Silent Hill 5 Like Silent Hill 2, Just Newer 894 Views
Speaking with German GamePro magazine, Silent Hill composer (and SH4 director) Akira Yamaoka has said the latest installment in the series will be a lot more like Silent Hill 2 than 3 or 4. Good news? No idea. I like 3 best myself, but hey, you might not.
The "characters' behaviour" and "ways the player is directed" are cited as the two biggest reasons it feels so comfy and familiar. Also mentioned, rather importantly, I guess, is that the game's in development for 360 and PS3 and will be out...sometime in the future. Luke Plunkett
Silent Hill 5: It Lives! [Games Radar]
Yay! I'd say that's a good sign. 3 was fine, but 4 was kinda' meh. I mean, the game was cool, but it just didn't feel enough like an SH game.
Give up and buy a fucking console, dude.
You do realize you're one of like two people that played SH games on the PC. Give up and buy a fucking console, dude.Even though I was not too happy w/ the KB/Mouse controls w/ SH games since they didn't really evolve them for that kind of set-up, I said....
Gamepad was fine, though.
Console ports will ALWAYS BE BAD.Eh, I tend to disagree.....
Hooray. Too bad that teaser is worthless.The audio sounded interesting -- like the SH5 story might be about a soldier that has returned from war, mentally unstable and all.
Except that anything one might surmise would be purely conjecture and hence basically... worthless. I wish they could have given us a little more than that.I wish there was more to it, too....
Silent Hill 5 Titled, Euro Release in September
[Ure "Vader" Paul]
11:43 am EDT @ April 21st, 2008
Filed under: SILENT HILL 5, KONAMI, SILENT HILL: HOMECOMING
Konami issued a press release, specifying that Silent Hill 5 -- which is actually the sixth game in the popular horror games series -- is now called Silent Hill: Homecoming. Konami also officially confirmed that the game is hitting European soil during September 2008, with no mention of a US date at this time.
Here's the word from Konami:
Homecoming is the first Silent Hill title for the new wave of ‘next generation’ consoles, featuring all-new graphics that bring the fear and terror of Silent Hill alive like never before. Alex must survive attacks from the misshapen denizens of the town using an all-new enhanced combat system that provides a wide array of attacks and counters. Along the way, Alex will encounter a variety of weapons to battle these horrific monsters and must also solve deadly puzzles as he uncovers the darkest secrets of Silent Hill.
Silent Hill: Homecoming also features an all-new soundtrack by acclaimed series composer Akira Yamaoka.
By the way, Silent Hill: Homecoming is heading to PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms.
It was cool how it changed over time, though, and I loved the way you could peek through holes into the hallway and other room and stuff. I thought that was fucking brilliant.Yeah, that was pretty cool. I think it was appropriate that even I, the player not just as the character, was trying to get the heck out of this room! hehe
Huh? All the SH games have more or less entirely the same flashlight use. I can't fathom how you'd see a difference between one or another.The flashlight is fine, but for example SH2 spent a fair amount in the misty day time but I only ever needer the flashlight is dark spots or at night, whereas in SH3 it's dark allround (and creepy) and the gameplay revolves around the using the flashlight. Gameplay like that is alright for segments, though I'd wind up having to turn up the brightness on my display.
I can't fathom why any of you would try that game on the PC.I don't have a game console. It's as simple as that.
2 was a bad port, 3 was a decent port, and 4 just didn't feel right on the PC *at all*. I don't know what it was. It just... didn't look right, didn't feel right. It was just weird.All the SH PC games, basically -- use your gamepad when playing the game.
I can't imagine playing an SH game with a kb/m at all.It's not worth it. I wouldn't recommend the PC editions of the SH games unless you have a PC gamepad.
Scott: I still say you should play SH1. You can get a torrented "PC version" (basically just ePSXe with a nice little frontend for the game), and it's probably the next best one down from 2.I'd agree w/ Que -- SH1 and 2 are the best ones in the series by far.
