Konami has finally pulled back the blood-soaked curtain on their beloved horror franchise and revealed a brand new roadmap of content consisting of a new Silent Hill 2 remake, a new movie, and a couple of spin-off projects. With excitement for the iconic series reaching a fever pitch, some of you out there may be wondering how to play the Silent Hill games in order. With that in mind, let’s get started.
Silent Hill – How to Play the Games in Order
Like the story at the heart of the foggy lakeside town, the continuity of the specific timelines can be a little cryptic within Silent Hill, so ultimately, there’s room for different interpretations as to what order you should play the games. That being said, here’s our recommendation for what order to play the Silent Hill games from a narrative perspective.
***Minor Story Spoilers Ahead***
1.) Silent Hill (1999)
Platforms: PS1, PS3, PS Vita
Developer: Team Silent
The original story centers on Harry Mason who crashes his car in the titular town, and must venture into the fog to find his daughter, Cheryl.
2.) Silent Hill 3 (2002)
Platforms: PS2, PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 (via HD Collection)
Developer: Team Silent
Story-wise, Silent Hill 3 is almost a direct continuation of the first game as you take control of protagonist Heather Mason, who is Harry Mason’s daughter (aka Cheryl).
3.) Silent Hill 2 (2001)
Platforms: PS2, PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 (via HD Collection)
Developer: Team Silent
One of the most popular titles in the entire series, Silent Hill 2 focuses upon James Sunderland and his guilt-ridden trip through Konami’s beloved lakeside town.
4.) Silent Hill: Origins (2007)
Platforms: PSP, PS2
Developer: Climax Studios
While Origins is technically a prequel to the first Silent Hill game, there are elements and nuances within the story that you’ll likely not understand if you haven’t played the series’ opening chapter.
5.) Silent Hill 4: The Room (2004)
Platforms: PS2, PC
Developer: Team Silent
Harry Townshend is the focal protagonist of Silent Hill 4, and while there are some oblique narrative ties to the second and third Silent Hill installments, this chapter is largely a standalone experience.
6.) Silent Hill: Homecoming (2008)
Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360
Developer: Double Helix Games
Homecoming is set in Shepherd’s Glen, a town nearby to Silent Hill, and centers on Alex Shepherd, a soldier returning home from the call of duty to find his father and brother missing.
7.) Silent Hill: Downpour (2012)
Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360
Developer: Vatra Games
This is ostensibly another self-contained Silent Hill story and focuses on Murphy Pendleton, a convict whose transport bus crashes nearby the eponymous haunted town.
8.) Silent Hill: Shattered Memories (2009)
Platforms: Wii, PS2, PSP
Developer: Climax Studios
A remake of the original 1999 installment, Shattered Memories boasted a pretty neat concept that involved psychologically profiling the player, which evolved the game’s aesthetic and gameplay depending on your choices.
9.) Silent Hill: Book of Memories (2012)
Platforms: PS Vita
Developer: WayForward Technologies
If we’re being totally frank, we’d probably opt to give this one a miss entirely as it doesn’t really fit into the canon of the core Silent Hill story in any meaningful way.
So, that about wraps things up for today. Hopefully, this helped to answer the question: how to play the Silent Hill games in order. For more on the classic horror franchise, here’s a recent quiz, announcement details for Silent Hill f, and a feature discussing why you should watch the underrated Silent Hill movie adaptation.
