LogFAQs > #895742361

10. James Sunderland (Silent Hill 2)

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"Don't worry, I'm not crazy... at least, I don't think so."

Somewhere, in remote area far removed from the rest of civilization, is a town covered in fog. Few people manage to find it, fewer find it on purpose, and even fewer return. While the town is empty, you're never alone. There are...things, there. Things straight out of your nightmares, and none scarier than the town itself, which seeks to break you at every given opportunity, physically and mentally. Especially mentally.

A town like this, one so alien and horrifying, begs a very interesting question: what kind of person would seek out a place like Silent Hill?

James Sunderland is unlike any other main character in gaming. Most protagonists fall under the category of power fantasy, everyman, or somewhere in-between. James is none of them. He's far from a power fantasy, and while he appears to be an everyman at first glance, there's too many things...off about him. He talks in this stilted, tone-deaf manner that kind of sounds like bad voice acting until you realize just how tired he truly is. The few people he meets in Silent Hill are messed up, and despite James trying to talk them through some bad spots, his heart never sounds in it. His mannerisms are disconcerting; he spends a little too much time fascinated with objects related to violence or death, like the noose he slooowly pulls down to solve that one puzzle. And even considering the circumstances of why he went there, the way he determinedly trudges through the hell that is Silent Hill without a moment's hesitation beggars belief. At some point I lost count of how many holes he was willing to jump down into despite there being no guarantee of his own safety. And there's the way he clams up whenever topics personally uncomfortable for him are broached - you can visibly see how hard he works to suppress whatever thoughts are bouncing around inside his mind. James, in a word, is worrying.

Which means he's the perfect protagonist for a game like Silent Hill 2, which is as much a dissertation on James' character as it is a horror game, Silent Hill 2 utilizes the characterization of its protagonist and weaves it into every aspect of the experience in a way that is unmatched by any other game. There are so many little details present in Silent Hill that give insight into James' character, yet are done subtlety enough to only affect you on a subconcious level on your first playthrough. It slowly peels off every layer of James' psyche, and each time it does, it reveal more about the plot, the town, and James himself. And when the game takes off the kid gloves and decides to forget subtlety, it has no problems with giving you a good ole' emotional gut punch. In particular, the final stretches of the Hotel leave you mentally drained and ensure that you will never look at James the same way again.

I'm not sure if I like James. I'm not sure if I root for him. Terms like those don't really work in a setting like Silent Hill. But I do understand him, and I do find him interesting, probably more than any other character I've seen. Silent Hill 2 is one of those classic games that ages like fine wine, and James is one of the biggest reasons why.
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Black Turtle did a pretty good job.