- First release
- PSP, 6 November 2007 in North America, by three sources; one game page lists 26 October 2007.
- Port
- PS2, from 4 March 2008 in North America.
- Japan
- PSP only, as Silent Hill Zero, 6 December 2007.
- Developer
- Climax, published by Konami.
What it is
Silent Hill: Origins is a prequel to the first Silent Hill. You play Travis Grady, a truck driver who takes a shortcut past Silent Hill on a delivery, pulls a badly burned girl out of a burning house and then cannot leave the town. It was made for the PSP and ported to the PS2 a few months later. In Japan it is called Silent Hill Zero. When it announced the PS2 version, Konami said it would keep everything the PSP game had, with better visuals; one report of that announcement adds improved controls.
Release dates
| Platform | Region | Date |
|---|---|---|
| PSP | North America | 6 November 2007 |
| PSP | Europe | 16 November 2007 |
| PSP (Silent Hill Zero) | Japan | 6 December 2007 |
| PS2 | North America | 4 March 2008 |
| PS2 | Europe | 16 May 2008 (two sources) |
PSP or PS2?
- In Japan it came out on PSP only. None of the release lists we checked shows a Japanese PS2 version.
- Konami said the PS2 version keeps all the PSP game's features and sold it with enhanced visuals.
- The PSP version came first. Its critic average is 78 out of 100, across 40 reviews.
Mirrors and the Otherworld
Unlike the earlier games, Travis is not dragged into the Otherworld: he crosses over himself by touching a mirror, and touches one again to come back. The Otherworld is the rusted, bloody version of the same building. Some keys and items only lie on one side, so the big buildings mean going back and forth through mirrors. When a door will not open and you have checked the map, look for the nearest mirror.
Habits that keep Travis alive (two guides, unless noted)
- Travis can fight with his bare fists, so he is never helpless, but pick up weapons as you go.
- Melee weapons break after a while. There are plenty of replacements lying around, so do not get attached to one.
- Heavy objects like the Portable TV or the Filing Cabinet can be thrown for big damage, but each one breaks after a single throw.
- A monster you knock down can be finished on the ground. Two guides describe Travis stomping on it to finish it.
- When a monster grabs Travis, buttons appear on screen. Press them in time to push it off.
- One guide says the pocket radio gives off static when a monster is near, so leave it on.
- One guide says the flashlight draws monsters to you and that playing with it off is safer, and it also counts towards the Stalker accolade.
- Health Drinks heal, and one guide adds First Aid Kits and Ampoules. Travis tires when he runs.
- Pick up every map you find: one guide lists separate maps for the hospital, the sanitarium and the theatre.
Cross-checked
Cross-checked on 24 October 2026 against Konami's European and Japanese product pages, Konami's press release of 4 March 2008 as carried by GamesIndustry.biz and IGN, Ars Technica's report of 22 January 2008, the release tables of Silent Hill Memories and Push Square, Metacritic's PSP page, 4Gamer's Silent Hill Zero page, IGN's PSP review (13 November 2007), and Fandom's Silent Hill wiki (read through its API). The PS2 Europe date comes from two sources, Silent Hill Memories and Push Square. The PSP North America date of 6 November 2007 comes from Silent Hill Memories, Fandom and Metacritic; IGN's game page gives 26 October 2007. The improved controls come from Ars Technica's report of Konami's announcement. The radio, the flashlight drawing monsters and the healing items come from one guide, Silent Hill Memories; the finishing stomp from two guides, Silent Hill Memories and Fandom. Not from a playthrough: nobody here has played it.