Silent Hill: Homecoming

[Shozuki]

Recieved my copy this morning. The best way to start is by saying:

If you like Silent Hill 1 - 4 or any Silent Hill you will undoubtedly enjoy this. If Silent Hill hasnt been up your street in the past, this wont change your mind.

First thing I noticed when I booted Silent Hill into my JPN PS3 it didnt map X and O properly, getting me into an almighty mess when I started the game. Infact the game would'nt let me go back from examining a panel. So I had to quit. You can map the X and O buttons manually when using a JPN PS3 in the options menu and this will need to be done before you start the game proper.

The intro starts and in typical Silent Hill fashion its confusing and disturbing all at once. The first thing I noticed was how brilliantly Silent Hill uses Surround Sound, easily one of the best games to make use of this, and will get you nervous.

Graphically its a mixed bag. Character models look nice but strange animation ruins the effect, admittedly its always been like this in Silent Hill, but this should have improved for this gen. Environments look detailed and disturbing, but there is a few horrible textures here and there and do stand out. Silent Hill: Homecoming has clearly taken lots of inspiration from the movie, but this is a good thing. Changing realities looks freaky and intriguing but certainly adds tension.

Gameplay is what you'd expect from a Silent Hill game, Puzzles are a bit too easy so far although im only an hour or so in. To be honest im glad they left the Silent Hill formula untouched. It's nice to see a game not tempted to change its style to appeal to a new audience. This is an old-skool survival horror and it's proud, it doesnt care who it upsets.

The only major addition to the formula is the combat. This is perhaps for the worse, as you are much more capable in a fight then in previous iterations and can see that the game may loose its fear factor due to this. So far though its not affected anything and im always at the edge of my seat.

To bottom line it, I've enjoyed my session and as a Silent Hill fan im happy to continue playing. If you like old-skool survival horror or enjoy the old Silent Hill's, give it a go, im sure you'll like it. Thumbs Up.

[mr_woo]

Apparently ammo availability starts to tighten up later in the game and of course enemies a bit more deadly. From what I've seen the additional controls look great and a lot less clunky. Really can't wait to play this, hopefully monday or tuesday when I get it.

[Spatial]

I'm not sure how far you're in yet to give a proper assessment but how does it hold up to the other games in the series?

[Shozuki]

No mate im not far enough, but so far so good. I'll post more as soon as I play some more!

[chopemon]

I'm really on the fence about getting this and I think that's mostly due to the combat.

Have you got frustrated with it yet? Does the combat bring you of the experience at all?

[gamelife]

is it true that there is no option to invert the camera controls?

[Shozuki]

I'm really on the fence about getting this and I think that's mostly due to the combat.

Have you got frustrated with it yet? Does the combat bring you of the experience at all?

Y'Know I like the combat at the moment to be honest. Enemies are few and far between just like the past games, its just this time you do have a bit of a backbone. In honesty so far its not altering the mood of the game its still as creepy as ever. You dont really get much ammo for your guns and the melee combat is satisfying, I honestly hold no gripes or frustrations about the combat so far. If anything its the same as having a melee weapon in the other games, only its not so much of a chore to use. The weapons also contribute to puzzles.

is it true that there is no option to invert the camera controls?

Erm, well I havent checked i'll take a shot of the control screen tonight and post it for you to take a look.

[chopemon]

Cheers for the info Shozuki.

Apparently you can invert the aiming camera, just not the normal camera.

[Shozuki]

Another quick update, about 4 or so hours in and absolutely loving this. I feel I should be moaning about something but theres nothing to moan about. Well Done Double Helix you would have made Konami proud! Oh and btw, the Music is immense, I need to buy the soundtrack.

[Duckula]

Does anyone have the asian version? I ordered it off eBay and it says it's region free. Wouldn't mind some confirmation on the matter.

[112]

All PS3 games are region free! (unless someone knows somat i dont and you mean the 360 version).

112

[Duckula]

I did mean the 360 version, forgot to clarify that.

[Family Fry]

Some pirating swines are saying it's region free, I wanted 360 version for the achievements but couldnt really wait to play Silent Hill so got the PS3 version instead, also thought it would give me a good excuse to give it another play through with 360 version when it does come out to try get a different ending maybe.

I'm really glad I didnt wait now though as so far it's a very nice game, played about an hours worth with the lights out, sound up. The game certainly doesnt beat around to start with, just throws you straight into the nightmare with you...

->Open Spoiler<-

Being strapped to a hospital bed, fully clothed and being pushed by a man dressed as a surgeon (but clearly not) who wont talk to you, with lotsa gruesome Hostel style **** going on around you in surgery rooms, he wheels you into a room alone and leaves you there, was quite cold and scary. He gets munched and as he is doing this you hammer X to struggle and escape the starps, what becomes clear straight away is how nice it feels to have a free camera on right stick (turns character also) and movement/strafe on left stick.

Starts to get a bit more disturbing when you start to hear

->Open Spoiler<-

a baby crying in this disgusting hospital, was thinking this is cool stuff.

Really is a nice intro/tutorial bit, gets you right into the mood and when you get towards the end of the first bit...

->Open Spoiler<-

You start to hear scraping metal, KNEW who this was you just KNOW the sound from SH2, in the end you get yourself into an elevator and the noise just gets louder and then, silence and a huge sword skewers you in the face through the elevator doors, you wake up next to Travis (from silent hill origins) driving the truck, "bad dream?"

I was like oh yeah it has begun

Plus points so far for the atmosphere, graphics are nice in places, voice acting is also ok too, the sound and music are just great as usual.
Certainly has my FULL attention and it's not NEARLY as bad as people or even the footage made this out to be, they have done a good job so far.

[Shozuki]

Well said mate. I'm a bit further in now and combat has started becoming tougher, this adds to the tension. Puzzles are still way to easy for SH game but its no way a deal breaker. Seriously if your on the fence, buy it.

[Duckula]

Really looking forward to this arriving now, thanks for the impressions guys.