____ _ _ ___ _ _ _____ _ _ _ _ _ ____ | __|| || | | _|| \ | ||_ _| | | | || || | | | |___ \ | |__ | || | | |_ | \ | | | | | |_| || || | | | / / |__ || || | | _|| |\\ | | | | | _ || || | | | / / __| || || |_ | |_ | | \\| | | | | | | || || |__ | |__ / /__ |____||_||___||___||_| \__| |_| |_| |_||_||____||____| |_____| -RESTLESS DREAMS/SAIGO NO UTA: VERSION CHANGES GUIDE- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Silent Hill 2 Version Changes FAQ For the Sony PlayStation 2 and Microsoft Xbox Written by cvxfreak Copyright 2007 by cvxfreak Version 2.0 April 11, 2007 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ You can reach me at FireEmblemPride[at]gmail[dot]com if you have any questions not answered in this FAQ. GameFAQs.com will always contain the most up to date version of this FAQ available on the net. ======================================================================== Table of Contents ======================================================================== 1. Introduction 2. Updates 3. Silent Hill 2 and Silent Hill 2 Restless Dreams 4. Version Changes and Comparisons 5. Frequently Asked Questions 6. Future of Silent Hill 7. Conclusion ======================================================================== 1. Introduction ======================================================================== Just what is the Silent Hill series, anyway? The Silent Hill series has provided a shocking alternative to Capcom's Resident Evil series since the release of the first game for the first PlayStation in 1999. The series had humble beginnings, but popularity struck and the second game was soon released in 2001 for the PlayStation 2. However, the entry of Microsoft's Xbox into the console wars gave Konami the opportunity to spread the series to that platform as well, so Konami decided to port Silent Hill 2 over to the Xbox. Because the port would be a few months late, Konami decided to give the port exclusive features that were developed, but deliberately excluded from the original version on the PlayStation 2. In North America, this version is known as "Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams" and "Silent Hill 2: Saigo no Uta" in Japan. However, sales on the Xbox were not terribly high, especially in Japan, so Konami decided to re-release Silent Hill 2 on the PlayStation 2 in Japan and later North America. Silent Hill 2: Saigo no Uta made it onto the Japanese PlayStation 2 with its subtitle intact, while in North America, the Greatest Hits release retained the name "Silent Hill 2" but included the extra features. In 2003, Silent Hill 3 was released for the PlayStation 2, while no Xbox version was developed. In 2004, Silent Hill 4: The Room was released for the PlayStation 2 in all territories, and the Xbox in North America and Europe, but not Japan. As of 2007, a PSP game, Silent Hill 0rigins, is in development, and an arcade title called Silent Hill The Arcade is also in development. Finally, fans await details on Silent Hill 5 for the next generation of game consoles. In 2001, the Game Boy Advance received a title called Play Novel: Silent Hill, but this was only released in Japan. What are those extra features that were included in the Xbox port and PlayStation 2 rerelease of Silent Hill 2? Read the rest of this FAQ to find out. Please note that this FAQ does NOT cover the PC version of Silent Hill 2 as I've never played it. ======================================================================== 2. Updates ======================================================================== April 11, 2007 Wow, another one of my archaic, non-updated FAQs on GameFAQs. I updated the FAQ to be more detailed, added more content, fixed errors, fixed up the formatting and style of the FAQ, and brought the writing to my 2007 writing standards. August 18, 2002 Change of e-mail. July 2, 2002 Changed to reflect the PS2 version of Restless Dreams and Silent Hill 3's announcement. April 17, 2002 Started and finished the FAQ. ======================================================================== 3. Silent Hill 2 and Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams ======================================================================== ************* SILENT HILL 2 ************* Platform: PlayStation 2 Regions: North America, Japan, PAL Silent Hill 2 was the first version of the game ever released, an is available only on the PlayStation 2. It contained only the main game featuring James Sunderland's search for his wife in the Southvale part of the small town, Silent Hill. It only contains five game endings and the noise filter can be deactivated after finishing the game once with any ending. Graphically, the game was a masterpiece for its time, featuring detailed textures, large game worlds and a stable framerate. The European and Japanese versions came with a "Making of Silent Hill 2" DVD. The North American version, while it came out first, lacked this extra, unfortunately. ****************************** SILENT HILL 2: RESTLESS DREAMS ****************************** Platform: Xbox Regions: North America, Japan, PAL Alternative Names: Silent Hill 2 Saigo no Uta (Japan) Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams is the upgraded, "complete" edition of Silent Hill 2. It features six endings, and two adventures, which are "Letter from Silent Heaven" featuring James (exactly as in the original version) and "Born from a Wish" featuring Maria, a new addition to this version. The features, like turning off the noise filter, are unlocked even if you haven't beaten the game. The graphical detail was slightly upgraded, but the overall look of the game remains the same. The game tends to have frame skips every once in awhile that were not present in the PlayStation 2 versions. No DVD extras were included with any country's versions of this game. ******************************************* SILENT HILL 2: SAIGO NO UTA (PlayStation 2) ******************************************* Platform: PlayStation 2 Regions: North America, Japan, PAL Alternative Names: Silent Hill 2 (North America, South Korea) Silent Hill 2 Director's Cut (PAL) Silent Hill 2: Saigo no Uta was released in Japan for the PlayStation 2 after the Xbox version was released. The extra features from the Xbox version were included back onto the PlayStation 2, including Born from a Wish and the extra sixth ending. The graphics were unchanged from the original version. The Korean version of the game runs on Japanese-region PlayStation 2 systems and features the same language options as the PAL versions, which did not contain Japanese as a language option. Korean gamers also received a booklet containing translations of the game's content into Korean, because the game itself was not translated into