Since the release of the Maiden demo for Resident Evil: Village, fans of the horror genre have been ready to compare it to the catalog of beloved games and demos. There’s always the question of which experience reigns supreme over all the others, and there’s a different answer no matter who you ask. However, one of the top on that list is Silent Hill: P.T.
Two demos, two intensely different experiences. Which is really the better demo? Here, we’re listing a selection of criteria and the game that beats the other in that category. But remember, they’re different experiences. Play both and decide for yourself if you can, but if you can’t, here’s a good place to get a feel for both demos.
10 Atmosphere - P.T.
One of the most praised aspects of P.T. is the thrilling, yet understated methods in which the game leaves the player unnerved and on edge. The cyclical nature of the environment and the limited environment makes every little change seem astrological in impact. The reveals are slow, but the anticipation is high. You’re afraid to look around the corner! And yet, you still move forward with your feet tucked up on the couch and your heart in your throat.
9 Setting - Maiden
Maiden’s setting is a gothic castle fit with a dungeon, a wine cellar, and all the gilded glory you expect from a legion of vampiric women. The scope of the demo reveals hints to the future of the game, the secret history of our antagonists, and loads of stunning visuals where the developers really show off the capabilities of the engine. It lets you explore to find the goodies hidden around, and if you just want something beautiful to look at, you can marvel at the foyer chandelier.
8 Enemy Intensity - P.T.
If you’re looking for a game where the enemies are terrifying but won’t disrupt the experience with untimely death, P.T. is your game. Lisa, the twitchy vomit-covered ghost, appears repeatedly throughout the playthrough, offering another element to the already imposing atmosphere that makes the demo so intriguing.
She doesn’t physically do much to the player, just makes uncomfortable groaning sounds and slams doors nearby. Yet, when she does close in and the full extent of her injuries and terrifying gargling comes into view, you can’t deny the horror set before you.
7 Tasks And Puzzles - Maiden
In classic Resident Evil style, Maiden throws you into an environment with puzzles to solve. Locked doors, interactable objects, and lots of diary entries give players clues to moving forward in the linear path of the demo plot. Searching the depths of the castle for marbles, keys, and blood-stained teacups gives players something to accomplish. You are in the world rather than simply experiencing it from a distance.
6 Mystery Of The Story - P.T.
P.T. is ambiguous with its lore drops throughout the demo. The stories are revealed through radio broadcasts about a murderous husband and father, small setting clues like scratched-out eyes on photographs, and a bloody fetus discussing your (the character you’re assumedly playing as) wife infidelity and the ultimate creation of this fetal abomination talking like an adult man. The answers are there but you have to look for them. What’s truly going on? You have to interpret it, which is part of the fun!
5 Enemy Design - Maiden
It speaks to the ability of a developer to design a character that causes such an online uprising with a character that only appears for a max of thirty seconds. The antique aesthetic of her outfit, the old Hollywood makeup, and the imposing height of a powerful woman in heels have the entire internet begging for her to step on them or eat them whole.
She and her stunningly creepy daughters, vampiric mistresses of darkness and power, excite us for the possibility to see them again in the upcoming game.
4 The Ending - P.T.
The ending is a vague topic, but in this list, we’re examining how much hype the ending left us with for the upcoming game. The reveal of Norman Reedus as the character model and the quickest glimpse of the world outside the house left players anticipating a game that would ultimately never come. Still, this ending opens up the potential for the world of Silent Hill…if they ever want to try following in P.T.’s footsteps again.
3 Visual Style - Maiden
The visual aspects of Maiden separate it from any game in the franchise. The warm yellow light of the fires and candles to the harsh blue snowy glow from the open windows in the dining room create diverse tones that really shift the mood of the environment depending on where you are in the game. The shadows truly add a level of diversity to an already diverse setting.
2 Overall Horror Elements - P.T.
When it comes to horror, you want an experience that’s going to touch those deep nerves of disgust and anxiety that you forget you have until something triggers them. Silent Hill games accomplish this. Sometimes it’s atmospheric, sometimes it’s visual gore, sometimes it’s disturbing material. P.T. has something for everyone if you’re looking for a tense experience you won’t soon forget. It’s a demo that earned itself a place among fully developed horror games.
1 Potential For Full Game - Maiden
With the information present in the demo, it’s clear that Maiden has a purpose. It drives you through a path that hints at bigger story points that might occur in the full game (looking at you, candidates list). It’s just enough of a taste of the environment, offering other places to visit in the distance, and introduces the big baddies in a way that alludes to their future influence. Ultimately, Maiden feels like a piece of the game rather than a full game in itself, making it a successful demo that leaves you wanting the rest of the game to hurry up and get here already.
NEXT: 10 Short But Scary Horror Games For Fans Of Silent Hill P.T.
