Visual Assault From 'Hill'

By AARON CURTISS

Oct. 18, 2001 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

“Silent Hill 2” is more a mood than a game--a dreary, psychotic mystery set amid the dense fog of a lakeside town. Neither completely satisfying nor entirely enjoyable, “Silent Hill 2” is nonetheless a disturbing diversion with considerable technical grace and emotional depth.

It’s worth playing, if only to appreciate the graphics power of Sony PlayStation 2 and the efforts of game designers to develop experiences outside the run-and-gun escapades traditionally found on set-top consoles.

Video game publishers have for years vowed to expand the boundaries of gaming so it appeals to a broader audience.

“Silent Hill 2” represents a step toward that goal, even if the game’s execution does not always match its aspirations. Most casual players won’t have the patience or dedication to uncover the full nastiness of the game’s dark story. Those who do are treated to a bizarre tale of murder, guilt, retribution and redemption.

Despite its name, “Silent Hill 2” is not really a sequel. Players of the original PlayStation game will find inside references, but newcomers learn everything they need to know as the story unfolds.

The game follows James Sunderland, who comes to the town of Silent Hill after receiving a mysterious letter from his dead wife, Mary. The town, shrouded in thick fog, has been deserted and grotesque creatures wander the streets. As he explores the desolate environs of Silent Hill, Sunderland meets other characters who, like him, have been drawn to the town.

Much of “Silent Hill 2” plays like a standard mystery-horror game. Players uncover clues and walk from place to place to unlock cut scenes that advance the story. Along the way, they pick up weapons--a board, a gun--to whale on the monsters.

As it turns out, the monsters inside Sunderland’s head are far scarier than anything wandering the streets. Of the game’s four possible endings, only one is anything close to happy. The others are depressing or creepy.

Which ending players see depends on how they play the game. Controlling Sunderland in certain ways makes particular endings more likely as the game code attempts to gauge the mood and attitude of players.

The future of gaming lies in that sort of adaptive storytelling. Key to its success, though, is the ability of designers to create accessible situations with intuitive interfaces.

The game presents a stark vision. Fog masks most environments, making it impossible to see even across the street. This creates great atmosphere but makes it more difficult to find key items. The cut scenes are striking, but the voice acting is nothing special.

“Silent Hill 2” offers a glimpse of the future of video gaming. Unfortunately, relatively few players will have the stamina necessary to see that future because it’s buried too deep within conventional play.

“Ultimate Ride”: Unlike “Silent Hill 2,” “Ultimate Ride” is all smiles and happiness, a PC game so easy and accessible that it can turn anyone able to manipulate a mouse into a master roller coaster designer in minutes.

“Ultimate Ride” is the latest in a series of coaster simulators. But unlike most of its competitors, this Disney Imagineering title doesn’t require players to manage an entire theme park to build coasters.

Instead, players pick from a small palette of environments, then choose whether to build a wood, metal or hanging coaster and just start assembling pre-shaped lengths of track. Once a roller coaster is finished, players can ride their creations.

That’s all there is to it.

The editing tools offer easy manipulation of the tracks. With just a few basic pieces, it’s possible to build gut-wrenching coasters that dive and wriggle all over the place.

Aaron Curtiss is editor of Tech Times. He can be reached at aaron.curtiss@latimes.com.

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The Skinny “Silent Hill 2”

* Price: $50

* Genre: Horror adventure

* Platform: Sony PlayStation 2

* Publisher: Konami

* ESRB* rating: Mature

* The good: Beautiful visuals, creepy story

* The bad: Sluggish control

* Bottom line: More an interactive movie than a game

“Ultimate Ride”