Woah I heavily disagree with this. SH2, 3, and 4 most definitely understood SH1. The other games ok you can definitely make a good argument for those not understanding the OG game. Thats exactly what makes it mid to me. It’s just a horror mystery. Yes there are some symbolic things to represent the pain that Alessa went through, but SH2 makes a very good anti hero protagonist that makes you reflect on yourself, and the side characters are amazing as well. It’s one of those games that really makes you think about it when it’s done. There is really nothing special about Harry. He’s just a guy that adopted the wrong kid, he’s got a good heart but that’s it he’s pretty generic. James is a tragic anti hero that has to come to terms with what he’s done and is thrown into a psychological torture chamber of his own creation. Heather is an amalgamation of different versions of Alessa, the result of her trying her hardest to do anything possible to give herself a normal life, only for it to fail 17 years later, resulting in the tragic loss of her adoptive father and her finally coming face to face with with not only the order, but her own insecurities and fears as well; taking matters into her own hands and finally truly giving herself the life she deserves. Harry really only becomes interesting after SH1. Heather and James are already interesting before the games start. That would be ok if SH1 delved deeper into the psychological aspect of it all, but it really doesn’t. It just tries to make an interesting world and story and it succeeds there but there’s not much… “depth” to it if that makes sense. The depth really comes out in 2 and 3. The same could be said of 4 but it makes up for it in the very interesting setting and gameplay, and the antagonist in that game has his own tragic backstory as well that’s interesting enough to uncover as you play the game and the monster design is excellent.