Silent Hill 3

• 1. The Rail Shooter That Never Was

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  In September 2001, the development team at Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo began work on a project that would eventually become Silent Hill 3. The initial concept was not a direct sequel to the first game but rather a rail shooter. This decision stemmed from slow sales and fan criticism of Silent Hill 2 in Japan. Masahiro Ito later admitted that this choice wasted considerable development time and part of the game's budget. Most of the early work produced between September 2001 and September 2002 was almost completely scrapped when the plan changed. The final version was developed from scratch in less than nine months, running from September 2002 to May 2003. A smaller group of staff members worked on the PlayStation 2 version compared to the larger team behind Silent Hill 2. Around 40 people made up the core team for this iteration, including some newcomers alongside veterans from the second title.

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• 2. Heather Mason Awakens In The Mall

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  A young girl named Heather awakens from a nightmare inside a burger restaurant within a shopping mall. She is seventeen years old and tries to return home to her father Harry Mason. Before she can leave, private detective Douglas Cartland confronts her with information about her birth. He claims to have been hired by Claudia Wolf to find her. Heather evades him and discovers the mall is mostly abandoned except for monsters. She soon finds herself in an Otherworld version of the mall where bloodstains cover the floors and decay spreads through the walls. This alternate world is a supernatural reflection of reality that hides dangers beneath its surface. Heather eventually returns to the original shopping mall where she encounters Douglas again. He confesses that Claudia had hired him but denies prior knowledge of any greater agenda. When Heather leaves the mall to go home via the subway, she finds her father murdered on Claudia's orders. Claudia tells her she will be waiting for her in the town of Silent Hill.

• 3. Combat And Puzzle Mechanics Defined

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  Players take control of Heather using a third-person view divided among combat, exploration, and puzzle-solving elements. The difficulty of both combat and puzzle elements can be selected separately. One of the puzzles on the medium level requires only simple pattern recognition while the hard difficulty version demands knowledge of Shakespeare's plays to solve. To aid in exploration, Heather obtains a flashlight and radio early on. The radio crackles when monsters are in proximity. She can find health restoratives such as first aid kits and energy drinks. Beef jerky serves to lure monsters away from her path. A range of firearms and melee weapons allow her to fend off enemies. She can block and perform side-step maneuvers to avoid attacks. Heather updates maps with notes for locked doors, inaccessible areas, and potential clues to puzzles. Certain areas may be rendered inaccessible in the Otherworld with barriers or bottomless gulfs appearing in the street. Unlockable weapons and costumes exist within the game system.

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• 4. Horror Influences From Film And Literature

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  One of the influences on Silent Hill 3 is the film Jacob's Ladder released in 1990. One of the subway platforms is named Bergen Street Station after the station Jacob was inquiring about at the beginning of that movie. Developers also cited horror writer Stephen King as another influence. Douglas Cartland's name came from American actor Douglas Fairbanks though there was no true connection to his namesake. During the sketching process, his character was modeled after actors Giancarlo Giannini and Ian Holm. Richard Grosse who played Douglas died on the 12th of April 2003 a month before the game's release. Claudia Wolf's character was considered the most difficult to design. Early sketches revealed creators wanted to dress her like a holy woman with a shaved head and body covered with tattoos. They decided to model her on Julianne Moore then remove her eyebrows so appearance was slightly skewed. She was first named Christie but deemed too cute before being renamed after Italian actress Claudia Cardinale. Vincent's name originated from actor Vincent Gallo in connection with his unshaven look. Early designs focused on capturing a look of derangement and moodiness based on Ethan Hawke.

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• 5. Sales Figures And Critical Reception

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  Silent Hill 3 sold over 300,000 copies by November 2003. The game topped sales charts in Japan upon its release with 58,000 copies sold in the first three days. It received positive reviews garnering an 85 out of 100 rating at Metacritic for the PlayStation 2 version. A 72 out of 100 rating appeared for the PC version which fared less well due to technical issues like poor gamepad controller support. Positive reactions were given to general horror and atmosphere including truly horrifying sections that pack genuine scares. The feeling of eeriness and doom is almost overwhelming according to reviewers. Graphics audio and production values added positively to the atmosphere. Negative criticism stemmed from lack of innovation as the game does little beyond other titles in the series. Camera and control system described as awkward disorienting and motion sickness-inducing despite improvements. Some criticism came from length since it can be easily beaten in a handful of hours. AllGame found the story less compelling compared to first two entries.

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• 6. Remasters And Film Adaptations Followed

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  A remastered high-definition version was released along with Silent Hill 2 as part of the Silent Hill HD Collection for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on the 20th of March 2012. New voice actors re-recorded dialogue from both games though the third game did not offer original voice acting due to technical and logistical difficulties. In 2019 Konami Japan released a Pachislot machine called Silent Hill Return based on the third game. Heather's fate in battle is decided by results obtained in a roulette wheel. Bonus modes require players to defend themselves from enemies. A film adaptation titled Silent Hill Revelation 3D was released on the 26th of October 2012 by Open Road Films. Directed by M.J. Bassett it starred Adelaide Clemens as Heather Kit Harington as Vincent Cooper Sean Bean as Harry Mason Carrie-Anne Moss as Claudia Wolf and Malcolm McDowell as Leonard Wolf. The film serves as a sequel to the previous movie adaptation of the first installment in the series.

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