History VideoGame / SilentHillShatteredMemories

* ThereAreNoTherapists: Averted, given that you talk with a psychiatrist between bouts of gameplay. Quite humorously, he's Michael Kaufmann, who acts [[TheProfessor absolutely nothing]] like his [[CompleteMonster previous incarnation]].

** Cheryl's student records show that Silent Hill's zipcode is 45904 - Grand Rapids, Michigan. The diner is also adorned with Michigan license plates.

'''''Silent Hill: Shattered Memories''''', released in 2009, is a reimagining of ''SilentHill1''. The underlying story remains the same: Harry Mason is searching for his daughter, Cheryl, in the seemingly-abandoned town of Silent Hill after a car accident strands him in the titular town.

The similarities between ''[=SH1=]'' and ''Shattered Memories'' are primarily in terms of character names; many new elements were introduced in ''Shattered Memories'', including a much-touted psychological survey which [[ContentWarnings tells players]] the game will be "[getting] in [their] head". This survey -- as well as a player's actions throughout the game -- will alter accessible areas, character appearances, and even characters' attitudes. ''Shattered Memories'' also alters nearly all the audio files and notes players find during the course of the game in subtle ways -- while the context of these "flashes" will be generally the same, the content will be subtly (but significantly) altered, which means no two playthroughs will be exactly the same.

As part of a new emphasis on "psychological" horror over "survival" horror, the combat system has been removed, leaving a player with three options upon encountering a monster: run, find a flare (which wards off the monsters for a short time), or hide. The success of this new setup can vary, but numerous reviewers welcomed this [[http://wii.ign.com/articles/105/1050951p1.html "refreshing change"]] in the genre (as opposed to the [[CatScare jump-scares]] utilized in ''VideoGame/{{Doom}} 3'' or the [[ActionizedSequel "fire into hordes of zombies and hope you survive"]] direction ''ResidentEvil'' has taken in recent years).

!!Tropes specific to this game:

** Cheryl's student records show that Silent Hill's zipcode is 45904 - Grand Rapids, Michigan. The diner is also adorned with Michigan license plates.

'''''Silent Hill: Shattered Memories''''', released in 2009, is a reimagining of ''[[SilentHill1 Silent Hill 1]]''. The underlying story remains the same: Harry Mason is searching for his daughter, Cheryl, in the seemingly-abandoned town of Silent Hill after a car accident strands him in the titular town.

As part of a new emphasis on "psychological" horror over "survival" horror, the combat system has been removed, leaving a player with three options upon encountering a monster: run, find a flare (which wards off the monsters for a short time), or hide. The success of this new setup can vary, but numerous reviewers welcomed this [[http://wii.ign.com/articles/105/1050951p1.html "refreshing change"]] in the genre (as opposed to the [[CatScare jump-scares]] utilized in ''{{Doom}} 3'' or the [[ActionizedSequel "fire into hordes of zombies and hope you survive"]] direction ''ResidentEvil'' has taken in recent years).

* EvilPhone: Harry's cell phone sends him a lot of weird messages.

** Cheryl's student records show that Silent Hill's zipcode is 45904 - Grand Rapids, Michigan. The diner is also adorned with Michigan license plates.

* KleptomaniacHero: Harry picks up various keys and mementos throughout the game. Subverted with the mementos in that [[spoiler:he's been dead from the beginning and Cheryl already owns all those objects.

* ActualPacifist: Kind of invoked. Harry never makes any effort to fight the Raw Shocks, though in his case it's because he was explicitly told that he has no way to kill them, as opposed to being a moral thing. The enemies are dealt with by running, hiding, or temporarily warding them off with flares, and the closest thing to combat you see in the game is Harry defensively shoving them away.

* AbuseIsOkayWhenItIsFemaleOnMale: Utterly averted in the ending [[spoiler[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akYdjHkleek "Wicked and the Weak"]]]].