Korean. However, Silent Hill 3 and Silent Hill 4: The Room contain Korean language options. The North American version was released simply as "Silent Hill 2" and was directly placed onto the Greatest Hits discount line up, replacing the original version. In Europe, while the Xbox version retained the Restless Dreams subtitle used in North America, the PlayStation 2 re-release was simply called "Silent Hill 2 Director's Cut". ======================================================================== 4. Version Changes and Comparisons ======================================================================== Here is a chart that compares the various versions to easily tell the differences between versions. ========== | LEGEND | ========== SH2 NA = Silent Hill 2 (North American PlayStation 2) SH2 JP = Silent Hill 2 (Japanese PlayStation 2) SH2 EU = Silent Hill 2 (PAL PlayStation 2) SH2 RD = Silent Hill 2 Restless Dreams (North American Xbox) SH2 SU = Silent Hill 2 Saigo no Uta (Japanese Xbox) SH2 IF = Silent Hill Restless Dreams (PAL Xbox) SH2 GH = Silent Hill 2 Greatest Hits (North American PlayStation 2) SH2SNU = Silent Hill 2 Saigo no Uta (Japanese PlayStation 2) SH2 DC = Silent Hill 2 Director's Cut (PAL PlayStation 2) UNLOCKED FEATURES = Unlocked Features DVD = Comes with Making of DVD ENDING # = Number of Endings GAME# = Number of Scenarios Available CONSOLE = Console GAME = Game Name ======================================================================== | GAME | CONSOLE | UNLOCKED FEATURES | DVD | ENDING # | SCENARIOS | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |SH2 NA | PS2 | None | None | Five | One | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |SH2 JP | PS2 | None | Yes | Five | One | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |SH2 EU | PS2 | None | Yes | Five | One | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |SH2 RD | Xbox | Yes | None | Six | Two | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |SH2 SU | Xbox | Yes | None | Six | Two | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |SH2 IF | Xbox | Yes | None | Six | Two | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |SH2 GH | PS2 | Yes | None | Six | Two | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |SH2SNU | PS2 | Yes | None | Six | Two | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |SH2 DC | PS2 | Yes | None | Six | Two | ======================================================================== ======================================================================== 5. Frequently Asked Questions ======================================================================== Q: Which version is worth it? ----------------------------- ::Either the Xbox version or the PlayStation 2 re-release versions are worth it. Note that as of the writing of this FAQ, Silent Hill 2 cannot be played on the Xbox 360 via backwards compatibility (although Silent Hill 4 is compatible). All PlayStation 2 versions do play just fine on the PlayStation 3, however. Q: What are the differences? ---------------------------- ::Refer to the above two sections for the differences between all the versions. Q: Which version has the best graphics? --------------------------------------- ::The Xbox version features the best visuals by a very small, hardly noticeable margin. Silent Hill 2's graphics are nowhere near as good as its sequels, so worrying about the slightest details between the two versions shouldn't be a problem. Q: When is the PS2 Restless Dreams version coming out? -------------------------------------- ::It was released in all territories at some point in 2002, all after the Xbox versions are out. Q: Why are all these SH2 versions out? -------------------------------------- ::To keep a long story long, it was for Konami to increase the popularity of the Silent Hill franchise while earning extra money. The tactic worked for the Resident Evil series for years, with Capcom bringing that series to many platforms like the Saturn, N64 and Dreamcast. The Xbox version more or less sold below Konami's expectations, so they decided to bring the extras back to the PlayStation 2 to offset their losses on the Xbox, and, of course, make a quick buck. Q: Which version is your favorite? ---------------------------------- ::The Japanese PlayStation 2 version is my personal favorite due to the boxart, but any version that isn't the original version is also liked by me. Q: Which is the cheapest? ------------------------- ::In 2007, the game has long been discontinued on all platforms in North America, so you'll only find used copies nowadays, for prices between $5 and $15. In Japan, Konami's discounted the game so many times new copies on the PlayStation 2 can still be found. Q: Why won't they port Silent Hill 2 to the GameCube? ----------------------------------------------------- ::Konami went on record even before that system launched, stating Q: I have a gameplay question. ------------------------------ ::Please refer to a dedicated FAQ for gameplay help on any version of Silent Hill 2. Sorry about that. Q: Can the various versions of Silent Hill 2 be played on next-gen consoles like the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360? ------------------------------------------------------------------ ::Silent Hill 2 and its PlayStation 2 re-releases, as far as I know, can be played back on the PlayStation 3, but the Xbox 360 does not playback the Xbox's version of Silent Hill 2. Only Silent Hill 4: The Room on the Xbox can be played on the Xbox 360. ======================================================================== 6. Future of Silent Hill ======================================================================== Silent Hill 0rigins is in development and will be released for the PlayStation Portable sometime in 2007. It is being developed by UK-based Climax Studios, while the previous Silent Hill games were developed by Konami. Silent Hill: The Arcade is also in development for arcade machines and is apparently a first person light gun shooter, kind of like the Biohazard Gun Survivor series for Capcom. For more news on the future of Silent Hill, be sure to check out Konami webpages for up to date information. ======================================================================== 7. CONCLUSION ======================================================================== Thanks to: CJayC for posting this FAQ Konami for making the Silent Hill series Friends, family, and you, the reader cvxfreak FireEmblemPride[at]gmail[dot]com This FAQ is copyright 2007 by cvxfreak. All Rights Reserved. Konami owns the rights to the Silent Hill series that this author does not. Sony owns the rights to the PlayStation family of consoles, while Microsoft owns the rights to the Xbox family of consoles.