As for SH3, it's a direct continuation of the story from 1, so I honestly can't see enjoying it too well without the prior experience, though it was an enjoyable enough game anyway...I did think SH3 was good on its own, but yeah -- to really enjoy it, SH1 is definitely needed to play, since they really don't recap in SH3 any events from SH1 in like flashbacks or anything.
just not as concise as 2, which is probably why 2 is the strongest of them all in terms of story. Origins is out on PS2 now as well, so if you never had a PSP and wanted to play it you could (though it's not really so amazing plot-wise... just a fun SH romp).I think SH2 was probably the most personal of the SH stories, too.
Yeah, probably. Go go, GoGamer FTW!
Unfortunately, that one had a pretty lousy port. Something just felt... wrong about it. Silent Hill 3 got a much better treatment. There was one graphical effect which didn't come through very well, unfortunately, but that was about the only thing I saw that was "wrong" with it, and it was just during one short part in the game later on. Mostly it was just fine. I don't know why, but for some reason I have that one on PS2 and PC.
Finally, I also managed to take a little time to explore a feature that I only recently discovered within the E3 demo: the dialogue trees that are included in the game. At specific plot moments, Alex is presented with two or three dialogue choices that he can use in conversation with different characters -- some are mean, some are indifferent and some are friendly. Each one evokes a completely different response from the listener, and while I reloaded a few times to see how each path would turn out, it appeared to always lead towards the same general direction. My guess is that specific conversation strings will contribute to the specific ending that you receive (on top of other factors), but I could be wrong.
By Anthony Gallegos 09/30/2008
> Reviewer's Blog > Review Crew Profile
Ever since my first encounter with Silent Hill 2, something about this survival-horror franchise really got to me. Not that running from zombies wasn't terrifying when I played the original Resident Evil -- it's just that Silent Hill's themes of sin, punishment, and forgiveness (not to mention the nightmarish abominations) drew me in on a deeper level. While I'll always associate earlier series games with clunky combat, hard-to-follow stories, crappy camera positions, and load times between every room, those imperfections became synonymous with the franchise for me -- even endearing. What can I say? We love games for their flaws and their strengths alike.
With Silent Hill: Homecoming, everything's changed. So many of my associations with the franchise simply aren't applicable anymore: The clunky controls are now streamlined, combat's much more intense (at times, a little too intense), and the storyline -- for once -- makes clear-cut sense. None of this is bad, just...different. Very different.
For starters, combat's now a dance of sorts, with a dodge (yes, a dodge!) mechanic available to narrowly avoid enemy attacks. Sure, you can still swing away at enemies, but this often results in taking too much damage yourself. And while you might feel empowered by the new battle system at first, it's also incredibly frustrating when fighting more than one monster at once. I simply could not effectively dodge multiple enemy attacks, and even when running, I had to chug an unacceptable amount of health drinks (due to aggressors' parting swipes). Granted, I could circumvent this once I armed myself with a gun, but with bullets so scarce, I often wound up using firearms as a desperate last measure. I'm not saying combat should consist of simple 1-on-1 encounters, but part of a great survival-horror experience is the ability to safely run when things get too hairy.
While Homecoming's combat system has its growing pains, I wholeheartedly endorse the new camera and movement controls. You move with one analog stick and control the camera with the other, which enables you to manipulate the view with far more precision than ever before. Moreover, your character can now strafe, which really helps cement the more action-centric focus. I'm sure some Silent Hill fans will miss the cinematic angles when entering an unknown area, but this should pass -- the new camera and controls do little to detract from the atmosphere in the long run.
Homecoming stays true to the macabre Silent Hill atmosphere without feeling stagnant. Exploration's perfectly in line with previous games, complete with tons of locked doors, decaying structures, and doubling back between the real world and its hellish counterpart -- but some little nuances intrigue. In the older games, you either went through a door, or it was too damaged to bother with (or simply locked). Now, though, you might have to hack through a wood-blocked door or find a damaged wall where your character can slip through into an adjacent area. Doors are also no longer bound to loading screens; most allow you (and enemies) to pass through in real time. All this goes a long way toward establishing a feeling of actually exploring a decaying environment, and it makes much more sense than exploration restrained via broken locks.
