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Silent Hill 2
Concept/Story: The story and everything about this game makes it feel many times scarier than Resident Evil. Its hard to be scared by a game, and when a game scares you as much as a movie can, that is great and practically unheard of. The concept is pretty simple, create another Survival Horror game and actually make it scary. The story of Silent Hill helps create this eerie atmosphere. Unfortunately this series is in the shadow of the Resident Evil games, though the truth is Silent Hill kicks their asses. 12/10
Graphics: The graphics and awesome fog effects might make you pee your pants. I'm not saying they are spectacular, actually I am, but it fits into the eerie feeling of this game so well they deserve a bunch of credit. People might think they made the fog so thick to hide things in the distance, so they don't have to detail things too much. This is absolutely untrue, the fog was a neccessary graphic design. Without it you wouldn't feel as scared as you should. There is still a large amount of detail, some pretty good cutscenses, and some good looking character and enemy models. 18/20
Sound: The voice acting is very well done, and all the effects are awesome. The effects create a strong, frightening sensation. A must in survival horror games, and Konami realized this and did it almost perfectly. 18/20
Gameplay: I understand how every survival horror game tends to have clunky controls and bad camera issues. I always had trouble with moving around in the Resident Evil games, but in Silent Hill 2 you can pick from two different moving styles. The one I used made it perfectly managable for me. There aren't much enemies in this game, but they take a crapload of bullets to bring down, and as they slowly get closer to you, your blood will start pounding. Great gameplay for this type of game. 37/40
Overall: 9.25
The reason I consider this game an Underrated Game is because it lays in the shadow of the more popular, yet worse Survival Horror series, well known as Resident Evil. Every aspect of this game series is better than the RE series, yet people give Silent Hill a worse score because Resident Evil is more popular. I hate it when they do this. A Survival Horror game is supposed to be scary, and Silent Hill is, and Resident Evil isn't.
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Dante Swaine Saga
Dante Swaine Saga
Book One: A New Threat
Everybody I know believes that the worst thing that can happen to you
is
death. I know better than that now, but I must admit I used to believe
the
same thing as them. Death may be worst for muggles, but not so for the
magical folk like me.
Soon you will learn what the worst fate is for the wizarding community.
Listen closely to my tale so you can walk by side with your
imagination.
Dante Swaine
Part One
The aroma of the cooked Sturkey wafted up into his nose as he ate.
Sturkeys were a magical breed of turkeys, much smaller than the original, created to feed individuals that lived by themselves. Dante carved a sliver with a knife and fork then devoured it hungrily.
It was six o'clock in the evening and Dante's last meal was lunch the previous day. After lunch he had received an urgent message from his Auror partner through Floo Powder...
...Dante washed down the aftertaste of his tuna sandwich with his nearly full glass of water. Dante was sitting on a stool placed by his counter
in his home in Woodbury, Minnesota.
Puff...Puff...PUFF!
Dante looked over at his fireplace in the family room that was to the left of the kitchen. His partner's face, Tanya, and she looked very worried and concerned. He hurried over to the fireplace and knelt down so she could talk.
"Dante!" she gasped through the flames.
"Where have you been?" Dante said with alarm. "You've been gone for a month!"
Tanya inhaled a good amount of air before speaking. "I stumbled on a powerful guild of dark wizards and witches. Voldemort won't be the only threat on our minds now."
The pair of them were not stupid enough to be afraid of speaking Voldemort's name. But on the other hand, they weren't foolish enough to speak it where anyone could hear. Only people like them and the other select few spoke his true name. If nobody can hear them say it, then you could say they never actually said it.
"How can they be as horrible as Voldemort?" he asked, alarm and shock in his voice. "That can't be possible!"
Tanya looked down towards the floor, not wanting to meet his eyes. She spoke with a shaky voice, "They may be worse..."
Dante just stood their not able to speak. He shook his head, not wanting to believe it, but he knew he could not do that. He could not allow such a
weakness.