* ActualPacifist: Kind of [[InvokedTrope invoked]]. Harry never makes any effort to fight the Raw Shocks, though in his case it's because he was explicitly told that he has no way to kill them, as opposed to being a moral thing. The enemies are dealt with by running, hiding, or temporarily warding them off with flares, and the closest thing to combat you see in the game is Harry defensively shoving them away.

* AbuseIsOkayWhenItIsFemaleOnMale: Utterly averted in the ending [[spoiler:[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akYdjHkleek "The Wicked and the Weak"]]]].

* AntiFrustrationFeatures: The Rawshocks will not attack Harry in rooms in which he has to solve a puzzle.
* AutoErotica: It is heavily implied that Harry and Dahlia had sex in the car.
* BodyHorror: The Rawshocks all exhibit more or less of this, especially depending on how you play.
* ButThouMust: A variation during the Kaufmann sessions in that he'll screw with you no matter how you answer. For instance, he'll ask you "Never cheated on a partner? Really?", and it's vague if the answer is "yes, that's true" or "no, I haven't." Also, during the session of "who's dead and who's sleeping," Kaufmann will tell you they were all either sleeping or dead depending on which side has more photos. If you place all the photos on only one side, he simply laughs because you thought it was a trick question.

* [[spoiler:DeadAllAlong: Harry.]]

* DiegeticInterface: The phone.

** The girl who constantly shoplifts from the mall and ends up defensively killing a security guard. [[spoiler:Turns out to most likely be Cheryl]]. She does appear to show remorse for it, however.

* EvilPhone: Harry's cell phone sends him a lot of weird messages, many of which could be considered NightmareFuel. It ''is'' SilentHill, after all.
* EyelessFace: The Raw Shocks.
* {{Expy}}: [[spoiler:Dahlia and Cheryl]] are channeling [[SilentHill3 Heather's]] character design. [[spoiler:Never mind that Cheryl's full name is Cheryl Heather Mason]].

** The last nightmare chase actually has ''two'' instances of these. [[spoiler:First, no matter how hard you fight them off, the Raw Shocks WILL eventually wear you down. It looks like this is the end... until the ice breaks, and the Raw Shocks fall in the lake and drown. You then begin swimming towards the lighthouse, but no matter how fast you press the buttons, Harry WILL run out of energy and drown, only to be hauled onto the shore by Cybil.]]

** John's lines. [[spoiler:"You don't love me, you love the John in your head"]].
** Michelle's song, "Always on My Mind".

*** For example, the Barbie doll found in the fridge is right next to a strip club/brothel and the name (My Perfect Plastic Girl) gives off the same vibes as the photo messages in the club next door.
*** There's also the Modern Prometheus memento, which is a Frankenstein's monster toy. [[spoiler:In his last scene, Kaufmann says that what Cheryl thinks of Harry is a Frankenstein's monster made of memories]].
** Voice messages near the start of the game are of various people, such as a woman complaining about her wedding video being recorded over and a father and son out hunting. About halfway through, messages start focusing on two distinct character groups, one of a family of three (father and mother who fight a lot, and a little girl) and one of a mother and rebellious teenage daughter. [[spoiler:This is indicative of how Harry is no longer around once Cheryl becomes a teen]].

* FreudWasRight: InUniverse. [[spoiler:Cheryl ''really'' loves her daddy]].

* HotDad: Harry.
* IBelieveThatYouBelieveIt: Cybil to Harry, towards the end, in regards to [[spoiler:his identity]].
* InsurmountableWaistHighFence: The snowpiles that block you are at least two feet taller than you, but judging by their formation could definitely be climbed over. A bizarre example is when Cybil takes you to the cabin in the woods, there's a knee high snowbank in front and behind the car you got there in and it apparently formed in the fifteen seconds it took for the car to park and you to get out (if you invoke GameplayAndStorySegregation by moving as quickly as possible rather than trying to wait for her). Given that Silent Hill is more or less a malevolent GeniusLoci...
* InvincibleMinorMinion: The Raw Shocks, who are also the only enemy in the game (apart from the Larval Stalkers, but they don't attack you). So when you enter the Otherworld, RUN!
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Cybil, if she has the "aggressive" personality on the playthrough.
* KleptomaniacHero: Harry picks up various keys and mementos throughout the game. Subverted with the mementos in that [[spoiler:he's been dead from the beginning and Cheryl already owns all those objects. [[MindScrew Maybe]]]].
* LivingMemory: [[spoiler:Harry]].

