Silent Hill: Can I skip the first game?

[Glaice]

Don't. You won't know at all how the third game connects with the references/tie-in to it. The second game is not connected to the first and is an excellent play. Origins takes place before the first game and The Room and Homecoming is vaguely connected to Silent Hill.

 

[Itdoesthatsometimes]

I played the second one first, it has been my favorite game of all time.
I liked what lacktheknack said about playing part 3 first, that sounds interesting.

I pretty much agree entirely with Johnny Novgorod about quality. Up until Origins, it bored the hell out of me, I quit playing did not finish it. Homecoming was fine, but kind of stupid too. That's as far as I bothered with the series, but that might say something in of it's own.

 

[Sheen Lantern]

Snip

You can jump right into Silent Hill 2 without knowing anything, in fact that's probably the way to go. It is it's own, separate storyline that is completely disconnected from 1 & 3. The only thing 2 and the rest have in common is that they are set in Silent Hill.

Silent Hill 3 plays almost exactly like 2, although it is imperative that you play through Silent Hill 1 first, as 3 is a direct sequel to 1, familiarity with SH1's story and it's canon ending (There are multiple endings) and 100% necessary to your enjoyment of SH3.

Silent Hill 4 is, once again, completely unrelated to 1 & 3, which is due to the fact that it's not even a Silent Hill game, Konami just slapped the Silent Hill name onto some random unrelated horror game. Though oddly enough, despite some finicky and dumb mechanics, it has some of the most unique and effective scares you'll ever find in a game.

Regardless, if you play any Silent Hill game, play the second one. Heck, why wouldn't you? It's widely considered to be the greatest video game of all time. If your situation changes, then pick up 1 & 3 later down the road, I promise you won't regret it.

P.S. Oh yeah, and play them at night, alone and with the sound up. Oh boy, what a ride.

 

[Johnny Impact]

I did. You're not missing anything. I started with 2. Come to think of it, I never did play 1.

 

[Fox12]

I kind of want to get into Silent Hill after hearing extensive praise, but I have no means of getting or playing the original. Can I go straight to Silent Hill 2? Will I be missing important info? I always try to play a series from the beginning, but I may need to do this differently, so I just want to make sure I'm not going to go in totally confused.

EDIT: Also, opinions on quality of each game?

Silent Hill 1 is available on PSN. It's really a forgotten gem in the series, so I would play it if you get the opportunity. SH3 is a direct sequel to SH1.

It's not necessary, though. SH2 is the masterpiece of the series, and it's completely unrelated. Most of the games are a self contained story with their own plots. This is the high water mark of the series as well, so it's a good entry point. You can begin and end your experience with SH here, and you would be fine. Understand that SH2 isn't just a scary game, it's a SMART game with a lot of symbolism and depth. Research the game after you beat it.

SH3 is scary, though the plot isn't as strong as the first two. It's a direct sequel to SH1, but you don't need to play the first game to understand what's happening.

Honestly, after this I would leave the series alone. The other games range from average to terrible, but none of them have the amazing plot of SH2 or the atmosphere of SH1. There are new games coming out, though, so it's a good time to get into the series.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Skip whatever game you want. They're all self contained stories.

3 is a direct sequel to 1, and Origins is a direct prequel. Other than that, they're all pretty self-contained.

 

[Chester Rabbit]

Skip whatever game you want. They're all self contained stories.

3 is a direct sequel to 1, and Origins is a direct prequel. Other than that, they're all pretty self-contained.

Even then, it's not really necessary for you to have played Silent Hill 1 to play 3. You'll just appreciate it more if you have and understand the story better; but even then it's still pretty strong on it's own seeing how it catches you up even if you didn't play the first game.

I'm actually in the small camp that thinks the game still really holds up when compared to the other 3 and think the dated visuals really add another level of creepy to the game.

And no one should play Origins. No on...

 

[Post Tenebrae Morte]

Honestly, you don't have to but it is directly related to 3 and by extension of the cult, homecoming as well. Origins is something of a prequel, but if I had to choose, I'd go in for Travis and his story not the alessa stuff. 2, shattered memories, and downpour are more psychological horror, relying on atmosphere and aesthetics to emerse people in the game. My top 3 go: shattered memories, downpour, and 2.

As for four, it is something of a mix of the primal horror from the cult games (1, 3, and homecoming) and the thriller style of the psych games (2, downpour, and shattered memories). It is a great game, but before you dive into it, remember: it is about the villain, Walter. Henry, the playable character, isn't exactly the most fleshed out and is more like link from zelda.

It is a wonderful series, and I still find it despicable that people don't give shattered memories and downpour the props they deserve.