Of all the methods of offering alternate endings, Silent Hill 2’s seems by far the most innovative and makes the most of the possibilities in the medium. In fact, with its candid presentation of some very mature themes (including euthanasia, retreat into sexual fantasy, and free will), its well-thought out story and characters, and its breakthroughs in narrative technique, it may well be the single most progressive game currently released.
If the other three types of Choices presented all have a common element, it is that they advertise themselves as choices. In Metal Gear Solid, it is clear that there is a lot in the story at stake on the player’s determination not to crack under torture. Planescape’s choices are less individually crucial, but equally obvious: it’s safe to say that no one will view currying a demon’s favor by backstabbing and deceit as an action likely to shift the character’s position on the morality scale toward "Good."
What makes Silent Hill 2 so unique, and so daring, is that its choices are not marked as choices at all, let alone choices between Good and Evil. The game simply observes the way the player behaves as James Sunderland, ordinary man in a nightmarish city, and in the end doles out an ending based on how the character’s actions have defined him through the story. It is impossible on a first attempt to engage in “placeholding” if the player is unaware that any places exist to be held.
An especially ingenious touch (and subtle commentary by the creators regarding games as a whole) is that many of the choices one inadvertently makes as a careful game player are antithetical toward receiving a "good" ending. Veteran gamers learn to conserve healing items for when they’re most needed, so as not to waste their effects on minor wounds. Silent Hill 2 interprets such behavior as a lack of self-worth and self-concern on the main character’s part, and will thus be more likely to assign an ending in which he commits suicide in despair over what he eventually learns. Cautious gamers are likely to stick close to the female lead during the brief period of the game when she accompanies James on his journey, and will be loath to let her out of their sight for fear that unseen enemies might strike. In Silent Hill 2’s view, this is seen as James’ obsessive clinging to his delusions, for the woman is not all that she seems, and the ending thus earned is quietly horrific.
In fact, it might seem almost impossible to achieve a "good" ending on the first try at Silent Hill 2. Only very careful analysis of the hints presented, and thoughtful interpretation of the storyline as it unfolds, would provide a first-time player with the necessary information to make the right "judgments." Once the player solves the mysteries at the game’s end, it will more than likely be too late to save James and get a "good" ending.
Silent Hill 2 is unique in that it presents the player not so much with a multiple-choice test, but something closer to a Rorschach blot. The player’s response depends on what he or she sees in the game, and the game will respond in kind. It is art that approaches true interactivity, creating a natural and invisible feedback cycle between player and game, and it is the future of the interactive narrative.