See you on the Otherside: Everything you didn't know about Silent Hill

Over two decades ago, Konami dropped its answer to Resident Evil in the Survival Horror genre. The result was Silent Hill, a game for the original PlayStation that was literally dripping with atmosphere. Players found themselves stepping into the role of Harry Mason, a widowed dad who finds himself trapped in the creepiest small town ever. But Harry can't simply run away, because his daughter, Cheryl, is somewhere out in the town's hellscape.

Silent Hill was a hugely influential game that spawned several sequels and two feature films. But did you know that the most successful adaptation of Silent Hill wasn't one of the movies? Netflix's Stranger Things liberally lifted several elements from Silent Hill. Stranger Things creators, the Duffer Brothers, have also acknowledged that Silent Hill was a major influence on the show.

Case in point, Silent Hill established Otherworld, an alternate realm that was a dark reflection of the world we live in. Stranger Things' Upside Down serves the same purpose, and it looks remarkably similar to Silent Hill. Even the monsters populating Stranger Things owe their inspiration to Silent Hill's creatures.

Ironically, the developers of Silent Hill weren't shy about their influences either. The game features allusions to Stephen King's novels and even a poster that King created when he was a college student. It's all wonderfully bizarre and dark, if you can make it past the game's occasionally clunky controls. Regardless, Silent Hill has earned its place in video game history as a pioneer in Survival Horror. Now, if only the next Silent Hill adaptation could be as good as the game.

For more information about Silent Hill, check out the latest episode of SYFY WIRE's Everything You Didn't Know!