Oddish wrote:I think that the abyss part comes later, beginning in the Historical Society, passing downward through the prison, the morgue, the labyrinth, the catacomb, and ending in the slaughterhouse. Perhaps the weirdest part is the way it ends, with James just going through a door and winding up back in Misty Silent Hill.
If the Abyss ends at the slaughterhouse, then how else do you explain James being able to walk into Lakeview and not only see it as it was three years ago, be able to walk around unhindered? The burned version of Lakeview exists in foggy Silent Hill, but the other version looks nothing like the work of the Otherworld. So what else is it? Not to mention after the hotel reverts back to it's original state, you suddenly find yourself magically teleporting around. Enter one room and wind up in the opposite hall.
I don't think the Abyss ends until after the final battle with the Pyramid Heads. After James starts to finally realize what's going on and why. Or perhaps it doesn't end until after the final boss. That long hallway does appear out of nowhere, doesn't it? Depending on your ending, James may very well never leave the Abyss.
This is very off topic... Apologies.
Anyhow. I like what Sionnan said. It explains why the apartments look destroyed, even in foggy Silent Hill. (Also cleared up that Abyss quote for me!) It explains why the hallway you find Eddie in looks the worst, and is pretty much void of things to do, save for pound in a lying figure's head to get at some bullets.
There's something significant about both rooms that deal with Mary. The one with her dress is, like I said, pretty much the least screwed apartment you can find. It's clean and in tact, and Mary's clothes are mysteriously there. I'm guessing this room represents that one ray of hope James seems to have? Or the delusions. And then there's the butterfly room. Besides what's discussed in the caterpillar/cocoon/butterfly theory, it's still quite a bit odd that there are cages everywhere, even some of the rooms are caged off, and whatever's in that hole either startles James or hurts his hand. I'm guessing the latter, since the vibrations in the controller go off.