"What was that!" Tanya said in alarm, her head turning around to see something. "Somebodies here! I will meet you tomorrow after supper at your place! Bye...
Dante put the dishes in his sink and put up a spell for them to wash by
themselves. Knock-knock-knock. Dante started to walk towards the door
but
stopped in his tracks. By what Tanya had told him and how she said it,
as
well as someone breaking into her house, Dante wanted to be more
cautious
than this.
"Who's there?" he yelled from the kitchen.
"It's Tanya!" she hollered back from the other side of the door. "Hurry
up
and let me in!"
Dante hurried from the kitchen and over to the door. He took out his
wand
and flicked it at the magic doorlock he created, chanting, "Kaloha!"
There
was a click from the doorlock.
Tanya shoved the door open, knocking Dante to the ground. She was
holding
her wand, aiming it straight for his chest. She yelled, "Avada
Kedavra!"
As soon as he was shoved down, Dante knew this was coming. A blast from
the
tip of her wand shot out, flying straight for him. Dante was ready
though,
and there was a puff from him disapparating.
There was another puff immediately after the first, and he was now
standing
before Tanya, his wand pointed at her back. "Sinicrost!" Dante chanted
and a
blue beam of energy shot forth from his wand.
The impact into her back was so powerful that she was hurtled down the
entry
hall and into the kitchen. She lay there on her stomach, groaning and
most
of her body twitching. Steam drifted up into the air from where his
spell
hit her, a scorch mark melted through her clothes and into her flesh.
Dante slowly walked further, several tears dripping from his cheeks. "I
know
it isn't you Tanya. You would never do such a thing." Dante pointed his
wand
down at her and said, "Geopolly!"
The tip of his wand turned blue for a few seconds then turned back to
brown,
it's original color. Tanya slowly transformed into another woman. Dante
walked up closer and rolled her over with his foot.
Tanya was one of the most beautiful women on the planet; this was a
hideous
witch with wrinkles and several warts on her face. One of the warts was
outstandingly large on her nose, and her hair was pitch black. She was
typical dark witch you found in the darkest of alleys.
Dante walked over to his fireplace, leaving the dead witch there, and
grabbing a handful of Floo Powder on the way. Dante walked into his
large
fireplace and threw the powder down, yelling, "3053, Eagle Landing."
Dante was sucked into the weird experience of traveling by Floo Powder.
It
was like he was flying through a wavering aurora at top speed, which
felt
like it never ended and at the same time, felt like it lasted mere
seconds.
Dante slid out of the fireplace in the family room of 3053, Eagle
Landing.
This was a place cut off from all other wizards. It was an enchanted
home,
meant to fool wizards and the like. It was a house that lived in two
dimensions at the same time.
In one dimension, muggles inhabited this house, but in the other, he
and
Tanya inhabited it. All the other magical creatures and folks only saw
the
muggles and their house. Only Tanya and him, as well as a few others
knew of
the other dimension. They created it for times like this, because they
never
knew who to trust with all their heart.
The only people they trusted were themselves. But now, Dante knew she
was
dead. And know, perhaps, the only person he could trust, was himself.
Part Two
Dante got up to his feet, wiping the ashes from his body. With a flick
of
his wand and a simple chant, the ashes disappeared from the floor. He
choked
on a sob before walking to one of the corners of the room, where a
magical
clock that told them where the other was.
The hand that represented Tanya was pointing towards a word that
unsettled
his nerves. It was pointing at the word, Unknown. Kaine had no idea
what
that could mean. There were several drawers under the clock, each
enchanted
with a spell that made it nearly impossible to open by anyone other
than
himself and Tanya.
Dante opened the topmost drawer that contained special equipment they
used
to find certain targets, and sometimes they used to find each other.
Dante
took out a compass that had two pointers: the typical pointer that
always
pointed north and the other that pointed towards the target they
searched
for.
