hansschmucker: Worst part of the series by far. This is Silent Hill! I play it for the atmosphere, not for the battles, so why would they include immortal enemies?
Duffi: To be honest SH 1 was the only game I had tried prior to SH 4. They both suffer from mediocre graphics and tank controls, but otherwise the atmosphere is great!
I can agree that the overly aggressive AI and tight corridors forcing you to fight is a bad idea though.
#2 is usually agreed to be the best part. There are no serious battles (heck, the final boss takes 5 shotgun shots on easy), you can chose difficulty individually for fights and puzzles, some very, very, very different endings, a great story and the overall most frightening atmosphere I have found on any game so far (Siren: Blood Curse comes close though). Eventhough there are virtually no battles. You'll find yourself sneaking around, looking behind you whenever you hear a noise.
#3 is not quite as disturbing, but still pretty good.
If I had to put the games I played into any sort of order it would be
Silent Hill 2 > Silent Hill 3 > Silent Hill 1 > Silent Hill Origins > Silent Hill 4