The Real Horrors of Silent Hill 3
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- Опубликовано: 22 окт 2020
- A discussion about how Silent Hill 3 plays on a lot of my fears, both conscious and subconscious.
Spanish subtitles by Agustín Fernández
Thank you to Corrupted Save for help with the script!
/ @corruptedsave
And thank you to HotCyder for the amazing thumbnail!
/ hotcyderable
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MUSIC USED (in order):
Silent Hill 2 - Promise (Reprise)
Silent Hill 3 - End of Small Sanctuary
Silent Hill 3 - Float Up From Dream
Silent Hill 3 - Never Forgive Me, Never Forget Me
Silent Hill 3 - Breeze - In Monochrome Night
Silent Hill 4 - Nightmarish Waltz
Silent Hill 2 - A World of Madness
Silent Hill 2 - Null Moon
Silent Hill 2 - Alone in the Town
Silent Hill 3 - I've Been Losing You 
Игры
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monsters? they look like monsters to you?
oh hey you!
oh, Vincent, you rascal, are you up to old tricks again?
I never don't get goosebumps from that line delivery.
The thing that hits the most about that line is the complete lack of any closure after he plants that fucked up doubt in your head. You will never, ever, know for sure if *_"they"_* where actual monsters or not. If he had just said "I'm just joking" with honesty, it would've been fine--but then the fucker *_grins..._* and the subject is never touched on again.
First I see you on my recommendations, then I see you on a Trivium music video, now I see you here. My guy, you are everywhere.
No one seems to point this detail out and it's so sad because it's such a good, eerie detail but in the hospital, every time you pass through a door and walk a certain distance and hear a slam of some sort out of no where, that's because Stanley is actually stalking you closing the door behind him throughout the 1st part of the level. That's why he knows what she's doing and what she looks like through his journal entries.
Eeeewwwww.... never picked up on that. Gross.
Oh my god, I share the same fear of stalkers as Cheryl does, but even my paranoic self didn't pick up on this detail
🤯 damn dude I didn’t think of it like that! Sheeeeit bro xD
Tbf all 4 original Silent Hill games have random noises in different areas that are there purely to unsettle you without any real meaning behind them, I assumed the slamming door noises in the distance were one of them. Never occurred to me it was Stanley
I think that's just a coincidence you're reading into too much. All of the games have some sort of door closing effect randomly.
I think that mainly because I'm a man, and have lived my hole life in a house full of men, I didn't notice SO MANY of these metaphors and nuances about pregnancy, menstruation, fear of walking alone in the dark, etc. And still it was an incredible and unforgettable horror experience! I think this shows just how genius this game is. Thank you for this great analysis!
It’s important for you to know.
@@Music-vr7szlol because what don't exist? The metaphors?
I was just a kid, a boy to be precise. Never put one and one together. A lot of stuff just got clearer in my mind. I love that game since forever.
Heather and Jill are my all time faves. Not of women not of characters... but just the best of the best. Too close to heart.
Yeah the second game appeals to men deepest, darkest thoughts, while the third game can only be completely appreciated by women.
@@ThexXxXxOLOxXxXxeh I’m a man but like 3 significantly more and feel like it’s a better game as a whole
I love how no matter how many dozens of Silent Hill video essays I've watched over the years, they all still have spoiler warnings for these two decade old games. Really shows you how the storyline was built to last and how much people respect that.
Konami should REALLY properly port all these to newer platforms because much more people should experience the amazing world of Silent Hill. The themes in these games, specially the ones made by Team Silent, are some of the best ever talked about in video games
@@prettyaverage97
If SH2 remake sells well, they'll probably follow with SH3 remake
I really hope so. I love Silent Hill 3.
Each of the first four Silent Hill games approached the fear differently from its choice of protagonist. In 1 you have the paternal fear of failing to protect the child who depends on you. In 2 the focus is on the melancholy of a lost relationship and regrets for the mistakes you have made. In 4 you are the bystander, a witness to terrible cruelty and all but impotent to stop it as if it were a fleeting dream.
All are about being powerless in one form or another, but finding a way through it as best you can.
I wonder whether posterior SH games do that. Or perhaps failed to and that's why they didn't leave such an imprint.
what about 3 :o
What's 3 about?
I loved this video and the fact that people still talk about this 17 year old game. The game is just as old as Heather, time sure does fly.
I think the games will be talked about for years to come. The original 4 games were very well made. A lot of attention to subtle details.
@@Todo-1996 yeah, it seems like a great work of literature kids will be taught 100s of years in the future. Those so many different elequintly details, layers, and symbolism. All these silent hill videos remind me of English classes I've had. Its comparable to anylizing great works that where required in school like "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest", "The great Gatsby", etc... Those actually arent as good or deep as silent hill 2 and 3 though in my opinion. On a side note.
Dude sometimes things just make you feel old. The old timers were right when they told us, they just don’t make them like they used to.
@@rm2kking that’s how it is when everybody grows up.
Silent 3 is a game that has helped me understand the fears and troubles that many women have in their lives a bit better in a way that only a video game can by having me play as a vulnerble teenage girl. Even as a man those creepy notes from Stanley made my skin crawl. Made me think about how this kinda stuff actually happens in real life and how 1000 times more uncomfortable and scared an actual victim of stalking would feel than I did.
I 100% agree with what you said. Beyond just that, though, the game played on some of my own personal fears too. Ruins and decrepit building are a good example of one of my fears that the game used. That combination of things is one of the big reasons why Silent Hill 3 is my personal favorite horror game of all time.
SH3 is such an amazing game, but it's also a game that I couldn't finish. I've only felt that body-stiffening, heart-sinking feeling in irl situations in which I've feared for my life, so for a game to replicate that, it was a little too much for me.
I missed the first Stanley note so I never even knew he existed 😔
Heather mason is a great character. Its a damn shame a lot of people overlook this title just because of silent hill 2.
