Silent Hill: Homecoming

[Young Avenger]

Pick this up yesterday. Having played all the games in the series this game definitely has the best combat system of all of them. Alex can do combos, dodge, parry enemy attacks, knows how to use a gun (game has an aiming system) so the main character can kick ass now. I find this to be a problem since it means I don't run away whenever an enemy appears on onscreen. I could just easily kick their ass and move on which takes away the scariness of them. That bring me to another problem. This game hasn't scared me once. I haven't been scared, freaked out, uneasy or anything. Past games including Origins made me piss my pants but in this game, its just not there. I only been playing for a few hours so hopefully the fear factor improves as it goes on but at the moment I'm quite disappointed with this.

[TransformersFan]

While I agree with you on the combat aspect, it is a welcome change to the usual helpless main character, you have to view it in context though He is afterall a combat vet, presumably from Iraq or Afghanistan, so you'd hope he's know how to fight and fire a weapon. The fully 3d environments are great, and the ability to manipulate the camera to better investigate rooms and areas is another great change. The Havok engine is put to great use with a highly manipulative environment (you bump into a hospital gurney, and it rolls away and makes a noise).

I disagree though on the scare factor though. This games still retains the Silent Hill-feel and atmosphere, assisted alot by the amazing sounds and Akira's music.
Ive been a fan of SH for a long time, played all of them except the first, SH2 being my fave. This game has made me quite uneasy, and creeped me out a few times. The homages to Jacob's Ladder and previous games maybe be little too direct, but this is still a Silent Hill game, even if it wasn't developed by Team Silent. I jumped out of my chair a few times, especially during the early hospital level.

I'm not done yet, and am still pretty early on, but I'm savouring this game as much as I can.

[Young Avenger]

While I agree with you on the combat aspect, it is a welcome change to the usual helpless main character, you have to view it in context though He is afterall a combat vet, presumably from Iraq or Afghanistan, so you'd hope he's know how to fight and fire a weapon. The fully 3d environments are great, and the ability to manipulate the camera to better investigate rooms and areas is another great change. The Havok engine is put to great use with a highly manipulative environment (you bump into a hospital gurney, and it rolls away and makes a noise).

I do see the context. I know that Alex is a soldier and should be utilize all those skills but the monsters themselves become less terrifying as a result. The creature with the razor blades for feet becomes less scary when I can dodge and parry his attacks and easily hack away at him.

I disagree though on the scare factor though. This games still retains the Silent Hill-feel and atmosphere, assisted alot by the amazing sounds and Akira's music.

While it has all the Silent Hill signatures this game has yet to give me a scare. Part of the is reason is that some of the "scares" feel too obvious (like the end of the hospital level) and while others are lame cheap scares. I do agree about the music. It's excellent

[TransformersFan]

It could be though that it may be harder to scare you, especially if youre a survival horror fan (like myself). Im older now as well, Silent Hill, Resident Evil, Fatal Frame, just arent as scary as say when you first entered the Mansion in RE1 or found the radio in SH2. That said, I am an easily spooked.

I was making my way out of the room with the baby incubators, and turned down the hallway certain that a crazy nurse would be waiting. But nothing, then the ceiling tiles came crashing down, and the dead body hung there. I jumped, yes I did. LOL

Do you like the game though. I think that some of the reviews have been unfair. IGN's 6.7 comes to mind.

[Young Avenger]

I'm liking the game. I'm enjoying the combat and the story is developing quite nicely.

[Xero Kaiser]

the main character can kick ass now. I find this to be a problem since it means I don't run away whenever an enemy appears on onscreen. I could just easily kick their ass and move on which takes away the scariness of them.

It's been like that since SH3.

[Donald M.]

It's been like that since SH3.

Besides which, anyone who tries to say that the new combat system makes the game too easy hasn't played it, at least not much of it.

I'm a bit farther into the game now and keep getting my ass handed to me.

[rondre sleazde]

this is the way silent hill should be, fuk that survial horror bullshit.