Holding the compass in his hand, Dante muttered, "Tanya Trinxter." The
unique pointer that was pointing northwards quickly switched to point
towards the west.
Dante put the compass in a pocket of his blue-colored robes. To the
left of
the magical clock was a ledge that had a green candle on it. To the
right of
the candle was a jar of Floo Powder.
Dante grabbed a handful of the powder and dropped it onto the candle.
With a
flick of his wand he muttered, "Incendio." There was a green puff from
the
wick and then green flames shot several feet upwards.
"2588, Silver Street," Dante said, and there was a flash. Through the
green
flames, Dante could see into his friends house. "Migger!" Dante called
through the flames. "Are you there?"
He waited for several minutes and he was about to extinguish the Floo
connection, but suddenly he heard Migger Sapphire yelling, "I'll be
right
there Dante!"
Migger ran into his bedroom where his candle was located. "What's the
matter
Dante?"
"It's Tanya..." Dante said with a quiet voice but still loud enough for
Migger to hear. "She might be being tortured by dark wizards and
witches.
But I fear that she is already dead."
A long silence fell upon them. When Migger spoke again, his voice was
shaky,
"How do you know this?"
Dante told him everything that had occurred yesterday and today. "I am
at
the hideout now. Her hand is pointing at Unknown."
"Oh no," Migger replied, his voice breaking. Unknown usually meant bad
things. "I am going to co-"
There was loud noises from the other side of the Floo connection. "What
in
the heck was that?" Dante said in an alarmed voice. As soon as the
words
left his mouth though, he knew the answer. "Don't go down there! Get
out of
your house now!"
BANG! Migger's door flew from it's hinges from some sort of spell. The
door
collided into his friend, knocking him to the floor. Dante swiped his
hand
through the green fire, distinguishing the connection.
Dante hurried from the candle and over to his fireplace with a handful
of
Floo Powder from the jar. Dante stepped into the fireplace and threw
down
the powder, "2588, Silver Street!"
The sudden and very weird sensation passed over Dante as he was pulled
through the colorful aurora. He slid out of Migger's fireplace that was
in
his family room.
Dante could hear moaning of agony upstairs. "Where his Dante Swaine?" a
man
roared from upstairs. "Tell me now!"
"I will not tell you!" Migger yelled furiously, "For I am loyal to my
friends!"
"Then I will break that loyalty!" the man shouted back, more furious
than
Migger. "Crucio!"
"AAARRRGGGHHH!" Migger shrieked from upstairs. Once the shriek died
down and
then faded, Dante could hear the man cry miserably.
Dante hurried from the family room, passed quickly through a dining
room,
and then into the entryway room. Dante looked up the stairs that led up
to
the top floor. After he was positive that all of them were in his
bedroom,
Dante charged up the stairs...
...Migger shut of the Floo Powder connection and turned to face an
ambush by
dark wizards. One of the wizards kicked him in the stomach. With a cry
of
pain, Migger fell onto his back, holding his hand on his stomach.
Migger could tell who the lead wizard was. There was ring of wizards
around
him, for protection he was sure. Migger quickly took out his wand and
yelled, "Phoenixxion!"
A blast of energy that looked like a miniature Phoenix that made of
fire
blasted from his wand. The Phoenix made of fire collided into the chest
of a
wizard who was ringed around their leader.
The wizard stumbled backwards, tripping on his own feet, and then
crashing
onto the floor. The other wizards reformed the ring so there wasn't a
huge
gap in the ring.
"Accio wand!" the leader chanted, pointing his wand at Migger. Migger
almost
had time to chant Protego, but the other wizard was the quicker of the
two.
The wand flew from his grip and the leader snatched it from the air.
"We have been looking for Dante Swaine," the wizard said in a calm
voice.
"We have information that you are his best friend. And we believe that
you
know his whereabouts. Where is he?"
"Even if I knew I wouldn't tell you," Migger said with contempt towards
the
leader and his followers.
"I know you are lying," the wizard laughed manically. "We heard you
talking
to someone in your room. Was that him?"