Yeah dude Silent Hill 3 and 4 are really under analyzed compared to Silent Hill 2
SH3 is my favorite
I'm sad that not alot of people have love for the 1st game .. yeah it has its problems but it's a wonderful game.. It deserves a remake ,
That's only with this generation of gamers. I remember when this game came out back in the day and fans were every bit as excited for it as SH2. It also got high praise from reviewers. SH3 just got the shaft as people started expressing negative opinions in retrospect years down the line. Didn't help that the voices/dialogue were redone in 2012 HD collection and many fans hated it.
I kinda have to nowadays because of the prices I was only able to get 2 and down the line ill get 4 but dude 3 is so expensive but the the most interesting for me
Never forget Harry Mason killed god with a hunting rifle.
Also Harry : dies to some weird stabby thing
Nahh. More like Harry threw away all his ammo to fight god hand to hand but god was afraid of him so killed itself.
@@maharujion6545 He got jumped! What was he supposed to do?
@@whoareyoutoaccuseme6588 Spam health drinks ofc , then immediately dash towards the nearest door after closing the inventory menu
@@maharujion6545 *flashback*
An aspect of Silent Hill 3's storytelling that stands out to me above all other silent hill games, and even above all horror games, is how each character plays off each other so uniquely. For example, Claudia is an absolutely perfect answer to Heather's character. They both experienced the exact same trauma, with Claudia and Alessa suffering an excruciating childhood full of physical and emotional abuse at the hands of the order, but their methods of coping are extremely different.
Heather has obviously become a closed-off, defensive, jaded, and isolated person, with very high walls up with everyone she meets. She is also very self-serving and independent, choosing to fight her internal battles quietly and alone. Her coping strategies revolve around avoiding and ignoring the sources of trauma that still torment her, leading to a degree of personal emotional neglect that she overcomes throughout the course of the game, with manifesting and finally facing her past trauma as Alessa in a very literal sense.
Claudia, however, has become fully embroiled in her trauma, and has let it shape every part of her life, personality, and worldview, as well as fueling her actions. She is fixated on the idea of the rebirth of paradise, a place with no suffering or pain, to alleviate both herself and every human on earth of the pain she has experienced throughout her life. Vincent is even seen tormenting her with this weakness of hers, trying to provoke her by reminding her of her trauma, and you can see her falling back on her idea of paradise in her rebuttal to it. Unlike Heather, however, she never has a make or break moment of being forced to grapple with her dependency on her coping mechanism, and fully allows it to consume her, also in a very literal sense.
Sorry for the essay, I've just never seen anyone go into detail about the character dynamics in this game and wanted to share. I think it's all very worth thinking about. This game means a lot to me, and I'm so happy to have found another feminine perspective on it. You did great work on this video.
Wow, that was beautifully written. I've always loved Claudia as an antagonist and your breakdown made me realize why. ❤
@@ScarilyOlivia Thank you so much, you're so sweet!! Getting pinged for this comment also reminded me of something I realized only after I posted this. If you haven't already and ever find the time, I seriously recommend listening to the SH3 OST in longform (i'm pretty sure it's on Spotify, and there are a few uploads and playlists of it here on RUclips as well) because it has a beautiful instance of Heather and Claudia's dynamic baked into it. Oh, and because the music's just really good in general, of course.
The Heather-oriented vocal tracks (I Want Love, You're Not Here) are sung/voiced alongside many direct quotes from Claudia in the game as track-enders by Mary Elizabeth McGlynn
, who's voice and cadence somehow represents both characters so incredibly well. It feels like such a deliberate artistic choice to show their beautiful and haunting duality in that way. The OST really makes it feel like this is a game about Claudia just as much as it's a game about Heather.
"Suffering is a fact of life. Either you learn how to live with that or you go under."
Dialogues between these characters are one of my most favorite moments in the whole series. And it is a real tragedy when these two girls who were like sisters become so distant by the circumstances.
"What you call faith is nothing but a child crying out for love. That's why you're all alone."
Thank you for this "essay" and no need to apologize. It's good you did put their dynamics into words. Many people don't do that because it is hard to explain (I think - it is for me)
yes!! you put it so well!! not to mention that claudia believes a god born of suffering will motivate it to be merciful while many other characters, especially heather, believe it'll do the exact opposite.
it may not be the game's intention, but it reminds me of how pro-lifers will justify their views by saying that a pregnant people (even if they are impregnated through the worst circumstances like sexual assault or while in extreme poverty) might give birth to someone who cures cancer, becomes the next president or does something else huge and beneficial for the world. pro choice people, meanwhile, tend to believe that people who lack choice have worse quality of life overall and that the baby will not thrive without loving parent(s) and a secure living environment.
i just love the writing between the two and how they're two sides of the same coin!
As a woman who plays horror games all I have to say is I’m so so so happy to see this gaining traction! I’ve only ever seen reviews from men who make passing references to the horror of being a teenage girl because obviously they never felt it I’ve always wanted to see a video exactly like this
Thank you for making this. I’ve seen so many people hating on Amnesia: Rebirth for the similar themes of pregnancy, motherhood, and body autonomy. It’s infuriating because so many of the negative reviews I’ve seen aren’t of the legitimate issues with the game, but of them not ‘connecting’ with the main character or the themes. Some of these reviewers have said the same about SH3.
I played it and I think it was much less willing to make the player uncomfortable. It felt way more nervous about honestly presenting a woman's fears compared to this game.
Also, SH3 has a pretty strong prochoice theme while in Rebirth the "choice" to not sacrifice oneself for a baby/collective is presented as far more selfish. Just one reason why it left such a bad aftertaste for me.
Amnesia Rebirth has a lot of problems, but its themes aren’t one of them.
It was really cool hearing a female's point of view of this game; how some situations and themes resonate far stronger (eg walking alone at night, violation of body). Great analysis!
many points i never picked up as a man, loved this video
@@GamingVel0city You aren’t scared of walking alone at night or getting your butt F’ed? I sure am
You blew it.
womans's point of view*
I guess it just wasn't the same when Harry was walking through it and jumped by eldritch abominations. It only started to resonate now.
