Johnny Novgorod said:
Silent Hill 2's final level is perfect. Gameplay doesn't kick up or anything, I think it's just a combination of the story climaxing, the Lakeside Hotel going nuts, the music droning depressingly and maybe the fact that suddenly monsters aren't that scary anymore, since all of the preceding are taking up all of your attention. Also, dual Pyramid Heads!
I think I like it BECAUSE it wasn't all that scary, weirdly enough. After shitting my pants for most of the game, the final level almost felt... peaceful? I just remember climbing those stairs towards Mary with a sense of purpose. The light rain and James final talk with his wife were very emotional, but it felt like an ending. Of course, I think this worked because James was dealing with his guilt throughout the whole game, and by the time you get to the final boss he's pretty much faced up to what he's done. Therefore it would make since for a lot of the horror elements to subtly disappear, because he's accepted what happened and moved on. Is it weird that the end of that game left me feeling really really happy?
I guess it would depend on the ending you get, but since the "good" ending is the most common, that's the one I'm referring to. Also, if you believe that Silent Hill is just a form of purgatory then that would still be the ultimate ending, and the happiest, because he gets to "pass on" so to speak.