BOO! Are you scared? Well, you should be. What do you mean why? Because I say so, of course, and if that`s not enough to give you a good fright, then maybe you should try Silent Hill: Origins on your trusty PSP. Do you think you can handle the terror? The eerie, mist covered town of Silent Hill awaits you once more, with its untold horrors lurking behind the... mirror.

I`m always looking for a game that will keep me up at night and I was hoping that Silent Hill: Origins would have been suited to the task. I must admit, I prefer a good story in a horror game, much more than dozens of zombies falling decapitated at my feet, and that`s why I always preferred the Silent Hill series to all other "horror" games out there. Previous Silent Hill games kept me hooked with their dark atmosphere and each main character, with his special reason to be in Silent Hill, grew on me. James remained my favorite, throughout the series, and the search for his dead wife had me scared senseless.

This time, Travis Grady the trucker, whose shoes you fill, left me a bit puzzled. What exactly is he doing in Silent Hill? Concern for a little girl you almost hit with your truck, and afterwards save from a burning building, doesn`t give Travis the reason to go through all the buildings in the city and solve their weird puzzles. But hey, maybe character motivation and story progression isn`t as important nowadays. I`m saying this because the story seems to move at a snail-like pace for most of the game, whereas I was used to a more alert rhythm and many more characters in the grim town of Silent Hill.

The PSP once again doesn`t disappoint when it comes to graphics or sound effects. The sound track is crucial when it comes to setting the right atmosphere, and in this regard, Silent Hill: Origins doesn`t let you down. The haunting music of Silent Hill 2 and the chilling soundtrack of Silent Hill 4 still remain the best, but Silent Hill: Origins comes as a close competitor.

Travis doesn`t seem overly concerned when it comes to all the weird things happening to him in this small, deserted town. He is however much more violent than any other protagonist of the series. This is the first Silent Hill game where you can actually pick up items from the environment and use them as weapons. Of course, you can`t pick up everything that you see, but you can pick up TV's, big jars, typewriters and so on. This does raise the question of how does Travis run around with a TV, a type writer and a file cabinet in his pocket, but I haven`t been able to find an answer to that.

The characters that you do meet seem out of place and have too small of an appearance to leave any lasting impression. The monsters however certainly leave a strong impression, as their number is quite high and little is left to imagination. The nurses make another comeback, but all the other monsters are brand new. I was especially impressed by the monsters in the insane asylum that are invisible when the light is off, only their metallic parts showing and when you turn on the flashlight their shadow gives away their position. Monsters are sensitive to noise and light, so keeping the flashlight off means you can avoid a lot of encounters but this also means you`ll spend a lot of extra time looking for items and running into walls.

From the very start of the game you are advised to play this in a dark room, with your headphones on, and I strongly recommend this as well. Otherwise, you`ll have a hard time seeing anything on your PSP screen, without your flashlight, and you`ll miss the fun of going behind monsters and backstabbing them when they have no idea you`re there.

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There is more than one ending, and of course there are the usual "extra options" that you unlock once you finish the game. Extra items like the fire axe and the special weapons make the game worth replaying. You also get the option of turning off the screen noise and that makes the graphics sharper, even if you lose some of the atmosphere of the game.

Graphics-wise, the game looks excellent, surprising me once again. It`s a shame that the PSP doesn`t have any form of AA, as the game sorely needed that, but it is within acceptable limits. The frame rate drops sharply sometimes, especially when a fight starts and this was a major cause of frustration, as well as the long loading times between scenes.

Another thing that is sure to cause irritation is the camera control. This has always been a problem with all Silent Hill games and Origins is no exception. You`ll often find yourself watching the face of your character and not knowing where you`re going of who`s hitting you. One press of the L button will cause the camera to move behind you, but it doesn`t seem to always work.

One thing that is excellent, however, is the map. Every door that you try will remain marked on your map so you`ll always know where there`s a dead end or a locked door. This means you can easily see where you need to go, or where you haven`t checked properly, by opening your map. Of course the map is available for both worlds. What worlds? Hmm, I must have forgotten to mention that.

Whenever Travis encounters a mirror he can travel to the dark, bloody world of Silent Hill. Everything is different on the other side and the monsters seem to be in abundance. This opens up a lot of possibilities when it comes to puzzles, and the producers have taken full advantage of that. There are clues that you find only on the other side, and items that you find on one side, only to be used in the other. Doors that are closed on one side are open in the other, allowing you to continue your journey. The graphical and sound effects that take place whenever Travis switched worlds are wonderfully made and deserve special mention.

"Pyramid Head" from Silent Hill 2 has a correspondent here in the form of "The Butcher" and one ending in particular has raised questions as to if Travis is actually "The Butcher" himself. I`m not going to spoil anything for you though, and I`ll let you find this out on your own. You will only get the ending on your second run-through, and you`ll have to be very, very violent, so be advised :).

Each monster has a special scene that requires you to press specific buttons quickly on the PSP to avoid taking damage, and these are a welcome addition to the fights that otherwise would have gotten repetitive. The boss fights are another thing worth mentioning here as the bosses are a serious challenge to everyone and the fact that bullets for the firearms are quite rare mean that you`ll sometimes have to challenge them with melee weapons (that break unusually fast). This is seriously not advisable since Travis will usually die in 3 hits, so make sure to hoard your healing supplies and bullets.

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Conclusion:

Silent Hill: Origins made me feel very nostalgic, remembering the nights spent in the company of Silent Hill 2 and 3. The game didn`t leave the same impression on me like the PC versions, but I can`t exactly place my finger on the motive. Maybe the small screen of the PSP had something to do with it, maybe the weaker story, or maybe just the fact that I`ve grown up. It is however a game worth playing, and I`m happy to say that the PSP market has received a worthy addition.

Gameplay: 89

I was surprised to see how quickly the game seems to draw you in its dark atmosphere, forgetting you`re actually sitting in the kitchen with your headphones on, waiting for your coffee to be ready. Even though Travis has no motivation to progress in his adventure, you certainly have, as there is always something new to be discovered. It could be a new quest or a new monster, maybe that shotgun that you`re just itching to use against those monsters that made life so difficult for you, or maybe just another opportunity to see the "hot" nurse. Too bad the game has problems with the camera and the slow moving story, but I`m sure you can get over that.

Graphics: 86

Once the game has been finished once, you`re free to turn off the noise effect which seems to bother some people. I say this has an important role in setting the right atmosphere of the game, but it also means that some things are difficult to see and details are lost. Jagged lines are very visible when playing and also in the movies, but there is no way of correcting this. Other than this, the game looks great and details such as bloody footprints left when you pass over a body, have remained.

Sound: 88

No horror game would be complete without an adequate soundtrack. Silent Hill: Origins has excellent music that changes whenever a combat is about to start and creeps you out when you`re wandering around, and sounds that chill you out when you play. The radio and its buzzing have remained, as they`re a Silent Hill trademark, but you have the option of turning it off, like always. Noises that appear out of nowhere and for no apparent reason have remained and they still manage to give me a good scare once in a while :).

Multiplayer: N/A

Hardware: 80

Maybe it was my copy, or maybe it was my PSP, but the game had frame rate issues all too often. Long loading times are another issue that slowly, but surely, got on my nerves.