January 5, 2010

2009 Game of the Year

Happy New Year!

While there where many amazing games released in 2009, my favorite experience was Silent Hill Shattered Memories for the Wii.  That being said, I have not played Modern Warfare 2 or Uncharted 2.  However, Shattered Memories was one of the most unique games I’ve ever played.

The game is a remake of the original Silent Hill for the PlayStation.  I have never played the series but have always heard good things about it.  When Shattered Memories came out, I thought it was time to dive into the franchise.  The game was trip.  You start out being asked a series of questions from a psychologist.  Based on how you answer these questions and interact within the world, your experience within the game changes.  Your decisions and actions are noted and in the end you are physiologically profiled.  I found the end result very acute.

The controls work well and I found the use of the flashlight with the Wii mote very intuitive.  The nightmare sequences are a bit frustrating at times.  However, the story and atmospheric environments make up for the few cumbersome sequences you play through.  It is also one of the best looking games on the Wii.  Most memorable was the ending...  Play it!

Shattered Memories was a great introduction for me into the world of Silent Hill.  I plan to play past games in the series and hope Shattered Memories does well so that the series will continue to be developed.