I remember reading manuals for every genesis game I bought when i was a kid. Sometimes ill go through them for art work but like most guys...I hate asking for guidence and directions :)

Yea I know, I have a habit of going around the controller if I get any new ability/item.

Edit: Anyway, I hope someone makes a spoiler thread once they have beaten it and seen the/an ending. I'd love to talk about it =D

I'm a about 3/4th through the game, just got out of the mall finally!

Anyways Disolitude is pretty much right on. Although I personally have found the controls to be great. This likely the best looking game I have seen on Wii. Sure there is an occasionally weak texture, but for the most part this game will surprise you. I say this because I frankly didn't think the Wii had the power to pull this off. The shadows are actually as amazing as the reviewers have been ranting about. Considering this is a SH game there is a surprisingly good variety of places you visit. By the time a location seems fully explored you are on to the next.

The plot is interesting thus far, surprisingly faced paced. You never linger in one area for too long which is great. There is also very little backtracking and searching for small items. This game moves at a great pace and never gets boring.

Sadly for some the puzzles will be too easy, they should have had a different difficulty levels for puzzles and combat like in Climax's last Silent Hill. Most often the keys/codes are in the room via a puzzle, and if they aren't it is never far at all. The puzzles themselves are mostly quite fun and enjoyable to most. Only one time thus far have I been seriously confused.

The Nightmare sequences are pretty take-it-or-leave-it. I personally enjoyed most of them, though on a few I got lost so many times I started to get frustrated, luckily in the very lengthiest ones you get a sort of saferoom/ health recharge. The creatures are fast and intense, and the whole thing is very suspenseful provided you only die a couple times.

I have to say this is a top notch production, it looks and sounds great. Has a fun story and good acting. Some fans might hate it for changing a classic, but I think this is a true reinvisioning. Combat seems like it could might as well have been added, though I think it would have provided little to the package. Few will mind not having it though.

I can't wait for the hopefully longer, more in depth sequel.

I have the game, and while the maze parts are somewhat frustrating, it doesn't take from the experience at all. Actually adds to it. In the most important aspect, atmosphere, this fits right in place as a Silent Hill game. I would say buy it if you are a fan of Survival-Horror or Action-Adventures in totality

It's probably because it's a Wii game that some reviewers score it low. Y'know, Wii hate and all.

Harsh reviews can be easily explained without playing the Wii bias card. This game deviates far from the established formula and presents a whole lot of new ideas. The simple fact that there's no combat is enough for many gamers to reject this game outright.

Lots of people don't like change or new ideas, and they would probably dislike this game regardless of platform.

Just one hour into it and really liking it. The atmosphere is really cool, I like the pace of it, how depending if you're walking or running the main character shouts "Cheryl" or "Cheryyyyyyyl", and small details like that.
Controls are great and the sounds coming from the wiimote are really cool. More games should use it more.

Speaking of manual and controls, in the ingame menu there are tips for the buttons and all. The manual is not necessary. And by the way, the manual is horrible, just two pages? No images or cool stuff. Too bad.

Pretty stoked reading about all the thoughts on it here. Will be spending my Christmas break with this game for sure.

Let me honestly edit what I said earlier. As an honest mistake I did not see him Say Silent Hill: 2 in his list. I read it as just Silent Hill.

But In my opinion... I do think Shattered Memories is a better game all around than other versions of silent hill (Except Silent Hill 2, which is easily the scariest and most disturbing game in the series). I don't think the combat aspect of the other games adds much to the Silent Hill experience. Having played through most SH:SM... i do wish that there was a slightly more varied aspect of running away, the flares and hiding spots aren't enough... perhaps some stealth noise distractions for the faceless creatures (one major oversight) could have mixed the experience up. I still stick to my earlyier statement it is a 80 + metacritic score gam, in my eyes compared to the others (aside form silent hill 2)

I couldn't care less about reviews these days. But nobody mentioned the legth yet. I've only ever played SH2 and liked it quite a bit. How does the length compare to SH2? About the same, little shorter, little longer..? I thought SH2 was perfect.