You know, this train of thought was the reason Christopher Gans (who, unsurprisingly, has been Joss Wheadoned) chose what's-her-name as the protagonist in the Silent Hill movie instead of Harry. The director with the busy hands thought that Harry had "fmeale qualities" and wouldn't therefore be plausible as a protagonist.
I fell in love with with Silent Hill 3 because it included a series of personal nightmares motives - although mainly in the mall segment. When I was a teenager I had recurring nightmares of the late family dog hunting me when I tried to leave home or come home because I wasn't with him when he was put to sleep. The introduction of the split head dogs in the mall was so intense that I nearly blacked out from it. That reminded me of how much that betrayal to my childhood companion still weighed on my mind more than a decade later. Unreliable elevators? Nightmare motive. Strange mall with escalators doing weird things? Nightmare motive. Even though I was a guy in my twenties playing this I found Heather highly relatable. Maybe I should replay it.
While SH2 is also brilliant, I've always thought of SH3 as my preferred of the Time Silent SH titles (not to mention, one of my favorite horror games overall), and what edges SH3 over 2, for me, is how fantastic Heather is as a protagonist.
Great video (as always!) on a great game!
thank you 🥺❤️
Crossover episode when
I think 3 is the horrors of being a teanager where as two is about the horrors of being an adult.
@@bennichol1510 and 4 is the horrors of being an idiot
@@SolidRaiden2655 yeah I heard they are all crap after 3.
Oh wow. The corruption of all the traditionally safe places really hit me. There are so many layers of horror in this game.
Looking at Silent Hill 3 through a female lens was really eye-opening. There's always so many layers of symbolism to unpack in Silent Hill games. Great video!
It’s horrifyingly applicable to our existence. Haunting in ways I don’t want to describe. I’ve seen more femme creators do video essays on this game as opposed to other creators, or other entries in the SH series. We are able to give the in depth analysis on this- that men simply haven’t had the life experience to provide. I’m impressed that the men that worked on the game itself had that level of tact and intuition.
@@clubbasher32Few rare instances of a guy really getting the meaning of this game is RagnarRox. He made a great video on the subject matter about feminine fears and this game a few years ago.
Not sure who I feel more sad for, Heather Mason
in SH3 or Maria as a long time fan of Konami series.
I am fully cursed with my love for SH and MGS 😔
@@eurothug4000 my metal gear solid obsession has irrevocably shifted the path of my life
Lisa 😔😔
Heather looks like a young Maria. I wonder if it's intentional.
SH2 is pure dread and SH3 is pure terror. This game sent me into a panic every time I played it! It’s my favorite of the series! Its imagery, symbolism, characters and story are the most fascinating to me.
It took me a while to get the guts to even get to the first monster in sh2 I had to turn it off first time lol
No one ever gives SH3 the psychological recognition it deserves because it's honestly a franchise produced, purchased, and played predominately by men. The psychology of SH2 was so easy for men to figure out and grasp because it was basically a similar premise in the way that everything in the game revolved around James' psychological state and guilt. I felt the same way as you do even growing up playing the game as a younger child and then teenager. It wasn't until I was in my late teens that I really understood it, but it still gave me the same uneasy feeling when playing it as a child. I love this video, it's so well done and really delves into the incredible attention to detail that the creators took when creating this world based on Heather's psychological state and well-being.
Stanley was always so ridiculously terrifying to me, and again, it wasn't until my late teens that I figured out why he creeped me out more than even the monsters. Playing as a child, I genuinely was terrified as soon as I started finding those messages, for me the game got much creepier, much eerier, and much harder to play from then on out. I kept waiting for this Stanley character to show up and I was baffled and so relieved when we never once saw his face, interacted with him, and Heather never was harmed by him. Even when I played it again later in my early teens, and then again in my late teens, I always remembered anything having to do with Stanley being terrifying and was still waiting for him to show up, then was once again baffled when he didn't. To me, it was one of the most terrifying parts of the game, and it's often so overlooked because - again, this franchise is predominately a male audience. To them, it was probably just a plot hole, to us, it was one of the most terrifying portions.
thank you so much!
Loved your take on this. I prefer this over SH2. It was just so relatable especially playing this when I was a kid. I related to Heather in a way that I didn’t relate to James or Harry. This game was almost too realistic in a way. The hanging bodies, mention of suicide. It was like the darkest parts of humanity surfacing plus the fears of being a young woman and other fears coming to life.
YESS
Oh my god, I LOVE this video so fucking much. I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed the unique, feminine fears of Silent Hill 3. As a female gamer I ALWAYS picked up on them, and it seemed like others never did.
Thank you!! 😊 Glad you enjoyed the video!
can confirm, I’ve had a lot of commenters I had to block who just straight up spewed misogyny instead of reflecting on their own attitude... says a lot about them!
@@eurothug4000 I'd be interested in actually seeing their opinion lol. But I've been on the internet long to know what Would've been said
a true famer
This might be the Silent Hill fanboy in me talking, but I think this is my favorite video of yours, I honestly loved this video. Weaving your own personal experience, fears and anxieties really resonated with me, you really outdid yourself.
Thank you so much Dan!! 🥺❤️
That pulsating pattern reminds me heavily of the amniotic sac and I'm quite sure that's what it's referencing. Body horror is my favourite, and I think part of the fascination for me is my own experience as someone with a uterus and all that entails. We romanticise it pretty heavily but pregnancy and birth are gruelling and dangerous, especially without the help of modern medicine.
Also, pretty sure Steve's little collection were trophies from the women he stalked.
The sections in the public spaces really remind me of when I used to commute home from the night shift, and all these familiar places were suddenly dark, empty and menacing. It's awful, and a very real and learned fear for girls and women, as you mentioned.
SH3 was the first one I ever completed. I still say Heather is top tier Survival Horror heroine because of her emotional arc, excellent voice acting, and great character design. I learned a lot from playing that game and I still offer it as a great example of video games as art.
same iwas born in 2000 and SH3 is my first completed SH, I love it so much
Now that 2 is getting the Remake treatment hope we will eventually get Remakes of 1 & 3 too
I have not played any Silent Hill games, but I obviously appreciated your take on it and connection to it. If I were to try to play SH now...what's the move?
