How the Multiple Endings are Handled
Finally, we come to the endings. Having multiple endings in a game wasn’t anything new at that point – look at Resident Evil 1 (which offered minor alterations but still). But the endings are intriguing for not really bringing the overwhelming emotions of regret, anger, sadness and pity to a close. One ending sees James committing suicide – another has James leaving the town with Maria who seems doomed to repeat the cycle of suffering, indicating that the former has learned nothing from his mistakes. Then there are the less-serious endings like a dog being behind all of the game’s events or a UFO that kidnaps James (with Silent Hill 1’s Harry Mason working with the aliens, no less). Why? Well, why not? It’s the perfect mix of emotional involvement and sheer randomness that very few games can offer.