"I told you I don't know where he is!" Migger yelled in fury as he
stood up.
"Get out of my home!"
"Perhaps you don't comprehend what I can do to you if you lie!" the
wizard
screamed almost at the top of his lungs. "Where is Dante Swaine? Tell
me
now!"
"I will not tell you! For I am loyal to my friends!"
"Then I will break that loyalty! Crucio!"
"AAARRRGGGHHH!" Migger screamed and fell to the floor. He cried and
moaned,
gasping from the pain. "Pain will not break my loyalty to my friends!"
The wizard laughed and said, "Imperio! Now, tell me: WHERE IS DANTE
SWAINE!"
"Right behind you," a voice said from behind them...
"Right behind you," Dante said from behind the group of the dark
wizards. He
pointed the wand at the wizard's chest, aiming through a small gap in
the
defense. "Spearion!"
A blue spear of magical energy shot forth from his wand. It flew past
the
wizards trying to protect the leader, and easily pierced through him.
The
magical spear took down another wizard, and then smacked into the wall,
where it exploded.
The leader and the other wizard fell down, bleeding from huge wounds.
There
would be no way for them to survive, the wounds being that large. The
other
wizards turned around to face their new threat.
"Phoenixxion!" Dante shouted and the Phoenix made of flame hit one of
the
wizards. There was a thud from the falling wizard, unconscious or dead.
"Avada Kedavra!" chanted one of the evil, dark wizards, but at the same
time, Migger yelled, "Expelliarmus!"
Dante took the wizard down with another spell, and Migger finished off
the
last of the wizards. Dante sighed with relief that his friend hadn't
ended
up like Tanya. That would've been too many losses for him at the
moment.
"Thanks Dante," Migger said with a smile as he got to his feet, which
were
quivering a little. Dante dismissed the thank you with a wave of his
hand,
letting Migger know it hadn't been a problem. "What now?" Migger asked.
"We have to hide the bodies," Dante replied, and Migger nodded in
agreement.
It didn't take long to finish that task, but while he was doing this,
Dante
realized something. He looked over at Migger and said, "I never hid the
body
at my house."
"Don't worry about it," Migger replied. "They will know by the looks of
her
that you used self-defense."
"Why is that?" Dante said, shaking his head. "They will wonder why I
never
told them I killed her. We have to go back to my house and hid the
body."
"No," Migger said with a slight shake of his head. "We'll get some
animal to
go there and tell us if the coast is clear."
"That sounds reasonable enough," Dante said with a smile. Migger always
proved to be a good man to work with, since he always had the best
answers.
"We should send an animal from the hideout. I don't want to stay here
any
longer. It would be too risky."
"I agree," the clever wizard responded.
"Get the things you need," Dante ordered. Dante was always the man in
charge, for he had a charismatic quality to him. "I will wait
downstairs as
a scout, so I can tell you if somebody is coming."
"Okay," Migger said, hurrying throughout the house to get his stuff. As
he
did this Dante walked down stairs and looked out the windows with
stealth so
nobody saw him from the outside.
Part Three
It wasn't long before they arrived at the hideout. Fortunately, the
Floo
Powder Network couldn't see them going through a connection that led
them to
this house. They wiped off the ashes then cleaned them from the floor
with a
simple spell.
"What now Dante?" Migger asked, looking over at Dante.
"I think we should go up into Tanya's room," Dante replied. Dante hoped
she
had written down in her journal what she had experienced these last
months.
What she writ down on her journal was transferred to her twin journal
that
was in her room upstairs.
"But what if she wrote down things she wanted to keep private?" Migger
said,
his voice showing that he didn't think it was a good idea.
"There is a very good possibility that Tanya is in mortal danger,"
Dante
said almost at once. "If anything, she want's us to read it. It may be
her
only chance of survival. She probably wrote down very helpful
information."
"I guess you're right," Migger responded, though his tone of voice
showed
that he was still unconvinced. "Let's go find it."