1-4 is the way to go, although I still need to play 4!
Where might one go to play these games? So far, Silent Hill 1 is on the PSN, but I haven’t found 2 or 3 anywhere.
as Maria said 1-4 are the generally accepted good games. but I will forever stump for Shattered Memories as a flawed but interesting take on the series, so if you have a Wii or can emulate it, it's worth a try as well.
@@iantophernicus6042 they sell on amazon for ps2 or xbox, some sellers have a pretty ridiculous price, you could pirate them on pc, or worst case scenario play the hd collection on ps3/xbox360, they're not "that" bad like everyone says's, but if you want the true experience get the originals if you can/half the money for them
@@iantophernicus6042 Best option is to get the PS2 version of SH2 and SH3, but if you really can't have them, check if your PC is powerful enough for an emulator.
THIS!
This is what we need more. More women analyzing games from the feminine perspective.
It's really shocking the meaning of a game totally flips with the female perspective. I wonder what other games were there that work this way.
I know Haunting Ground has very similar themes! But it’s a lot less visceral of course 😁
I agree I like how heather looks realistic sepereating her from Jill and Regina (who are cool btw) but with heather I think they wanted her to feel realistic because it makes her vunrable and also since she's a teanage girl the town of silent hill 3 has way more feers to present and torcher her with cause being in your teanage years is horrifying your body and social situations change dramatically before u know what is what. (At least that's my experience because I'm a teanager right now and of the time of writing this I'm 17 same age as heather was) anyway I'm going on a tangent but the thing is with her she like you said has a fear of mirrors which she is then not only trapped in a mirror room but is also greated with thease ugly and obease and corrupted and horrifying versions of her own body and she has unwanted romantic attention and it's such a good game. Great video and hope u do more because u seem like you are getting into it. :-)
You don’t need to hear it from a woman to understand it from a feminine perspective.
@@MitsurugiR Not everything has to be about you champ. A lot of the things this video mentions are uniquely experienced by women in society. It's okay to sit this one out, I promise.
@@mr.thundercleese2253 I think you’re missing the point. You don’t need to represent a certain type of person to empathise or understand that type of person. As a man, I feel deeply sorry for women who miscarry and I understand the tough decisions that women sometimes face. I don’t have to be a woman to empathise for them, let alone understand them.
Seeing Silent Hill 3 analyzed through a woman's perspective is really refreshing and eye opening. As a man, I had completely missed all of the added layers of fear in this game.
The Closers don't get anywhere near enough love in the pantheon of Silent Hill monsters. I love them with every inch of my wretched heart for their looming presence and distorted grace.
For anyone who connected with the heavily understated atmospheric narrative of Silent Hill 3, have a look at Lone Survivor. It is still criminally-niche and I will not abide it.
I’ll have to check that one out! Thanks for the recommendation!
"Fortunately, harry defeats god, as you do, ..." that was great
All great actually, but that was also just great
Ok finally finished it. Really good. Thank you.
After watching that, it now makes sense as to why it's Angela's body the monster is eating in the mall. She succumbed to the horrors. I mean, they could've put anything else there and it still would've been spooky, but they deliberately used Angela's model.
Don't worry, you're not the only one who's had a fear of being on a high floor of a mall (or any other location like that). One place I went to had a see-through bridge on the third floor (iirc), and walking across that was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do in my life.
This was a fresh take on analysing the game, which is literally 17 years old - and it STILL frightens people. That's a testament to team silent if anything. You've shed new light on the game for me and I've played it since I had my ps2 - and got scared shitless myself. One experience that stuck with me is after finishing the game and going outside in the sun, I realized how dark this game is as well as gripping. I felt the darkness created in the game, and I have never experienced anything like it - not even with my favourite game sh2. Excellent work!
Silent Hill 2 used to be my favorite game in the series, and even my favorite video game ever. But even though I haven’t played Silent Hill 3 for many years, I think I might be starting to like it more. This video only added to that appreciation. Despite being such an old game at this point, this analysis felt very fresh!
Thank you so much Pim!! ☺️❤️❤️
As a man I never really interpret Sh3 this way. I mean I did love the concept of returning home at night since It's really dangerous where I used to live but never on that level. Thank you, you have given me a new perspective to look at this game and appreciate it more. Great video
I love these kinds of videos, with halloween just around the corner
someone who actually relates to my abstract, ominous and melancholic feelings about this game, thank you! this game is so magical
I've always loved SH3 and was always aware of how female-specific much of the horror was on a surface level (like you said, it's pretty hard to miss a lot of the symbolism!), but I appreciate it a lot more to hear a woman's perspective on it like this. I never really picked up on the idea of everyone seeing Heather as something for them to use, for instance, which just makes the whole game just that little bit creepier.
Excellent work as always, Maria!
Until now, I haven't realised that a reason why some people might prefer a Silent Hill game over another is because it appeals to their personal fears. Probably the reason why I like the melancholy of SH2. Apart from that, I really liked this video! It's very interesting to know how an art work can impact someone in a different situation to me. Thanks, I'm subscribed and looking forward to next videos :)
You know, I didn't really understand and could never put into words why SH4 has always been my favourite of all the four, but your comment made me realise why! As someone who prefers to mind their own business and keep to myself, it makes sense why I'd love a game about getting trapped in somebody else's nightmare
I miss the fear I used to feel playing Silent Hill. No other game has even come close.
This is such a refreshing take on sh3! I've always seen this game as having a specific femine horror to it, but all the reviews on it never seem to truly address it. I'll definetly be binging your content for more amazing videos like this! :D
Thank you so much!! 😊❤️
Silent Hill Muse has a great video on this. Look for femme creators that have made videos on this game. It’ll speak to our experience.
The idea of loneliness has always been one of my biggest fears espically when being a teenager. Horror at its best takes this very real fear and turns it into something tangible for us to experience this uncomfortable feeling that we'd try to ignore.
