Highlights
- Not seeing the success it once did, the Silent Hill series still inspires many games with its psychological horror elements.
- The UFO endings inject humor into a dark series, offering a lighter touch that is hard to find elsewhere.
- Each game in the series offers various endings that impact players' experiences and range from bleak to somewhat hopeful conclusions.
The Silent Hill series was once a giant gaming franchise that went toe-to-toe with the likes of Resident Evil. While Konami has revitalized the series with the promise of a Silent Hill 2 Remake and some new games, the franchise still doesn't see the success it once did, or what its once competitor Resident Evil currently does.
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Despite this, there are numerous Silent Hill games, be they mainline entries or spin-offs, that have inspired many games over the years. The psychological and atmospheric horror that Silent Hill popularized in gaming terrified many a player as they journey through the games to complete them. While not exactly long games, actions taken by players in the series while making their way through the story impacted the endings they received, with some being better than others, either as a happy ending or due to the strong narrative conclusion. As a result, the Silent Hill series has various endings that are the best for players to achieve.
10 Broken Ending - Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
The Closest Thing You Have To A Happy Ending
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories continued the trend of spin-offs in the series after Silent Hill: Origins. Taking place as a spin-off of the first Silent Hill, Shattered Memories received mixed feelings, with some praising the story, but others criticizing the lack of combat.
The Broken ending is the closest to a happy ending in Shattered Memories, with Cheryl finally accepting that her father, Harry, who players play in the first main Silent Hill game, is dead and says goodbye to him instead of holding on to her fantasy of him.
9 Good Ending - Silent Hill: Origins
Silent Hill: Origins was the first non-mainline game in the series, being a prequel to the events of the first game. The entry was relatively well-received, but was also criticized heavily for a multitude of reasons.
The good ending is one of the more normal conclusions for Silent Hill, with Travis once again boarding his truck and leaving the town. Being a prequel, the ending also sets up the first Silent Hill, with Alessa holding Cheryl, whom Harry, the protagonist of Silent Hill, adopts. The ending flat out states this as well, letting players listen to a conversation between Harry and his wife about the newly found Cheryl.
8 UFO Endings
A Surprising Injection Of Humor
There isn't one definitive game in which the UFO endings are found, but instead, in various Silent Hill titles, both mainline and spin-off. They're not always easy to find, but they certainly add a lighter element to the narrative that is otherwise unseen in the series.
For a series almost always comprised of horror and tension, the UFO joke endings add a bit of humor and ridiculous memorability to any games they are found in. Often overshadowed by the other absurd ending, the Dog ending in Silent Hill 2, the UFO endings are somewhat difficult to achieve, needing specific requirements to unlock when in a New Game+ playthrough.
7 Maria Ending - Silent Hill 2
An Unfortunate Feeling Of Déjà Vu
Among Silent Hill 2's multiple endings, the Maria ending isn't the happiest, but it isn't as grim as others. Owing to its namesake, this ending involves Maria, who protagonist James has been interacting with throughout the game.
The central driving force behind Silent Hill 2's story is James' quest to reach his once-presumed deceased wife Mary, which leads him to come across Maria, said to look like Mary. This ending sees James fall for Maria and wishes to be with her in place of Mary. However, Maria coughs at the end, suggesting she will die much like how Mary did, and James will repeat the cycle of losing a loved one.
6 Escape Ending - Silent Hill 4: The Room
Harry And Eileen Get Out
Silent Hill 4
- Platform(s)
- PC , PS2 , Xbox (Original)
- Released
- September 7, 2004
- Developer(s)
- Team Silent
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
Silent Hill 4 is what many fans consider the last great game of the franchise and, even then, some players have criticized various aspects of the title. Set mainly outside Silent Hill, players navigate through the character of Henry Townshend as he tries to find his way out of his apartment complex he has been trapped inside.
The escape ending is what its name suggests; Henry is able to leave his apartment, saving his neighbor Eileen in the process. From there, Eileen decides that it is time to find somewhere else to live, preferably somewhere that won't be as murderous or supernatural.
5 Dog Ending - Silent Hill 2
Tedious But Worth It
While the UFO endings may consistently appear more throughout the series, the dog ending in Silent Hill 2 is the most ridiculous ending Team Silent graced fans with. It is surprisingly tedious to achieve, requiring completion of the three main endings, being the Maria, Leave, and In Water endings.
It doesn't stop there, either, as players will then have to obtain various items and go to specific locations to unlock the ending. It is during this conclusion that James finds out the events of Silent Hill 2 are being controlled by a dog. What's even more ridiculous and hilarious is James' complete transition into speaking fluent Japanese despite having spoken English the entire game.
4 Good+ Ending - Silent Hill
Harry Becomes A Father Again
Arguably the spookiest game in the series, the first Silent Hill only saw a few endings available for players to unlock. Most of the endings followed a typical layout; two endings were good and two were bad, each of which had a better or worse outcome.
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The Good+ ending was the best of the good endings, where Harry adopted a new daughter after his previous daughter, Cheryl, turned out to be part of another girl, Alessa, and subsequently became one with her. The new child that Harry adopted would later become Heather, and feature as the protagonist of Silent Hill 3.
3 In Water Ending - Silent Hill 2
James Is Tragically Reunited With Mary
Silent Hill 2 is one of the best psychological horror games, with its main endings solidifying its legendary status. While not a happy ending, there aren't many in Silent Hill, the In Water ending is still an emotional one.
While progressing through the story, players will learn many shocking twists and turns about James and his relationship with Mary. Influenced by Angela and her story, James decides to end his life via drowning due to his inability to live without his now dead wife Mary. A very bleak ending, but it nonetheless shows James' despair at losing his wife, with many players considering this as the canon ending.
2 Normal Ending - Silent Hill 3
Heather's Swansong
Silent Hill 3 saw the tough blonde, Heather Mason, daughter of Harry Mason from the first game, take on Claudia and her cult-infested town. Battling gods and nightmares, Heather has become a fan-favorite for the series, with many considering the third game the pinnacle of the franchise.
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The Normal ending plays out like its name would suggest; Heather defeats the cult and their god and sets about leaving Silent Hill. Not a wholly happy ending, as Heather lost her father throughout the game, it still shows how tough she is as a character, able to stay true to herself and joke around, despite the horrible events she had to endure.
1 Leave Ending - Silent Hill 2
James Comes Full Circle
The other main ending of Silent Hill 2 people consider as the canon outcome, the Leave ending is the happiest James gets in his story. The finale truly shows the love James and Mary had for each other, with Mary telling James to stop worrying about her and to go on with his life.
The Leave ending is quite a cathartic tale, with James coming full circle after facing his demons and sins. He's no longer in despair at Mary's death and moves on as a result, with it even being implied that he adopts Laura.
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