While Homecoming's look and feel are in line with Silent Hill, the narrative's much clearer. It still deals with familiar series themes (love, forgiveness, sin, redemption), but it's also the most straightforward story to date. By the time I reached one of the game's multiple endings, I had a clear understanding of exactly what happened, and why -- leaving little for me to think about afterward -- whereas previous games were incredibly nuanced and downright confusing, no matter which ending you received.
Homecoming developer Double Helix has stayed true to the series' foundation while also taking steps in a brave new direction; they've crafted a tale that stands well within franchise lore, and they've produced horrifically beautiful environments, occasional framerate drops aside. If Double Helix learns from their mistakes here -- combat balance being the most glaring issue -- their future work could rival the series' best. Homecoming definitely fits well within the franchise, but it also left me eager to see what's next, as this is clearly only the first step in Silent Hill's next evolution.
The original Silent Hill was, upon its PSOne release, the finest example of gaming horror to date. It was far more innovative, emotionally charged, and spooky than Resident Evil and its innumerable clones. For many gamers, the game brought the precepts of Japanese horror to light for the first time. Now, of course, all those fatalistic clichés of J-horror are played out, and the series has never managed to reach the heights of its start. So, Konami should be commended for handing the reigns of the series off to a fresh, non-Japanese developer.
Soldiering On Through Horror
In this case, the developer is Double Helix, an offshoot of the Collective, whose pedigree unfortunately consists mostly of licensed third-person action adventure games like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the DaVinci Code, and other similarly middling money makers. Thankfully, however, their first title under the new name is a satisfying addition to the Silent Hill franchise, and easily one of the best in the series.
...
Combat-Able
Where Homecoming deters from the previous game is both in its protagonist and its combat mechanics. Alex is, unlike any other Silent Hill victim, a fighter. He's proficient with melee and fire arms. It's here that the biggest arguments over Homecoming will come in. For the most part, Alex manages to be more imposing in a fight than most of the monsters, which is a radical change for the series and twists the horror to focus less on creatures and more on the story and mood.
Alex has a strong and weak attack, and can (finally) target, dodge and counterattack. This means that if you're quick enough, you can take out the ghoulies without them laying a claw/razor/scalpel on you. The controls are tighter and combat is no longer the clumsy and muddled affair it's always been.
The design is also more focused. Whether as a direct result of the Room's insistence on obscurely going back and forth between locations, or merely the result of an American developer trying to hit a wider market, Homecoming is much more linear. While you can explore the levels for hidden goodies, health, and extra ammo, there are few spots where you'll be wandering aimlessly wondering what to do next.
The puzzles are generally pretty straight forward as well. With a couple exceptions, most of the brain teasers are surprisingly simplistic. Even the boss fights on the normal difficulty level should be manageable to most gamers.
Welcome Home
Thankfully, the game manages to be worth more than the sum of its parts. The controls are the best they've ever been, and combat is actually tolerable this time. That said, you're still better off avoiding fights whenever possible, especially during the few annoying sections that continually respawn creatures. Gun play is viable now, and Alex makes a refreshingly different hero for the series. It's not particularly scary, but the atmosphere of Silent Hill is still firmly intact, and this is easily the best horror-themed game we've seen lately.
Well, shit. Looks like I'll need to buy this soon. Oddly enough, Fallout 3 is going to take precedence (unexpected, since I didn't even want it that badly a month ago). So I'll probably pick this one up in November.
Which is an understandable gripe depending on how seriously you take your atmosphere, but it's about time somebody made the series actually fun to play. This is one of my favorite franchises of all time, don't get me wrong, but the games aren't really "fun". They're laborious and wonky.I agree with you 100%, Que.
