Silent Hill: Origins
Travis Grady swerves his truck to avoid hitting a spirit manifestation of Alessa in the foggy streets of Silent Hill. The year is 1992, and the town waits for him with its usual silence. He stumbles upon a burning house where he rescues the real Alessa from flames that consumed her during a ritual. This moment sets off a chain of events that will lead him deep into the town's dark history. Travis carries a flashlight and listens to the static crackle from his portable radio as monsters approach. His journey begins not with answers but with questions about the girl he saved and the memories locked inside his own mind.
Climax Studios released the game on the 6th of November 2007 for the PlayStation Portable in North America. Players control Travis using a third-person perspective that shifts between fixed camera angles. Combat involves fists, firearms, melee weapons, and one-shot items that break after use. A new grapple system activates when a monster grabs Travis, requiring quick timing to escape without taking damage. Health status appears only in the inventory screen, while critical health causes the edges of the screen to throb red. Heartbeats grow louder as danger increases, replacing traditional heads-up displays found in other games.
Development began at Climax Group's Los Angeles branch before shifting to Portsmouth in early 2007. Issues with the game engine and conflicting visions forced the closure of the American studio. The UK team received a version intended as a dark comedy inspired by Scrubs before Konami allowed changes within budget constraints. Sam Barlow rewrote the script, level design, and monsters within a single week during August 2007. The final product aimed to replicate the atmosphere of the first Silent Hill game rather than introduce radical innovations. Release dates moved from winter 2006 to late 2007 across multiple regions including Europe and Japan.
Travis unlocks repressed memories showing his mother committed to a mental institution for attempting to kill him. His father killed himself unable to live with guilt over her condemnation. He defeats monstrous forms of both parents while collecting pieces of an unknown pyramid-shaped object called Flauros. Alessa uses the completed artifact to free herself from Dahlia's spell and manifest a baby with half her soul. In one ending Travis drives away cheerfully after seeing the baby carried off by Alessa's spirit. Another shows him strapped to a gurney injected with an unknown substance before convulsing into visions of killing two people. A third path sees him leave in a UFO with an alien and dog searching for his missing truck.
Akira Yamaoka composed the score released as Silent Hill Zero Original Soundtracks on the 25th of January 2008 in Japan. Mary Elizabeth McGlynn provided vocals for four tracks written by Joe Romersa who had worked together on the fourth installment in 2004. The music aimed to replicate the eerie atmosphere of the original game despite being a prequel. Reviewers praised the soundtrack as frightening and essential to the experience. The PlayStation Official Magazine UK noted that the first-rate sound should only be played through headphones. Static crackles from radios and ambient noise create tension throughout the journey.
The PSP version received a Metacritic aggregate score of 78 out of 100 upon release in November 2007. GameDaily called it impressive while Shane Bettenhausen of 1UP.com found it predictable yet conventional. Kristan Reed of Eurogamer described it as an unapologetic homage to previous titles. Kevin VanOrd of GameSpot criticized the premise as unoriginal but acknowledged new material for fans. The PS2 port scored lower at 70 out of 100 with complaints about graphics and lack of manual camera control. Critics agreed the game was short with save points spaced poorly and no checkpoints included. Despite formulaic elements reviewers felt it added meaningfully to the series' mythos.
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Common questions
When was Silent Hill Origins released for the PlayStation Portable?
Climax Studios released Silent Hill Origins on the 6th of November 2007 for the PlayStation Portable in North America. The game later launched across multiple regions including Europe and Japan during late 2007.
Who developed Silent Hill Origins after the American studio closed?
Development shifted to Portsmouth where the UK team received a version intended as a dark comedy inspired by Scrubs before Konami allowed changes within budget constraints. Sam Barlow rewrote the script, level design, and monsters within a single week during August 2007.
What is the plot involving Travis Grady and Alessa in Silent Hill Origins?
Travis Grady swerves his truck to avoid hitting a spirit manifestation of Alessa in the foggy streets of Silent Hill in 1992. He rescues the real Alessa from flames that consumed her during a ritual which sets off a chain of events leading him deep into the town's dark history.
How does health status work in Silent Hill Origins compared to other games?
Health status appears only in the inventory screen while critical health causes the edges of the screen to throb red. Heartbeats grow louder as danger increases replacing traditional heads-up displays found in other games.
When was the Silent Hill Zero Original Soundtracks released in Japan?
Akira Yamaoka composed the score released as Silent Hill Zero Original Soundtracks on the 25th of January 2008 in Japan. Mary Elizabeth McGlynn provided vocals for four tracks written by Joe Romersa who had worked together on the fourth installment in 2004.