The first chapter in one of the best Survival-Horror games franchise there is...
Anyway, upon the quest you will meet a few characters including Cybil the hot police babe, Michael Kaufman the mysterious loner, & Lisa the freaked out nurse-in-hiding. All I can say without ruining the end is to make sure and remember who your real friends are in this game, and try to help them before moving on.
Gameplay: Silent Hill is a 3-D action game intended for mature gamers. Harry Mason is free to roam Silent Hill as needed. It's snowy, foggy, and sometimes difficult to find your way around town. Many of the streets become blocked by obstructions and you'll have to work your way around. Eventually you get some building maps to help you. You work alone and will be armed along the way with a knife, crowbar, handgun, pick axe, hatchette, shotgun, & a hunting rifle. Ammunition is not overly abundant so it's best to use your melee weapons when possible. Harry fights against devil dogs, mutant cockroaches, flying reptilian beasts, zombies, wraiths, & ghosts. Harry has a light that he can turn on and off. When it's on enemies can see you better. When it's off you can't see your map! At one point towards the end of the game I had to just shut off my light and sprint into the darkness with enemies chasing me into the unknown. I almost cried out in suspense. You will also need to defeat 4 or 5 bosses in order to complete Silent Hill. If you are badly hurt try to find health packs and health drinks around different buildings and alleyways. There's also some puzzles in this game which don't become truly perplexing until the final stage called "Nowhere". You may need to consult an FAQ (I did for sure) because the puzzles are more difficult than the actual gameplay is at anypoint in the game.
Graphics: For the PS1 I think the graphics in Silent Hill are excellent. The lighting effects are beautifully done. The characters are well detailed and easy to distinguish. There's some line issues (corners of buildings mostly) that almost all PS1 games have anyway. Also the snow & fog effects are nicely done.