[nervmeister]

Looks like Siren: Blood Curse just might be the scarier game.

[Alex]

I haven't tried it yet, i did find it odd that they put a...hmm...capable main character in it, i guess you could say.
Silent hill has kind of always been crapped on for horrible combat (Which, it always has had horrible combat, so that's fair.) so i get why they would put somebody who can fight in it, but i was worried it would cut down the scare factor.

[Donald M.]

I haven't tried it yet, i did find it odd that they put a...hmm...capable main character in it, i guess you could say.
Silent hill has kind of always been crapped on for horrible combat (Which, it always has had horrible combat, so that's fair.) so i get why they would put somebody who can fight in it, but i was worried it would cut down the scare factor.

I guess it depends on how much the previous games actually scared you.

There are some creepy, intense moments in this game as in all past SH's but I've never found the games all that scary.

I've played all the games and consider myself a big fan, but the scariest moment in the entire series for me was in the beginning of the first game, the dream sequence (or whatever) where you're moving through this alleyway and suddenly find yourself surrounded by those knife-wielding mutant babies, with no way to escape and no way of fighting back.

[Alex]

Ok guys, a lot of fans not going to be happy with this, but borrowed and beat it now, in pretty short order, and have come to a conclusion.
The series is done. I've been in a creepy hospital a lot, i've fought the creepy monsters a lot, they aren't adding anything to the story, the story has been told, it's time to move on.
They have literaly done everything they can do with this premise, this game added little or nothing to the series.
Pull a RE4, change or let it die.

[Big Red Spider]

I've been playing this week. The music is amazing. But the story is really lacking. I search for a key and open a door and search for a key and open a door. Then a kid runs by and I start chasing him, but the doors locked and I have to find a key.

[Nosgoth Phantom]

I do see the context. I know that Alex is a soldier and should be utilize all those skills but the monsters themselves become less terrifying as a result. t

Alex is not and has never been a soldier. He's a mental patient who returned home from a mental hospital. He made it all up in his head. He went crazy after accidentally killing his brother.

[Young Avenger]

Alex is not and has never been a soldier. He's a mental patient who returned home from a mental hospital. He made it all up in his head. He went crazy after accidentally killing his brother.

I'm on my second playthough and I thought him not being a soldier was a crappy twist. I guess it could be explained that his father taught him a few things but I would have preferred if Alex was an actual soldier.

[Spidey-kid1]

Alex is not and has never been a soldier. He's a mental patient who returned home from a mental hospital. He made it all up in his head. He went crazy after accidentally killing his brother.

S***!

I shouldn't have highlighted that. :frown:

[Superfro]

My initial take on this installment of Silent Hill was pretty rough, but I ended up enjoying it quite a bit.

[Big Red Spider]

My initial take on this installment of Silent Hill was pretty rough, but I ended up enjoying it quite a bit.

Yeah I agree. I was getting kind of bored with it before I went into the prison. Then the game really picked up for me I guess I found my groove. The second play through is pretty fun so far. I just run around as fast as I can at wait for things to jump out at me.

[HectorP]

I'll get the game because I'm a fan of the series from the beginning, but I've stumbled on some heavy criticism. :(

[Donald M.]

Yeah I agree. I was getting kind of bored with it before I went into the prison. Then the game really picked up for me I guess I found my groove. The second play through is pretty fun so far. I just run around as fast as I can at wait for things to jump out at me.

Yeah. I played on Hard difficulty for my second play through, but with the ray gun (which you can get if you achieve the UFO ending) it was ridiculously easy. Bosses going down in like two or three shots.

The only surprise came in the part where you have to run through Silent Hill after shutting down the electricity. There's like 15 enemies coming at you from all directions and you can't see jack. I was like oh crap, ruuuuuuuuuuuuun!!!

[Superfro]

I was like oh crap, ruuuuuuuuuuuuun!!!

Yes. Always run. :eek:

That whole part was like a blur as I was just non-stop moving. :biggrin: