HTD

The Movie was visually interesting and due to dumb americans needing all plot points focused on and not left in mystery to generate fear (Like good horror does), I think they did the best they could but as a Fan the movie was a dissapointment (better than RE but only slightly lol).

RE 4 was excellent and a little creepy but lets face it Silent Hill has always been scarier than RE.
The only games that could slightly match up to SH would be Project Zero (Fatal Frame) or Forbidden Siren. So go easy on RE it's doing just fine without the scares.

As for Silent Hill 4 it is probably the strangest game I've played. Yes it is way too repetitive and YES Henry seems extremely calm for what is actually going on and YES 90% of players quit half way through and I don't blame them but If they stayed with it... They'd learn that it is a masterpiece and probably the most original since SH1.
But there is no doubt about it due to bad gameplay issues it will never win anyone over.
Great story, brilliant visuals, Intense gameplay just a bit boring for half the game lol.

As for SH5 well... It doesn't seem amazingly original infact id say it is trying to copy SH2 and doing an alright job at it.
I think it will be good but not the SH2 beater we are all hoping for.

And going back to the fog psx issues,
yes konami used the fog because of the graphical limitations of the system but also they used the fog to generate fear in peoples imaginations.

Resident Evil fans never seem to get the idea that "what you don't see makes you more scared than what you see right infront of you".

Although I gotta admit if they are making SH5 for the USA audience only they really should dumb it down or else only the minority of the US are going to appreciate this game.

SH1 and SH2 both work on certain ideas to do with perception. In SH1 all the monsters are representations of Alessa's mind from killer dolls (bares for the UK) to the burnt atmosphere, all the areas reflect Alessa's world as she saw it, the school, the hospital.

SH2 which probably is the most faithful stay with this theory, pyramid head is James subconcious for Anger over what happened, literally stalking him like Guilt and Unavoidable.

SH3 I haven't played

SH4 was more to do with the religion of Silent Hill and has more of a spin off feel to it. I think it is a truely flawed game but it is also one of my favourite games I've ever played due to the fact Henry is stuck in a Nightmare world, even when in his apartment he is stuck there due to the door being locked and later the possession of the flat.

SHV isn't even out yet and although I think Gans interpretation was important for American audiences that need every last plot hole explained, it Just wasn't true in reflecting Harrys adventure, I liked the art and way it was directed but the overall story failed miserably. Terrible Movie... it left nothing to the imagination and wasn't even accurate.
Silent Hill 5 shouldnt be compared with any other Silent Hill game or Resident Evil (IMO RE1 - 3 changed drastically also just kept the same control system going for itself with minor improvement).
I think that even though Gans ideas were not right at all (see Jacobs Ladder for a good movie to compare), It is good that they are influenced by it if it means their vision for the game is strong.

SH4's only mistake was it was meant to be a stand alone game called the Room but got forced into being a Silent Hill game meaning its overall vision wasn't as strong as it had been.

We cannot judge Silent Hill 5 untill we play it, simple as that.

Ps. For fans of resident evil... these since re 2 have been action games with cheesy american heroes (Leon you rock) and are better than way, real horror fans get silent hill, so comparing RE to SH is like comparing Tekken to Shenmue, it just isn't that black and white.