I don't want a shooter or something that's all straight-up combat, but better controls and a little more ability to kill shit would ultimately lead to less frustration, if perhaps a little less fear. The fear loss could be bad depending on how severe it is, but if the games actually become more fun to play I'd say that's a better tradeoff.
I didn't realize that Gametrailers has a preview (http://www.gametrailers.com/player/39968.html). Looks wicked fucking awesome. That was as good as a review for me. I love the look of the new combat system, because for me 90% of Silent Hill fear comes from me being a pansy wimp who gets way too into the art, design, and backstory. I get psychologically broken by these games, and not just because my character is clunky. This looks amazing.Wow, that does look pretty good! The new combat system looks very appealing. I think I'll be able to play this one all the way through! The only SH I actually finished (and loved) was SH2. SH4: The Room seemed interesting but it was just tedious trying to get through it.
I didn't realize that Gametrailers has a preview (http://www.gametrailers.com/player/39968.html). Looks wicked fucking awesome. That was as good as a review for me. I love the look of the new combat system, because for me 90% of Silent Hill fear comes from me being a pansy wimp who gets way too into the art, design, and backstory. I get psychologically broken by these games, and not just because my character is clunky. This looks amazing.
Well, I imagine their PC releases don't do that well in the US, so I absolutely see their reasoning for this. Why stock stores and deal with all that when so few will be purchasing that version of the product?I actually do agree with this -- I mean, I'm sure it costs designers and publishers a pretty penny to print lots of copies of the game on disc with a game manual; get a case to put it in (if they opt for one); in which likely most of these copies won't sell at full price. People will probably wait on buying this one for the PC -- probably b/c I'm guessing most PC gamers will buy SH: HC on the actual consoles.
There's no reason not to have it online, but a dozen not to bother with retail. I don't like it, certainly, as not only do I generally avoid digital distribution but I fucking hate Steam... but still, it makes sense.
Europeans are the big PC gamers of our age, and they're the ones who'll actually go to the store to buy it.Very true.
MysterD totally ruined the first Silent Hill game for me. We had two SH threads... one was with spoilers and one without (and both clearly labeled)... he got confused and posted something with the entire plot in the non spoiler thread back at AOG. When I protested, D said something along the lines of ,"Well that's what you get for going in the spoiler thread!"LOL! I remember that.
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. :P
Heh... you should play the game anyway. The plot is so crazed and confusing it's awfully hard to "spoil". Really bizarre game.
Gametrailers.com Review (http://www.gametrailers.com/player/41239.html) - they score it lower than seems logical. They don't like the story all that much, but I'm not getting that from most fans, so take that as you will, and all the video just looks absolutely fucking amazing. Jeez. It just looks so good. I can't wait.
Schweet. Pyramid Head is back. SH2 was easily my favorite.
Silent Hill gets Euro 2009 delay
Monday 13-Oct-2008 3:51 PM Not out until February in Europe
18 Comments
Konami UK has sent out the surprising news that its survival horror instalment Silent Hill: Homecoming has slipped to 2009 in Europe... despite already being on sale in the States.
The 360, PS3 and PC horror instalment was originally due out in Europe for Halloween - and hit North American shelves late last month.
It's now down for release in Europe next February, 2009. No reason was given for the Euro delay.
Homecoming, which had development moved over to US studio Double Helix from Japan, received moderate reviews from North American press, suggesting to some that the slip this side of the pond could be a quality issue.
More than likely though thanks to the many language spoken by our European cousins, is some problem with translation or certification in various regions.
The new release puts Silent Hill almost head-to-head with Capcom's Resident Evil 5. Good luck with that.
When quizzed on the phone though Konami wasn't prepared to give a specific reason for the slip. Quite a disappointing outcome for Silent Hill fans, then.
It's out for PC now on STEAM. Now, I'm not as opposed to STEAM as some, and I will buy small games from it, but fuck paying full price to download 4-6 GB.