Closer is a creature appearing in Silent Hill 3. Excluding Heather Mason's dream sequence, this is the first type of monster she encounters. It is seen in a clothing store as it feeds on a woman's corpse. Heather shoots it to death as it approaches her.
Appearance and symbolism[]
The Closer is a tall, menacing creature, with thick, all-encompassing arms. Some sections of the creature's arms seem to be stitched together and bandaged up. The Closer's lips rotate and twitch relentlessly, emanating a wet sound. Two sharp protrusions are held inside the creature's arms and can be extended outwards much like one uncurls a finger. When attacking, they extend one of these "blades" and thrust it forward rather sluggishly.
In the Order's chapel, Closers become infested with animated, dark globs moving along their skin, and they are also notably faster. They seem to have a green tinge.
The Closer shares similar characteristics of the Mandarin. According to Masahiro Ito, the reason they look similar is because the Mandarin was one of the most underrated monsters of Silent Hill 2. His intentions by them both having similar designs was to imply that their appearance was not just dependent on the person, but that the power of Silent Hill also had some input on the "design" of the monsters.[1]
According to Lost Memories: Silent Hill Chronicle, its name is derived from its ability to obstruct a path with its gargantuan proportions.[2]
Trivia[]
Closer climbing animation.
- If the game code is hacked and the gore is removed from the corpse that the first Closer is eating, the corpse is revealed to be a modified model of Angela Orosco.[3]
- Akira Yamaoka, the sound director for the series, took the sounds of a rhinoceros and digitally altered them to create the sounds of the Closer.[citation needed]
- A Closer may appear in Hazel Street Station. To spawn it, the player simply has to use the nutcracker on the gate and descend the stairs. If the player returns up the stairs, a Closer will be patrolling the corridor. The reason most players miss this encounter is due to not turning back after they've unlocked the gate, as there is no need to return.
- The Japanese message "南無妙法蓮華経" is written vertically on the top of the Closer's head. This is a chant in Nichiren Buddhism, a reference to the Lotus Sutra.[4]
- The Closer has unused animations showing it to be able to climb to higher areas with the nail-like extensions that protrude from its arms. According to Masahiro Ito, this is because they were originally supposed to surprise Heather from below in her amusement park dream.[5]
- A mouth on the Closer's face is inspired by the figure in the center drawing of Francis Bacon's Second Version of Triptych 1944.[6]
- Despite the obvious feminine design, the Closer's towering stature and bulky physique gives the monster a much more masculine impression, giving the creature a rather androgynous feel.
Gameplay[]
Silent Hill 3 - Monstruos Closer 7 9
Closers in the surreal shopping mall.
Silent Hill 3 - Closer Ground Hit Strat
A Closer kills Heather with an arm "blade".
Closers move slowly, but their massive size and reach make them very dangerous, as is their tendency to appear in tight spaces that prevent Heather from getting around them unscathed.
They attack by hitting Heather with their club-like arms or extending a blade-like bone fragment from the tips of their arms, something that throws Heather back and, especially without the bulletproof vest, can drain most of her health. They emit a series of grunts and groans when Heather is nearby.
Following Brookhaven Hospital, the Closers become significantly more dangerous. If the player gets too close in an attempt to attack them, they will defend themselves by swinging their arms in a circle, a move that, while rather sluggish in mid-action, is executed very suddenly, allowing for an extremely minuscule reaction time.
References[]
Gallery[]
Silent Hill 3[]
| v · e · d |
|---|
| Characters |
| Aaron - Dahlia - Jason - Leo |
| Monsters |
| Faceless Monster - Ceiling Monster - Closer - Multi-Headed Monster - Bladed Monster - Canine Monster |
| Locations |
| Borley Haunted Mansion - Silent Hill - Sanctuary - Lakeside Amusement Park |
| Terms |
| Fog World - Monster - Otherworld - Real World |
| Creators |
| Scott Ciencin - Shaun Thomas |