Silent Hill: Origins - Reception

Reception

Most reviews for Silent Hill: Origins were positive; its original release on the PSP received a Metacritic aggregate score of 78 out of 100 and a GameRankings aggregate of 78.10%, while the PS2 release received lower scores of 70 out of 100 and 72.41%, respectively. GameDaily wrote that Origins "impressively brings all the elements we love about the Silent Hill franchise to a portable format that works wonderfully." Shane Bettenhausen of 1UP.com concluded, "Sure, it's predictable, conventional, and a little bit short, not to mention ill-suited for brief pick-up-and-play sessions on the bus, but we're encouraged to see developers making an original, console-quality experience for PSP." According to Kristan Reed of Eurogamer, "No doubt mindful of remaining faithful to the series' legacy, Climax pays such close attention to the ingredients of the first three Silent Hill games that it's basically an unapologetic homage to them." While stating that Origins would appeal to fans for its story that adds to the series' mythos, Game Informer added, "Unfortunately, the game has fallen into something like a rut in most other areas and less fanatical gamers won't be as forgiving of its faults."

The storyline was a mixed bag for reviewers. According to Kevin VanOrd of GameSpot, the premise was unoriginal and unsuspenseful, detracting from Travis' appeal as a protagonist, although he felt that the game provided new material for fans to analyze. PALGN's Mat Keller wrote that the Origins' "blatantly obvious" subtext failed to affect the player, in contrast to the subtext of previous installments. 1UP.com stated that while Origins suffered from heavy foreshadowing and predictable plot twists and character development, it added to the backstory of the series. Conversely, Wesley Yin-Poole of VideoGamer.com described the storyline as "engrossing". Additionally, critics felt that the visual style was simillar to those of the previous Silent Hill installments. Enjoying the visuals, Jeff Haynes of IGN wrote: "From the cluttered and junk strewn locations to the rusty, chaos filled doppelgangers of the alternate dimensions, everything feels like it's been stripped from one of the other titles and shrunk down to the handheld." Reviewers praised the graphics, the monster designs, the detailed environments, and atmosphere. However, some reviewers wrote that the character models could have been more detailed.

Gameplay drew a variety of reactions from "immersive" and "intriguing", to formulaic. The puzzles were generally considered by critics as challenging and well-done. The duration of the game was considered short, and reviewers criticized the fewer save points. The "strict adherence" to the series' formula also drew criticism; the opening comment of GameSpot's review remarked that "this old fog needs to learn some new tricks", and further detailed that the game provided "an entirely conventional adventure that relies on eight-year-old franchise hallmarks at the expense of anything truly new." Some camera issues were noted, especially in tight corridors. Reviewers wrote that Origins had a greater emphasis on combat than previous installments, although reaction to the combat was generally negative. Some reviewers felt that the player was encouraged to avoid combat, due to a variety of gameplay factors, including the breakable melee weapons. On the other hand, GameSpy's David Chapman stated that the readily available weapons made Travis too powerful. The inclusion of quick time events was not well received by reviewers, who felt that it added nothing appealing to the game. Additionally, the soundtrack was frequently praised as frightening, and a part of the game's appeal. The PlayStation Official Magazine UK wrote: "Despite its small-screen setting, Origins even manages a few genuine scares, mostly thanks to the first-rate sound: this should only be played through headphones."

The PS2 port's graphics were met with disappointment by reviewers, who considered it visually inferior to the previous PS2 Silent Hill titles. IGN also took issue with the port's lack of manual camera control.