Dante and Migger hurried out of the family room, through the living
room
that had a remarkable white sofa, a coffee table in the middle of the
room,
and a small circular glass table next to the right of the sofa. They
passed
through this room and into the entry room.
They walked up a stair case that went straight up then turned right to
go up
even further. The hallway up here went left and right. They turned left
and
walked to the very end where two doors were, one on the left, the other
on
the right. Dante opened the left and hurried over to a desk.
Atop the desk lay an old leather journal. He flipped through the pages,
skimming the lines until he came upon the first useful information.
"Here we
go," Dante said absentmindedly.
He handed the journal to Migger who read it thoroughly.
Sunday, May 25
5:30 PM
I just arrived at a wizard motel. It is located in an alley that
appears to
muggles as the dirties place on the planet, for us wizard folk put a
spell
on it so they would have no desire to go into it. It like the spells
the put
over the wizarding and witch schools such as Hogwarts.
It is funny how muggles want have no desire to enter this alley. I
can't see
what the alley looks like to them, but I have a feeling it isn't much
different than this dump of a motel. If I had more money with me at the
moment I would be out of here faster than a Snitch can fly. But,
unfortunately, I had no choice.
The owner of the motel is a Squib and possibly the ugliest person on
Earth.
The room I got is unbelievable. The air smells like toxic fume and
chemicals
the muggles always dump into rivers, lakes, and oceans. Though this
place is
utterly disgusting, I know I will fall asleep as soon as I lay down on
the
bed, if you could call it a bed at all.
Dante and Migger read the page about three times before turning to the
next.
The second page was still on Sunday but at a later time.
Sunday, May 25
10:00 PM
I awoke last night at ten o'clock from a horrible nightmare. I was
dreaming
that a horrible guild of wizards and witches were in the midst of a
ritual
of the Dark Arts. The catch of the nightmare was it was happening in
the
motel at the same time I woke up.
I had a feeling in my spine, a feeling that told me it could quite
possibly
be more than a dream. Maybe a vision? I heard noises coming from a room
at
the end of the motel.
I walked out of my room and into the fresh air and the crystal light of
the
moon on my face. I could hear the noises much clearer now. I heard what
sounded like chanting, and as soon as I heard it, for some unknown
reason,
fear filled my body, from head to toe.
Silently and slowly I tiptoed closer and closer towards the room from
which
the chanting originated. After several minutes I was there, standing a
breadth's way from the door. Putting my ear to the door, I heard it
crisply
clear.
I don't know how it could be possible since I was totally silent, but
one of
them knew I was out here. "Weee god ah'selves a eevesdopper," a man
said
with a very weird accent.
"Dante," Migger said, interrupting Dante from reading the rest, "if I
may
suggest?" Dante nodded for him to continue. "Why don't we just go to
her
house."
Dante shook his head. "Your smarter than that," he replied to the
suggestion. "The person who tried to kill me had to have touched Tanya
to
make a Pollyjuice Potion to take her form. If she is dead or isn't, she
won't be there. They would've set her house up as a trap."
"Then what do we do?" Migger asked.
"Let me finish reading this, then I might have a good answer. Dante
quickly
read the rest, though he read it thoroughly. He had always been a fast
reader. "I have pinpointed the location of that motel. We have to go
there
first."
"Where is it?"
"I will use the Floo Powder, then just do as I do."
"Alright. See you in a little bit!"
Dante took a handful of the Floo Powder and walked into the fireplace.
Throwing down the powder he yelled, "St. Paul Magic Alley Number 19!"
There was a puff of green fire and then he was gone. Migger walked into
the
fireplace with the powder and did the same, "St. Paul Magic Alley
Number
19!"
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YOUR WEB STUFF!
Custom pages can be used for any kind of content and are a great way to add information to your site.
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YOUR WEB STUFF!
Custom pages can be used for any kind of content and are a great way to add information to your site.
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