The objective of Silent Hill: Origins is to guide player character, Travis Grady, as he searches the monster-filled town of Silent Hill for information about a girl he rescued from a burning house.[3] The game uses a third-person perspective which it alternates with fixed camera angles.[1] Following the gameplay formula of previous Silent Hill games, Origins primarily revolves around combat, exploration, and puzzle-solving.[1] Typical gameplay of Origins consists of alternating between reality and its darker and dilapidated counterpart, the "Other World", to obtain keys and objects needed to solve a riddle.[4] Travis carries a flashlight and indicates the direction of a nearby usable item,[1] while his portable radio alerts the player to the presence of nearby monsters by emitting static.[5] Often, actions performed in one dimension will affect the other;[5] for example, raising a prop on the stage in the theater results in a similar reaction in the Other World.[6][7] Once solved, the riddle leads to an encounter with a boss, whose defeat unlocks a new area.[4] Completion of the game results in unlocking special items or alternative outfits for Travis depending on various accomplishments.[1]
For combat, in addition to using his fists (marking the first time unarmed combat is possible in a Silent Hill game), Travis accumulates a range of weapons throughout the town: firearms, melee weapons, and one-shot items usable in close combat; the latter two are breakable.[1][2] Although one-shot items can be used to quickly kill some of the monsters encountered early on, Travis is vulnerable while performing this action to damage from quick enemies or those with long-ranged attacks.[1] Origins also introduces the "grapple" system, a quick time event activated when a monster grabs him.[1][2] Should he escape, no damage is done to either him or the monster.[1][2] The status of his "health" is indicated in the inventory, since the game does not feature a heads-up display;[5] however, when his health is critical, the edges of the screen throb red, and his heartbeat is heard.[5]