09. Dark Times: the Streets of Silent Hill

Climb up the wooden dock and through the hole in the wall to emerge on the city streets. See the storm drain up ahead? Lurkers are going to spawn intermittently from those things, so listen for the tell-tale signs. After the call on the radio, look right for a narrow entrance into Dargento Cemetery. This is a completely optional side trip, but you must make it if you want all the 360 achievements and the rifle.

Follow the path and look to your left for a SAPPHIRE on the bench. In the area ahead is a statue of the mythological figure Janus, guarded by a Smog. Examine the statue to find that it's a puzzle.

Dargento's Hidden Treasure

• There are two holes in the side of Janus' marker, one marked "1 The New" and another marked "12 The Old". What does this mean? That sapphire we picked up must have something to do with it. Examine it in your inventory to see that Alex notes that the sapphire is the birthstone for September. Why would he note that unless it were important?

  From this hint alone, we can discern that the holes in the Janus statue require the birthstones for the first and last months of the year: January and December, "new" being a reference to the new year and "old" to a year about to end. We've solved the puzzle already and we don't even have the pieces yet. Remember this place; we'll be back shortly.

Go back out to the street and head all the way south to the bait shop. Go around to the back for a save point, a CHILD'S DRAWING, and PISTOL AMMUNITION. There's another entrance to the cemetery across the hole in the street. This one puts you in the Sun Garden. As soon as you exit the wide area, look to your right to see a section of the wall that can be torn down with the axe. You'll find the GARNET to your right, on a bench. This is the January birthstone needed for our puzzle. You can use the gate behind you to access the Janus statue to put the garnet in the "1 The New" hole. Go back the way you came. The gate to the Moon Garden is locked, so we're done here for now.

Alex will call Wheeler outside the prison gate. Keep going west down the road and through a door to a new section of town. Go to the circled area on your map, and Alex will call again. Our new destination is the Water and Power Plant, but you must go through the boiler room to the south to get there. Kill or run past any Lurkers hiding in the water here, and be sure to grab the HEALTH DRINK on the machinery before leaving.

Outside, head right to the barricade in front of the boiler room. There's some RIFLE AMMUNITION on the window sill. Go over to Alchemilla Hospital's easternmost side to find a BLOODSTONE, which we actually won't be needing because we've already solved that puzzle, and red herrings mean nothing to us. Now head to the front gate in the middle of the front of the building. There's SERUM on the bench to your left. Toluca Lake and Power is sealed shut, so you need to enter from the Toluca Lake Offices next door. The entrance is across from the church.

There's a newspaper on the desk on your left and PISTOL AMMUNITION to your right. Go through the lower landing and head west to the office. Nab the HEALTH DRINK and the TURQUOISE in the sink. This is the December birthstone we need for the Janus statue. Jump across the gaping hole to a room with a save point. Hack your way into the kitchen area. The TOLUCA LAKE AND POWER KEY is on a desk. Backtrack to the lower landing area and use your key in the door to the east.

Ignore the noise and look right for a whiteboard with some writing on it. There are three valves in this area marked A, B, and C which need to be turned in a certain order. Hold off on that for now. There are Order members patrolling the wide area. Pipe wielders are especially annoying because of their dodging ability, but they aren't as bad as the guys with rifles. Rifle guys deal lots of damage with a simple melee attack, so use your pistol on them. Your radio will not go off when they are near, but they will yell out at you, which is just as good. There's two for now, one up top and another on your level.

Look in the southeast corner of your map for some PISTOL AMMUNITION. Up on the second level, look to the northwest for a FIRST AID KIT on the wall. Outside the foreman's office is RIFLE AMMUNITION x2. To the left of the office door is a notice.

Cut the Power

• Read the foreman's notice to learn that the boiler must be shut down first. The whiteboard downstairs said the boiler was valve B, so turn it first. It's right next to you. Now, the other two valves control the water (A) and the steam (C). Let's think for a minute. If we turn off the steam valve first, then that would mean the steam generated by the already-boiled water would have no way to escape and could spell major problems. Therefore, if you try to turn valve C before A, the fail-safe system will kick in. Turn off the water after the boiler, and then turn off the steam.

  In other words, turn the valves in this order: B, A, C. Then pull the lever behind you, overlooking the area. The power will go out.

Two Order members will attack after this; they're downstairs. Stay on the second level and let them come to you. The pipe guy will climb up and you can take him on up here. The rifle guy will attempt to snipe you, but he is a bad shot. Pull out your pistol and snipe him back.

Backtrack all the way to the prison gates. Toluca Lake and Power apparently powered the sun in Silent Hill because it's dark out now, too. Run past any monsters on the street to and through the boiler room. Pull out your shotgun as you approach the prison because a Siam is going to greet you. DO NOT ENTER THE PRISON YET! It's time for us to get our rifle. If you don't want it, then skip the next paragraph.

Go past the prison to the previous map of Silent Hill, the one with the two cemetery entrances. Go back to the Janus statue and put the turquoise in the "12 The Old" slot and you can grab the MOON GARDEN KEY. Based on its name, you should know where to use this. Kill the Smog in the Moon Garden, as he is guarding the M14 ASSAULT RIFLE. Lock 'n load. Take the time to read some of the cryptic-looking graves here. Head back to the prison now.

There's a HEALTH DRINK on the dumpster by the front door and a PULASKI AXE in the back of the broken-down truck in the yard. Look for a corridor/alley to the left of the entrance to get in using a side door.