Keep up the great work your channel has easily been one of the best I've come across in ages
thank you!!
She's like the opposite of James in fears and themes. Btw Harry > James. Some would say he's less interesting but Harry's also a widower and despite all the shit he went through he stayed good natured and always protected Cheryl, unlike James. Also I hated the Shattered Memories version of him, shittier in every way. Cheryl/Heather is def the most tragic though, if we count many years in the state Alessa version of her was as well.
Oh btw I can relate to that mall floor collapsing fear hah.
I hesitate to compare myself too much to Heather, as I'm a trans woman who spent her teen years as a male, so I don't want to overstep and speak about fears that I never had to worry about growing up. But holy shit do I ever relate to Heather, and I always did, even when I was still an oblivious boy.
There's something about the deeply personal horror of losing control over your body and feeling imprisoned in it that resonates with me. To say nothing of the fact that, though I fortunately will never be in danger of having to carry my rapist's child to term, I do nonetheless have a very high statistical chance of experiencing sexual violence at the hands of a man at least once in my life.
And, of course, the fact that all this is aided and abetted by religious fundamentalists who want to force my body into a shape that is horrifying to me, because they view me as sub-human and my body as their property.
you’re not overstepping at all!! your experience is just as valid. I cant imagine the misogyny AND transphobia trans women must face from both men and those horrid terfs. Heather’s journey represents the fight for bodily autonomy which applies to all women! Thank you for sharing your thoughts :)
@@eurothug4000 thanks! :-)
One thing that's sort of a silver lining, in a sense, of having all this self-discovery happen a little later in my life is that I was spared going through the really dark aspects of growing up as a young woman. Society truly is terrible to teen girls in some ways. We really do have a long way to go for equality. Heather is such a great character.
it’s crazy how this game that’s full of things made of grotesque imagination is full of such real and relatable themes and messages and relevant symbolism
As an acrophobe, I can assure you, the unnerving feeling of railings isn't just you. It's almost like something's compelling you to fall over and you're doing everything you can to avoid it. I hate ledges.
Also, I can attest that, even as a man, being alone at night, walking into places like public bathrooms, not putting yourself in venerable positions and being wary of other people was something drilled into me as a kid, both by loving, protective parents and the hard way by the bullies that targeted me on a consistent basis. It's why I carry my keys (or pens) between my fingers to my vehicle, and one of the reasons why I took up martial arts at 8 years old. Honestly, it's good advise for everyone in general. I've been followed by an unknown vehicle before at night and I've had to intervene when I saw someone getting jumped. As much as we want to be able to trust others, the reality is, some, if not most of the time, you can't. The fear is very relatable. But then, so is the confidence to face and conquer it. Heather's a great character.
Omg, finally someone with the take I’ve always had. I hear so many dudebros talk about this game as lesser to Silent Hill 2 but like, this game does such a good job with the subtleties of being a teenage girl or teenage girl adjacent (like a boy who comes out as gay in his early teens, which, while different has a lot of commonalities and parallels to how society treats teenage girls if we don’t act a certain way) that I find it’s just as dense and compelling if not moreso.
You gay bro?
So I like Silent Hill and know about the lore, but haven't played any of them because I'm a wuss with only a PS4 to her name. My knowledge about the series is from other people, entirely men now that I think of it, talking about what made the games so good. And those videos are very good! They got me interested in the psychological landscapes that SH can give, which are breeding grounds for character development. But, in all the videos I saw about SH3 I never once heard someone mention Stanley. That's wild because this is a story about people like Stanley pushing people like Heather past the point of discomfort into danger, and his existence in the story is vital for that, even if we never see him.
That being said, my all time favorite line in all of horror is "they look like monsters to you?" Which my English Major Brain is now connecting to the type of threats that Heather has to face.
I watched the super best friends play it and I'm also a PS4 person, but I just watch people play it on RUclips because I cant play it on the PS4 except the HD collection (which I've heard only negative things about and should not touch it with a twelve foot pole)
I've always had a fear of heights that seemed to intensify on malls. I never liked to look at lower floors, even going throught escalators unnerves me because I feel I'll fall on my back so I grab the escalators tight.
Omfg there used to be a staircase at my local mall that was so steep I had nightmares about the steps becoming steeper and steeper until they were just a wall and I'd fall. No trouble on escalators but same deal with the levels in malls, I think it has to do with all that glass and shiny tiling
Your analysis shows why the first three Silent Hill games were top notch: attention to detail.
As you stated, much of Heather's fears come from within, and it's not only her dealing with the fear of all that's happening around her.
Your video also made me think about the first Silent Hill film, which is almost entirely female driven. It's a dynamic not often seen in film, much less, horror.
I enjoyed your video. I sometimes feel as though Resident Evil and other horror games are mentioned far more and Silent Hill rarely gets any attention. It's nice to encounter another fan.
Because people already move on for hopes Konami making a new games
SH3 is definitely the most terrifying game of the series
FRRRRR
It was scary enough for me as a man making my way home after night shifts , so I sort of can but obviously can't fully imagine how much worse that would be for a woman
Everyone knows the real horrors of Silent Hill 3 were the friendships we made along the way!
Wait. That doesn't work.
A lot of other people have commented thought provoking things already, so I just want to say thank you for this video. Silent Hill 3 represents such a real terror for women and women-aligned people in the real world, and I don’t think I’ve seen any review from a man who’s comprehended that to the fullest extent.
This is not only my favorite game of all time, but my favorite piece of media ever. This game is incredible. It’s magnificently disgusting and uninviting, and the art design is so uniquely disquieting. But it also has some beautiful moments and catharsis. This game is the best in the franchise, and i don’t think the horror genre will ever surpass this in my eyes
SIlent Hill 3 is my favorite game ever.
This experience was impossible to describe.
I felt a deep connection with the themes of the game.
I have seen a lot of content about Silent Hill 3 but very few have achieved the quality of your video here !
