However, there's no way I could ever get a different ending, because guaranteed I'll play the game in exactly the same way. Shattered Memories contains intermittent sequences where a psychiatrist asks you to complete various puzzles and questionnaires that will assess your personal ethics and provide the game hints of your past history. It then subtly tailors the gameworld to echo what you have revealed. For example, at one point you're asked to self-identify with high school archetypes like "jock," "slacker" or "slut." Following that, you're told to create your dream high school class schedule among such options as theater, gym and science. If you say you were a jock and you put a gym class in your day, the game will give the onscreen character a jock outfit during the high school level.

It doesn't TELL you that it did that. It just does it.

And no, I did not get the jock outfit. Which is why I can never play in any way other than the way I already played it. Because I simply can't be dishonest to the game.

What is more impressive is how the game catalogs you when you're not being directly interviewed by the therapist. It watches how you respond to the in-game characters (like, if they call you for help... do you always go back and help them? I did.) It watches what objects in the environment you pay attention to (like, do you stop to check out the sexy pictures in the bar? I, uh, did.) What door did you walk through when you were given a choice of two, one decorated with girly flowers and the other with sexy lips? When you're following behind one of the female characters, do you zoom the camera in on her ass? I didn't. Honestly. Didn't even occur to me, because during the scenes where you have an opportunity to stare at her ass, she's talking to you. So I was listening to the conversation.

All of that ripples throughout the game, changing how the doctor talks to you, changing what certain characters wear, changing what they send you in text messages, etc.

From what I have read, the game will even figure out if you're screwing with it and giving contradictory answers. The classic example here is if you tell the doctor that you like to help people, but then refuse to assist the various people in trouble that you meet in the game. Eventually, the doc will call you out on this behavior.

And at the very end, you get a full analysis synopsis. Here's mine, direct from the doctor's report. I'd call it about 85% accurate!

A bit of a dreamer here. Seems driven by "positive" ideals - wants to help, befriend, nurture and otherwise enhance the lives of others, whether they want this or not... Quite interested in reflection and "self-improvement" - sees life as a "journey."

Resorts to a lot of tired growth and floral metaphors. Seems averse to conflict. Likes to be referred to as a "romantic." Likes to rely on intuition. Therapy "felt" like the right thing to do.

Seems to value "commitment." Certainly willing to forgo the joys of freedom for the shackles of a relationship. Might be more worried about their partner cheating than any general moral compunction - certainly no prude. Quoted some quite amusing fantasies during session.

Very conscientious. Says they are always aware of "obligations." Others might criticize for being too "thorough" or "detail-oriented" (not my phrase!)

Claims to treat body well. Not necessarily a "clean living" type, but knows what is good for self. Thinks this has some importance.

Likes to insist on tidiness and having "everything in its place." Seems to take pride in being nice to others. I suggested patient would make a useful and reliable roommate. Patient smiled.

Patient in a few words: "clean and tidy."

So... summing up. Am sure patient will be back - lots of uncovered ground. Don't believe we've seen everything yet. Might be worth going back to the start and re-examining with benefit of what we know now. Think patient will agree?

I imagine that last paragraph is a nudge to go collect all the hidden items (I only missed a few.) On the second playthrough you can trigger a special mode where you are supposed to find hidden UFOs during the game.

About the ending. I cried. For sure. The ending I received just hit me with a genuine cathartic blast. There's a twist at the finale that I won't spoil, because I'm glad it was not spoiled for me.

The only really dopey thing about the game was the faux-combat, where you have to shake the damn Remote+Nunchuk to escape from all the blind flesh monsters coming after you. Thankfully, those scenes are not the game's norm - they're almost like intermissions during the main storyline - so it's not like you're constantly running from zombies and whipping yourself in the face with the Nunchuk cable. No, most of the game is a chilling, creepy, atmospheric descent into madness and memory. Really nothing like the original PS1 Silent Hill at all. In a very good way.

Just sucks that they could only keep up that awesome for seven hours.