From the impressive production value of Homecoming to the moody ambience of Downpour, I think there’s something to love about every single game in the Silent Hill franchise. Hell, I even like to revisit the cinematic oddity that is Silent Hill: Revelation from time to time. However, despite being such a die-hard fan of the series, I had long avoided the infamous Silent Hill: Book of Memories. Not only did I find the idea of a portable dungeon crawler offensive to the very spirit of the franchise, but, like most people I know, I didn’t own a PlayStation Vita. That’s why I originally gave the game a pass back in late 2012.
Many years later, I got my hands on a used Vita and found myself with a bit of free time, so I finally decided to give this much maligned experiment a try. After all, it was the last main entry in the series if you disregard the P.T./Silent Hills debacle, and it’s not like there are that many high-profile horror games on Sony’s ill-fated successor to the PSP. After pouring a surprising amount of time into the title and learning to accept some of its conceptual issues, I realized that my initial theory about the franchise as a whole was still correct. And with Book of Memories celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, I thought that it might be interesting to dive into what makes this strange little game tick.
Konami originally commissioned Book of Memories back in 2010, wanting a fast-paced handheld experience that would make use of the then-upcoming PS Vita’s multiplayer functionality. WayForward Technologies ultimately came up with a pitch, suggesting an action-oriented experience with dynamic puzzles that allowed for quick bursts of spooky thrills. Over the next couple of years, the studio would slowly increment on their original ideas, eventually adding procedurally generated elements to the game in order to keep it fresh on repeated playthroughs.
Having established the basic mechanics of the title, producer Tomm Hulett and director Adam Tierney then began working on the story, which was meant to justify the more action-oriented approach to the franchise. In the finished game, players take on the role of a customizable protagonist who receives the titular book on their birthday. Reading through the cursed tome, they discover that it contains their entire lives in its pages and decide to rewrite parts of it for personal gain. Naturally, this results in the player character having to enter Silent Hill’s otherworld in their dreams, where they must fight to survive and keep their changes to the book.
Gameplay-wise, this means that players must navigate randomly-generated dungeons while defeating monsters and collecting an assortment of familiar items. There’s also plenty of random puzzles and side quests to complete, as well as an in-game shop with useful pick-ups and fun cosmetic items. Not only was this the first Silent Hill to feature player-created characters (which makes a lot of sense given that the series is all about making protagonists face their own personal hell), but it was also the first to feature a multiplayer component. In fact, the game is clearly designed with multiple players in mind, as facing these terrors on your own often results in unbalanced combat encounters and a generally dull experience. Unfortunately, while playing with others makes things less frustrating, it also dampens many of the Survival Horror elements.
Despite this, the level design is still appropriately creepy, with characters navigating nightmarish labyrinths inspired by the series’ past, all tied together by elemental themes representing the changes that the protagonist is attempting to make. After murdering their way through a handful of thematically-linked dungeons, players are then forced to confront a guardian in order to solidify their changes to the book. Sadly, these boss battles are some of the weakest parts of the title, usually relying on generic-looking monsters with repetitive attack patterns and the occasional clumsy gimmick.
That being said, there’s still an undeniable charm to Book of Memories’ main gameplay loop. Going through these ever-changing dungeons can be extremely addicting, with the random elements providing unexpected surprises (and the occasional “what the hell?” moment). I often found myself muttering “just one more dungeon” before going to bed, which I think is a sign that the developers were onto something here. The game’s vague karma system is also interesting, though it’s a shame that the tutorial doesn’t do a very good job of explaining it.
I’d say that the biggest problem here is how Silent Hill: Book of Memories doesn’t fully commit to its novel ideas. The spooky deliberate pacing makes the game too janky to work as a proper Dungeon Crawler, but the RPG elements and excessive combat also make it a poor Survival Horror experience, resulting an unfortunate identity crisis. The title also suffered from numerous bugs and glitches during its initial release, though most of these issues have since been rectified through patches.
Of course, long time fans of the series are sure to appreciate the game’s plethora of easter eggs, such as notes referencing classic Akira Yamaoka songs and a few chuckle-worthy character accessories. There are also many returning items and monsters, with the title featuring everything from the fourth entry’s ghosts to Downpour’s controversial Bogeyman.
Surprisingly, one of my favorite aspects of the experience was the engrossing soundtrack, courtesy of Daniel Licht, who had previously scored Downpour. There are plenty of catchy ambient tracks that fit right in with the franchise’s creepy lo-fi mood, and series veteran Mary Elizabeth McGlynn also makes a much-appreciated comeback. I actually think that the game’s rendition of Love Psalm is among the franchise’s best theme songs even if it doesn’t quite match up to the brilliant compositions of Yamaoka.
Book of Memories may objectively be the worst Silent Hill title, but it’s still an interesting experience with enough polish and creativity to make it worth recommending to fans of spooky dungeon crawlers. While some of its lofty ambitions were obviously misguided, I appreciate how WayForward took a few risks when crafting this peculiar experiment, and I’d suggest tracking the game down if you’re a Silent Hill fan up for some randomly generated thrills accompanied by a kick-ass soundtrack. Just be sure to keep a health drink handy, just in case.