You mentioned so many feeling that I had while playing this game, but it struck me so much when you talked about your connection with Heather as a woman (not walking alone on the street at night and so on). It has increased all the love and fascination I have for the game.
So, thank you deeply ! It's such a pleasure to see new people discover this game ! Your analysis is wonderful. We need more women talking about games from their perspective !
A really great job !!! Thanks a lot
Thank you so much!! :)
Beautiful, beautiful video! Thank you for this.
I especially like how you shed a light on how Heather is just the most human, and understandable of the Silent Hill protagonists, how easy it is to empathise with her, feel how she must feel, especially her loneliness. And the music you chose specifically evokes this loneliness in me. This quiet, melancholic introversion, this feeling of remembering past events with a sense of hollowness, as you stop feeling yourself.
To me, Silent Hill 3 is often more horrific after I stop, than while I play it, as my loneliness sets in.
Especially the end was beautiful. She went through hell to reclaim her autonomy - Especially her bodily autonomy, something so very often taken from us.
Silent Hill 3 is my favorite game in the series in large part due to Heather. I love how she comments on so much. She def the most transparent protagonist out of the series
I've been torn for years on which of the original SH trilogy is my favorite. On one hand, many if not most veteran fans would consider 3 to have the best gameplay. It fully realizes & expands on the classic mechanics for an overall more complete balance.
I like a lot about 4 too, it gets far too much hate, but it does admittedly feel more detached from the first three. Prior to its more experimental approach, which changed several gameplay aspects, 3 had virtually perfected the original control scheme.
In terms of favorite protagonists, I similarly have to favor 3 in that Heather/Cheryl is the most 3 dimensional main lead. She's more relatable, down to Earth, fleshed out, shows more onscreen emotion, and has more personality which informs her arc.
Harry and James are well done protagonists in their own right, not necessarily inferior to Heather (It's almost unfair to compare three fundamentally different characters & concepts), but I just can't relate to or resonate with them as much personally.
As immersive as the first two games are in horror + tone, I also have to give 3 the edge in presentation. Not just in graphics & effects (with some hauntingly beautiful levels), but for the sheer degree/depth to which it pushed the technology of the time.
I can't begin to do a one-to-one comparison on music & sound design, both games have simply too much great stuff that often evokes very different feelings. My favorite series main theme, however, is still easily 3's "You're Not Here", hands down.
Regarding plot & atmosphere, this is where I start to favor 2. While 3 was designed as a sequel, I maintain that 2 is Team Silent's best standalone story despite also having connections to the original game that are kept primarily in the background.
It has the original trilogy's most iconic (and most reiterated or copied) monsters, one of the most terrifying antagonists in Pyramid Head, some of the series' darkest subject matter, and arguably the best version of the town which we get to openly explore.
The town itself has always been the true star of the franchise in relation to gameplay and/or lore, but we don't spend as much time there in 3 since Heather's journey manifests the nightmare world in places outside Silent Hill (a first for the series back then).
3's locales are memorable, but there's just something about Silent Hill's identity that gets lost when the town is no longer the primary setting. It makes sense in context for Heather's story, but at the cost of neglecting such a timeless & influential location.
It's a unique atmosphere that ultimately just can't be replicated to the same result anywhere else. That's part of what makes it special. So, to end this rant, I love all the original games, each for their own reasons as well as most of their differences.
If I absolutely had to choose my favorite experience as a whole though, 2 just barely edges out 3 for me. In a perfect world, my ideal Silent Hill game would balance a world & atmosphere like 2's, gameplay like 3's, and a main lead as authentic as Heather.
It's good to see the interpretation of the game through a female perspective. I'm not a woman and I was ignorant to a lot of this symbolism before it was pointed out.
I've watched tons of essays about Silent Hill games and they all were mostly the same. This new perspective opened my eyes on a lot of things in the game. Hats off to you, I can't convey in words how interesting it was to watch.
thank you so much!! ❤️ I really appreciate the kind words!
I totally agree! There’s a very specific fear as a woman being alone in the train station or a man not leaving you alone and feeling you have to escape to the bathroom, and I feel like they evokes those situations on purpose!
First time I played this game I was dreading Heather coming face to face with Stanley. The relief I felt when I read his last letter, so glad the player never got to meet him. That birthday phone call was probably the thing that freaked me out the most when playing this game though.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but... You do in fact meet Stanley, albeit under a blanket. Dead. In the alternate hospital's B3 floor, he's the body on gurney #7, and this is hinted at by the sounds of someone struggling to breathe when you get close, and by a note on it when the riddle level is set to hard, saying something about a "He" who creeped a woman out
the empty mall part really scared me bc i actually had to deal with something similar a few years ago. i went to the mall pretty late to watch a movie by myself and when i got out the mall had closed down so sections were closed off except for the closest exit next to the movie theater which was on the complete opposite side of where i parked so i had to run all the way back to my car while it was dark outside and it was one of the scariest experiences i’ve gone through. so yeah fuck the empty mall that shit is terrifying
Normally when critic takes personal approach to a game is like "and heres why Zelda was very important for my childhood" and then there's this video 👍
I played through SH3 many years ago, probably around the time when it came out. It was the first Silent Hill game I played. I still remember the horror that this game gave me, it is a true nightmare. I found the scariest place is actually the shopping mall, maybe because it was my first "other world" experience, I freaked out and kept running. I didn't notice this was the same place until I saw it from some walkthrough later.
I recently finished The Last of US II, and I immediately think of Heather in SH3, the idea behind it is so similar, I even doubted some of the people who made Silent Hill went to Sony and work for Naughty Dog.
I love this video. Such a good job.
Heather was somewhat rare, being presented, in and of herself, in a not overtly sexual object. She felt so human.
I like to reffer to Silent Hill 2 as "The Horror of the mentally Ill". Due to it's large amount of subtext related to mental illness, depression, and coping with such issues. It personifies how grossly entrapping mental illness can be and how self-destructive it truly is.
