XXI:  THE WORLD

Another World

Does the real world influence the otherworld born of delusions and the power 
of the town?

The power of Silent Hill absorbs what people hold in their hearts and 
manifests delusions and elements of their subconscious minds.  And so, the
truth is that the consciousness that becomes the main constituent of what 
is called the "otherworld" varies.  As a few different incarnations of the 
otherworld have been presented up to this point in the series, let us 
ascertain the differences in each of these respective works.

IMAGE:  Angela tells James, "For me, it’s always like this."
In the otherworld of Silent Hill, the world is seen differently depending
on the person.

IMAGE:  Heather experiences the shift in the office building
On some occasions the shift to the otherworld can occur suddenly.

SECTION TWO:  The main constituent of the otherworld differs in each work of 
the series

Silent Hill

Due to her severe burns and endless suffering, Alessa's power runs wild.  
Her agony is manifested and the entire town is swallowed up by the otherworld.

IMAGE:  Harry ponders the presence of the wheelchair
Harry searches for his daughter in the otherworld.

Silent Hill 2

Regarding James, who escapes from the crime that he has committed, elements 
from the depths of his consciousness are manifested.  What the power of the 
town causes to appear before him is an otherworld that is a combination of his 
delusions and his desire for punishment.

IMAGE:  "I was weak.  That’s why I needed you..."
As James acknowledges his crime, the otherworld disappears.

(note:  Interestingly enough, what the Japanese script says here is "dakara 
omae no sonzai o nozonde ita," which literally means, "and so I desired your
existence.") 

Silent Hill 3

The shift to the otherworld that occurs in the shopping mall, among other 
places, has to do with Claudia.  As she recovers her memories, Alessa's influence
grows stronger.

IMAGE:  Claudia in the chapel
Claudia possesses a unique power.

SECTION THREE:  Inclusion of a phantom ending

If Heather should attack Claudia in the final stage of the game, God is born
and it's "game over."  However, this can be interpreted as another conclusion 
to the story.

IMAGE:  Claudia's dream of reviving God is realized 
It's intended not to simply be "game over," but another ending.

Creator's Commentary:  The truth is that when we first started development on 
this project, we considered including an ending for this situation.  However, 
in order to show another means of resolving this in a way that could be easily 
understood, we decided to show it in the form of a "game over."  Just what sort 
of god was born, and what happened to the world?  These questions remain, but 
Heather is already gone so the player has no way of knowing what happens next.

-Hiroyuki Owaku




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