All Silent Hill Games Ranked, Based On Metacritic Scores

With the recent release of Bloober Team and Konami's Silent Hill 2 remake, there's a bigger roster of Silent Hill games to choose from than ever. Fans are often very divided on their favorite games in the survival horror franchise, with every title offering a unique deep dive into its protagonist's psyche.  Here's all of the Silent Hill games, ranked according to their Metacritic scores.

#10: Silent Hill: The Short Message (53)

This free title marked the revival of the Silent Hill franchise in 2024. Following a teenager named Anita who begins receiving strange texts from a dead friend, The Short Message delves into themes of suicide, bullying, and how social media impacts people. As Anita decrypts the strange messages in her inbox, she's tracked down by a monster called Sakura Head.

Though the title explores themes that align with the rest of the Silent Hill games, many fans weren't impressed with its "shallow" handling of these complex issues. As a result of players' complaints, the game ended up with a Metacritic score of just 53 - lower than any other game in the franchise.

#9: Silent Hill: Book of Memories (58)

This Silent Hill game was made for the PS Vita, and isn't a main-line franchise game but instead a spin-off. In Book of Memories, players make their own character, choose a class, and explore the world from an overhead perspective. There's even multiplayer options, allowing players to team up for their exploration.

While Silent Hill retains a few of the puzzle solving elements from previous games, it's a huge departure from the series' usual design choices, both visually and mechanically. These changes didn't go over well with fans, who felt the dungeon-crawler approach to gameplay didn't fit the series.

#8: Silent Hill: Downpour (64)

Downpour follows the story of Murphy Pendleton, a prisoner who finds himself in Silent Hill. Within the town, he uncovers his own secrets, as well as the secrets of the area itself.

Silent Hill: Downpour received relatively middling reviews; while many loved the story, some found that the fights weren't as intriguing as they could've been. Some also found that the combat was lacking.

#7: Silent Hill HD Collection (70)

The Silent Hill HD Collection was released in 2012, compiling remastered ports of both Silent Hill 2 and 3 to make them available for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. While the HD Collection allowed many fans to play these ageing games without getting their hands on the physical titles, many weren't happy with the bugs, altered graphics, and other subtle changes in this version.

#7: Silent Hill: Homecoming (70)

Released in 2008, Homecoming is the sixth Silent Hill game and follows Alex Shepherd. Alex is a soldier coming home to Shepherd's Glen - but nothing is how he remembers it, and his brother is nowhere to be found. Alex's journey through the area not only reveals new lore and details surrounding Silent Hill and its cult, but also delves into his past and hidden secrets.

While many loved the game's environments, expansions of the series' lore, and voice acting, some found that the overall story was bland compared to the other Silent Hill titles.

#6: Silent Hill 4: The Room (76)

In Silent Hill 4: The Room, fans take on the role of Henry Townshend as he attempts to escape his cursed apartment, travelling through strange portals in the wall to ethereal worlds. Silent Hill 4 offers a different setting and story than the original three games, and was originally criticized for this sudden departure from the series' formula. However, the game is now fairly well-received and has its own cult following, earning it a middling score of 76 on Metacritic.

#5: Silent Hill: Origins (78)

Silent Hill: Origins is exactly what you'd guess it was from its name: a prequel. This 2007 survival horror is the fifth instalment in the series, and follows Travis Grady, a trucker who's trying to find more information about a girl he rescued. During his journey through Silent Hill, he finds out more about the girl he saved - but also discovers much more about himself and his hidden past.

Fans enjoyed the game's puzzle-solving elements - a strong point in many Silent Hill games - but some found that the story wasn't the strongest in the franchise, and that Grady wasn't the most compelling or interesting protagonist.

#4: Silent Hill: Shattered Memories (79)

This reimagining of the first Silent Hill game retains a few characters from the original game, featuring Harry Mason as he searches for his daughter in the eerie streets of an abandoned town. But it completely reimagines the story, introducing new plot elements, characters, and more. While many loved the game's design choices and story, some fans criticized that its use of psychological horror was much more on the nose than titles like Silent Hill 2.

Shattered Memories was originally released for the Wii, but was later ported to the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable.

#3: Silent Hill 3 (85)

Silent Hill 3 introduces us to the game's first teenage protagonist, Cheryl Mason, and serves as a sequel to the first title in the franchise. Often touted as one of the best games in the series, this game features some of Silent Hill's most terrifying monsters - like Valtiel and God themselves - and lets us see the town through the perspective of someone new.

#2: Silent Hill (86)

The original Silent Hill has earned second place in the community ranking, tied with the Silent Hill 2 remake. This was the game that started it all, following writer Harry Mason as he ventures through Silent Hill on his search for his daughter, Cheryl. Featuring some of the franchise's most unsettling monsters, recognizable scenes, and otherworldly themes, many fans still adore this classic from Team Silent.

#2: Silent Hill 2 Remake (86)

The Silent Hill 2 remake was the subject of much controversy among fans before its release, but was quickly met with highly positive critic reviews once it hit shelves. This remake of the original game adds new puzzles, environments, and updated graphics, modernizing the title for new audiences. But even with these updates, the game maintains the spirit, story, and characters of the original, resulting in its highly positive reviews.

#1: Silent Hill 2 (89)

The best Silent Hill game in the franchise, based on Metacritic scores, is the original Silent Hill 2. This title follows James Sunderland as he journeys through Silent Hill looking for his wife after he receives a letter saying she's waiting for him there. With its riveting psychological horror, visceral sounds, and terrifying monsters, Silent Hill 2 has become a classic for fans of the survival horror genre.