Silent Hill 3, on the other hand, is what I like to call, "The Everyman's Horror". Because it takes concepts, areas and situations from everyday life and then twists them horribly in ways that truly do hit hard. From the themes of the story (liberating the self, reclaiming one's body, defying fate, etc.), to the areas you go through and the ways it tries to get under your skin, Silent Hill 3 can scare anyone and everyone to some degree.
I belive this video encapsulates this very well, is well structured and carries it's points out well.
Too bad we won't ever get another Silent Hill game that's this good.
Missy! I rented this when I was a teen.
It scared me so much, i couldn't Finnish it.
In my 20's on PC, finally passed it!
The music, atmosphere, and Heather's punk nature was such experiencing. Now 28, I still love this game. Love your narrative!
I subscribed after less than a minute. I need other people talking about Silent Hill 3 from the female perspective. Honestly, I just want to see that for games in general. Thanks for making this video.
wow, I love SH3 and i have seen a billion different takes on it. However, this is a unique take on what the game means to you and brought a further understanding of the underrated entry.
I have no courage to play the Silent Hill games...but I´m familiar with the story and lore surrounding them...
The fears you talk about in the video are unfortunately normal for many women.
For example there was a time in my town when it was so risky to be outside that anyone was in danger (even though men were in danger the women were the most at risk) so for that reason I decided to use overgrown men clothes and cut my hair short, so no one would recognized me as a woman...
Although such times have passed and I moved into another city...those fears of being haunted/hunted by anyone is a fear that still lives in my mind...
I have never thought about how the game would feel differently from a female view. I appreciate your sharing of vulnerabilities and ability to relate to the game with us. This overview has shifted how I view the story and visuals of the game for the better. Thank you.
Silent Hill 1: delirium, paranoia, deteriorating mental state
Silent Hill 2: severe depression, despair, apathy, emptiness, symbolizes a dull pain
Silent Hill 3: hell experienced from a psychological state, terror, anxiety, symbolizes a sharp pain
You've given me a new perspective on SH3, thank you
I was literally searching for more in-depth analysis of the Silent Hill trilogy. Whilst Silent Hill 2 is my favourite, Heather Mason is definitely the poster girl of Silent Hill and is the best character in the series. She's so relatable and is quite a realistic portrayal of a young woman. Loved your analysis of Silent Hill 3 and Heather Mason. Probably my favourite one so far.
I'm so happy to have stumbled across your channel! Like, I'm in awe of just how well put together each video is. Thanks for all the amazing content.
thank you so much! Really happy you enjoyed the vid 😊
I could relate to a lot of what you said, without ever having played this game. I was almost disappointed that it was only 16 minutes. It's so rare to get this type of personal feminine perspective in the gaming video essays part of RUclips, at least from what I've seen. Thank you for making it!
One thing I love about 3 is how many ways to die there are. In the previous 2 you could mostly die by enemies, but Heather can die ran over by a subway train or a rollercoaster cart, or falling, or being in the mirror room for too long. It feels like the world itself is out to get you, and you have this crippling fear that anything could come out and kill you anytime
i miss the 3 first game ;(
Am I the only person who has never played silent hill but watches every video I find about it? It get that same feeling as listening to ghost stories around a campfire.
I played this game for the first time when I graduated high school and started to date my best friend. I was never into dating just cuz I’m not interested in that stuff and I preferred to be with our friends who were also pretty much single throughout high school. My own dad was only a bit protective as most dads are to their daughters, but really encouraged me to go out with friends and get a boyfriend when I preferred to stay by myself. He never had strict or unfair rules so I had the luxury of more freedom than most teens would I guess. So when I graduated and started to date my friend I was really scared of having sex, getting pregnant, loosing him as a friend and our other friends too, as well as loosing the security of living with my supportive father. College scared me because I didn’t need to “let loose” as some people do, given the fact my dad encouraged me to go out more. So I guess with Heather being thrust out of her comfort zone and into these situations really resonated with me. It’s like I already knew about sex, drugs and everything else, but it’s because I knew about that stuff as a teen, and never really cared, is that I didn’t pursued it as an adult either. Heather knows the dangers too but doesn’t want to go through it all over again. I’m with you Heather. It’s uncomfortable and dangerous out there, but we made it through. (EDIT) HEY! This was uploaded on my birthday. Thanks for the birthday gift girl!! I love silent hill :3
Oooh, I love SH3! I love second more because of beautiful and dark tragic love story, but Silent Hill 3 resonates with me more because of my loneliness, vulnability and, well, immaturity. With my first playthrough I thought I would hate Heather because she seemed to me absurdly confident and edgy in contrast with previous protagonists that were lost and confused. However, the game knows it and shows how naive and unrestrained Heather is and other characters use her naivity against her, which makes me sad but I love it.
As excellent horror for women I would recommend Haunting Ground and Clock Tower series. I love Haunting Ground aka Demento in Japan, so disturbing yet so amazing. Its themes are similar to SH3 but they scare me way more. I love the main character and the dog! It was so great when I finished the game.
Video: Starts with a Content Warning
My Inner Horror Fan: This shit is gonna be good!
This is an excellent video and I want to thank you for sharing your perspective. I noticed that Silent Hill 3 reflected many feminine fears, but I couldn't really understand, you know? I only knew that Stanley made my skin crawl, but I can't imagine how a woman that may experience something similar in real life would feel. I still can't 100% understand this, but I think I emphasize a little more after your video. Again, thank you for this!
as a burnout hikikimori with crippling social anxiety, i have very similar feelings towards silent hill 4 : ^)
I still need to play 4! I got it on PC recently so I'll get around to it soon :)
SH4, as flawed as it is, is actually my favorite one exactly because of that theme, Henry being a bit of an awkward shut in is something that I sadly can relate to, I think thats what made the first 4 games so good, they didnt try to be the same game, they explored different fears and walks of life, being a parent and losing a child in a town, the depression and sadness of a toxic relationship, this one that this video covers extremely well and god Stanley disgusted me so much, and 4 is just like, this feeling that you're no one important, that all you do is watch life goes by, Henry is a into photography so its almost like hes trying to keep a part of what he sees with him forever, trying to run away from that feeling, he's an apathetic.