* LockedDoor: Unusual for a Silent Hill game, you can actually unlock most of them!

* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: The question of whether [[spoiler:Harry is a physical being exploring the "real" Silent Hill]] or whether the entire game outside of the therapy sessions takes place [[spoiler:inside Cheryl's imagination]]. Ample evidence exists for either interpretation - or even both.

** The apartment building in which nurse Lisa Garland lives is called Nightingale Apartments. Florence Nightingale was a well-known nurse who, among various other things, wrote "Notes on Nursing."

** The title of the game could be this. [[spoiler:After all, the (likely false) memories Cheryl has of her father get shattered in the psychiatrist's office]].

** In the mall's toy store, there's a wand on the floor. Heather could unlock a laser-shooting wand in the third game.
** In one of the school's back rooms, there's a picture drawn by a kid saying that they want to drive a truck when they get older. Possible reference to Travis from ''VideoGame/SilentHillOrigins''.
** [[spoiler:One introduction to Lisa Garland has Harry encounter her near a crashed ambulance, while Lisa is weeping with a bloody face.]]

* ParentalIncest: [[spoiler:Cheryl and her Electra Complex, debatably]].

* TheReveal: [[spoiler:Dr. K's patient is actually Cheryl; Harry has been dead for years]].

* ShapedLikeItself: In the Silent Hill Shattered Memories Brady Games player's guide, its explanation on the monsters in the game on page 41 has this as its first line:

* TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon: [[spoiler:The game ends just after you enter it]].

* TomatoSurprise: The therapist's appointments lead you to believe [[spoiler:you are either in control of yourself or Harry]], but the camera is always in the first person. After the twist, the camera turns to see who has been sitting in the chair - [[spoiler:it's Cheryl, looking like a dark haired version of her [[SilentHill3 SH3]] self]].
* TrickTwist[=/=]WhamEpisode: Reaching the final stage of the game to find out that [[spoiler:you, Harry, had been DeadAllAlong, ''and'' that some if not all of the things you encountered while exploring Silent Hill were ''all experienced by Cheryl!'']] Climax Studios earned its name with this one!
* TooDumbToLive: Lisa, who instead of having her injuries from an ambulance crash through a wall tended to, [[spoiler:checked out, went home, took some pills, and went to sleep]]. Anyone who knows about concussions knows that [[spoiler:sleeping alone without someone to monitor you isn't a very good idea]]. As a nurse, she ''especially'' should have known this. Then again, [[spoiler:[[FridgeBrilliance Cheryl might not have known this]]]].
** Or, concerning what happens in the "Sleaze and Sirens" ending (and supported by the fact that you ''can'' give Lisa the wrong pills), [[spoiler:[[FridgeBrilliance maybe Cheryl just wanted Lisa to die.]]]]

** The only Toluca Lake in the U.S is in California.

[[caption-width-right:341:Yeah this game's [[JustForPun chilling]]. [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel That didn't help]].]]

** Heavily implied in one scenario in the woods, where a boy who's been verbally abused by his [[CorruptHick father]] becomes a serial killer. [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel It's every bit as unsettling as it sounds]].

* EvilPhone: Harry's cell phone sends him a lot of weird messages, many of which could be considered HighOctaneNightmareFuel. It ''is'' SilentHill, after all.

* TooDumbToLive: Lisa, who instead of having her injuries from an ambulance crash through a wall tended to, [[spoiler:checked out, went home, took some pills, and went to sleep]]. Anyone who knows about concussions knows that [[spoiler:sleeping isn't a very good idea, since you might never wake up]]. As a nurse, she ''especially'' should have known this. Then again, [[spoiler:[[FridgeBrilliance Cheryl might not have known this]]]].

* AmateurPhotographer: With your cell phone camera.

