Past fans of Silent Hill will love this game and new comers will find a game both beautiful and truly haunting.
So yeah, although I would have liked to play games 1&2 first, Silent Hill 3 was easy to get into. I didn't have to know anything from the other games--although it really does make the experience sweeter as 3 is basically a sequel of 1--and I didn't have to play a character that had already been in the other games.
The story centers around Heather Mason, a young girl who was just out shopping when all hell broke loose--and I mean hell! We all hate it when we can't find the loose-knit sweaters at Old Navy, but don't you just loathe it when the woman at the register has a lead pipe and disfigured head? I know i do.
So you control Heather as the mall seeps ever further into a place between hell and nightmares. You have to resort to uses any tool you find, anything. If you can pick it up, chances are you'll need it. The puzzles are well done, although you see an awful lot of 'this door is locked, find the key'. Still, some of the puzzles are really great, with one even requiring pig meat! Hurrah!
Then there are the nightmarish creatures that plague you. Some look like disfigured dogs, others look are not describable. They are so horrific that it makes you want to kiss the screen. To kick thier ass you can use a variety of weapons like a pistol, a pipe, and even a katana to name a few. The choices are varied, but you'll find that some are almost useless. Also, the system is a bit clunky still--but overall control is vastly improved from previous games. I hate feeling like i'm backing up a mac-truck when all I want to do is examine a painting.
The sound is one of my favorite things, hands down. Not only are the sound effects chilling, but the music is wonderful. If you buy the game new, you should get a bonus CD with it. The CD is really quite good, and includes songs from the game that are haunting and beautiful at the same time.
The story is just genius. I've never been so swept up in a game and it's characters and plot. When I heard it was a sequel to the first in the series, i bought that game quicker than a jack-rabbit on hot concret in July....So yes, the story is great and the characters are well developed.
Personally this is my favorite game in the series, mostly because of the story and graphical/control improvements. I think that past fans of Silent Hill will love this game and new comers will find a game both beautiful and truly haunting.