wonderland — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 00:42:54 +0000

I borrowed three Resident Evil games from a friend the other day, thinking I’d like them. I became a Silent Hill fan over a year ago when I got Silent Hill 3; it was an awesome addition to the horror genre on PlayStation 2, setting the bar quite high. Resident Evil should be as great, too.. right? Wrong. So, without further ado, I present the top 9 reasons why Silent Hill is better than RE.

The controls and gameplay. Resident Evil is just sloppy, and the controls weren’t contstructed with the player in mind. In order to shoot, you have to tap R1 to go into first person mode (which I completely hate in this genre; it’s only useful in Star Wars: Battlefront). In Silent Hill, you also hold down R1 (to aim), yet you still stay in third person mode to have a clear view of what you’re up against in all directions. It’s also easier to get the hang of. In RE there are a lot of useless buttons, or a set of buttons that do the exact same thing. Where’s the point in that?

Movement. I played RE: Outbreak for the least amount of time. Why? Because my character moved at the pace of a cow stuck in molasses. Everything was sloppy there. The camera was static and I kept bumping into counters and getting myself stuck, not to mention nibbled on by the living dead.

Items. In RE games, your character can carry a maximum number of items he or she finds. That means you have to make sacrifices, or go back for that item/weapon when you have an open slot (if you still even remember where it is). Silent Hill doesn’t have that problem. Carry as much as you want, and it’s all displayed in a neat and non-confusing menu.

Sound Effects. Silent Hill always provides the player with an awesome, unnerving soundtrack. It sets the perfect eerie mood. Also, the sound effects for the monsters clearly outdo the uninspired moaning of the zombies in RE.

Storyline. Silent Hill’s storylines are gripping, and you don’t have to know the entire history of the franchise in order to enjoy gameplay. As for RE, what’s with all the Umbrella stuff? It all seems so monotone one game after another.

Gore. Resident Evil was clearly outdone by Silent Hill in this category. SH features a wide array of monsters and creatures; RE is completely monotone… yes, zombie humans, zombie dogs, blah blah blah, we get it!

The Fun Factor. RE is simply frustrating. You need an ample amount of time and patience to master the controls and behaviors of your surroundings. Silent Hill is a game that lets you leap in, learn things quickly and enjoy the ride. It’s even better when you play it alone in a dark room with the surround sound on. Try it sometime and you’re guaranteed to get goosebumps.

Enemies. In Silent Hill, when you kill a monster, it stays down! The same thing can’t be said about RE. A novice to the game franchise would quickly give up and slam their controller to the floor, opting to play something better.

Environments. With Resident Evil, I was dissapointed in the environments. They were often too simplistic or everything happened to look the same and I had a hard time figuring out where I was. The developer seemed to focus on the look of the zombies themselves, leaving the rest to your imagination. On the other hand, if you visit the town of Silent Hill, you’ll notice highly detailed environments. And when going into the “Hell” mode, everything becomes gruesome. Your environment is filled with rust and blood splattered on the walls. And darkness, of course. It all adds up to the greatest horror game experience ever.

*Have any suggestions or corrections for this entry? Please comment.

FIFA bringing the world together?

Agnes in Wonderland — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 23:23:30 +0000

Watching World News Tonight, I caught a glimpse of a FIFA-themed story; supposedly, the 2006 fight for the World Cup is bringing all of us together around the globe. Or is it?

I admit that I watched the Mavs in that last basketball tournament. Why? The hype, of course. I’m not a valiant observer of sporting events on tv. But somehow I was drawn to it. I even had dreams in which I asked friends impatiently who won the game the night before (if I missed it). And so, partly for the same reason, I was drawn to the broadcast of FIFA. Being European, the need to watch a good soccer match can be compared to a musician who can’t imagine being separated from their instrument.

And so, a few weeks ago, I caught FIFA fever. Poland was eliminated early on in the tournament, so I was ready to pick favorites after watching a few games. Argentina quickly earned my respect and gained favoritism after their 2:1 victory over Tunisia. It was one of the best games I’ve ever seen. Their first goal was phenomenal… 23 fluid and precise passes to the goal. How could they top that, I thought. They did, with their second goal made by the Argentinian resembling Adam Sandler. His teammate kicked the ball from across the field; he bounced it off his chest and kicked it into the goal before the ball even hit the ground. Truly stunning. Then, sadly, Argentina was out of the running. I had to find a new favorite; choosing England (biased, obviously) I supposed that they would go all the way and win the cup. I was mistaken when they were defeated by Portugal (who, by the way, plays dirty). Why? Two main reasons: Beckham was out due to a knee injury in the middle of the game, and Rooney (supposedly another great player on the British team) was eliminated via red card penalty for stomping on an opponent’s nether region. So long, Britain… At least Portugal is out now, who got a fine kick in the behind from Italy (they scored two goals within two minutes at the very end of overtime – nails in Portugal’s coffin, so to speak). Now the World Cup will lie either in the hands of Italy or those of France.

A FIFA fan (old and young alike) will still watch the games after his/her country of choice has been eliminated. Why? It’s rather hard to explain; this inner feeling of excitement and a fixation on the television. You remain glued to the screen as the minutes go by, then overtime, and perhaps the chance of penalty goals. Suspense, drama, shirt-pulling, and yellow and red cards. They define what makes FIFA so great and successful. So yes, in a way, FIFA brings us all together. We just don’t speak to each other… we yell at the tv.

=Agnes in Wonderland=

9 Reasons why Silent Hill is better than Resident Evil

FIFA bringing the world together?