** The girl who constantly shoplifts from the mall and ends up killing a security guard for no apparent reason [[spoiler:turns out to most likely be Cheryl]].

* ActualPacifist: Harry, as the game flat-out denies the player anything resembling combat. All he can do is run, hide, and ward off Raw Shocks with flares.

** In one of the school's back rooms, there's a picture drawn by a kid saying that they want to drive a truck when they get older. Possible reference to Travis from ''SilentHillOrigins''.

* FinalBoss: [[spoiler:[[AvertedTrope There is no final boss]]]].

''Silent Hill: Shattered Memories'', released in 2009, is part of the SilentHill franchise; it is a reimagining of ''[[SilentHill1 Silent Hill 1]]'', and the basic premise remains the same -- Harry Mason is searching for his daughter, Cheryl, in the seemingly-abandoned town of Silent Hill after getting into a car accident.

The similarities between the two games are primarily in terms of character names, as many new elements have been introduced -- including a much-touted psychological survey, which goes so far as to give a [[ContentWarnings warning]] that the game is going to be "[getting] in your head." This survey, as well as the player's actions and play-style, will alter accessible areas, the appearances of characters, and the attitudes of some characters. It also subtly alters just about all the audio files and notes that you find; the context of these "flashes" will be generally the same, although the content will be subtly (but significantly) altered, which means that no two playthroughs will be exactly the same.

As part of a new emphasis on psychological horror over survival horror, the combat system has been completely taken out, leaving the player with three options: run, hope they find a flare that can ward off the monsters for a short time, or hide. The success of this new setup can vary, but many reviewers welcomed this [[http://wii.ign.com/articles/105/1050951p1.html "refreshing change"]] in the Horror genre of videogames (as opposed to the [[CatScare jump-scares]] utilized in ''{{Doom}} 3'' or the [[ActionizedSequel "fire into hordes of zombies and hope you survive"]] direction that ''ResidentEvil'' has taken in recent years).

This game has a [[ShoutOut/SilentHillShatteredMemories Shout Out]] page.

----

* MindScrew:
** Was anything that happened real or was it all taking place [[spoiler:in Cheryl's mind]], and if it was, how much? Was Harry [[spoiler:a memory brought to life by the town or by Cheryl somehow, or some kind of ghost]]? Is this an alternate timeline to Silent Hill 1 and 3, or were those games nothing but fantasies as well? The UFO ending can be one as well, but it's probably an exception, seeing as it runs on RuleOfFunny.

* ButThouMust: A variation during the Kaufman sessions in that he'll screw with you no matter how you answer. For instance, he'll ask you "Never cheated on a partner? Really?", and it's vague if the answer is "yes, that's true" or "no, I haven't." Also, during the session of "who's dead and who's sleeping," Kaufman will tell you they were all either sleeping or dead depending on which side has more photos. If you place all the photos on only one side, he simply laughs because you thought it was a trick question.

* DrJerk: Dr. Kaufman sometimes acts like this.

*** There's also the Modern Prometheus memento, which is a Frankenstein's monster toy. [[spoiler:In his last scene, Kaufman says that what Cheryl thinks of Harry is a Frankenstein's monster made of memories]].

* SchrodingersQuestion: Kaufman's therapy sessions, such as the picture you color in will be what the house and couple in the next cutscene look like, and the subjects you enter for your perfect school day will be the ones on the mural in the high school's courtyard.

* KleptomaniacHero: Harry picks up various keys and mementos throughout the game. Subverted with the mementos in that [[spoiler:he's been dead from the beginning and Cheryl already owns all those objects. [[MindScrew Maybe]]]].

* FinalBoss: [[spoiler:There is no final boss]].

** The town of Silent Hill, known for its crazy and psychotic settings, has a high school. Its mascot? [[TheMidwichCuckoos The cuckoo]].
*** Even more so when you consider that the high school is itself named "Midwich High." So its team name is, in fact, the "Midwich Cuckoos".

* FreudWasRight: [[spoiler:Cheryl ''really'' loves her daddy]].

* AudioErotica: Dahlia.