Also how his one place hes comfortable in, our home, our sanctuary that is our room we live in with the things we love cluttering around and giving us that sense of like, belonging and safety, slowly being peeled away by hauntings is a stroke of genius.
And like, its easy to lose all that meaning, its prolly why its a divisive game, objectively flaws aside from gameplay, because not a lot of people can relate to whats happening or get the small things, and thats cool, thats what I miss about Silent Hill, that purpose that everything after 4 never understood, its not about the big Pyramid guy or memorable characters or Nurses, its about the people and what torment then, I hear that a remake of SH 1 is probable and like, thats neat and all, but it isnt like RE where what matters is the B-movie action of it, its the purpose, all its probably gonna do is just, repeat the same thing with a few bells and whistles of modernity, but, it wont be new, unless you never played it.
@@QMMarc Kind of off-topic, but SH4 has one thing that makes it the scariest for me. I'm not easily scared, but there's one thing that keeps me on my toes, after consuming media about it; the supernatural. Ghosts Fuck Me Up. So the hauntings and being chased by something I can't stop are the hardest thing about SH 1-4 to me.
Also. SH4's hospital hallway, with the small rooms, is the peak of unfiltered Silent Hill imagery.
@@greyngo And it's not just ghosts in SH4, there's the hauntings, creepy, but the ghosts are these suffering corpses it's kind of a creepy take, but yeah your own home, your safe haven, getting slowly invaded by hauntings is such an inspired decision.
What crept me the most tho', and it's something one of the Siren games do that it's like, I dunno why but it's super creepy to me, is like giant body parts things? Like, that Eileen head in the hospital freaked me the fuck out as a teen, Siren also has some creepy weirdos with disproportionate bodies, don't remember WHICH Sire tho.
I just wish SH4 used less standard sfx like that burp one, that's, that's kinda bad I love the game but I can't forgive that too much it sounds too silly.
@@QMMarc Oh man. Funny that you mention the giant Eileen head. Because it haunts me to this day. It's so great.
This is a great video and was extremely eye-opening to a lot of things I never could have picked up on! Thanks for making it!
omg hearing you say “not all women are able to have children” 🥺❤️
You should talk about Claudia as well. In my opinion, she is hands down the best written character in all of Silent Hill. She's the antagonist in Silent Hill 3, but she's far from a villain.
I love the Silent Hill series but 3 felt like something truly special. The attention to fears that women have and how they affect Heather was something very different from other characters and games. Heather was a really deep and developed character with her flaws and strengths and her way of going through what would break most people and she survives despite the loss made her probably one of the best written female characters in the last twenty years.
Good job on the video. Now if we can only have a game of a Regina and Heather team up. Because Regina was just awesome too but certainly not as well written but just her line of "well that's disgusting" when typically characters would show horror was amazing.
There were female members in Team Silent & they influenced Heather’s overall character design(according to the SH3 making of doc).
After watching your essay, I’m pretty sure the women had a say with the horror elements & set pieces.
I loved the game back in the day, but I never gave it much thought that it was about “feminine horror”.
Which makes it better on a whole different level.
Game aged like fine wine.
Well done. 👌
Silent Hill 3(while praised)doesn’t get enough credit for how well it presented it’s themes. Silent Hill 2 gets all the love for how well it utilized it’s ideas, but Silent Hill 3 did it just as well. From(female)body horror, unwanted pregnancy, stalking, perspective on faith/religion and of course the “they look like monsters to you” moment. Silent Hill 3 always gets better and better everytime I experience it.
10:05 it always appeared to me that Harry fell asleep in his chair and The Missionary killed him in his sleep. Harry was obviously dangerous in the eyes of the cult given how he managed to survive a fight with their “god” and the last cult member that tried to enter his home payed for it with his life. They most likely didn’t wanna take any chances and struck him at his most vulnerable.
Great video! Two things really jumped out at me. I really appreciate the idea that you put in there that focuses on the female perspective, one which I will never be able to feel, only examine. As a son, a brother, a friend and a husband, it’s always fascinating to me to know that an entire sphere of being female exists, and no matter how hard i try to be an ally and someone who creates safe spaces, there will always be that fear. Silent Hill 3 highlighting that is something I had never considered. Thanks for bringing that to light!
Also, i also am terribly scared of “falling over the edge” at shopping malls. I actually watched someone climb over one, stand on one side of it and then climb back over, but almost slipping and falling. I do believe that that singular event has made me unreasonably scared of heights. Similar feeling is driving a car in a middle lane over a suspension bridge and still somehow not just feeling but BELIEVING that i am going to go cascading over its side, simply by following standard traffic behavior.
Anyway. Great channel. Excited to see more insightful videos!
Thank you for this video. Everybody is up SH2’s butt all the time and while yes it’s a great game and deserves the hype, i feel that a lot of it comes from the prevalence of male players who relate to James’ horrors. I feel like Mary/María is an object in that game for James’ development -on purpose, too, it’s all part of the narrative and it’s great- but relatable it is not. SH3 is much more visceral and personally frightening for female players and that needs to be explored just as much. All of these games are amazing and I applaud you for shining a spotlight on one of, if not THE best of them.
I always found Heather to be the most interesting of the Silent Hill protagonists. People love to talk about how complex James is by mentioned the symbolism and how all the characters are all sides of him but I found his actual moment to moment interactions to be rather dull. Heather has far more emotion to me. Heather actually felt like a character where James just felt like a dude who's just viewing himself but never actually get to see sides of.
oh my gosh someone finally put it into words with being in the upper floors in the mall, it's feels like a floating nausea anytime I'm near the railing, thank you
also thank you for the video, Silent hill 3 is my favorite and seeing praise for it made my day.
Awesome video! I absolutely love Sh3. Is my favorite one of the series and also the first one I played. You talked about pregnancy, have you ever heard of haunting ground? This game is awesome and it's story is so, so disturbing.
So glad this came up on my recommended, such a great perspective and excellent presentation. I can't wait to watch your other videos!!