10. Silent Hill 2
If You Like... Jacob's Ladder, The Orphanage In the upper northeastern Unites States lies a unassuming small resort village by the name of Silent Hill. James Sunderland had visited the town on a vacation with his wife Mary. Shortly after returning home, Mary fell ill with a terminal disease and became confined in a hospital damned to die slowly away from the world and her loved ones. After Mary's death, James receives a letter from her asking him to return to Silent Hill to meet her in their special place. A place where Mary was happy before the onset of the oppression of that terminal illness brings. James decides to return to Silent Hill to find what mystery awaits him. Silent Hill is an exercise in psychological horror. Instead of using jump scares and gore like other survival horror games from the same era, it choses to create an atmosphere of dread. As you progress through the game, you slowly uncover details about the town's past which increases the horror and overall atmosphere. Strewn throughout the town are monsters that not only serve as obstacles, but many of which are used as metaphors for the demons that haunt James' past. Also in the town are a supporting cast of characters that have also been drawn into the town. Each of the characters has a back story that connects them to some horrible deed or even James' himself. Laura is a little girl that seems completely innocent and see no monsters in Silent Hill and is apparently completely safe. Eddie is a troubled teenager that has used violence to release anger in a world that he feels no control in. Finally there is Marie, who seems to be a sexually extroverted mirror of Mary herself. The characters - combined with the town itself - create a complex mystery to be solved. Silent Hill is a slow burn to its climax, but it's journey well-worth taking. James' quest is one of personal discovery... and it drives the gamer forward in an eager and terrified manner.