It was re-imagined though, into 2009’s Shattered Memories, the best of the series not made by the original team. Its lead designer was Sam Barlow who also created Her Story, and its first-person psychiatric interviews are an obvious resemblance—although here you’re the interview subject. The rest of the game was third-person and one of few to use motion controls effectively. Though given a late-in-the-day PS2 release it was best on the Wii, where the Wiimote doubled as your torch when investigating dark places and your phone when receiving voicemail messages.
(They echoed out of the controller’s tiny speaker when held up to your ear, which was intensely creepy.) During chase sequences you used the motion controls to shove enemies off and yank furniture down to make obstacles behind you, while whipping yourself in the face with the cord if you’re as clumsy as me.
Demos for virtual reality games like Edge Of Nowhere make me think the third-person sections of Shattered Memories would suit VR, and newer motion controls–minus my old enemy, the cord–would be a definite improvement. The other reason I’d love to see Shattered Memories remade for VR is that it’s one of the least scary Silent Hill games, and the ability VR has enhance scares might actually kill somebody if applied to something as terrifying as P.T.
Being less scary isn’t a weakness, though. Shattered Memories trades the oppressive fear typical of the series for a rise-and-fall cycle of tension, pacing its chases out with areas in which you’re safe. Knowing the relief you feel at each escape is temporary and the return of its shifting monsters is inevitable means Shattered Memories evokes dread rather than terror, making you worry about things that aren’t there rather than surrounding you with leathery twitch-beasts forever.