Post by chilnak on Apr 16, 2009 5:03:34 GMT
I too agree that James is wonderfully portrayed as the quintessential everyman. Just like real life, no one is ever really that simple. I thought the greatest accomplishment of SH2 was to show the complex emotions and motivations under the surface of this guy, while still allowing enough flexible interpretation to let the player identify or not identify with James in whatever way he or she chose.
I must have airheaded my way past all the hints in the game (there are enough to at least instill some doubt in James's honesty), because I was caught completely off guard by the revelation that he had killed Mary. Heh, I must have sat there in my chair for five minutes before mustering enough breath to say "No ****ing way!!!!"
Really though, I can't imagine what it would be like to have to go through that. Every day a rollercoaster ride of overwhelming emotions, going on for who knows how long; both James and Mary being driven by noble and by selfish feelings. What must James have felt when Mary finally told him she wanted to die? (I forget since it has been a while since I've played the game, but does it say she actually asked him to kill her, or did she just say she wished she was dead?)
Anyway, I could never find it in me to look down on James, even though sometimes I felt like I wanted to.
I always wondered just how he would do that! I mean, there were a lot of theories tossed around on the web, but I thought the general consensus was James had actually killed Mary very recently at the start of the game, not more than a day or two earlier. There was mention in Mary's full letter about being allowed to come home one more time, which was likely where it happened.
So, we get an ending where James gets to leave Silent Hill, then what? It didn't seem like his journey there actually lasted very long (the game took me twelve hours to complete the first time, because I took the time to savour the experience) so it's possible no one knew Mary was missing yet, but at some point James is going to have some questions to answer. What does someone who's old life ended in such spectacularly horrible fashion do to start a new life, while possibly having to move far away and change his name, etc. to avoid the authorities? Or, does he go to the nearest police station and turn himself in?
I must have airheaded my way past all the hints in the game (there are enough to at least instill some doubt in James's honesty), because I was caught completely off guard by the revelation that he had killed Mary. Heh, I must have sat there in my chair for five minutes before mustering enough breath to say "No ****ing way!!!!"
Really though, I can't imagine what it would be like to have to go through that. Every day a rollercoaster ride of overwhelming emotions, going on for who knows how long; both James and Mary being driven by noble and by selfish feelings. What must James have felt when Mary finally told him she wanted to die? (I forget since it has been a while since I've played the game, but does it say she actually asked him to kill her, or did she just say she wished she was dead?)
Anyway, I could never find it in me to look down on James, even though sometimes I felt like I wanted to.
If he ever did escape SH he'd have to be pretty strong to pick up the pieces.
I always wondered just how he would do that! I mean, there were a lot of theories tossed around on the web, but I thought the general consensus was James had actually killed Mary very recently at the start of the game, not more than a day or two earlier. There was mention in Mary's full letter about being allowed to come home one more time, which was likely where it happened.
So, we get an ending where James gets to leave Silent Hill, then what? It didn't seem like his journey there actually lasted very long (the game took me twelve hours to complete the first time, because I took the time to savour the experience) so it's possible no one knew Mary was missing yet, but at some point James is going to have some questions to answer. What does someone who's old life ended in such spectacularly horrible fashion do to start a new life, while possibly having to move far away and change his name, etc. to avoid the authorities? Or, does he go to the nearest police station and turn himself in?