When it rains, it Pours
This game review edition is brought to you in part by...Project Ninja!
The game being reviewed? Another chapter in the survival horror classic Silent Hill, entitled Silent Hill: Downpour.
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| Silent Hill: Downpour PS3 cover. |
Silent Hill Downpour was developed by Vatra Games and published by KonamiDigital Entertainment and was released on March 13, 2012 on the Xbox 360 and
the PlayStation 3 home consoles. Silent Hill Downpour is a third person
survival horror game that focuses on puzzle solving, exploration and combat.
Players take control of, and follow the story of, Murphy Pendleton, a convicted killer who was being transfered to another prison. As the prisoner transport passes into the town of Silent Hill there's an accident, and Murphy must now make his way through the haunted town, and it's alternate verse, to escape his fate.
Players take control of, and follow the story of, Murphy Pendleton, a convicted killer who was being transfered to another prison. As the prisoner transport passes into the town of Silent Hill there's an accident, and Murphy must now make his way through the haunted town, and it's alternate verse, to escape his fate.
Unlike previous titles, Downpour has a much larger and open world to explore, complete with side quests you can accomplish along the way. Weather also plays a big part in gameplay, the more it rains, the more violent creatures outside get, and the more of them there are. The rain seems to be mostly random, although the more time spent outside the heavier it rains. You also meet other people along the way that may be friend or enemy, you never can really tell. For example, when you make it to the church you are greeted by a nun, who at first seems friendly but when next you meet her you realize she more or less lead you into a trap. You are given several descisions throughout the game based on morality (i.e. save individuals or let them die.) and those descisions will affect which ending you will achieve, I viewed 3 out of 6 possible endings.
A really cool aspect that was new was the use of a forensic flashlight. You could use it to see footprints and other clues that are otherwise invisible to the naked eye. Not sure where to go? Click on the forensic flashlight and you might see drag marks on the floor that you need to follow, and those marks could lead you to a box with an important item inside. There is also a new creature in this game called the doll. The doll itself doesn't move or attack but sends shadows of herself that are invisible unless you shine the forensic flashlight on them.
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| The large and expansive open world of "Downpour" |
Unlike previous titles, Downpour has a much larger and open world to explore, complete with side quests you can accomplish along the way. Weather also plays a big part in gameplay, the more it rains, the more violent creatures outside get, and the more of them there are. The rain seems to be mostly random, although the more time spent outside the heavier it rains. You also meet other people along the way that may be friend or enemy, you never can really tell. For example, when you make it to the church you are greeted by a nun, who at first seems friendly but when next you meet her you realize she more or less lead you into a trap. You are given several descisions throughout the game based on morality (i.e. save individuals or let them die.) and those descisions will affect which ending you will achieve, I viewed 3 out of 6 possible endings.
A really cool aspect that was new was the use of a forensic flashlight. You could use it to see footprints and other clues that are otherwise invisible to the naked eye. Not sure where to go? Click on the forensic flashlight and you might see drag marks on the floor that you need to follow, and those marks could lead you to a box with an important item inside. There is also a new creature in this game called the doll. The doll itself doesn't move or attack but sends shadows of herself that are invisible unless you shine the forensic flashlight on them.
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| New characters like: Bogeyman. |
The graphics are smooth and pretty (if you can find a horror game pretty) and the sound is very realistic, giving you that menacingly creepy vibe that the series is well known for, however all the creatures are new and, to me, lacking what the nurses and pyramid head had in previous titles. The past titles had creatures that made you feel like you were in hell, or they just came out of hell. The enemies in this game seemed more like drunken brawlers and escaped mental patients, not bad but not as intimidating. The voice acting was rather dramatic and not as hollow as previous installments.
I had a good time playing this game and there were times i was left unsettled, however, to me this wasnt really Silent Hill. I understand they may have wanted to try something new and different, maybe take the series in a different direction, but the complete change in enemies and setting (where's the fog?) did leave me wanting and missing the classics. As an action/survival horror game it is top notch, but it should have been part of another series or a stand alone game itself with a different title.
Taking everything into consideration, I have to give it two ratings:
for a Silent Hill game I rate it a 6 out of 10
for a standalone self titled game I would rate it a 7.5 out of 10
So if you are new to
the Silent Hill series, you'd probably have no complaints!
- N64
